Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address ex-Minister Maurice Lake.
Ex-Minister Lake I read with interest your letter two days ago relative to the traffic, and now again yesterday about any number of things – lots of ideas, lots of suggestions. Some good and some, in my opinion, less so, but they are not why I am writing you.
I am more than a little confused as to why you now seem to think that “Letters to the Editor” are how governments solve problems. These pages already have lots of permanent “informal advisors” to government. Russel Simmons, Elton Jones and god knows how many others seem to endlessly have something to say on every conceivable problem that plagues this tiny island. They complain long and endlessly because they are under the misguided assumption that if they complain long and loud enough something will change.
Unfortunately, the universal truth is that complaining in the newspaper changes nothing because those capable of implementing any meaningful change act only in their own best interests and, in the end, don’t care at all what gets printed in the paper. I could give you a hundred examples but you know exactly what I am talking about. What confuses me is that you were ostensibly one of these individuals that could implement change; a duly elected minister – an integral part of the government that defines what happens.
Yet here you are complaining in a public forum instead of actually having done something about it within the government you represented when you had actually had the chance. You were supposed to have the power. People voted for you because you said “I’m the guy. Elect me and I can fix things.” Really?
GEBE is still stealing my electricity for more than a year now. I produce it at my own expense and they steal it and resell it. A year ago you told Ricardo that you had a handle on this. You published more letters about it. You said you had policies drawn up ready to implement. You said lots of things on the subject and yet here we are: nothing done, nothing accomplished. GEBE is still stealing with impunity.
I am an engineer by trade and that occupation has a very simple credo: “Just saying you can do something is not the same as actually doing it.” Politicians live by a different credo: “Never say anything that sounds like a commitment that you can be held accountable for later, and never do anything that someone doesn't pay you to do.”
In the words of another famous letter writer whose name escapes me at the moment, here is some unpaid advice. Stop flapping your gums. Stop publishing letters with grand ideas and suggestions and instead get off your butt and try to make any of it actually happen. Start with a solar policy that stops GEBE’s criminal conduct. Do something real. Call up your cronies and make something actually happen. Haul someone into court. That’s what you were getting paid for. Not for writing letters. That is way too little and very, very much too late.
Steven Johnson
(Curaçao Chronicle)
Something is happening on Curaçao and it’s not good. Fast and irresponsible selling out of two major financial pillars, discarding the independence of our two main industries while placing a forty-year hold on an important piece of strategic real estate to China means environmental suicide and economic treason. Curaçao has built its presence in the world and her reputation on the back of her geographical location in the Caribbean, her marine industry and her protective status that descends from being part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Curaçao at one time was led by honest leaders. Brilliant statesmanship between the motherland and Curaçao propelled us to a wealthy nation. Local business leaders, their instincts and initiatives excelled. Curaçao is proud to say that these attributes were the back bone of the country.
Here is the bad news. Politicians and their cronies, together with some gullible business people, a naive prime minister and a government under resignation want to break the back bone of our economy, and cripple our competitive strength.
“Kòrsou Promé” is not just a catchphrase. It has fundamental principles. The first one is “Put Curaçao and Yu di Kòrsou’s First”. As a parent, I ask you, who would you put before your family? As a grandparent, I ask you who would you put before your grandchildren? As a Yu di Kòrsou I ask you, would you put another country in charge of our main industries, take possession of our land and harbours and let them destroy our future?
I ask the politician, negotiator and collaborator, “Why do you put the interests of the Chinese before the best interest of Curaçao?” Is there more in it for you? Do you have a stake in the success of the Chinese? Have they painted big dollar signs in your eyes?
Putting another country’s interests before Curaçao’s own, is economic treason and people it is happening right under your own eyes. Werner Wiels, Ben Whiteman, MDPT and a consortium of cronies are selling us out. What we get is “Short term gain – long term loss”.
I don’t want to be standing in front of you in 3 years’ time, saying I told you so. I don’t want YOU telling me in 3 years’ time, Curaçao has sold her best assets and Curaçao now can no longer compete with the Caribbean tourist market. For that it will be too late.
