Dear Editor,
As a parent of two students in the Sixth Grade or Group 8, I wish to bring to the attention of the public, the Ministry of Education and the relevant stake holders the gross incivility meted out to our children, students attending the Public Schools.
On Thursday, May 19, 2016, a meeting was held at the Senior Citizens’ Hall in Hope Estate across from the Marie Genevieve De Weever Primary School.
The meeting was hosted by the Director of Public Education and the School Managers to brief parents about the school leaving exercise for the Group 8/grade 6 students.
I was only notified of this meeting the evening before by my children via a letter when I got home from work. It was in my children’s interest that I attended the meeting even though it was short notice.
I expected to hear complimentary things about the school leaving exercise but was most disappointed.
Why? For the past two years, the Education Ministry decided to dictate the format of the exercise to which parents agreed. This was that a fee of US $100 will be paid by each student. This money will provide the child with clothing and to secure a venue including a light snack. However, this year, a grey gown was the choice of clothing. The students will wear their school uniform to attend the ceremony with the gown.
This is not acceptable because the uniforms are worn and the children deserve to be better dressed. For me, it is either my children are provided with proper clothing or a refund of US $60.
The math in this scenario shows that US $40 per child will yield over US $9,500, which should be adequate to host the event.
Now at the meeting, the manner in which the Director addressed the parents was distasteful to put it mildly. These are our children and we have a right to be involved in decisions concerning our children. The Director is a dictator. She cannot tell parents that her decision is final and that parents do not have any other choice. Her remarks were supported by the Lionel Connor School Manager.
Parents felt unappreciated and disrespected, and tried to voice their concerns. The Director and the school manager from Lionel Connor were not accommodating. The other managers especially Martin Luther King and Oranje School laughed at us.
Notably, many students were present at this meeting and heard the rough and impolite manner in which the Director and Principal spoke and witnessed their uncultured behaviour.
I am wondering what kind of people are these School Managers and this Director. They deal with our children daily and have our children’s future in their hands.
The irony of this situation is that most teachers and those at the Education ministry do not have their children attending Public School. Their children attend the Semi private schools, the Catholic, Adventist, Hill Side, the MAC and Private schools, Learning Unlimited and CIA.
Further, the Director and the Oranje School Principal have their children abroad; the Principals of the Martin Luther King and Lionel Connor Schools have none.
Do these persons really care how parents feel, more so the children-students entrusted to their care.
They have put forward the point that they want parents to save money. That is not their business. They are totally out of place to think that. Can parents tell them what to do with their money and on whom they should spend it on?
Parents make sacrifices for their children. Therefore, I am calling on the Minister of Education and those in a higher authoritative position to urgently rectify this situation. The Director and Principals need to publicly apologize to the parents and our children.
Aggrieved but concerned parent
E.C. Alexander
Dear Editor,
We are very disappointed with the news we heard that bus drivers are getting insurance for themselves and their families from Nagico, or whosoever the insurance company is.
Should not approve any insurance like this for those kinds of bus divers we have in St. Maarten, until these bus drivers agree and are willing to run their buses through Middle Region, Sucker Garden, and Pointe Blanche.
No insurance deal should approve this; we are calling on the insurance company in question to reverse this deal, and go back and sit around the table again, and encourage those bus drivers to run Middle Region, Sucker Garden and Pointe Blanche. The minister of transportation should be part of this negotiation. Bus drivers love to demand what they want, but never hear the call of the citizens. They cannot find buses to run Middle Region, Sucker. Garden, and Point Blanche.
And not only those who live in this district alone are complaining about the bus situation, also people who live elsewhere, who want to go to these districts to visit their relatives and loved ones are complaining too.
If Government will not do something about the bus situation in Middle Region, Sucker Garden, and Point Blanche, these three district should form a movement and demand for St. Maarten to have its own district representative.
I have been calling on Government to resurface Middle Region Road from the Tamarind tree to Romeo Drive for the mean time. Let the buses coming into Middle Region help the citizens of Middle Region. It is difficult for Middle Region people to get transportation to come home when they are on the Pond Fill, Illidge Road and Madame Estate.
Buses are not coming to Middle Region, instead from town to Madame Estate $1.00 bus fee, it should be from town to Middle Region, Entrance $1.00. We should not be paying $1.50 for bus fee at Middle Region entrance.
The minister for transportation should look into this and fix it. Lenny Priest said that one of his priorities, if elected, is that buses will run Middle Region, Sucker Garden, and Pointe Blanche. Let’s see what this present minister for transportation will soon do for us.
Cuthbert Bannis
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,
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
