Dear Commandant,
It is with sadness to hear of your passing, as this moment gives us reason not only to mourn, but to reflect on your tenure and your legacy as we have witnessed it over the years.
I joined the VKS in 2001 with no military experience, and I can remember the first meeting with you in the small Madame Estate office between the laundry mat and Chinese restaurant, where you welcomed my application with the same serious manner you handled all applicants at that time.
From that time forward you built your reputation of being a calm person, who says less words, but with each word carrying more weight. You also showed a commanding presence without raising your voice or threatening punishments. Your word was enough to ensure that tasks would be completed, and your demeanour never changed whether you were addressing your officers or your newest (and confused) soldiers. It goes without saying that the highest ethics and morality were expected of all members, not only because of the Korpstucht (our governing rule book), but because you, the commander, was a living example.
You took a chance with me, allowing me to attend officer training in the VKS, even considering my age and lack of Dutch proficiency. That faith in me was appreciated and it gave me reason to develop more and even seek more leadership training in the formal military. I took special note of your clear written style of official notices, and your ability to maintain a force by growing it slowly and surely as opposed to pushing drastic ideas and changes that could have threatened the long-term sustainability of the organisation.
Your deep connection with the core of St. Maarten's population through church, charitable foundations, your previous professional expertise, and even domino skills, and your close impartial rapport with politicians from all parties when necessary proved to be an asset.
Most importantly in my life was the level of respect my father had for you and your organisation and his admiration for the end result of your hard work. As a fellow high ranking officer in his former years, he was well aware of your hurdles and challenges to keep this ship afloat, and moving in the right direction.
I would like to close this letter by acknowledging your safety measures during your life of service. During your reign as commander of the new and growing Korps (and let us be humble and thank God for this), the result was no on-the-job deaths, no excessive uses of force reported, and no negligent discharge of firearms resulting in injuries to your members while working as armed law enforcement.
I estimate that in the past decade close to half of a million individual man-hours of service were rendered to St. Maarten under your command with minimal incidents, and at a huge savings and necessity to the government.
Although you have now taken your last earthly breaths, we accept your continued guidance for us via your memories and accomplishments.
Respectfully,
A lieutenant in the VKS
Name withheld at author’s request.
Dear Editor,
In my boy days, I was an A student and my parents were often complimented for this. One of the sayings that remained with me was: “You should be proud of him.” Something my father rarely repeated or I might say, never echoed. I was trying to remember what he used to say to us, I am not sure if these were his exact words, but I think he used to say, “One must be humble before he receives compliments.”
At one time when I told him that I was not sure if he was proud of me, he said to me, “Look up Proverbs 29:23.” I actually should have expected that because that is what he often did. He would refer us to the dictionary or the bible.
I do not usually take up other people's plight, but what this senior citizen said to me reminded of what was instilled in me so I am prepared to absorb any reaction to the following. “In referring to those new Ministers of government and the newly-sworn-in members of Parliament, they should adhere to the saying ‘let your conscience be your guide.’ Do not permit pride or lust for power to override that which is not in compliance with your faith.
Members of Parliament should be allowed to do that which is necessary to do. Meaning they have to, as it were, clean up the mess, without compromising themselves. As you assume positions in government you should do the right thing because history has shown that the handwriting of God is hanging over your heads.
I believe that escaping four major threatening hurricanes should be an eye-opener and a warning for the future. My plight is for the people in government not to go against that handwriting because they will be responsible for the consequences. I am a senior citizen of sweet St. Maarten land and I will continue to pray for all the members of government so that they may let God’s will be done, because only He can do it.
It does hurt my heart every time I hear they lock up another politician. I pray that those members of government would abide in us so that they may handle the business of the people to accommodate us. Let them be people of virtue.
I pray that God will continue to bless our country. Protect Saint Martin from hunger, crime, poverty and natural disaster. I pray that God will spread His Holy Spirit all over this land and bring all people together as one. We have to ask God to take care of our young people who look like they have gone astray.
Congratulation to our new Government. Just do the right thing.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Not too long ago, a female expressed her discontent because of government not following up a promise to discuss providing space for motorcycle riders to practice what they consider a sport. At that time I did not agree with it and I still do not agree with it, simply because of the danger involved and the lack of professionals to be able to manage such an organization. To that end I would encourage those interested in organizing motorbikes (racing) competition to contact those drag racing organizations of Aruba and Curaçao to get an idea what it’s all about.
For more than 40 years I have been dispatched to traffic accidents with minor injuries to deaths and every time the feeling was as if it was the first time, because I strongly believe that nobody wants to see another person injured. Believe it or not, not even in boxing. So my question is what is the reason that even after continuously seeing their fellow motorbike riders, friends, relatives, both male and female increasingly getting injured and even fatally, they continue to conduct themselves irresponsibly in the traffic.
I do not have to describe the irresponsible behaviour because it is not an isolated affair. When I see them zigging and zagging through the traffic, beeping their horns as it were, letting the other traffic know “I'm coming through” I would say to myself “Where are they going?” My reaction when I read that article/letter from that lady at that time was, that it was time that the police invite a delegation of the bikers to have a talk in order to discuss the pros and cons of their behaviour in traffic and the consequences, as well as the legalities thereof.
I say it all the time: “The car does not feel the pain, the wall does not feel the pain, neither does the ground. It is the rider and the fellow rider.” We are constantly busy talking about the behaviour of the young people, but what are we physically doing to contain this not so desirable behaviour? As far as I can track on social media, it is one motorbike accident a week. Fifty-two accidents in 365 days in which young people are hurt or killed is far too many on 37 square miles of land. Say one say two. I strongly believe that VROMI should be consulted in order to determine the built-up areas of St. Maarten.
