Dear Editor,
“To say that the just sworn in Ministers have their work cut out for them is an understatement.” The beginning of your editorial of January 16, 2018. No, I am not the devil’s advocate. The proof is in the pudding.
There is also “Sint Maarten now has sixth prime minister in 8 years.” I would add my own along with yours “Governor Eugene Holiday in Guinness Book of Records as governor with the most cabinets sworn in, in record time.”
You wrote “six prime ministers in 8 years.” You were being gracious. Pulling punches causes fights to be lost. I would say seven governments in seven plus years.”
Yes, I believe that the proof is in the pudding. When I look at the individuals, again I see reshuffling and recycling of Sint Maarten's government on both levels; I see the now made famous by Sint Maarten “ship jumpers.”
In the past I have stated that a Minister should have some degree of education pertaining to the portfolio that he/she is heading and I am still of that opinion. So I also see a weak government.
When I add this all up, a perfect recipe for the reason to elect an all new set of people to Sint Maarten's Parliament come February 26. I am sure that there will not be a difference in the ability to do the work and I am also sure that there will be sound advice coming from the Advice Council.
Since 10-10-'10 all governments of Sint Maarten have had their work cut out for them being a new country, and as we know, I might sound monotonous, but all they have done is jumped ship, toppled the government and reshuffled themselves.
Hence the proof is in the pudding. I do not think that I should create false hope, expecting them to accomplish anything else than they have so often proven not to in the past? So I have to say, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.”
The various lists have a good deal of able young candidates, starting with the brown list. Out with the old and in with new.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
I note with interest that persons of very different political hues (The Patriot and Russell Simmons?) are putting their minds to the question of the characteristics and personality of the most suitable candidates the voters should consider for our upcoming election.
We regularly read of the need for young fresh “untainted” candidates who would not be tied to the apparently “corrupted” establishment. If we studied the experience over the past seven years we have already had numerous of such younger persons who have succeeded in being elected but in practice their performance has not resulted in the anticipated success. Many have disappointed. Why?
Many of the comments about elected officials seem to suggest that those who do get elected quickly succumb to a change of heart and their will to “fight” for “the people” is lost. The assumption being that someone with a better mindset and dedication and less influenced by the “good life” would not be deterred in the same manner. The assumption appears to be that being “tainted” by the experienced establishment is the greatest danger.
I would submit that the persons elected do not suddenly have a change of heart once they become “politicians” but that instead they are more challenged by the complexity of government and the need to study, grasp and understand, than they are by some suddenly induced complacency and deviousness. I would submit that in this very young country the support for these newly elected and the tools at their disposal (training seminars, legal support) are grossly limited and that, as these are developed, matters will improve.
Ideally every Member of Parliament should have a law degree. Of course that is not going to happen in Sint Maarten. But clearly it would facilitate their functioning. Knowledge in Health Care, Economics, Public Finance, Public Administration would all be very useful. We are not going to see much of this. The most we can ask for is that our candidates have a substantial knowledge base, the will to learn and more importantly the capacity to learn. They should have the drive and the capacity to deal with extensive documents on complex subjects that use ridiculously complicated words. They must truly be able to supervise the executive branch as well as propose legislation to manage the entire country.
Candidates who have no understanding of how government works are most likely to focus on the morality and character of the competing parties. They will avoid focusing on the specifics of how they will improve matters for the people but rather focus on claiming greater determination and their “fight” for the people. You will hear them saying “we will do it better” but they will avoid explanation of HOW they will do it better because they have not the understanding of the system to actually make it happen.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
First, I would like to congratulate the incoming UP/DP/Brownbill Government which I have a lot of confidence in to move us forward and address the real issues affecting our island.
One of the real issues I would like the Minister of Education to put high on her priority list is to accelerate the adjusted design of the draft Tertiary Education Ordinance and to present an advanced/adjusted draft much sooner than the previous Government.
As a former Member of Parliament, I believe the previous Government could have done a better job of speeding up the process of the draft Tertiary Education law instead of waiting two years to work on it and to have the draft ready earlier than June 2018 to present it to the Council of Ministers for approval.
I also would advise the Minister of Education to let USM Management give their input in the drafting of the law in which the former President of USM was denied in the past to give such input in the drafting of the law. This is the time for us to raise the bar and do the right thing with the input from all stakeholders in the urgent drafting of this much needed draft ordinance for the island of St. Maarten.
There is no politics in Education. Education is our greatest pathway to opportunity in St. Maarten. So we need to invest in and strengthen our university today, and for generations to come. Education should be the Legislature's and any Government top priority and should be put at the top of any Government to do list. We need to come with a permanent solution instead of a three month MOU to save our University of St. Martin and find creative ways to increase their subsidy for USM to continue to educate our people and future generations.
In closing, I am looking forward for the new Minister of Education to put USM on the top of her to do list during her interim period in office. USM Board, Management, Staff, Faculty, Students and the people of St. Maarten would be very grateful for your assistance of making USM again the key to a brighter future in our community. USM education is an investment in our future.
Maurice Lake
Attn. Sunwing: Fair Warning
Dear Editor,
When the roof blew off the Sonesta Great Bay Hotel a few years ago, the parts and pieces all came and slammed into my house and did 20 or 30 thousand dollars’ worth of damage. I understood that and accepted it. Act of God and all that and, in all honesty, it seemed that they took it seriously because they spent a lot of money and time re-doing the roof in what appeared to be good order.
Now it's happened again with Irma. This time the damage to my property was much worse and, obviously much worse for them as well. The destruction was total and the new owners, Sunwing and (my understanding) the Spadaro Group must be feeling more than a bit chagrined about the timing of the purchase. I sympathize with them for their losses as I do with everyone else still licking their wounds.
