Dear Editor,

It is fascinating to watch the open denial of accounts that has led to this political disaster – a situation that has set the island in regress for more than 25 years. The question is: Who do these candidates represent and whose loyalty are they seeking for this upcoming election?

Politicians, who were given a chance to serve and have broken the trust of the people, still feel that the government apparatus remains their political playground. So, some choose to be resurrected from the burial site, while others demanded their position on a party slate with the hope to confuse the electorate.

What is so common among all of these betrayers is that they have never admitted their mistakes. Instead, they are bold-faced enough to come on the air to justify their actions and with absolutely no regrets. Each one of them is trying to manipulate the public once more with their flamboyant talk and charisma; while deep within, they still possess this insatiable appetite to seize more and more.

No one is perfect so it is quite acceptable for any politician to make a mistake, but when the behaviour is done repeatedly then it cannot be classified or viewed as a mistake. This kind of conduct is a gradual exposure of their true character. In fact, when elected or appointed officials display this selfish attitude it is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the institution, just to enrich themselves.

The problem is clouds of suspicions still hang over their heads because they have failed to tell us truth – the truth about what really transpired during the fall of various governments. What was the real deal when they chose to become an independent Member of Parliament? Any honest person who has made amends, according to their own admission, would level with the people. It takes individuals who are sincere, humble and courageous to admit their mistakes. Sometimes this choice could either break or make them, but it is the people who will be the judge.

When I listened to these traitors and how much they were allowed to rattle, it is evident that they are in control of the various interviews. It is also obvious that they are recruited for a specific purpose, and that is to confuse those who are still unable to choose. As indicated in one of my articles last year, these politicians are professional cooks who will serve you the most delicious meal and minutes after, you are subjected to severe diarrhoea.

For sure, a leopard does not change its spots! Even the Deputy Leader of the UP Party, made this statement on the floor of Parliament when independent members Maurice Lake and Silvio Matser left his party last year. If this is indeed true, then why should the public be convinced that MPs Cornelius de Weever and Leona Marlin-Romeo will be different, now that they have officially joined the UPP? Would the leopard change its spots to suit or would the leopard remain the leopard and be true to its nature?

The electorate really needs to look at the behaviour of all the independent members. Neither of them has had the guts to think independently. They would rather choose to abandon parliamentary meetings in order to cover up their coward and deceitful nature; and if they are present, some would side with the party that opposes the very motions that are beneficial to the people. Again, the Deputy Leader of the UPP is correct when he said that a leopard does not change its spots.

In his interviews former MP Romain Laville stressed a lot on the gun issue with his ex-colleague. If my memory serves me right, there was a musician who also filed a similar complaint. What happen to his case? Laville further stated that he was warned by someone of the Justice chain that persons are planning to hurt him and was asked if he needed a weapon to protect himself. Is Romain Laville trying to convince this public that the Justice Department is aware of persons who planned on hurting him and did nothing to these individuals?  

This is the same “Nancy Story” that we have gotten from the number five candidate on the US slate. She has attempted to persuade the public that the Prosecutor’s Office is out to get her. So she comes on the air and chat froth just like the others. In fact, all of them think that the people are stupid. To date, not one of them has restored their credibility to an acceptable level. That is why they need to ask themselves if their action inspires (in the true sense) others or has their character become a questionable item?

Mature and responsible politicians are cognizant of the fact that trust and respect is the foundation for a healthy relationship. These defectors preferred to tarnish their character by failing to acknowledge that the electorate deserves the truth!

Joslyn Morton

Dear Editor,

As someone with keen interest in the tourism industry, I question the procedure of appointing the director of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA).

Last Saturday, this newspaper announced the new STA director Rolando Brison. This announcement was made by Minister Ingrid Arrindell accompanied by MP Silvio Matser. Two days later the headline of The Daily Herald accused the new director of embezzlement of a substantial amount while employed at Winair. Mike Ferrier stated that Brison admitted that he embezzled a substantial amount of money from government-owned airline Winair. Brison denied the allegation in an invited comment and that he would seek legal advice.

Rolando Brison is a young St. Maartener, and I am 100 per cent in support of young people from the island obtaining good positions in whatever organisation, but for the position of STA Director you have to have a clean record. Minister Arrindell and MP Matser should have been more careful before announcing Mr. Brison.

On Wednesday, August 17, the Today newspaper also stated that Brison embezzled money from Winair. The paper mentioned an amount of US $41,000 and the newspaper said that this appears from documents they have in their procession. The paper even states that Brison was “in a bit of a troubled situation” and that instead of returning the funds he received from pilots and crew, he used them privately.

The same day The Daily Herald published an article based on an interview with Rolando Brison, the “new STA-head” said that the issue revolved around a petty cash box at Winair. This box was used for, among other things, food allowances, flight department expenses, allowances for overtime and other small expenses. There was no lock, no key and anyone could access this box. “All seven of us used it freely on a daily basis. No one controlled our use of these funds,” Brison stated in the article. Nobody could account for this cash, and this went on for four years. How is it possible that this happens in a company on St. Maarten, and especially a government-owned company?

