Dear Editor,

  This topic of character pertaining to any politician is what defines who he or she is. While education is important, one’s character is more important. Abraham Lincoln, founder of the Conservative Republican party who abolished slavery in the United States of America, said, and I quote, “Reputation is the shadow. The character is a tree.”

  The former prime minister of United Kingdom, a man who took a stand against the Germans in World War 2, said this and I quote, “The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not technicalities. Our character determines how we respond to situations and circumstances in life. Character is what determines our success.

  Of course, that doesn’t mean that “good” people will always experience more success than “bad” people. There are, however, some character traits that tend to lead to success and others that tend to produce failure. There is good and bad character. Bad character traits are greedy, disrespectful, selfish, ruthless, dishonest, and evil. Good character traits are honest, caring, helping and good values.

  I assure you most politicians are dishonest. Let me explain, if a politician knows something in the system is wrong, but changing it is of no benefit to him or her, he or she does not care to change it. If something will benefit the politician, he or she will make a great effort to change it. They usually will not advocate for change that will benefit the people or because it is right. Most politicians usually care about their interest first over the country’s interest. That is why I can bravely say that most politicians have bad character.

  A true leader loves his country first over self, because the love of country has to do with patriotism. In St. Maarten’s case, our politicians let us become a minority in our country and after all, refuse to recognize the people of St. Maarten Heritage in St. Maarten’s Constitution. The reason is, the people of St. Maarten Heritage are only a few votes and those votes cannot make you win an election. Our politicians have a real bad character; it’s all about their interest.

   A politician can have 5 Ph.D. and master’s degrees, but if his or her character is bad and he or she has no love for the country, I will never vote for him or her, because the end result will not be in St. Maarten’s interest. I quote some sentences from wise, experienced and successful people. “In a president, the character is everything.

  A president doesn't have to be brilliant. You can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong, moral sense. A president must bring those things with him. If he does, they will give meaning and animation to the great practical requirement of the presidency: He must know why he's there and what he wants to do. He has to have thought it through. He needs to have, in that much-maligned word, but a good one nonetheless, a vision of the future he wishes to create. This is a function of thinking, of the mind, the brain.

  But a vision is worth little if a president doesn't have the character--the courage and heart-- to see it through....” Martin Luther King said it very well and I quote “Judge a man not by the colour of his skin, but by the context of his character”. Do not look only at a politician’s education, but most importantly look at his or her character.

  The conclusion is character defines the politician. The definition of character is the combination of mental characteristics and behaviour that distinguish a person and the moral strength and integrity.

  Stay tuned as we continue on issues pertaining to political ideology.

The Patriot Miguel Arrindell

Dear Editor,
To the driver of truck Z-155 who, around 3 o’clock, overtook me on Link One opposite Belair with a very dangerous manoeuvre. Yes, I stuck my arm out of my side window with my middle finger up!
Who then stopped opposite the former Paper Garden to talk with a lady in a car coming from the opposite side, holding up traffic, and then leaned out of his door shouting abuses at me.
Who on the Pondfill blew his horn and waved at every second person and car he passed. You were having a great time!
I guess that ended an hour and a half later when you managed to overturn your trailer on Link One towards the top of Cole Bay Hill!
I hope they will take your licence away because of your reckless driving, and before you kill someone!
Name withheld at author’s request

Dear Editor,
Wow, why, what? Is there an upcoming baby-boom? Is it related to this year’s Carnival? Why don’t they distribute contraceptives? Those are questions I don’t have answers for. But I had something else in mind anyway. I believe that the Caribbean needs business incubators.
Unemployment rates in the region are too high; especially among young persons. There is no such a thing as opening up a can of jobs. The problem does not get enough attention. Well, attention maybe, if one considers ‘talk-talk’ to be attention. In some cases, measures are taken, like providing extended education for young people. However, how does having another education certificate help, if one is still not able to find employment, because jobs are just not available? There is a distinct difference between providing a job and keeping persons entertained for another one or two years. Yet, it is meant well, so one should not criticize too much. The basic thinking behind it is not wrong, but it is not creating jobs. Jobs are created by businesses.
Then let’s create businesses. Start-ups. Some young, talented persons or spirited members of an earlier generation may be able to get an operation going. So, let’s make special loans available at attractive soft conditions. That’s positive thinking. It may work well if the operation is retail related, because a turnover of products could bring revenues fairly quick. What about the entrepreneurs-to-be who are into offering services that need more lead time to bring in revenue. Some professionals in their own right are just not typically salespersons to market their services. Their activities may be valuable, but are too specialized for a quick start.
Just imagine how their start-up funding may be used. First renting an office space; usually a one- or two-month rent deposit is required. Buying office furniture and equipment. Acquiring telephone and internet connections. Secretarial services may be needed. Every start-up may have different needs. Listing all those may look like dramatizing things. Thus, I stop here. One thing should be mentioned though is that the young entrepreneurs may lack some experience in running an operation, like marketing, accounting or other skills.
What if a business incubator were available? A facility that would have space to accommodate several start-ups. The individual units would be fully furnished. Telephone connections through a central system. WIFI signal throughout the building. Central secretarial services. In principle one facility administration takes care of all, including things as hiring services ranging from cleaning to accounting. Management training could be included in the incubator concept. It would be a truly professional and motivating environment to operate from. Since there are several start-ups with different services in the same building, it is very well possible that the incubates could cooperate and initiate joint activities. The model of the incubator can be shaped to the needs of a particular territory, or for the typical professional needs of a certain group of start-ups.
Taking part in the business incubator should in principle be free. Of course, there will be conditions and agreements before being accepted. The funding for the facility could be provided by a government agency (e.g. Development Authority), Chamber of Commerce, or an International Development Bank. An incubator could be part of, or associated with a college or university.
In 2009, a Caribbean Business Incubator Association was launched by representatives of 10 independent Caribbean countries. Some had business incubation programs, others were preparing implementation of such programs. It was in the line of thinking being a part of a CARICOM Single Market and Economy. The organization announced that it was member of a global organization of more than 300 incubators in 86 countries. But the organization is not operational anymore. The Association is dormant due to lack of funding.
On a local level, the idea of a business incubation deserves a closer look. The idea of a business incubator is not new. It is a catalyst tool for economic development. It can be part of the solution to develop new native businesses that encourage self-employment first, and when the new operation is successful and grows, it can provide employment for others. A bit of a multiplying effect.
Business incubators can be shaped for any need or size. They could be as big as technology parks. Let’s not go too far though with our imagination and keep both feet on the ground considering where we are. But then again, when reaching out for the stars, one will not end up with a hand full of mud.
Mind that my columns should only be considered as ‘food-for-thought’. I’m old and wise enough to know how I myself would handle a circumstance if needed to. But who am I? Yet, an old fox knows more tricks to get a rabbit out of a hole than a puppy with a degree. I just do my writing to help others with ideas.
Caribbean territories should focus more on the potential of entrepreneurs as drivers of economic growth and play an important role in job creation. A study has shown that there is no specific geographic trend in terms of where innovative entrepreneurs can be found. There is no evidence either that developed countries have a higher rate of novel product-market combination. So, let’s get going here.

Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

Making tourism work for you

Dear Editor,

  Tourism can and should do more for our people and our communities. We just need people who can translate St. Maarten’s tourism product into real economic opportunities for all. My platform is built on ideas and initiatives that I believe can truly and finally make tourism work for more of my fellow citizens and open up opportunities for industry entrepreneurs. I have a passion for tourism. It is now a billion-dollar industry for St. Maarten. But how many of our people really benefit from that?

  A good tourism product works best in a diverse economy. Although I’m for tourism I will also be talking about economic diversification, because if we over-saturate the product and over-depend on it, it could lower the quality of the product and make it harder for us to ensure it benefits everyone. So making tourism work for you is also about economic diversification, getting technology as a business, getting agriculture, sports etc. involved, it all translates into jobs and direct economic benefits.

  Over the next few weeks my campaign will elaborate on all plans using all media and my campaign website. I intend to release a video about each plan every Thursday via social media, while simultaneously uploading the details of each plan to my campaign website. It is not only important to tell people of your plans for change or improvement, but my team and I intend to focus on how these plans can be accomplished. 

  Topics that will be elaborated on in the coming weeks:

  District-Based Tourism: Tourism development on St. Maarten is now necessary to compensate for the large product-loss suffered after Irma. There is a growing sentiment on the island that tourism does not benefit individuals, but rather large corporations. The country needs to find new ways to have tourist dollars reach the less fortunate and developing entrepreneurs. Bringing tourism to the districts is one such way.

  A Sustainable Development and Economic Diversification Committee for Parliament: St. Maarten has recognized its need to diversify its economy, especially in the wake of Irma where the island has taken a hit in tourism. While St. Maarten will always have a tourism product, identifying other industries that can be sustainably developed on the island, with minimal leakage (as much money as possible stays within the economy) and to the benefit of its people, this should be a number 1 priority by both the legislative and executive branches of government.

  Junior Tourism Authority: To compound the fact that tourism is not a prominent subject in schools (see related goal for Tourism in Schools), our youth have very little involvement in tourism initiated by government. The youth often feel that they do not have a voice about what they think tourism means to them, and what the island should look like in the future from a tourism perspective.

  Tourism Support for Sports: There has been a lot of talk about sports tourism being an important tourism development that needs to take place. However, the issue has been that sports itself must be developed on the island first – so your product development –  before it can be promoted internationally as a viable product. The problem with marketing sports tourism is that if tourism funding does not also partially go into the development of sports itself, then the product will never be attractive enough, and your marketing dollars will be wasted.

  Tourism in the schools – retired hospitality veterans or displaced hospitality: St. Maarten’s primary and secondary schools do not all currently teach tourism as a subject in school. This is quite surprising to think about when we know that almost 90 per cent of our GDP is derived from tourism dollars. Not having a population educated in even the most fundamental aspects of tourism industry may lead to the population not having enough of an appreciation of the industry to give the right service, but also learn the ways in which the tourism industry can work for them, bettering their own lives.

  Technology Free Zone: St. Maarten is in urgent need of diversifying its economy. The island must attract new investors, but as we know, new investment comes at the price of having to offer something in return. We have to find a way to attract businesses that will employ local labor at good wages, that can get up and running relatively quickly, and that government can benefit in multiple ways rather than just taxation.

  I will also be releasing his ideas for Mullet Bay to which he will devote quite some time and a Hospitality Certification for the service industry to create a standard for tourism service to ensure “we are all on the same page on how to treat both our locals and guests in the service sector.”

Rolando Brison

Head of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB)

United St. Maarten (US) party’s #4 candidate