Dear Editor,
“Tie a stone around your neck and jump off the pier. Seek help from a psychologist, jump out of an airplane.” St. Maarten Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told his critics recently that they can better commit suicide. He also made suggestions on how this best could be done. In a society of 45,000 people, such a statement has a big impact. Especially since everyone really knows which people he is referring to. However, the St. Maarten people have had enough of the corruption and the crime and ask for help.
Dear Editor,
After over 35 years of visiting on St. Maarten, and living on the island part time for the last dozen or so, I am leaving. I have sold my villa and my boats and the commercial real estate I invested in. I will miss a great deal in St. Maarten, including the feeling of freedom as I navigate the waters of the lagoon in my small dinghy and being called “Captain” as I tie up at a marina. I will miss many good restaurants, La Rosa most of all and Etna vanilla ice cream, the best there is, Oasis 96.3 on the radio, ACE, Grand Marche, and day visits to Anguilla among many other pleasures of the Friendly Island.
Dear Editor,
This morning while driving from Philipsburg towards the airport the words of our Prime Minister about people wanting to commit suicide popped in my mind and for good reason.
Dear Editor,
Government officials are transferring their guilt to the population, which speaks volumes to their insecurity and inability to lead effectively. They have assassinated our hopes, and so the ludicrousness of the idea that individuals, and the media, are destroying the country, is an accusation that cannot be further away from the truth. The blistering message to government is a demand to do things differently, because its approval rating is almost zero. Therefore, this bleak situation should be a wake-up call for the authorities to acknowledge that the most important element in communication is having the ability to listen; and that real leaders stay connected to the inhabitants, in order to provide the best service possible. This is why it is so difficult for our politicians to understand that fixing the problems that are plaguing the country is not about them.
Dear Editor,
As a concerned citizen, I stood on the side as I watched our brother Benji’s casket pass along and said to myself, “There goes the remains of a wonderful and brave man, who will be no longer with us”. After everyone went along, a young man came by pushing a wheelbarrow shouting, "Come and get some cold ones, I’ve got cold beers and water". This guy is originally from St. Kitts, but has lived here for many years, and considers himself a St. Maartener.