Having said that, I can't help but notice, since I live within a 9-iron distance of the property, that absolutely nothing has been done in the last 60 days about the tons of loose man-killing, house-killing debris that still litters the remains of the roof and the surrounding properties. Items that even the mildest of hurricanes will turn into a shrapnel storm that will destroy anything and everything nearby as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. And that WON'T be an act of God. That will be negligence for which I and every homeowner nearby will hold Sunwing Corporate and the Spadaro Group (if, in fact they are part of this deal as reported) legally liable all the way to The Hague if necessary.
You won't be able to say that "We didn't know" because the evidence is right here to be seen and documented. You won't be able to say that "No one told us" because I have already spoken to your lawyers in Canada and made them aware and certified letters are on the way. This is your opportunity to not be stupid and simply get out in front of this and save yourself a lot of aggravation and grief as well as sparing your new neighbours the same.
It is wishful thinking to assume VROMI [Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – Ed.] will do anything since, ironically, their own building blew away as well (who did THAT inspection, I wonder?) so it’s going to be up to you to protect your own interests here. Remember what your lawyers always tell you: "The easiest lawsuits to win are the ones that never get filed." Now is the time to win these.
Steven Johnson
Dear people of Sint Maarten,
There is a time for hellos, and a time for farewells.
As my tenure as Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten has come to its end, l say farewell with a heart full of gratitude.
Gratitude for the opportunity to have served my people and my island, and above all, gratitude to God for allowing me to take on this very challenging task with dignity and integrity, with humility and determination, with faith and conviction, especially at a time as this.
When I was approached in 2015 to take on this role, l saw it as a great challenge that I could not resist.
A task that I knew I was well able to take on and execute to the fullest expectations of the people of Sint Maarten.
The title of “Minister Plenipotentiary” evokes a diplomatic language, with “representation” as its key meaning.
Being part of the Dutch Kingdom Council of Ministers meant representing St. Maarten’s government and people in these meetings.
During my tenure, l represented Sint Maarten throughout The Netherlands, particularly at events at which His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima made an appearance.
I met often with Ambassadors from around the world, including those representing the Kingdom of the Netherlands in various countries and those representing their respective countries in The Netherlands.
I received other dignitaries, high-level civil servants, representatives of boards, Sint Maarteners and others, whether visiting from Sint Maarten or other countries, at the Cabinet in The Hague.
Being Minister Plenipotentiary is therefore like being the Ambassador of St. Maarten in The Hague, with the St. Maarten House functioning more like the island’s Embassy, where students and others are received, informed and assisted as best as possible.
My tenure involved representing or standing in for the Prime Minister and other ministers of the government of St. Maarten, in The Netherlands and other countries.
In these times of such incredible disaster and destruction which we experienced in the form of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, that have brought about untold hardship and suffering, political instability and uncertainty about the future to all our people, some may think saying goodbye should be easy, since I would be walking away from all the so-called doom and gloom.
But let me quickly point out here that it is in times of crisis and adversity that the true nature of a people is revealed.
We St. Maarteners have been wired to rise up, to show our true character as a resilient people.
Helen Keller once said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
It is of course not for me to even comment on how successful or not my tenure as Minister Plenipotentiary has been; time will tell.
For now, I leave with enough courage to say goodbye, with my head high and my chin up, confident that there will be enough good in this “goodbye” to take me to the next “hello.”
But, in all honesty, this is not really a goodbye; it is more a thank you to all those who have placed their confidence in me. I hope I have lived up to your expectations.
I am forever grateful to our former Prime Minister, the Honorable William Marlin, for his trust, support and encouragement.
I wish him and his family God’s speed.
I wish to also thank my other colleagues of the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten.
I saw first-hand your hard work and dedication to the people of Sint Maarten.
I truly appreciate how you as a team, showed dedication and commitment to the cause of St. Maarten long before the storms and up to this moment.
To my staff at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary, l say thank you and I admonish you to continue your good work for Sint Maarten. Working with you was great.
To my colleagues from Council of Ministers in Netherlands, l wish to thank you for your well wishes.
During my tenure, there were 4 Ministers Plenipotentiary of Curaçao and 3 Aruba representing in The Hague.
l wish to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart. Although we were always outnumbered, we always stood by and supported each other.
To the people of Sint Maarten residing in The Netherlands; It was indeed my pleasure to also serve you.
Thanks for heeding the call to make more use of the services at the Cabinet of Sint Maarten a.k.a. The Sint Maarten House.
I urge you to encourage others and let them also know what the Cabinet stands for, and they are welcome anytime to visit.
I cannot thank my family, friends and other well-wishers enough. Thank you for your encouragement, love and prayers. Thank you for being there for me 24/7. I hope I made you proud.
And of course, I cannot forget the media. I am grateful to all the members of the press for their cooperation and good work throughout my tenure.
To the people of St. Maarten, it has been for me a distinct honor and privilege to have served you to the best of my ability.
As Brooke Davis, would say: “I say goodbye to this chapter of my life and I look forward to what comes next.”
In closing, l want to also congratulate the incoming government of Sint Maarten, and wish them much strength and wisdom while executing the tasks before them, no matter how short or long their stay may be.
I wish each and every one of you a healthy 2018, as we all continue to play our role in rebuilding our country St. Maarten, to be a better and stronger place for all of us to live and thrive.
Together we will achieve this.
Long live the people of Sint Maarten
I thank you.
Henrietta Doran-York
Outgoing Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten in The Hague
