Dear Editor,
I know that it is usually said if you do not bend the tree when it is small you have to chop it down when it is big. My philosophy is we can prune it and often times the garden looks good. I believe the same for the youth.
Where do we start? I am thinking on those of us who call in on talk shows. Could we not start by dedicating time in bigging up those who are involved in “Shoot hoops and not guns” and continue doing so just as we are constantly, (what I consider wasting time), talking about our inconsiderate if not incompetent politicians. I am sure if all of those talk show hosts go back in their archives they will only find five or six topics that are not the same.
Now I will go out on a limb and declare that every mature person on St. Maarten is either a mother or a father. Meaning that we should stop wasting valuable time that we can dedicate to raising, disciplining, educating our children on, I would candidly say it, useless politicians. Probably if we do that then we will be on our way in forming a society of which we do not have to open the newspapers anticipating negative local news.
Meeting on medical Marijuana to determine who is going to get the biggest cut from the profits? What about all those other drugs that are prescribed, did the ingredients have to be legalized before they were approved. I thought it had to be proven that they would cure the disease or sickness and you would be advised of the side effects. I did not know the ingredients had to be legalized. If that is so why do we have to reinvent the wheel; this is being done and accepted for centuries.
I stand to be corrected on all of this but if I have understood well when advertisement is made for a new drug or medicine, the side effects are mentioned and not the legality. So are we beginning another avenue by starting to legalize everything in order to be able to continue greasing palms. Should we not start by determining who is a St. Maartener so that if we decide to legalize Marijuana that at the least it will only be farmed by St. Maarteners so that at least the money will stay on St. Maarten and that we would be able to limit whatever is to be limited to St. Maarteners. When we determine who is a St. Maartener we can determine which jobs or permits are limited to St. Maarteners, for instance public transportation. And as I always mention, a transition period can be added to every law that is made or changed.
Legalizing Marijuana, who are we fooling? We should let Government know that they should not waste our time and money trying to legalize something that is already legal because it is widely used by both public and law enforcement. People, get up in the morning, say thank you to the creator, give your children a hug and kiss them, tell them that you love them, have good advice for them, encourage them to learn well, teach them good manners.
Let us big up shoot hoops, start demanding organizations like the YMCA, whose motto is to develop mind, body and spirit. By the way, Government should organize public transportation by starting to lay out bus stops and bus routes. When the public is guaranteed transportation to and from their destination by Government most of the gypsy problems will be over. The tax department could also help because these people rent cars daily to do their gypsy work so they earn a good dollar, which is not fair to the legal bus drivers. Because Government does not want to interfere with those bus permit holders, Government is up to its old tricks again. Trying to employ the hackers to stop them from hacking Government. A otro perro con ese hueso.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Ever since the company was sold, promises were made for better treatment, better salaries and better working conditions, but it has been anything but!
It has now become a company run by thugs, people who have no respect, no morals, no humanity and most of all no love. The people in the field doing the actual work are being treated like dogs and the salary sucks. They have officers working 12 hours and collecting $1,100 and $1,200 per month. There are securities working in places, where there is no shelter, no food, no water and no bathrooms.
This month was the worst; some people got paid on the 10th and the 11th and most of them got short payment. There’s no one in the office that can be reached about these issues, because nobody cares about the officers, they are treated like robots in uniforms.
As secret officers, they do not make $5 an hour, they are paid NAf. 8.83 per hour and that 8.83 is being taxed. Imagine that, people who are open to anything happening to them in the field are paid so little and are being treated so poorly.
Checkmate collects millions per month and pay their officers cents. During Carnival, they gave away $10,000, two cars, one bike and $1,000 every hour, and then were not able to pay their employees.
Shame on you Checkmate, change your ways before it’s too late … God is watching you and the mistreatment of your officers is going to come back around to haunt you. The tears of the workers are on you and God will repay.
Name withheld at author's request.
Dear Editor,
Please allow me space in your paper to tell of the kind of medical care that we Sabans are getting here on Saba and the heartless doctors that we have to deal with.
My name is Beatrlx Zagers, I am not going to hide behind any false name, because what I am saying is the truth. I fell 16 weeks ago, I was in torture and the doctors knew it. Neither injections nor tablets helped my pain. I was X-rayed on Saba with a machine that doesn't work anymore; when an X-ray machine can't show a broken bone that means that it should be replaced with a new one. I asked both doctors if they could send me to do an MRI or a CT scan and both refused to do so.
