Dear Editor,
As an Educator teaching 25 years at the University of St. Martin (USM), I would like to humbly give my advice and solution to the Minister of Education on how to save our University of St. Martin. I fully understand the situation our Government is being confronted with. The shortage of income for this year and the coming years for the entire country is something we all have to face and therefore it is impossible at this point and time to commit to any type of monetary assistance to the University, but we need to be creative in seeking a solution.
This is where creative financing comes into the picture within Government. Governments just can't continue to depend on just one source of income such as taxation from businesses and the residents, but should start executing other sources of revenue-generating measures to meet the demands within government.
Mr. Editor, as Leaders and Elected Representatives of the people, education, education, education is what we should set as priorities within Government and go the extra mile to make exemptions and amendments to our Budget 2017 and draft Budget 2018.
All political parties that ran in the last election had education and higher learning institutions at the top of their political manifestos. The question is how much has been achieved since the third annual Governor's Symposium on July 2, 2014, at The Westin "Education is the Foundation to sustain democratic way of life." The Foundation of any society is its commitment to the community.
As St. Maarteners we should love and support each other the way that we should in order to build up our community, society and Institutions.
Over the years, I just find It "simply amazing" the way we treat our highest learning Institution on the island. USM has produced some of the best local professionals who hold key positions within the public and private sectors of St. Maarten. The strength of USM has always been its students who have a good track record in the public and private sector and attending other Universities abroad.
It’s a national shame that throughout the years the University has still not been recognized and even more shameful that less than one percent of our National budget for Education goes towards the University of St. Martin. It's very embarrassing for USM to travel abroad in meetings with other top Universities and when asked the simple question if our University is recognized by Government, they must answer “no.”
As a former Member of Parliament, I can remember championing the draft Harmonization Ordinance which has been recently passed in Parliament by the Minister of Finance and the draft Tertiary Ordinance which to date is still going through the process to recognize the University of St. Martin. Simply Amazing....
Mr. Editor, My first job since graduating and returning back to St. Maarten in 1991 was teaching at USM as a Faculty member of Johnson & Wales University. I also was the first President of the USM/Johnson & Wales Alumni Association in St. Maarten. USM has more than 750 Alumni, many of whom have gone on to work internationally and locally in various sectors.
The point I want to make is that I have seen USM develop and progress and have witnessed the highs, lows, the political games and the struggles of USM over the years to change its image and try to become an accredited and recognized University within its own Country.
We as a community and alumni should be able to give back to our local University and help to build back this invaluable Institution. Giving back comes in so many forms, including financial subsidy, but all forms of support are appreciated.
USM should also make their Alumni feel as if they are a part of the University by organizing homecoming events, workshops, fundraising galas and keeping them up to date with University events and achievements.
I fully agree with the Minister of Education that the USM Board has to comply with the subsidy ordinance and hand in their outstanding financials to government, but that shouldn't hold back the process of helping our highest learning Institution on the island.
USM is a private non-profit organization in which not only Government has a role to play but also the Board of Directors of USM, that also needs to carry out their responsibilities and step up to the plate and start governing, leading and executing the vision of the University of St. Martin. The Board of Directors has a strategic function in providing the vision, mission, policies and goals of the University.
Fundraising is one of the major responsibilities of a non-profit Board of Directors/Trustees. We have to remember USM is not a Government-owned Institution and we all have a responsibility to USM as Board, Management, and Faculty and Alumni graduates.
The question, however, is are we doing our part to recognize and feel proud of our University? We need leaders who are not just followers that just talk about the problems without giving any solutions. True leaders think and talk about the solutions to change. This includes wanting to change the negative image of our University.
My humble advice and solution to our Leaders in government is to amend the Budget 2017 to give USM part of the funding this year and increase USM’s subsidy to 3 million guilders on the draft Budget 2018 to save our University.
I know the next question will be: Where are we going to get the 3 million guilders from? As a former Minister, my humble advice would be to take it from the different Ministries which always have a surplus at the end of the year because most of the time they can't execute their proposed projects. I would like to know if all Ministries in government have a shortage of funds for this year.
Government has to set priorities, improve their financial management and cut back on some wasteful spending and cut back on some of our associations/organizations abroad that give no return of investments to the island. Government also has to make it a priority to finalize the draft Tertiary Ordinance. Parliament should follow up to make sure the Tertiary Ordinance is finalized with the input of USM and go through the process to Parliament.
Mr. Editor, when it comes to our own local Highest Learning Institution and local professionals, we love to put them through the grinder of procedures and not give them the recognition for their hard work. Why? That is the same feeling I have with our own local University which we are failing today. Not to have recognized and accepted our responsibility over the years. But today, we can blame USM for their failures and shortcomings in which we also should share responsibility making it almost impossible for USM to succeed on its own island.
In closing, I would like to thank and wish the President of USM, Mr. Guadeloupe, who has tendered his resignation, all the best for all the hard work and sacrifice he has dedicated over the years to put USM on the map. We have lost a good, hard-working local professional who has the University at heart.
