Dear Editor,

I read in astonishment that the current Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and the Finance Minister Michael Ferrier will be travelling to Brussels to seek funding for a joint Dutch-side/French-side solution to waste management to solve the dump crisis. From what I’ve come to understand, both Ministers have either left the island already or are slated to leave by Tuesday of this week.

Now, I would like to put this in perspective. The present Minister of VROMI Miklos Giterson stated on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 that he was yet to study the documents on a possible waste-to-energy solution that was approved by the previous Council of Ministers, as proposed by then-Minister of VROMI [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – Ed.] Christophe Emmanuel. This is the same minister who in his first press briefing on January 17, 2018, indicated that finding a solution to the landfill would be his highest priority. So, what have you been busy with, Minister Giterson, between January 15, 2018, and February 7, 2018, that you were unable to study the documents?

With high anticipation, I awaited the continuation of the Parliament meeting on Friday February 9, 2018. Shockingly this urgent meeting was postponed by the Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin. WHY?? What could be a valid reason to postpone the meeting, while the dump was still on fire with smoke billowing in Philipsburg for FIVE consecutive days? With civil servants having to work in a building that reeked of smoke and citizens urgently in need of government services suffering under the same conditions.

Now we know the reason for the postponement. The Ministers in this government are acting like sheep being led to the slaughter!

State Secretary Knops made a statement to the Prime Minister that made it clear to me. “I was in Brussels last week and you will go to Brussels soon.” So in other words, this Government has chosen to follow an “instruction” from the Netherlands by way of State Secretary Knops, instead of taking at least a day to review the decisions that are already on the table for a solution to our landfill problem.

So, I have to ask Minister Giterson the following. When will we get the answers to the questions posed by the Members of Parliament? When will we get to hear from you as Minister of VROMI about what transpired over the years and where we are at today as it relates to a solution for the landfill? Why has it been decided for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to travel to Brussels on a matter that pertains to your portfolio?

I would like the “Super 8” and their Ministers to tell the people of this country why they have chosen to take another trip on our expense as citizens to BEG for money, which we can already guess will not be a grant. Why they are hell-bent to make us a country of beggars? How much debt they intend to sink this country in, rendering our grandchildren and their grandchildren in a spiral of debt?

Name withheld at author's request.

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,

St- Eustatius, a Public Entity of the Netherlands, was recently placed under direct Dutch rule after the “Committee of Wise Men” concluded in its report that there is a “gross neglect of duties” on St Eustatius. The report further characterized the administrative situation on Statia by lawlessness and financial mismanagement, but the report was also critical of the Dutch Government’s role in the development of the situation in Statia.

In 2009, the UK government imposed direct British rule on the Turks & Caicos Islands for three years, after evidence of government corruption and incompetence was found. This move was met with strong political and regional resistance and condemnation, but the British Government was convinced that this was the way to go and claimed that the islanders would welcome the British with open arms, the latter proved not to be entirely the case.

In the case of Statia, the “Committee of Wise Men” recommended this measure after reviewing published reports and after conducting interviews with 70 individuals out of a population of 3,200, which is equivalent to 2 per cent of the Statian population. The ‘Committee of Wise Men’ argued that imposing direct rule was necessary because the island government had ruled out any form of dialogue with its Dutch counterparts. The Committee further argued that such a measure would be met with accusations of “neo-colonialism” but that the majority of Statians would be welcoming of this intervention, this based on consultations with just 2 per cent of the Statian population.

The dissolution of democratically elected representatives in dependent overseas territories, while stripping the citizens of their voice, seems to be the applied strategy of choice when the democratically elected representatives of said dependencies start to “misbehave.” Both the Dutch and the UK government argued that the imposition of direct rule in their territories were in accordance with their country’s constitution. One could however argue whether such a measure, whereby an unelected British or Dutch official assumes all power to govern at “will” for a period of years in its “territory” without the organization of local elections, is truly the right thing to do.

Mr. Galmo Williams the former premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands until direct British rule was imposed said, “We will never be able as a nation to move forward [if] every time we reach a crossroads our rights get taken away, our freedom gets taken away." Mr. Williams describes the problematic relation that exists between the administering power and its dependency, namely the belief that the administering power must rescue the islanders out of the hands of their corrupt and incompetent representatives, while at the same time reinforcing a sense of helplessness in the hearts and minds of the islanders, who usually say, “Let the Dutch/British come” when governing and social challenges arise in the territory.

Instead of imposing direct rule in Statia, a neutral third party (preferably outside of the Dutch Kingdom) could have been solicited to mediate between both governments. Or the people of Statia could have been asked via a consultative referendum, if they were desirous of direct Dutch rule.

The continuous practice of stripping islanders of their voice when the dependent territory “misbehaves” can not only be viewed as the exertion of power but also as a morally unjust practice.

Xiomara Balentina

Brighter Path Foundation

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