Dear Editor,
If people follow my trend in the letters written to you, they would realize that I put the people first. Permit me to share an anecdote of 1971. I was on the job for 6 years. I was working out of the police station in Rio Canario, Curacao, when an American couple (tourists) came to the station and asked for directions to get to Punda. The desk sergeant of whom I knew that his English was shotty, tried his best to explain them how to get there.
Their body language and facial expressions told me they did not understand what was being explained. Knowing my desk sergeant, I had to evaluate which would be the better of two evils. I chose not to let the tourists leave without being able to get directions from a police station on Curacao, so I added my bit to the original explanation. The lady reacted by saying, "Oh, okay now we understand"
I left Curaçao in 1975 to come to Sint Maarten, and one of the last things my desk sergeant told me was, "Try not to show up your superiors, up there." I do not usually do the work of the political leaders, even though I am often accused of the same, but in this case I would not lose out of sight that Cliffy has chosen for what he campaigned and that is to serve the people. He is putting the people first. Do we not constantly repeat that politics makes for strange bedfellows? So why are we disappointed that Mr. Smith, who according to Joslyn's letter, is asking for Education and Prime Minister. Is he strange to those positions?
History of politics on Sint Maarten would tell anyone that this is the best solution for a semblance of hope for this government to last four years. What I did not hear from my cousin though is that the school children are saying that the same people who toppled the last government are the same ones holding up the process with unreasonable demands.
Frankly speaking, the public secret is that the DP side of the UD is demanding Prime Minister. I do not know if I am ready to attack someone’s character if there is no proof that nothing yet has gone wrong. When a choice between the lesser of two evils has to be made, one runs the risk of a back lash.
My cousin says it's the flavour of power, I say my personal interest must not jeopardize the people. I definitely agree with the beginning of Joslyn's letter to you, but whose foot does that shoe really fit?
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
My wife and I have been coming to Sint Maarten annually for the past 25 years, always especially enjoying our time on Galion Beach (the baby beach) with our child, that is, until this year. Our recent visit to Galion revealed the extensive devastation left by Hurricane Irma, including the opening of a water channel from the nearby pond, allowing raw sewage water into the formerly pristine waters at Galion. Galion is now unfit for swimming or any other recreation.
Galion has always been a popular spot for family fun for islanders and tourists alike, especially at Easter time, when many family camps are in place there. The island needs Galion back to what it was, pristine, clean, safe, and fun for everyone. A bulldozer should be able to close the open sewage channel in a very short time, and nature would clean up the water and the beach. Let's get it done promptly for the benefit of all.
Gregory Collins, MD
Dear Editor,
Sorry, but news last week that the World Bank commission for managing the reconstruction fund would be up to 10 per cent or 50M euros? Is this an April Fool’s joke? The only reason for using the "World Bank is to protect the integrity of the loans to ensure that no funds go missing, but a 50M-euro service fee? That’s enough to build a new GEBE power plant, half the proposed new hospital, or 10 new schools. On top of that, the World Bank integrity measures have us so tied up in bureaucracy and red tape that here we are seven months later and not one check has been written.
I have said it before, the fastest way to reboot our economy and get everybody back to work is to help the hotels rebuild. Instead of trying to encourage new (Chinese) resort developers, invest in the ones that are here and already committed. Lend the funds directly to the existing hoteliers at 0 per cent interest over 20 years, drawing payments as the rebuild is completed, with each hotel securing a second mortgage on their properties. That way if they don’t pay it back we have the hotels as collateral. A simple lesson in fiscal management, we don’t need the World Bank and can save 50M euros.
I heard a rumor yesterday that Holland is going to give us the full 450M as a grant and not a loan (God bless the Dutch). Fiscal management lesson number 2, how do you turn 450M into 900M? Loan the 450M to people that have to pay it back! So you can loan it out again.
Name withheld at author’s request.
Dear Editor,
I would like to express my feelings about the following issue before Carnival goes in full swing. The native St. Martin people are characteristically friendly. In addition, that was/is the cornerstone of our tourism product. Add the warm weather, the island's pristine tropical beaches – definitely a tourist paradise.
But some people have a stereotyped view of us, believing that we are docile, lazy, and unintelligent. Comrades, I take exception to that. As a result, I am inclined to believe that most foreigners do not like St. Martin people, but they like St. Martin for economic reasons.
Comrades, we have been getting unjustified blows for who we are. To add insult to injury, some native St. Martiners believe there are some foreigners and some children, who were born here from non-native parents, who love St. Martin more than some native St. Martiners.
Be that as it may, I would not preach that sermon. But only in St. Martin that school of thought is endemic – nowhere else. Comrades, let Jehovah be the judge. Stop making irresponsible assumptions. Foreigners get offended when we declare, “I from here, I am a born St. Martiner.” Hey, that is how we stake our claim to our native land.
St. Martin people are unique. One day I was walking around the town, and some American tourists stopped to ask me some questions about the island. I gave them the right directions and they were ecstatic. When they asked me if was from the island, I told them yes. Hear them, “Hey, everybody, we have met an islander at last!” One of them asked me, “Sir, where are all the other local St. Martin people?”
May I repeat: “St. Martin people are unique.” We do not harass visitors. lt is therefore incumbent on me to defend the native St. Martiners and squash the drivel that is out there.
King Beau Beau's “Have news will travel” final verse will punctuate my point, “Oh, how sweet St. Martin. Every day sun shining. Oceans great for swimming; beaches white as snow. We are the friendliest bunch of people in the Caribbean. Not a single thief to break into your store. We try to be nice to everybody that comes here. But those criminals get in here, because we were slack so they pack, but they won't come back.”
Somebody, sing the chorus for them.
Julien F. Petty
Dear Editor,
Is the Truth really important? Almighty God shows us that it is!
For instance, at 1 Timothy 2:3,4 God mentioned that it is His Will that people come to a knowledge of TRUTH and be SAVED. Truth can result in being saved.
Moreover, Jesus said that God must be worshipped in TRUTH. (John 4:24) Jesus also said he came to Earth to bear witness to the TRUTH. (John 18:37)
To illustrate, 1. People often say: The Bible says that in the Last Days “Babes will be having babes!” Search as much as you want, you will not find that statement anywhere in the Scriptures- whether at Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Mark 13, Luke 21, or 2 Timothy 3. These scriptures speak about events of the Last Days.
2. How many “wise men” visited Jesus? Many would say three. But at Matthew 2:1, the Bible did NOT give a number, whether two, three, four or five. So we do not know how many.
The above two examples illustrate the need for us to develop the habit of checking the Scriptures for ourselves rather than merely accepting what we hear from others – be it from religious persons or not. (Acts 17:11) For example, making sure that we know if certain observances/customs are based on God’s Word or man-made traditions;(Matthew 15:7-9) what the Truth is as to who God really is in relation to His Son Jesus Christ, and so forth. (Psalm 83:18; Luke 1:31, 32; John 14:28; John 20:17; 1 Corinthians 15:27, 28)
Remember: God must be worshipped in TRUTH. (John 4:24) “Prove all things” as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 urges us to do.
Simeon James
