Dear Editor,
On Tuesday, May 17 last the Freedom Fighters held a meeting with the Members of the Justice Committee of Parliament to discuss the legalisation of cannabis on St. Maarten.
Arguments were presented by the Foundation representatives in favour of legalisation. Very important to notice here is that the discussion specifically centred on the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Also, as is stated in the article, the group advocates strict control of health quality standards of the products sold, with no distribution to minors, with specifically identified/registered distribution centres.
MP Doctor Lloyd Richardson has a valid concern for the mental health aspect of the use of cannabis. A quick search on Google provides ample findings to validate the MP’s concern. However, the Foundation representatives have pointed out that there is growing media coverage, from CNN to the American Medical Association, of the proven medical benefits of cannabis, as well as the many other uses of the plant.
The number of countries making reforms in their drug policies in relation to cannabis is growing. An article of The Daily Herald, published on Saturday, May 21, mentioned that Barbadians are more open to decriminalisation of marijuana.
Legalisation of cannabis can forever be discussed and there will always be rebuttals on both sides of the table. At the end of the day, however, we must look at the pros and cons and make a decision based on what is best for St. Maarten. After all, we live in a democracy and as such, must not give way to hypocrisy, self-interest or what is politically correct.
During the 1920’s health and moral concerns (social ills) were cited as reasons for imposing of a ban (Prohibition) on sale of alcohol in the United States of America.
Prohibition in the United States – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia states “Criticism remains that Prohibition led to unintended consequences such as the growth of urban crime organisations. As an experiment it lost supporters every year, and lost tax revenue that Governments needed when the Great Depression began in 1929.”
The Netherlands and 23 states in the USA have for numerous years permitted the sale of limited amounts of cannabis and globally there are 37 countries that have decriminalised personal possession of cannabis. Governments of all these countries and states benefit from much needed tax revenues.
My suggestion is to look at the pros and cons of the legalisation of cannabis with an open and unbiased mind. It must at all time remain fair and beneficial to all concerned.
If found that the pros outweigh the cons, then our Government must seriously consider the sale of cannabis under specific conditions, as opposed to new or increased taxation as a source of revenue.
The production and sale of cannabis must, however, stay in the hands of our (potential) local farmers and unemployed. In order to avoid favouritism, a lotto system can be used where the names which are drawn will receive the required permits and or licenses. Also, announcements must be placed in the sales/distribution centres stating the following: For anyone who has a genetic vulnerability or existing mental health issues, marijuana should be avoided.

Louis R. Engel

Dear Editor,

Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is looking. It also means doing the right thing regardless of the situation. Regardless if you like someone or not, it should have no influence on you doing the right thing. That is a true sign of maturity and having integrity.

When Stuart Johnson plagiarised his Facebook post, some people drew his attention to the fact that this was in fact Bernie Sanders’ speech and he should edit his post with giving the right credit.

Mr. Johnson deleted every comment that made reference to the plagiarism. One person even asked why he deleted a previous comment and that person’s question was deleted as well.

Are these actions of someone who “unintentionally” forgot to mention a source? I think not! He had ample opportunity to correct the error because he had discussions about it in his private chat as well.

Making an apology only because the print media brought it to light is not a sign of integrity! An integer person would have corrected the post and/or made an apology even without the necessity of print media bringing it to light.

If St. Maarten people choose to be gullible, continue to believe and accept politicians and aspiring politicians of questionable character, then they deserve everything they get.

The old people always say: “when someone shows their true nature, always believe them.”

Stuart Johnson in his apology says he “was disappointed at the negative reaction of bloggers to his error.” No, Mr. Johnson they were NOT negative because you made an error, they were negative in your intentional refusal to edit your post and give the credit where it was rightly due! When you choose not to do the right thing because you don’t like who or how they pointed out the error, then you don’t know the true meaning of integrity.

Maria S. Hodge

Dear Editor,

The primary role of our Government is to provide for the safety and security of its citizens, the health and wellbeing of its citizens, and to provide an environment of economic opportunity for its citizens. However, the recent deterioration of safety & security, the inadequate medical facilities, delay in construction of a new hospital, and flat economic growth suggest that the manner in which our Government is fulfilling its role leaves a lot to be desired.

