Dear Editor,
Monday morning blues. From last week only my telephone landline is out. All of my neighbors have complete service from TelEm, but by now they should know that I know the ropes and I never exhaust my ammunition.
Over the weekend I ran out of credit so I decided to top up on Monday morning. No internet in the area, so I cannot top up nor use my ATM card neither to swipe nor in the machine. I had to take someone to the laundry so I will pass by TelEm office after.
On my way to the laundry I passed two people walking with masks over their mouths and noses. I decided that that must be because of that heavily contaminated smoke coming from the dump. In the parking lot at the laundry a motor vehicle 307 motor running with only a baby locked inside the car in a baby-seat on the front seat. I looked around and in the laundry. Nobody knew about the car. I decided to inform 911.
For some reason or the other I could not get any connection with 911. At the laundry a lady was criticizing government for closing TelEm and the government building because of the smoke from the dump but did not think on the schoolchildren. That is when I found out that TelEm was closed, so no top up.
The person who I took to the laundry is athsmathic and asked me to take him home because the air in area was getting heavy. All of this between 10:35am and 11:15am.
I bought a newspaper and read that "The company responsible for the management of the landfill was working diligently to extinguish the fire". So again government puts the responsibility (this time of public safety) of the people in the hands of a private entity. Same as public transportation.
I also read of the two options that government has to relocate those victims of Irma and I would like to know if business as usual is going on in that place of prostitution as we would say. If not I don't see any problem in that. Do we always know what the former tenant did in the house that he/she just gave up? Clean up the place and if it is in livable condition, try it.
What to me is an insult to my intelligence and I'm sure to that of others is Jules James claim to be the epitome of leading by example. I must admit though that it is not a waste of time or being brass-faced why he dares to come back, because in spite of lack of all kind of integrity, politicians have proven time and time again that our people are suckers for punishment. So if they vote for him after having demonstrated before that he is and now again telling the people that he is stuck in his ways, I can't blame him.
I for one would not vote for him. He probably can say he is for the people with a straight face (practice makes perfect) but I'm sure not with a clean conscience.
I still believe that the SMCP is the right party for a change.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
We have been sitting on this Pond Island Waste Saga for over 30 years. The people do not care if it is a DP proposal, an NA proposal, an UP proposal, a USP proposal, or even the best proposal. All that the people want is for this growing and unhealthy real nightmare to be resolved NOW and just go away.
And please, we do not need any more new proposals. There are enough on the table. Just take a decision in Parliament and make a deal between all Governing Political Parties to throw them all in a box. Shake the box up publicly before the People. And just allow the Governor to put his hand into the box and pull out one. And whichever he pulls up will be the way that we go.
Because nothing else seems to be working due to politics, politicians, power and political parties’ personal interests.
Roberto Richardson
Dear Editor,
Yesterday I donated a suitcase of miscellaneous to Tom, who is at the Little League Stadium for those in need.
Living there are single people who have lost their homes.
I asked Tom about the families living in Carnival Village and what would happen to them during Carnival, which is only 1-2 months away.
Apparently there were 2 options looked into:
1: to put up tents on the Little League field. This is not possible since the Little League field is not real grass and the spikes of the tents would ruin the field.
2: to relocate the families in a nearby whorehouse.
I ask the persons responsible for these ridiculous options the following:
To relocate families in tents on a field which is used to give the children of St. Maarten the much-needed sporting activities cannot be a serious option, don’t you think? Then option nr. 2 should never even have been considered, don’t you think?
Name withheld at author’s request
Dear Editor,
Pro Statia and Brighter Path Foundation, two grass-roots organizations on St. Eustatius, strongly condemn the desire of State Secretary Knops (Kingdom Relations) to intervene administratively on St. Eustatius as expressed in a letter to the Second Chamber today [Monday – Ed.].
The organizations view this move as undemocratic and not in accordance with international law on human rights, as the sitting Statia Government has been democratically elected by the people of St. Eustatius.
It is argued that the administrative move is a reaction to the report of the Committee of Wise Men who found negligence of duties in St. Eustatius. One can however ask, if such a move is in accordance with the UN declaration of Human Rights, article 21, which states, “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country directly or through freely chosen representatives.” How can the Dutch Government therefore justify the move to postpone elections until further notice?
Additionally, the report of the so-called Wise Men has not been made public before today [Monday – Ed.]. This report is mentioned as the basis for this latest action of the Dutch government, while the people of St. Eustatius have not been made aware of the findings of this committee.
The NGOs are calling on the international community to condemn this undemocratic act and also call upon the United Nations, to mandate one of its bodies, to serve as a neutral third party in helping the local and Dutch government to resolve this governing crisis.
We will be keeping the community informed and provide guidance moving forward.
Brighter Path Foundation,
Xiomara Balentina
Pro Statia,
Glenn Schmidt
Dear Editor,
Once again were experiencing dump fires which are polluting the air we breathe and causing havoc in our body because of the toxic fumes. What saddens me and what our population is not aware of, is that these dump fires could have been prevented since 2013 when an agreement was signed between the Government of St. Maarten represented by then PM Mrs Sarah Wescot-Williams and the municipality of Amsterdam represented by the then Mayor Eberhard van der Laan. This agreement will be published because it’s of importance that the St. Maarten people draw their own conclusions after reading that document and the advice given by the Social Economic Council on this matter. For those who cannot read the Dutch language a free translation will be added so that they too can get an idea of what is going on. St. Maarten people need to be informed in order to make the right decision at the polls. Now we are talking about your health and what that is worth to you.
The agreement was signed on October 16th, 2013. The Social Economic Council brought out their advice on “Better Waste Management for Sint Maarten”, December 21st, 2016. Three years after said agreement was signed. This agreement expired on the 16th of October 2017. A good month after being devastated by hurricane Irma. Our government never did anything with this agreement, which would have had a major impact on cleaning up our waste issues prior and post Hurricane Irma. This unfortunately is further evidence of how much this government cares about the well-being of the people. But don’t take my word for it. Read the documents yourself and decide if these are the people you want to cast your vote on come February 26, 2018.
Beverley Gibbs
Your number 5 candidate on the SMCP slate
