Dear Editor,

Driving up the Frontstreet I found myself obliged to stop in front of the Courthouse, because of the aggressive manner in which a male person with an American accent approached a couple in front of the Courthouse offering them timesharing. Even though this male person was in their face he still spoke hard enough so that I could hear that he was offering timesharing.

In order not to obstruct the traffic I made a spin around the Courthouse and came back towards the Frontstreet. This time he was what I considered harassing another couple. I could see by their reaction that the aggressive and loud way in which he spoke was the reason for them to hastily walk away from him.

When I reached my original destination, during the conversation I mentioned that fellow who was offering timesharing to the tourist. That person’s reaction was, “We were talking about him just before you reached here.” Supposedly there are more than one of them who are aggressively approaching the tourists to buy timeshare. And they are known to hang out in the area of the Courthouse between Front and Backstreet.

The possible use of narcotics was also mentioned, but I did not pursue that. But what is more disturbing to me is that the original Caribbean people who are accustomed to selling timeshare are being replaced. They are out there in the open. I have seen gradual take-over in the past. I hope it is not what I'm thinking?

I hope someone puts a copy of this letter on Minister of Justice Tackling’s desk so that the Minister can look into it and pass it on.

Russell A. Simmons

Sargassum is biomass and not a weed. Nature gives you this biomass at no cost, and it is delivered to your doorstep for free. “Nice, but what am I going to do with this freaking stinking mess?” Ding dong, mass, not mess.

You don’t have to dig, drill or pump to get it. It is there for the taking. When you get a freebie and you make something out of it, you’ll make a 100% turnover. That may sound naïve, but it is not stupid. Actually, some get paid for removing this giveaway, but then what to do with it?

Making something out of it means work which has a price. Work also means employment, which benefits members of a community. Making something may also mean equipment. But depending on the productivity of the equipment, costs will go down and profits may increase. If the equipment is any kind of machinery investment, it means depreciation, spreading the investment cost over an extended period and again, costs go down and profit numbers may improve.

The key is to think, improvise and come up with ideas. Have a positive attitude. Take an inventory of what you have. Figure out what might be the best potential for it. Look what you have on hand. Set your own expectations and those of who you are offering your product to at an appropriate level. This “slapped together” will set the right tone. You will be pleased with the result. Your mother or your better half has to deal with this dilemma daily in the kitchen when making dinner. Maybe female leadership comes to mind. And just to get things straight, I’m not suggesting cooked sargassum as the meal of the day.

“I’ve got plenty of nothing. So, what am I supposed to do?” Nothing may be plenty for you if you put a thinking cap on. Mindset is everything when it comes to building your wealth. Some of the wealthiest people in the world have built seven- or eight-figure fortunes from essentially nothing, without high-powered academic degrees or inherited wealth. Some of them started out with a negative net worth and became worth millions.

It will begin with a plan. It may take more than one person to do the planning and even the implementation of it. Ever heard the words “I love when a plan comes together?” Maybe put your own A-Team together, a squad of diverse, bright and motivated friends, family members, or local talents and make it iconic. Don’t think overly ego-centric of creating a monopoly. Unless, well, ….. ‘Union Fait La Force’ (Unity is strength) is the national motto of my country of origin. Do some brainstorming.

It will be quite a challenge to put numbers on paper for a business forecast, because there are no historical data to draw from for detailing how the activity expects metrics like revenue, expenses, profit, and cash flow to change over time. But, then think again about the above-mentioned millionaires who didn’t have a ‘no-can-do’ attitude but rather a ‘yes-we-can’ boldness.

So what can we do with sargassum? Do some research online. There are several examples of how it is used. You may be inspired to create an idea of your own once you find out what the sargassum has hidden inside. Some areas where it is already used: Construction building blocks/bricks, sustainable agriculture and fertilizer, aquaculture and animal feed, Bioplastics and sustainable packaging, Biofuel production, Cosmetics and skincare, Pharmaceutical and medical applications, Environmental remediation. Maybe a local brainy mind will come up with a new innovative idea, like creating a piece of art from it. ‘Artis Natura Magistra’ - Nature is the teacher of art.

If nothing else, let it be known that a company in the Dominican Republic is using six 40-foot containers to ship it to Finland for cosmetic production. A bio refinery processes it into high value ingredients like alginate and fucoidan. If you absolutely want to know, alginates are a type of carbohydrate that can form a barrier to prevent stomach acids. Fucoidan is known for its potential health benefits, including anticancer properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and possible support for those with osteoarthritis and viral infections. Forget it, just notice the words high-value ingredients that many don’t expect from the stinky stuff on the beach. The biomass has been shipped to ten other countries, some of which are converting 50% of the sargassum into bioplastics. Yet, how much sense does it make to be sending this seaweed, which weighs a lot, across the world to then process it, when a business or industry could be developed locally and create more jobs?