By Andrés Casimiri
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Dear Editor,
I was sitting at a place of business when an employee of the motor vehicle inspection office came in. Someone made the observation that he thinks that the test offices belong to him. He does make you take off your tint and your coloured lights before he signs off your test card, and the police does not even care about those things. That did not sit well with me, so I personally made it my business to go and observe this gentleman where and while he is working, and indeed he does his job in accordance with what is described concerning the equipment of the motor vehicle.
I discussed this with people involved in traffic and was told that the intention is to get all the entities who are involved with the execution of the laws of the traffic ordinance and the public transportation together to be able to be on the same page.
It seems rather that because of the transition not everything is completely ironed out. The reason given for the delay is the instability on government since 10-10-'10.
I will repeat what I know to be true and what plays well with several of those involved in that instability. Because of the confusion no one can decide what is right or wrong and too many people are getting away with wrongdoing. Friendly Island quo vadis.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
The debate in the Island Council on the budget took place on November 14. The most important debate of the year was held without most of us, including myself, having noticed it. This could happen because no official announcement was made through the media. The Island Council members were not sent a convocation with an agenda that included the budget 2017 either. An agenda was sent out a little over 24 hours prior to the meeting, but mentioned only the first budget amendment and quarterly report 2016. Disturbing is that the bylaw requiring two weeks for scrutiny of the budget by the public was not adhered to. All in all, this is another low in the democratic process on Statia.
The debate in the Island Council was therefore a mere one-sided pappy show, where all present were in favour of this product from the PLP/Merkman coalition. The opposition was again neatly side-lined so no difficult questions or revelations would occur. We all know that this Commissioner of Finance never informs the public what exactly she has concocted unless the members of the opposition reveal things to the public during the debate. I, therefore, take the liberty to bring a few things to everyone’s attention.
To start off, this skeleton budget only allows paying the regular bills, there is no money available to carry out all those beautiful projects that were promised to us during the election campaign.
Government is still struggling with the collective sector. No information is available to them about the Tourism Development Foundation and the Road Fund. The non-functioning Road Fund should have been dissolved long ago. Government here got stuck with a debt to OBNA of a few hundred thousand dollars.
Although, in the opinion of CFT the present government organisation is not up to its task no budget is available to fill 13 most critical vacancies. As soon as KPMG leaves one will see all improvements made this year disappear and we will be back to square one.
In one of the letters from BZK mention was made that although there is an agreement no formal request has been made to the ministry for an additional US $696,000 mentioned as income in the budget, to finance the remainder of the Plan of Approach. This may even further jeopardize the execution of a plan that has brought very little result until now.
The budget includes the expected deficit of the year 2015 of $696,000. This is about double the amount the Commissioner of Finance wanted us to believe. The Island Council has still not seen the annual account 2015 or the accountant’s report. This amount may therefore be higher still.
Nothing is budgeted for maintenance and training/education of personnel. Seeing the state of our buildings and infrastructure this will guarantee further deterioration. There is no longer mention made of a new administration building, $175,000 in architect fees has gone in the drain. The money that was available for a new air control tower seems to be no longer there. Lack of money for training or education and not filling 13 key positions will not lead to the improvement of the organisation which we so desperately need.
CFT advises to use the earmarked reserve of 1.7 million for economic development, for financing of mentioned 13 key positions instead. It is good to mention that this amount has been left there before we reached public entity status by the then DP government. Problem here is, however, that this amount is only on the books. The cash in the meantime has evaporated; the money simply is not there.
To improve income government is planning to increase several fees for the public and business sectors. It is the intention to increase “erfpacht” and land rent tenfold. The budget mentions that land rent in the industrial area even should increase from $2 per m2 to no less than $400. One may wonder who wants to pay that amount of rent while you can buy a property for less than $30 per m2.
