Dear Editor,
It is a question I ask myself every time I see anything of the United Democrats. How can anyone trust this party and the people on it? As a person who follows politics very keenly I do not forget things so quickly and I love Google. When you Google key names together you would be surprised the stuff that pops up. Stuff that lives in cyberspace forever.
The United Democrats is an accumulation of all things wrong with St. Maarten. In the United Democrats you see the living reason why things such as an Integrity Chamber, integrity reports and so forth have found their way into our national persona. The years of trickery and deceit and lies by the people on this ONE list should force every sane thinking citizen to run far from them. (I still can’t figure out why Theo did this and gave Sarah, who tried to destroy him, an umpteenth breath at a political life).
The United Democrats is an accumulation of every person who has set St. Maarten back years in the last 7 years. Leona Marlin, Chanel Brownbill, Cornelius de Weever and Maurice Lake are the ship-jumpers of the past few years. Every one of them put this island back for selfish reasons. They have single-handedly stalled our progress. Now they are all on ONE party. Michael Ferrier, Sarah Wescot-Williams and Theo Heyliger were the puppet masters who continue to apply their skill now. And we have to trust and vote these people?
Let’s look back:
Michael Ferrier has classified De Weever as a “hijacker” who committed a “despicable act of treason” when he jumped ship and left the DP. Ferrier went on to defend Emil Lee of all people against De Weever. Lee most famously called himself a Chinese-American (not St. Maartener) on a radio program. Despite this, Ferrier said De Weever was “born here” but Lee had more care for St. Maarten.
The same Michael Ferrier again, in more of his famous self-serving letters, said Theo left the DP to join others because he realized “that would cut him (Theo) out of the harbor and THAT meant loss of control of a big money well.” In other words, Ferrier is on record saying Theo used the harbor for financial purposes only.
Ferrier then resigned from the DP calling them “friendly piranhas.” Google it!
But now, as if we all forgot, Ferrier, Lee and De Weever are all Ministers for the United Democrats. Really?! And we have to trust and vote for these people?
Then you have Theo Heyliger who is on record of saying that ship-jumper Maurice Lake left then UP party for “power, position and ministry and others have manipulated him to break the government for self-interest.” Lake then said no, he left the coalition because of the lack of leadership in the UP. Google it! In other words, Theo as a leader sucks. But there Maurice is, at the bottom of a United Democrats list, groveling. And we have to trust and vote for these people?
The United Democrats has the same characteristics as the now defunct DP had over all those years. Why? Because it’s the same personas involved. Money, benefits particular family names, elitist, condescending, manipulative, self-serving, takes nothing serious unless it influences them directly. Everything to these people is a joke because this is what they think about the people of St. Maarten.
Blind the people with silly stuff, make stupid catch-phrases and slogans, add a lil glitz and glamour, use popular slang and completely forget about a message and a vision.
My hope is that the people of St. Maarten wake up and see what is in front of them. This UP, DP, United Democrats thing is nothing more than an attempt to restore 50 years of a governing style that benefits only certain families and that has wrought and brought chaos upon our country.
Concerned citizen
Name withheld at author's request.
Dear Editor,
In today’s world the very liberal and progressive media export and teach the deceptive ideology of inclusion and tolerance.
I believe in proving all things as the Bible says. But most importantly I do not want people to agree or to disagree, but to understand.
When you understand something your knowledge of it will prove if it is wrong or right there is no need to agree or disagree.
Inclusion means the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. God is only inclusive of those that please Him or do His will.
Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” Old Testament. Hebrew 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
God will not except any person or people who does not fulfill His will or who was not obedient to Him.
This is what God says: James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Does that sound like inclusion? In fact that is the opposite of inclusion. God does not change and He never compromises. If He does not change and never compromises prove He is not inclusive.
It is either God’s way or the world’s way which is the highway to hell. That is what a loving God commands us. Evil is the acceptance of sin or the will to sin. We are all sinners by nature, but we should never accept it or be willing to do it. God has never accepted sin and will never accept sin because He does not change and He definitely is not inclusive.
Unfortunately, in today’s church, you hardly hear this message, because many preachers only care about tithe instead of winning the soul of Jesus Christ.
I am a God-fearing man, but the truth is I am not a Christian yet because I am still getting to know God. Most people know about God but they do not know God.
Jeremiah 9:24: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
I understand now why most marriages fail, I understand now why many homes are filled will sorrow and streets fill with lawlessness. I understand now why having a big house and a big car and having 5 lovers of pleasure still cannot make you happy, it is because people are searching for happiness. But joy is better than happiness and only God can give you that.
Only when we live pleasing to God that is when we know Him then you are included. God only includes people who are obedient to Him. He loves all people but His love commands loyalty and obedience and if you reject His love you cannot be included to be saved. God is a loving God that only includes those that are obedient to Him, those that reject His love will not be included.
