Dear Editor,
I have taken note of the statements made by Mr. Mike Franco and published in The Daily Herald on June 1, 2018, and would like to point out the following in response.
First of all, by initially and publicly stating that the report by Mr. Refunjol and Franssen did not contain any include any findings of corruption, Mr. Franssen and Mr. Franco acknowledged that said report was used as a false pretext and last desperate effort by the Government of the Netherlands to attempt to justify the decapitation of the democratically and legitimately elected government of Sint Eustatius in February of this year.
The fact that the report was used as a false pretext has now been further confirmed by Mr. Franco who in the article of June 1, 2018 states that he has “encountered some things that can be classified as corruption.” This means that these alleged “things” were not encountered before the report was written.
Mr. Franco states that persons were moved for political reasons, because they “are not doing what you would like them to do,” and that this can be considered “corruption” as well. I hereby challenge Mr. Franco to provide irrefutable proof (“onweerlegbaar bewijs”) for these allegations. I also would like to remind Mr. Franco that former Kingdom Representative Isabella, when I pointed out the lack of qualifications of a process manager to be appointed by him, he simply replied with: “...maar zij geniet mijn vertrouwen...”
Furthermore, if appointing persons based on their political affiliation constitutes corruption, then I have to conclude that the Dutch Government has formalized and institutionalized this form of corruption, looking at how former politicians are appointed to high positions based on their party affiliation after they leave office honorably, or are forced to resign in disgrace as is the case on numerous occasions in both the Federal and municipal governments in the Netherlands.
It is also well-known that mayors in the Netherlands are always appointed based on their affiliation with (coalition) party affiliation.
Mr. Franco states that people who had “performed a job for government” did not get paid. I would like to remind Mr. Franco that under the (unlawful) regime of preventative supervision imposed by former Minister Plasterk, Government’s creditors were not paid for months due to approval being withheld by the Ministry of BZK and/or the former Kingdom Representative.
In February of last year, Commissioner Woodley put an end to the preventative supervision based on the incompatibility with the UN Charter and international law, and paid most if not all of the outstanding amounts. Never did the Dutch Government or the CFT take any (legal action) against that decision, which is itself indicative of the fact that it was the right one.
Mr. Franco claims that the “finances were not in order” but doesn’t define what “not in order” means, and doesn’t substantiate his claim either. As far as the annual accounts are concerned, they have not received approval by the auditors in decades. That is nothing new, and goes for many large municipalities in the Netherlands, as well, despite the large amount of resources available to them.
Finally, I would like to point out that all the so-called “plans,” “initiatives” and “achievements” Mr. Franco regularly presents to the media, were in preparation by the legitimate Government of Sint Eustatius since it took office in April 2015.
And while I understand how propaganda works and the need for Mr. Franco and the Dutch Government to create a positive image of progress and improvements to justify and distract the people of Sint Eustatius from the real issues at hand, those same people are not buying it. Most of them have lived here for the better part of their lives, and even if they haven’t, they are smart and wise enough to see what is really going on.
Mr. Martijn Meijberg who, until he was moved from the position in July 2017, was charged with the preventative supervision at BZK, publicly and proudly proclaimed while on a visit to Sint Eustatius: “The Dutch Government will make sure that nothing positive happens during the tenure of this Government so that the DP would be elected back into office in 2019.”
Mr. Meijberg confirmed what was already evident the moment the PLP-led Government took office in 2015. By refusing to dialogue with the incoming government, and instead immediately imposing additional supervision, forcing a worthless and unrealistic “Plan of Approach” down our throats, boycotting the island, hindering the new agreement with NuStar, imposing preventative supervision, delaying the start of the road project and continuing to ignore the results of the different reports over the years, the Dutch Government has stifled any progress the Government of Sint Eustatius was making.
All the reports written by consultants hired by the Dutch Government over the years pointing out the failings of the Dutch Government were ignored or only partially implemented when convenient. Even the report by Mr. Refunjol pointed out the Dutch failures and neglect in dealing with the islands over the years. Yet there were no consequences for the Dutch Government and its official officials, and a Government who has been in office less than three years out of the last decades was used as a scapegoat.