The August 18th newspapers both announced that Mr. Brison was never appointed as a STA director. Minister Gibson of Finance (and Vice Prime Minister) said that “STA director Rolando Brison had not been appointed by Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ingrid Arrindell.” Minister Arrindell had informed the Council of Ministers last week Tuesday that she had not appointed Brison, but that she would hold a press conference concerning the issue soon. The picture on Saturday’s front page shows Brison and Arrindell signing an agreement while MP Matser looks on with a big smile.

I think that a clear explanation is warranted to the people of St. Maarten.

Jelle Hamstra

Democratic Party (DP) Candidate #9

Dear Editor,

Is there a law that governs the amount of profit a supermarket makes on food items? Is there a profit margin that governs the pricing of basic food items on St Maarten? If there is one, is it being enforced? My curiosity about the aforementioned was spurred when on the June 29, I purchased 4 boxes of Soy-Vida (Gloria Product) from Sunny Foods Supermarket at Fls. 4.15 each.

After checking my receipt and other supermarkets to compare the price, I returned to the establishment to inform management that the item was overpriced. A supervisor checked the price in the computer and affirmed that it was correct. When I tried to explain that the item was overpriced, I was additionally informed that, "This is Sunny Foods." Should we, consumers, assume that this supermarket could sell an item at whatever cost comes to mind?

To date, other supermarkets still sell the item for approximately Fls. 3.00, conversely, Sunny Foods exhibits the similar price on the shelf, but the cash register does not reflect same. Is it alright for these establishments to have such variations in prices on basic food items?

Did Sunny Food purchase a new batch of this beverage at a higher cost, hence, the escalation of the retail price one guilder something more than the previous batch? Did the other supermarkets purchase an extra-large batch of soy beverage permitting them to retain the original cost?

I believe there needs to be a designated price mark-up on basic food items, and stricter supervision of the price application supermarkets employ.

Frugal consumer,

Tracy Joseph

Dear Editor,

The new hospital has been announced. Politically – perfectly timed, but, let us look at some key areas of concern.

  The current St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) loses money and needs to be subsidized in the millions of dollars annually. Making the hospital larger will not automatically mean that the losses will end. There is a very, very good possibility that the losses will increase.

  A larger, more modern and more expensive-to-run facility will cause an even larger subsidy requirement, whether from Government or the Social Health Insurances SZV. Where is the plan to offset the increase in expenses that the larger facility will create? Any increase in subsidies for the larger hospital will either mean an increase in taxes on the people or an increase in SZV premiums for their services which would target businesses. In either of these situations, the citizens will ultimately suffer. That is not acceptable but, obviously, not high on the Minister of Public Health’s list of concerns.

  The simplistic approach of the Minister of Public Health is that if Sint Maarten builds a new and larger hospital, more people will come. Really, does a new facility improve the quality of care or perceived reputation of the facility to the citizens and the region? What will improve the quality of care and the perceived reputation is the ability to attract qualified specialists in the primary areas of care the island needs.

  This can only be done if there is sufficient business for these specialists to earn the living they envision. This can only be achieved through a well-conceived plan to broaden the worldwide interest in the new hospital. The UP plan was to do this thru Medical Tourism – a word now intentionally avoided by the Minister of Public Health and the Council of Ministers.

  A more modern hospital is needed nobody would argue that, and this has also been the premise of the UP Party as well, however, the financial root cause of the issue behind the losses to the SMMC and the expenses of the SZV is the lack of specialists on the island, thereby causing many, many millions in travel expense alone to other countries in order to meet the health needs of our people.

  Unless the lack of qualified specialists is solved thru a well-planned and feasible approach – as was the case thru Medical Tourism – the problem of losses to the SMMC and higher expenses for the SZV will continue and even increase as the local population gets larger and older and the new facility calls for an even larger subsidy.

  The UP Party had the complete solution: A modern hospital where specialists would have been available and not as a financial burden to the SMMC or the SZV. These specialists would have been the financial responsibility of a separate, independent entity. These specialists, when treating SZV patients, would have gotten paid at SZV rates since these lower rates would be offset by the much higher rates paid by international patients under the Medical Tourism plan. In other words, the local population would receive top quality medical attention at SZV rates, therefore, neither increase in premiums for the business community nor an increase in taxes for the tax payer!

  Had there been any concern for the island and not just for political mileage that this Government embarked upon from the onset, the Minister of Public Health should have seen the value of the UP plan and taken it over then build it to his liking. After all, his background is tourism and not the medical field. He should have seen that the UP plan would not only solve the medical issues of the island but also broaden the base of the island’s economy: tourism.

  For years, there have been calls for broadening the base of the island’s economy. The UP’s new hospital plan was a strong step in this direction. Medical tourism is an approximately 100 Billion dollar industry worldwide and it would have been added to cruise tourism, stay-over tourism and timeshare.

  Shame on you, Minster of Public Health, for not doing this but opting to play politics instead which will ultimately end up with higher premiums for the business community to pay as well as higher taxes for the tax payer.

Tatiana Arrindell,

Vice President, United People’s (UP) Party