Government expects increased revenue from the harbour through the new harbour ordinance to be introduced in the beginning of 2017. One may wonder here what is going on. We just got a new ordinance in forced since September and a next one is already coming up. Not to mention the court cases in the pipeline challenging the running ordinance.
Government expects that the idle waste plant at Zeelandia now will be operational in the second half of next year. They expect to waste another year before the plant will be operational. Furthermore, no income is mentioned in the budget for our garbage collection fee which should have been introduced since last July.
Government intends to do something about the collection of room tax. Their books say only two hotels are paying. How difficult can it be with only a handful hotels on the island, we still don’t know who is not paying?
After drastically cutting subsidies to foundations last year still subsidy to the Monuments Foundation and SECAR will be further reduced. There is no longer subsidy in the budget for SSWWO (Community Centre) and no funding for New Challenge Foundation (formerly Edu partners).
The budget mentions that for the first time since 2004 salaries will be increased by 1.5 per cent. This contradicts statements by the commissioner during the Central Committee Meeting on the budget amendment 2016, where she stated that 1.5 per cent was paid out to the civil servants on November 3.
In conclusion, the financial outlook for 2017 shows a further degrading financial situation for Statia. The failing results of the Plan of Approach and the deteriorating relations with The Hague will both hamper a speedy recovery.
Koos Sneek
Dear Editor,
The announcement in your newspaper of a new coalition came as a great disappointment, but not as a complete surprise.
As much as the Dutch deny trying to influence our local politics, it is apparent that their colonial ways of the past are being forced upon us once again by using the VDSM and Public Prosecutors Office to dictate who will be running the country by using subjective screening policies to deny our elected officials from serving in the Council of Ministers.
One of my biggest fears was that MP Theo Heyliger, the only politician to legitimately earn a seat outright in Parliament out of over 120 postulated candidates, would be denied the possibility to serve the people of St. Maarten in the Council of Ministers due to this subjective and biased screening. All other MPs fell several hundred votes short of earning their seats. This is truly a travesty of our democracy.
Under the Kingdom Charter, “Each of the autonomous countries has the obligation to promote the realisation of fundamental human rights and freedoms, legal certainty and good governance; this is primarily their own, autonomous responsibility.”
Yet the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom unilaterally decided that the “autonomous” Island of St. Maarten did not have the ability to properly vet its own politicians and instituted new screening rules they don't even apply to their own Ministerial candidates.
Just six short years ago the NA and DP celebrated the achievement of 10-10-10, but who could have foreseen that instead of becoming more autonomous within the Kingdom we were in fact relinquishing our political freedoms once again to the colonial masters in The Hague.
Such is the hypocrisy of the Dutch Empire and our local electorate who were the champions of our current constitutional status. The oppression of our democracy by our Dutch masters and their local puppets is utterly repulsive.
I would sincerely hope that the ministers appointed by this “new” coalition will be vetted with the same fervour and comprehensiveness as the UP candidates were.
As the United States presidential election unfolded to a victory for Donald Trump, many people on St. Maarten criticized the outcome, yet when it comes to accepting the total lack of principles, ethics and morals of our own electorate these same critics are silent.
Will these same people be critical of coalition partners who on the National Alliance advocate the collection of taxes from casinos while the US Party had their campaign(s) financed by the same casino owners? Will they be critical of a new hospital that will be unaffordable with interest rates of over 6.5 per cent while still lacking the basic services we need to eliminate treatment in South American countries?
Will they be critical of the blatant nepotism that has characterized this coalition government for the past 12 months with appointments of functionally illiterate persons to key positions in our government and government-owned companies? Will they be critical of the wasteful spending and financial recklessness of government-owned companies for political and personal self-enrichment?
We should all be reminded that we have already experienced the dismal aptitude of governing of this coalition for the past 12 months. It has been a disaster with declining tourism numbers, declining revenues, increased dump fires, poor waste and sanitation service, an increase in armed robberies, a crumbling infrastructure, power blackouts, etc.
If we continue to get more of the same Red, White and Blue “governing coalition”, it is going to be a long and painful four years.
Name withheld at author’s request.