Despite all the efforts to sabotage and interfere, the Government of Sint Eustatius was able to make significant progress. Not only was the agreement with NuStar negotiated, but also improvements in the financial management and personnel related areas were made. Preparations for different projects like housing, an improved airport building, additional airlift, etc. were made and ready to be executed. Agriculture projects reaped their fruits and new trade channels with Trinidad were opened, besides the agreement with the CPA.
After the unlawful puppet regime headed by Mr. Franco took over, it seemed that the same Dutch laws that our government was accused of breaking went out the window. All of a sudden funding was not a problem anymore. Mr. Franco has an unlimited budget to hire numerous Dutch civil servants at extremely high additional costs, and fire dedicated hard-working locals with families.
In closing, I would like to say that Mr. Franco, who failed as President of Parliament and politician in Curaçao by losing the only seat his party had, should be deeply ashamed of himself as a Caribbean man. As President of Parliament, he placed and signed a plaque in Fort Amsterdam on July 1, 2013, thanking national hero Tula for “fighting for the freedom of his people leading to the abolition of slavery, and inspiring the people of Curaçao for continuing the fight for more and more emancipation.” I am sure that Tula is spinning in his grave seeing how Mr. Franco is now being used as a pawn by the Dutch colonizers to suppress the people of Sint Eustatius.
Clyde I. van Putten
Island Council Member and Leader of the Coalition Government of St. Eustatius
Caribbean Billion Dollar Mountains
Living among the green mountains
Overwhelmed by the vast arrangement of colours
Floating like leaves on trees
Wrapped in royal apparel with tones of
Purple, red, blue, orange, and yellow
As we arise in spirit and mind
We climb together in recreational mode
to top of hurricane pinnacles
We stand still admiring and surveying
the many scenic horizons ahead.
Realizing that: We can live;
we can build an alternative future,
we can be generationally resilient.
Welcome to the Caribbean Mountains
From the moment we become of age you are aware of your surroundings, you then quickly realize that you are residing in a hurricane zone. Hurricanes are an integral part of the Caribbean lifestyle and experience from the time of its inception.
From 1960 to present the Caribbean can say that there have been approximately 12 to 14 major hurricanes that passed through the islands leaving in their wake a series of ravaging effects. Over an estimated 2 million lives has been lost within this time, over $120 billion has been spent on public and private damages that can be estimated, and not to mention the cost related to public and private organizational and public displacement expenses.
In the foreword of the 1994 Pan American Health Organization article called “A World Safe from Natural Disasters – The Journey of Latin America and the Caribbean” there is a representation of their priorities in combating life lost and property lose as a result of natural disasters.
The following statement has a very hopeful tone of relevance for us as a nation of islands as we begin to gain an alternative perspective on the next steps that we have to take as a people. “A second purpose is to share the optimism and enthusiasm of disaster professionals at witnessing a slow but steady evolution in the region – from the fatalistic acceptance of disasters to the determination to take steps to avoid them whenever possible or minimize their effects through long−term disaster reduction planning.”
On average there are at least 100 conferences on hurricanes preparedness within the Caribbean region. That is equivalent to an untold quantity of public, man and company-hours being invested in activities that seemingly can be used in a productive manner in relationship to developing scenarios towards turning the tide towards developing a new resilient approach for the Hurricane Industry.
What makes the Hurricane Industry an Industry is the fact that we can conclude together that we have a product or a product line (category one to five hurricane types), we have a market (news broadcast agencies, meteorological agencies, airline agencies, natural disaster rapid response specialists, etc.), we have several types of business models that have come to life (considering the various institutions regional and global who are tasked with the preparation, execution and the assisting with monetary injections and technical support, evacuation models, etc.), and finally there is a clear distribution model (dealing with good practices, disaster specialists, national readiness protocols, etc.). So, to put it in simple terms we have a well-oiled manufacturing operation that we can measure and get stats from.
We as a Caribbean people can benefit from changing our focus to developing “experience models for global impact”. Following are some inspirational approaches, that have been identified: the Macworld WWDC (Worldwide Development Conference) and their many proactive projects, the Microsoft powerful and relevant organizational and team building “workshops”, the Samsung “launch” videos and their community programs, looking at initiatives like how the National Football League incorporated MIT in the NFL’s Next Generation Statistical Sports Analysis Conference dealing with, for example, real time player tracking technologies, developing new mind-blowing simple-to-use presentation tools, looking at the new innovations towards medical advancements, looking at the relevant and encouraging announcements in the logistic and space race arenas: namely the work being done by Elon Musk, there are many relevant and hopeful dynamics playing out as we speak.