The speed limits for St. Maarten also should be revised because of the excessive number of cars and other motor vehicles, such as oversized heavy equipment, as well as oversized buses, oversized trailers, gas and water trucks, etc. And the width of the roads not being able to accommodate them. Not to mention that all traffic on the roundabouts is disrupted when any one of this heavy equipment enters the roundabout. And talking about the motorbike riders, they take pleasure in showing their ability to manoeuver through the traffic on the roundabouts. Not to forget the foul language and the blowing they use at drivers who do not pull aside for them.
I dare say that they are inconsiderate because they do not care about those who care about them. On December 1, coming government along with the council of churches will be giving thanks for a peaceful hurricane season. But we don't want God in government and we take God out of the schools. When I google the word “hypocrisy” it defines it as “the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than the case.”
Again, I would like the police to invite a delegation of bikers for a meeting in order for them to come to an understanding of the way forward.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
In your Friday editorial you mention the use of LNG.
Please note the importance of hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel.
It will be used in the aviation, automotive and maritime sectors, meaning that aircraft, cars, yachts, cruise ships and even utility plants that produce electricity will use it. Seawater can be turned into hydrogen through a process called electrolysis which separates oxygen (O) from hydrogen (H2). That means that St. Maarten could make its own hydrogen fuel in the future (don’t count on the latter).
In media reports one reads: “If cruise liners are mandated that they must run on green fuel and the destinations they’d like to go to are not able to provide the green fuel, then they may have no choice but to go to other destinations,” … and … “this imminent and unstoppable energy transition that’s upon us” … and … “MSC (cruise line) gets serious about building world’s first ocean-going hydrogen-powered cruise ship” … and … in the USA … “DOT (Dept. of Transportation) and FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) are directed to ‘advance the competitiveness of the United States in the safe use of hydrogen in civil aviation.’”
At my next CARIBAVIA conference in 2025 on St. Barth, I will have a presentation by HDF – Hydrogene De France. They already have hydrogen projects in Martinique, French Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad.
Bud Slabbaert
Dear Editor,
St. Maarten’s casinos and lottery booths promise excitement and opportunity, but the reality is far less glamorous. Behind the flashing lights lies a system riddled with inefficiency, exploitation, and corruption. While a privileged few line their pockets, the rest of the island is left to shoulder the cost of weak oversight and missed opportunities for reform.
The great casino heist
Casinos in St. Maarten enjoy a sweet deal: they pay a fixed annual fee of just 600,000 Antillean guilders for full casinos and 120,000 for slot machine businesses. This outdated system doesn’t even scratch the surface of their actual revenues. Yet, despite this laughably low fee, many operators still fail to pay their fair share.
From 2017 to 2020, the government collected between 15% to 54% of the 10.7 million Antillean guilders it was owed, according to the General Audit Chamber’s 2021 report “Mini Audit: Responsible Gambling”. Millions were left on the table – money that could have built homes, funded healthcare, or improved public infrastructure.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its 2020 and 2021 assessments, recommended switching to a tax system based on casino profits rather than flat fees – a model that has successfully boosted government revenues in other Caribbean nations like Jamaica. However, enforcement is so weak that even the current system fails. It’s not just negligence – it’s a system designed to benefit the privileged few while hardworking people of St. Maarten carry the economy on their backs.
Targeting vulnerable communities
St. Maarten is dotted with nearly seven lottery booths per square mile, with 75% concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, according to the Social Economic Council SER in 2021. For wealthy operators, these booths are cash cows. For the vulnerable families they target, they’re a financial trap disguised as hope.
The General Audit Chamber’s 2021 report revealed that funding for programs at Turning Point, which supported those battling gambling addiction, was cut in 2016. Since then, individuals and families struggling with addiction have been left without support. Meanwhile, lottery operators continue to profit freely, leaving the communities they exploit to fend for themselves.
It’s time to demand accountability. Lottery operators must be required to fund addiction treatment programs, financial literacy initiatives, and community support services – like they do in countries such as Barbados, where gambling revenues contribute to social development funds. Without these changes, lottery booths will remain predatory traps that exploit those who can least afford to lose.
The costs of weak oversight
Gambling isn’t just a local issue – it’s a global liability. St. Maarten’s casinos have long been linked to money-laundering, a problem highlighted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) in its 2019 Mutual Evaluation Report. Weak anti-money laundering (AML) measures leave the island vulnerable to financial abuse and corruption.
In September 2024, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) called for greater independence and resources to tackle these issues. However, the lack of reform isolates St. Maarten from global financial systems, restricting access to platforms like Stripe and other international services. Businesses and residents are locked out of the global e-commerce market, leaving the island at an economic disadvantage.
While the privileged prosper, the broader community remains excluded from opportunities that could drive growth and resilience. This stagnation is the cost of inaction, and the people of St. Maarten are paying the price.
A vision for leadership: Reform over exploitation
St. Maarten’s dependence on aid from the Netherlands underscores its vulnerability to external control. Gambling reform could be one of the game-changers the island desperately needs to break free from this cycle of reliance.
Consider this: if St. Maarten taxed casinos based on profits and enforced existing laws, millions more could be generated annually – enough to rebuild schools, develop agriculture programs, and invest in renewable energy. Imagine a St. Maarten where gambling operators fuel community growth instead of simply lining their own pockets.
The tools for reform are already in hand. What’s missing is the political will to prioritize the people over the privileged few. Gambling doesn’t have to be a rigged game; it can be a powerful force for fairness, independence, and growth. The real question is: will St. Maarten’s leaders rise to the challenge, or will they keep playing by the same old rules?
Angelique Remy-Chittick
Financial Strategist and Consultant
Financial.ish