I am sure he has learnt over the years the political games, egos, characters that have been played with USM’s future. But, I foresee USM rising again in the near future once again with a revised vision, strategic plan and put as a priority with creative financing on our National draft Budget and recognized by our Government.
Mr. Editor, this is the time our leaders have to be creative, innovative, solution-oriented and use the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) for finding concrete solutions to move St. Maarten forward.
USM is facing dire times, can we not come to its aid as one community?
Maurice Lake
Dear Editor,
We would like to use your newspaper to address the good people of Sint Maarten.
As I am sure most of you are aware our salvage crew from the Bahamas equipped with a 150 ft barge and a 150 ton crane travelled 1400 miles to come and assist with devastation to your island nation. We traveled from the Bahamas after being asked for assistance by Jeff Boyd of Marine Management and Consulting NV and the Yacht Club at Port de Plaisance. Jeff indicated that after having first spoken to the Prime Minister via Text that it was his understanding that all we would need is our passports and the registrations for the barge and tug as they were in were desperate need for assistance.
Executive Marine Management Ltd, are first responders for most maritime disasters in the Bahamas and have a very experienced team which we sent down to assist and which could have made a tremendous difference in helping get St Maarten back on to its feet and your lagoon cleaned of wrecks.
The day after we arrived we were able to remove one sunken vessel and demonstrated our skill and the ability of the equipment that we brought to St Maarten. The government chose to stop all salvage operations and the reasoning was that the paper work was not right. Under normal circumstance, I would agree that this would and should be the case but these are far from normal circumstances. It defies all logic and common sense that a government of the people, for the people and by people would not make a reasonable decision to put a moratorium on all international documentation in the interest of taking care of your good country. The very lawmakers that insist on following the law to the letter in this very instance are responsible for a great injustice. An injustice to the environment and to the very people of St. Maarten.
I think that it was obvious that the barge and crane from the Bahamas was more than capable of salvaging vessels and helping with the cleanup of the bay. This being the case, the maritime authority thought it more important to insist that all the paper work had to be right or they will not allow work to get started.
We even agreed to sell all of the equipment to Mr. Boyd, thus allowing him to register the equipment with a St Maarten flag thus putting our equipment on par with the local equipment in St Maarten and the government officials wouldn’t even consider it. This is like throwing a life jacket to a drowning person on a sinking ship but the captain on the ship tells the drowning person not to use the life jacket as it is not Coast Guard Approved.
With great power comes great responsibility and the ability to use common sense and make judgement calls that are for the betterment of the people you serve. Ask yourself? Are your people better off? Is your island better off now that you have forced the Bahamian Barge and Crane to leave.
I can’t answer this for you, but I would venture to bet that the overwhelming majority of people on your island are asking what exactly are you trying to accomplish because for the last 30 days your red tape and bureaucracy has accomplished less than nothing. This is your legacy, this is your time to shine or not shine and lead or not lead and the decisions you make will define you as a government and as a nation.
My question to the people in charge that have stopped the salvage and removal of wrecks in Simpson Bay. Did you have to enforce these international policies and regulation knowing that your actions in no way would help your island?
The more important question is did your actions help or hurt your island. This is the only question that you should have been asking yourself when this salvage team from the Bahamas arrived. You could have very easily made a notation that the paper work for this salve team was not in order but under the disaster plan these regulation would be waived and after a local inspection to make sure the Barge and Crane were suitable for the tasks they would be allowed to work.
I still do not know what your motivation for preventing our team from the Bahamas to help you help your island. We will forever be perplexed and bewildered as to the decisions to prevent us from working to help you and you island.
We wish St Maarten good luck and farewell!!
Executive Marine Management
Dear Editor,
The reason why the Rutte administration in the Netherlands can get away with linking the Integrity Chamber and border control to the reconstruction funds is because right across the political spectrum of the Netherlands there is a frustration that investments in good administration in St. Maarten have not paid off.
St. Maarten has not made very much effort to correct this nor made much effort at drawing attention to administrative and governmental successes which clearly exist. No other party is going to do this for St. Maarten.
In the Netherlands, there remains a deep frustration that has built up over many years, in respect of how funds the Netherlands has made available to a wide range of countries and institutions have not produced the desired developmental result. This frustration already developed in the 1980’s and continues to date in spite of many efforts to better manage such aid funding. As a result there is strong support of being strict and precise about expenditures across practically all political parties.
The resistance that the Marlin administration gives to the Integrity Chamber and the border control is, therefore, going to increase the broad-based view in the Netherlands that monies to St. Maarten should be strictly controlled. Whilst the Marlin administration may have a case in respect of constitutional precision as far as the procedures go, fighting these issues is going to worsen the long term position of St. Maarten as it continues its inevitable relationship in the Kingdom.
From a strategic point of view, this fight should be best handled outside of the media. A high profile of this discussion is grossly contrary to our interests. If we care about the chances of long term reconstruction aid in an environment where category five hurricanes are going to be more frequent and the tourist economy more competitive, we are going to have to be more strategic about the choice of issues and methods of resolving them.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
There is a problem that is interdepartmental, yet the individual departments that are trying to handle it or have to cope with it themselves but cannot. There may be a solution for it that makes sense, and avoids blame-game games or calling names.