It is time for the region to become rigorous and envisage a strategy of no tolerance towards lives neither lost; or making room for any form of public property damages. It is time to identify those minds and professional experts who are clearly interested in turning the tide towards true resilience for the Caribbean region.
In 2013 Shane L. Koyczan said it best when he said, “If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.” Let us make art together. Recorded in the Business Insider May 30, 2018, President Dr. Warren Smith, of the Caribbean Development Bank in one of his recent speeches represented the following towards ways to triumph over setbacks.
Dr. Smith urged regional leaders and development partners to work collaboratively and proactively to address the region’s vulnerabilities by building resilience in technology, agriculture, and regional airline connectivity. “Our region has had to cope with countless natural disasters and other shocks throughout its history. And we have demonstrated repeatedly our ability to ‘bounce back’ from such disastrous events, However, our responses have been largely reactionary; and the cost of responding has been rising steadily, undermining other efforts to get onto a sustainable development platform,”
Nobility is needed to take on the mentality to engender an innovative mental determination to be involved with active resilient change initiatives. How can this be achieved? Initiating pilot programs across the region facilitating social and economic recovery and providing for hands to be on the plow when dealing with finding true sustainable and resilient scenarios for the region.
Looking at the initial remarks from the Management Concepts.com we would read the following in their July 13, 2016, post about “Embedded Change Management contributes to Organizational Resiliency” The Oxford Dictionary defines resilient as “able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.”
Recognizable resilient behaviours include a positive attitude, optimism, perseverance, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. We need to understand and have foundational clarity about our vision and its accompanying objectives. Basically we need to have a plan, a personal plan, a regional plan, an international plan, and a plan that governs our understanding of our role amongst the stars.
Let us, as a Caribbean Body of Nations, be proactive by looking at for example what The Rockefeller Foundation did by launching the Asian Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) in 2008 to help cities strengthen their capacity to prepare for, withstand, and recover from the projected impacts of climate change. Regionally the Caribbean is at the dawn of a new time. The present future has many clues as to facilitate us having a renewed focus for success considering this great Hurricane Industry of potentials. Let us turn the tide together.
By ir. Damien Richardson
Curaçao Chronicle
Dear Editor,
I would be remiss if I did not contribute to the annals of St. Maarten Tourism history of my personal recollection and experience with Bob Dubourcq. Bob was a legend in the Hotel and Tourism industry in St. Maarten. Not only did he immensely contribute to its development but based on my personal experience he helped shape our Tourism posture in the 1970s and ’80s.
I watched Bob from a distance when I started in 1975 at the front desk and then as Assistant Manager of Mullet Bay Beach Hotel. Bob exuded all the attributes of a true host in being a world class hotelier.
As a Hotelier you are expected to be “a diplomat, a democrat, an autocrat, an acrobat and a doormat. You must be able to entertain Prime Ministers, Princes of Industry, pickpockets, gamblers and philanthropists. You must be on both sides of the political fence and be able to jump the fence.” Bob Dubourcq was all the foregoing and most of all a gentleman and diplomat.
To be a successful Hotelier you must “keep the bar full, the hotel full, the storeroom full, the wine cellar full, the customers full and not get full yourself.” With absolute assurance, I can attest that Bob kept all his operational needs at Little Bay full in the ’70s, but most especially the most important mark of success, Bob kept his hotel full.
Bob Dubourcq and Little Bay Hotel ranked amongst the most successful hotel operations in the Caribbean recording the highest average occupancies year-round. I know as a fact that guests at Little Bay Hotel under Bob’s capable management booked their Winter vacations for the following year while at the Hotel immediately prior to checking out. Bob had the highest repeat guest percentages on St. Maarten.
Bob Dubourcq at the time was the go-to guy for the Caribbean Hotel Association, having served as Director to CHA for a number of years. Bob was ranked in the same category with legendary hoteliers at the time such as Heinz Simmonitz of Jamaica and Howard Hulford of Antigua. Bob co-authored the 10 reasons to visit St. Maarten which strong attributes made St. Maarten unique amongst Caribbean destinations.