The truth is not what you want it to be, the truth is what it is. The truth oftentimes is not what you would like to hear. The conclusion is God is not inclusive.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
Dear Editor,
My test for evaluating candidates for the upcoming election is to question them on how easy it is to make things better on Sint Maarten .If they claim it is easy then they drop on my ratings .
Much of the conversation about our political future seems to be based on the assumption that leaders in the past have been “bad,” and if “good” people were to be elected all would be well. It seems to me that whether or not the people are “good” or “bad” they also have to have a full understanding of the tasks and how government works. My guess is that a very small percentage of the very many candidates have that understanding of matters that would be sufficient to help extract us from our difficult circumstances.
The clear reality is that we are in a difficult position in Sint Maarten. Even before the hurricane competitive destinations were increasingly putting pressure on us. Our relatively sophisticated organizations (by Caribbean standards) were not functioning, our taxation structure was impacting our growth and our costs of operating both public and private were becoming excessive.
The hurricane made that all worse, and the manner in which the hurricane crisis was managed made it all much worse.
Any candidate that makes huge promises (e.g. lower food prices, reduce rents, fix the dump in six months) without already having a well-thought, previously-documented vision that is documented should not be considered.
I would look for candidates that show deep understanding of problems. Who will not shy away from the difficulties, both in the political discussion or in their planned policy execution.
I would look for candidates that have proven their ability to manage, and at the very least show evidence that they understand the challenges of management. They should have a clear understanding of the executive branch as distinct from legislative roles. And they should not be “constitutionalists” which are those persons who hide behind complex legislation to justify them taking no action.
Their age is, of course, entirely irrelevant.
We need to end up in our parliament with the sort of parliamentarians that make successful modern democracies function well. They should be specialists in an area which is agreed by their party to be their area of focus. They should become highly informed in that area and be able to support a vision as well as supervise (through parliament) the executing ministry.
With a 15-person parliament their area of specialty may be wider than in larger jurisdictions but in the case of Sint Maarten there are a number of focus areas that lend themselves to prioritization like tax reform, waste management, health care pricing and investment and law enforcement. On one of these subjects at least, they should have an in-depth understanding of the options open to Sint Maarten and the challenges of executing on Sint Maarten.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
I am calling on GEBE to at least explain to residents of Cay Bay why they are still without electricity 6 months after the passing of Hurricane Irma.
We all know of the exceptional job GEBE has done over the past few months, but when speaking to folks in Cay Bay recently, I was caught totally off-guard that they are still without electricity. I think it behooves GEBE to provide an explanation to these citizens about their electricity supply. They haven’t heard anything in quite some time.
I have been told of similar situations elsewhere but have been unable to confirm them as yet. Bottom line is people just appreciate updates. And at this stage, they want a solution. Six months after the storm is a very long time. I’m calling on GEBE to explain and if at all possible expedite its efforts so these good people can get electricity restored sooner rather than later.
Frans Richardson
Leader of United St. Maarten Party (US Party)
Member of Parliament
Dear Editor,
As the campaign moves along more and more, I see the momentum leaning in the direction of young politicians. History would tell me that this is good. New blood and more diverse ideas coming together is what we desperately need in Sint Maarten. It goes without saying that those older politicians with a track record of throwing down all those previous governments, will continue to do the same, and their cronies will continue to plead for them to come back.
I will not dare call Cuthbert Banis a crony, but he definitely put himself in a strange light with me when he puts black on white asking for eleven seats for the UD. After seeing which politicians ended up where after every toppling of government, and realizing that the DP party was never left out of any of those governments, I do not think it is naiveté which makes a man want to put a combination of UP and DP in office again. And outright, mind you.
I do not think he would ask for that and no one would react. Like I stated on occasions the young people are constantly surprising me these days with knowledge of important matters concerning the country. Many of them also realize they are systematically being kept down by those in government who consider them a threat. One of them asked me if I think it is right to eventually appoint Sarah Wescot to the Advisory Council after Wescot considered giving advice to the Prime Minister “degrading"?
Give that a thought. It is degrading for members of Parliament to offer advice to a Minister. So I have to continue stressing on the people of Sint Maarten to get rid of the old, who by now we all know are instrumental in never making an effort to abolish that infamous dreaded "six-month contract”.
I continue to notice that the Christian Party is making all effort to do things the correct way. Which is totally contrary to those members of government who cannot show anything they have done feasible to the people. It seems monotonous, but that is what it is. Total disregard for the people and the proof is in the last toppling of government. They cannot promise dignified government because they have proven not to be interested in the well-being of the people.
And are trying their utmost not to have anything with integrity. Integrity is a behaviour advocated in the Scriptures. A behaviour which even atheists respect. All the more reason for the cry "Out with the old and in with the new".
Russell A. Simmons