1. The University becomes an independent non-profit legal entity, within the organizational structure. A division can be made between educational matters and business matters.
2. The government will not pay for the institution, its facilities or the upkeep. Thus, it is a financial relief for the Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance. A third Ministry may see a benefit, the Minister of TEATT with regard to economic development.
3. The government will subsidize the tuition fees for the local students. So, it is still taking care of the students and members of the community in a responsible manner. Individuals, or organizations or business may provide grants to individual proven talented students. Thus, there is a stimulus to bring clients (students) to the business (university).
4. The challenging responsibility of the business affairs, infrastructure, facilities and the financing would come in the hands of a qualified professional who is acquainted with and trained for those types of activities and development. The task is to make the University financially self-sustaining.
5. A harmonious cooperation between the person in charge of education and the manager of the business and economic affairs of the entity will provide ample opportunities for positive developments in both sectors; more flexibility and opportunity for growth.
The model will make the organizational structure of the University more performance based, and responsive to market demand. It also provides the flexibility to initiate new products that will expand the client base (foreign students) and bring in additional revenue.
The University will have more freedom to do research and studies that may benefit and be paid by businesses or government organizations (even foreign); thus, extra educational value and an extra source of revenue. Not to forget how it could positively influence marketing communication; not just for the image of the University, but also the image of St. Maarten.
The educators are not paid according to a tariff but rather according to expertise and performance. Some of the best universities in the US have some of the highest tuition fees and therefore can pay the highest salaries for some of the best professors, which on its turn attracts the most promising students and the best talents. It creates an out-spiralling effect. It will remain a negotiating matter between government and University how the local students and community is served best.
Last week, I published an article on “Changing Caribbean Economies”. One of the suggestions, I made was to develop a “knowledge industries” to come an economy that is not just depending on tourism. What I have been suggesting above about the reorganization of University St. Martin would need more consideration and working on the details; however, it is food for serious thought.
Is that the only thing that I can come up with for economic development that is not persé depending on tourism? I just happen to also be the author of series of stories on a Caribbean island named St. Tosia. I would like to give you an example of an advance on that island that may fit in with finding new ways to generate revenue and even combine it with training and education.
Puerto Olvidar, the capital city of St. Tosia, does not have all those luxury typical commodity brands that are found in major cities all over the world. The Kaya Grande Rico is the island’s famous thoroughfare where more interesting boutiques are located that offer head-turning fashion that will determine what everyone will be wearing next summer in Saint Tropez and Malibu. The upper feminine echelons who visit St. Tosia are not bedecked in designer clothes of the well-known top brands, but prefer to be dressed in the exclusive unique designs of some the native creators. Take for instance Aisha Akubango’s boutique “Aisha’s Ecstasy”. It exudes an exotic tease of nouveaux Caribbean elegance.
Aisha went to Europe to study fashion and to be inspired by avant-garde designers. What she experienced left her with a feeling that it was shamefully dowdy. She declared herself disappointed and returned to the Caribbean to settle on St. Tosia. She developed an unconventional approach to fashion primarily accentuated by her idiosyncratic style and executed in her adventurous asymmetric designs.
Safira Silverblum, Managing Editor of the exquisite glossy Style Island magazine, wrote about Aisha in the vogue section: “Aisha is noted for her fashion design exuberance and incomparable artistic presentation. She pursues innovative styles for the Caribbean and other warm climates showcasing her love affair with exotic bright colours. Her designs have become famous for raising the simplest fabrics to new heights of fashion. Aisha has reached a pinnacle that few others have achieved in exclusive Haut-Couture styling.”
So, Aisha maybe an idea to look into developing a fashion and design industry in the region or maybe on St. Maarten. How about a future faculty at the University for Caribbean for fashion and design? Ask the young women around you on the island who might be interested in such an area of education and training? The current university model most likely not allow for it, for the suggested new university model it may be an opportunity. One of the opportunities may be that the University will get an educational hub-status in the region.
Cdr. Bud Slabbaert
Dear Editor,
I am hopeful that the people of the island have not forgotten their fishing skills and their limited farming skills. They will need them as the government has now told Holland “No Thanks.”
Definition of government – the action or manner of controlling or regulating a nation, organization, or people; will the “Powers That Be” leave and go to their other homes with power, water and a normal life. It seems they have already deserted.
When St. Maarten became country St. Maarten on 10-10-10, it was a sad day. When you fly people in who haven't lived there for years and pay for their ticket and stay, so they vote as you want it is like stepping back in time to the Wathey days. Only then they got household items for their votes.
The government has not wanted to show transparency for many years, maybe never. The world has changed and you wanted everything for your tiny island and you did get it. You did not want to change your ways when you were offered ideas that would help your people, How to use solar power, windmills, a proper garbage facility. If it wasn't money in your pocket it was made really hard, just like now.
People need to rebuild; the lagoon needs cleaning; goods need to come in, but you want permits and money for everything.
What will happen when the tourists go some were else? You do know there are other islands? Maybe you can rethink what is best for the people and put them first, it will certainly be a unique idea.
T. Snoey