In seeking about keeping the house full, as General Manager of the Summit Hotel in the early ’80s, I vividly remember Bob and I walking the pavements in New York suburbs to visit Travel Agencies. With briefcases full of brochures, we would lead the sales efforts long before Sales managers would form part of direct sales ad promotion, walking door to door to the Travel agencies. In this respect, Bob heavily promoted the importance of Travel agents’ Familiarization trips. In those days, the Travel agent had no expense to visit St. Maarten to learn and eventually sell the destination. I attended many functions where Bob would lead presentations in selling St. Maarten.
Under Bob Dubourcq’s management of Little Bay Hotel, he directed 131 employees to 120 rooms. His staff was considered the most seasoned on St. Maarten and Bob was the only Hotelier at the time to have two Collective Labor Agreements: one for Supervisors and Managers and one CLA for staff. An innovation in Labor relations I inherited from Bob at the Belair Hotel in 1986.
As a successful hotelier, you are “expected to have staff who are clean, honest, quick workers, quick thinkers, be on the boss’ side and the guests side.” Staff are expected to foster happy and satisfied customers who yearn to return. Bob was excellent in developing that team of Little Bay service professionals delivering memorable quality service experiences.
Little Bay was the go-to place on weekends. St. Maarten’s greatest entertainers at the time such as Ray Anthony Thomas and Jan Matser worked there seven nights a week. The Rolling Stones and Creole stars were there on a regular basis in the ’70s and locals were more than welcome. Bob’s management style created the perfect balance for guest convenience and local traffic.
Bob co-founded the St. Maarten Hotel Association and we met on a rotating basis at several Hotels until Mike Ferrier, President of SHA, and I opened the SHA offices in Philipsburg in 1983 and employed the first Director, Marjean Rougier. After having served as President of SHA for a number of years, Bob remained as a Caribbean Hotel Association Director. Under Bob’s direction and encouragement, St. Maarten had the highest number of attending Hotels at the Caribbean Marketplace, earning St. Maarten a complimentary booth on two occasions. Bob believed in gathering occupancy statistics on a monthly basis from member Hotels.
Similar to St. Maarten having Emil Lee as Caribbean Hotel Association President recently, I was very proud when Bob was nominated as “Hotelier of the year”. Both Bob and Emil were first in both categories for St. Maarten. Bob is the only person on St. Maarten to be given that coveted award and Emil Lee was the first President from St. Maarten.
St. Maarten’s history must reflect that Bob was the go-to man for Clem Labega, Claude Wathey, Sam Hazel, Julian Conner and Rupert Maynard. As the go-to man for the planned Westermeyer development at the site where Belair Beach Hotel sits, Bob was handpicked to head the Bilderberg group, when the economic conditions were no longer favorable for St. Maarten.
As the youngsters say: Bob was THE man in the Hotel industry of St. Maarten locally and regionally. He contributed to my salesmanship development in filling rooms and most important I learnt from him how to develop loyal repeat clients. Bob’s mannerism and gentleman-ship are additional attributes that Bob possessed that I will always remember, besides his singing and dancing abilities.
To his family, I extend my heart-felt and deepest sympathy for his loss. The gentleman was without question a giant in the Hospitality industry of St. Maarten. Bob’s contribution to St. Maarten’s tourism development must be anchored in the history of St. Maarten.
Keith D. Franca
Dear Editor,
I am not a promoter of NAGICO Insurances, I had two claims prior to the hurricane against NAGICO, one for my wife’s medical condition and one when my wife’s car was rear-ended. Neither were settled – which is why I no longer use NAGICO.
However, I have to support NAGICO in its claim against the airport. You do not need any knowledge about construction (which I have in abundance), to understand that the airport claim for the reconstruction and loss of business is absurd. How can the insurance claim be more than the original cost of construction?
The building needs a new roof, it needs gutting and refurbishing. It doesn’t need tearing down!
Simon Macauley
After been
violently Rape by Irma
on the 5 of september
Battered mercilessly
by looters the morning
after
ignored by selfish
government