I then decided to go at my own expense and find out what my problem was, but they must have heard about my plan and then it was decided to send me via the Health Care.
And guess what! I have fractures and pinched nerves. This is not the first time that I have been neglected by the doctors as six years ago I needed a thyroidectomy and all that I heard was, you have to wait. I then made my appointment with an endocrinologist in Puerto Rico, went and had my problem taken care of within one week, but of course it was at my own expense. I am a person who seldom ever visits the clinic on Saba, only when it is serious illness and that is the kind of care that I get. We the people of Saba are left to deal with one doctor most of the time, while our population has grown tremendously. We need at least three doctors in order for us to get the care we need. Lack of interest for sick people is so thick that you can cut it with a knife. All you hear is that you are old. I must say that I feel that what Geert Wilders said about the BES Islands many other Dutch people think the same, there is no respect for us. Before I end, I want to thank Nurse Naomi and those who transported me around in the car and wheelchair here on Saba and a thank you to the workers of Accessible Ventures in St. Maarten. Their kindness is greatly appreciated.
Beatrlx Zagers, Saba
Dear Editor,
The general public of St. Maarten has been complaining about the long delays that exist now at the office of land measurements and registration of mortgages. The Kadaster Office at one point was a department of the Central Government of the former Netherlands Antilles and became a foundation. The Kadaster became an operation that you could depend on as certificate of admeasurements and other services were flowing smoothly.
Over the last year, we are seeing the services of this prestigious foundation deteriorate to the point where the general public is suffering. The UP-led government ignored the deteriorating of this office as they didn’t lift a rock to correct the wrong that was happening. Today we are experiencing the same fate from the NA-led government.
Enough is enough. Either this government doesn’t care or they are not capable of correcting the situation. However, as a political party, the OSPP, we are responsible to bring it to the attention of this government and the parliament of St. Maarten. We have therefore forwarded a letter to the Minister of VROMI, Angel Meyers querying about the functioning of the Kadaster office. We have asked the minister of Vromi if persons have applied for the position of director of the Kadaster, based on the advertisement that was placed. How many applicants were there and if they have been interviewed? If yes, what was the outcome? And if no interviews took place why not?
We also want to know from the minister how many members are serving on the Supervisory Board and if the quantity constitutes a legal board. It is also important to inform the general public who are the present members of the supervisory board. These are some very pertinent questions as they all are related to the good functioning of the Kadaster. If a general director is not appointed, and if the supervisory board is not legal, then we will continue to receive this type of long delay in services from the Kadaster.
The OSPP is of the opinion that this organization is playing too much of an important role in the further development of our economy for this government to continue ignoring these appointments. We are therefore insisting that our Minister of VROMI Angel Meyers make the appointments of a general director and members to the supervisory board a top priority in his ministry.
We need more surveyors and promotions within are long overdue, but that can only happen if those appointments take place. We have to applaud the acting director and the staff for a job well done under these circumstances, but things can’t continue like this. A good functioning Kadaster office indirectly generates funds for the coffers of the government and creates many jobs in the construction industry and otherwise.
Let’s improve on the services of the Kadaster office, we don’t need anybody to come and tell us how to do it.
Lenny F. Priest
Leader, One St. Maarten People Party (OSPP)
Dear Editor,
Government and parliamentarians should do what it takes to have buses running through middle region, it is time. Government put laws in place and legalised gypsies on the Island let there be a gypsies’ association. So that gypsies will have to pay fifty to a hundred dollars to Government per month with all gypsie vehicles painted the same colour. There are too many gypsies on the island, and they never have correct change to give back to their passengers.
Government, please wake up from your slumber and put asphalt on Middle Region Road; the road settled already at least. Put asphalt on the road from the West coming from the tamarind tree to Romeo Drive, so that the buses will start coming Middle Region.
When a project is going on in Dutch Quarter, or the road blocked, Mount William Hill by accident causes the road to be blocked; Dutch and French Buses will not be able to pass through Middle Region; we will block all buses.
It's time buses run only one district and get some of these gypsies out off the road; help us put asphalt on the road from the tamarind tree to Romeo Drive before election, before the new road buses were running Middle Region level the road from the tamarind tree to Romeo Drive.
For us Middle Region people, l feel something election coming. Hon Samuel and Leona, we need your support to fix Middle Region Road very soon. Both of you, put pressure on the government to fix the road.
Cuthbert Bannis