Case in point, SMMC. During the last Parliamentary Elections, MP Heyliger promised to build a new hospital, but at the eleventh hour, due to a change in Government, his promise was quashed, with the new Minister of VSA announcing alternative plans. This type of political tit-for-tat does the people of St. Maarten a great disservice, as it interrupts continuity of any projects, and in the end, we, the people, suffer, not the politicians!!

Perhaps most of our people do not realize that the negotiations SZV had previously, were with a company called VAMED, a global leader in developing healthcare facilities, with 760 Health projects in 78 countries. These negotiations with VAMED to design, finance, construct and maintain a new hospital ended as abruptly as the last government's term, and the new Government has now appointed Royal HaskoningDHV as engineering consultant for the project.

Although transparency has been touted, very few details of the new hospital have been released, so in the interest of public health and as a taxpayer I would like to ask the Government and the Ministry of VSA the following:

1) Is the financing of the new hospital comparable with what VAMED offered?

2) If the interest rate is different, what is it and what will the total financial impact be as the  financing matures.

3) Has the Government adequately addressed the needs of our people and our neighbors in the design, or do we still intend to send our people to foreign countries in Latin America.? What procedures are we sending our people abroad for and at what cost?

4) Has the Government considered Medical Tourism in the design elements of the new hospital to attract some of the talent the island is lacking, and diversify our tourism product?

5) Has the Government engaged DeVry University to establish a "teaching" curriculum at the new hospital as other institutions do? For those unfamiliar with DeVry as parent of AUC on St. Maarten, they are a US $2 billion-a-year company, with resources and knowledge that could make them an excellent partner in the new hospital.

In closing and in the interest of transparency, I would challenge the Government and the Ministry of VSA, to publish the design details of the new hospital before it goes out to bid. I would also challenge the Government and the Ministry of VSA to host town hall meetings with the people of St. Maarten to provide answers to the above, and other questions and concerns we have. The health and wellbeing of our people cannot and must not be all smoke and mirrors.

Granting a project of such significance as a new hospital cannot and must not be taken lightly, as we can ill afford to be stuck with a mediocre facility for the next 15 years, or however long the financing will be. We also have to ensure that whichever contractors are chosen are up to the task, and not just going to the lowest bidder, as we have seen the negative impact of the results of this practice in recent months.

A Concerned Citizen

Name withheld at author's request.

Dear Editor,

I write to you today to answer the burning question some of my supporters, and those still on the fence about supporting me, have had over the past few weeks since I announced that I will be contesting the upcoming St. Maarten Parliamentary Elections as a candidate for the United St. Maarten Party.

The question is why the USP and not another party. The answer to that question is simply this. Today, we see many of the seasoned politicians in parties that have been around for years do nothing but line their pockets with the people’s money, taking projects and making them their personal bank and giving only their close friends and families the opportunity to advance themselves. Like many of you I am a victim of this type of greedy politics that has left us and our children without much hope for a future for this country.

Our educational system seems to give no real answer as to a way forward, and we still have issues with language of instruction for children who grow up confused about the choice of words to use; and, the standard of our education still falls below that of the rest of our Caribbean partners.

You witnessed the game being played, now it’s time to actually build a decent Medical Centre and you ask yourself why. Many of our politicians have either been dragged to court or are suspected of some form of corruption.

So, I looked around and I recognized that Frans Richardson has fought from a simple upbringing to become a voice for the people. He has also gained experience working within the system and he understands what is needed in order to get the Country moving forward. He, unlike many of the others, has had less of an opportunity to do something for our people, and those who have had their chance took that opportunity for self-enrichment. Growing up in Simpson Bay, individual and having to take care of two children on my own with a family who did their best to keep a roof over our heads, I understand just like Frans does, the cry of the poor people of this Country; and, while it could have been another party, we have seen clearly how they spend their time making the rich richer.

So, yes I have chosen the USP because it has the most down-to-earth leader in Mr. Frans Richardson, and it is being joined by grassroots people who understand the fundamentals of going back to the basics like MP Maurice Lake.

We are going to be a force to be reckoned with because we are incorruptible, and we have all chosen to walk away from being corrupted or being part of any group whose sole goal is to suck this country dry and leave its people in the squalor. So, look at what we are about to do and not just at what party we are on. Look at the background of the people on the USP and you will see that finally St. Maarten has a party of people that look like its people, feels the pain of its people, understands the peoples’ cry and knows the difference between promises and action.

Jelen Coulanges