The fact is, that there is increasing commercial and research interest in developing ways to put the abundant and seemingly sustainable resource to use as the annual sargassum inundation has become a ‘new normal’ with increasing proportions. It is an art to transform an environmental nuisance into value chains. Does the popular saying ‘lead, follow or get out of the way’ mean anything in this context?

Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

Dear Editor,

The more I look at the deliberations in parliament, the more I am convinced that the aim is to keep this dysfunctional system intact – these structural inefficiencies that benefit the Members of Parliament who support this practice, but try to convince the population otherwise – this false narrative that keeps recycling time and time again.

Wednesday, August 13, 2025, illuminated this view, after Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling responded to pending questions that were posed, a few months prior. However, the presentation was of an elevated caliber – almost every question was answered in its entirety, including the clarification period. Unlike other ministers, who need time to research the answers to the questions, Minister Tackling responded immediately.

This demonstrates her knowledge and commitment to provide parliament and the public with a high-level representation. But I can allude that the atmosphere was already tense, before she got there. The first sign of objection came from MPs Darryl York and Ardwell Irion, who walked out of the meeting at the very beginning – parliamentarians who pride themselves to be that model representative for the youth and the people.

Then, the rest of the opposition seemed not to be interested in the information – the same data that they have requested and anxiously awaited. The confirmation came when MP Omar Ottley took the floor to express his views on the presentation. It was evident that he was furious with the minister. His tone, his body-language and choice of words, expressed his anger.

Wow! MP Omar Ottley, instead of getting blue vex with Justice Minister Nathalie Tackling, why don’t you tell the public the real reason why you are upset with her? MP Ottley, you see all that research that you did on human rights for inmates of various countries? That cannot help you. Every time you display that aggressive attitude towards the minister, it just exposes how disingenuous you are to the people, whom you declared that you are fighting for.

MP Ottley, is it not a fact that your family member asked to be released from prison, so he could take part in this year’s carnival with the aid of the ankle bracelet? And, that you are upset with the minister because she did not grant him the permission to do so? Be honest for once and tell the people the truth, MP Ottley. But I’m happy that the minister responded to you the way she did, not just in the first round, but more so, during the clarification period.

You thought that you had the minister hooked, but you forgot that you were dealing with a scholar and not street lawyer. Didn’t you noticed that there wasn’t any need for the minister to seek the answers to the questions? She already assessed the devious moves of certain MPs and has anticipated the questions, not just to stay one step ahead, but to indicate again that this is her domain, which further emphasized the thinking of a scholar and not that of a street lawyer.

If the population was paying keen attention, the people would have realized that the line of questioning from all opposition members was practically the same. The goal wasn’t about seeking the answers to the questions; it was more an attempt to trip up the minister. Even MP Roseburg joined in with you, because you said that you consulted her, but the population knows (no matter how much she says otherwise) that she is on the fence.

Minister Tackling, it’s your discretion to engage in direct conversations with MPs whose mission is to take you down that rabbit hole, but be very careful. Case in point: Isn’t this is the same MP Ottley who recently declared in parliament that he spoke to you in private about your objectives and when you enlightened him, he urged you to let the public know, so that the people can see what you are working on? Is this not so, Minister Tackling?

Now that the public is aware, this becomes a problem. He was quick to announce that you used some of his ideas. This juvenile behaviour is the downfall of parliament. Pay attention minister: The marijuana legislation was drafted under the NA and UP government – the same players who opposed your mode of competencies, now that you are in a different function. I never knew which firm was contracted for the task, until MP Darryl York revealed it in parliament, just the other day.

So, your knowledge is valuable when it benefits them, but becomes questionable when your standard does not meet their needs.

Minister Tackling, He who has directed you this far will guide you way beyond their expectations. Therefore, continue to measure your successes by your own standards, because you are the architect of your legacy.

Joslyn Morton

Dear Editor,

As you would have noticed by now, I usually react to leaders in government. That is because they always promise to fix things for the people. So when they do not comply I react.

For years the term “over qualified” was the term used by people in government to students who graduated and returned from Holland or the USA with their degrees in order to be employed. Over the years too many young Sint Maarteners found themselves going back to the exteria to look for work. But what I know is that during that same period of years, Sint Maarten found work for thousands of non-Sint Maarteners. Yes, work was found in all fields for them. So I am asking myself: Which is it. Is it that government for ulterior motives is not mindful that the Sint Maarteners are paid the rightful salaries because others accept what they can get, or are the Sint Maarteners really over-qualified?

Now again, years after, our Minister of Education is advising our students with other words not to come back home. Is this telling me that we only have overqualified and under-qualified Sint Maarteners? Is it telling me that Sint Maarten can train others but that Sint Maarten can't train it's own?

Now this. We have had so many political elections that I cannot remember exactly which one, but it was during a political election campaign. I thought that it was against the dust, but I was told that several of those gentleman cleaning the streets covered their face to avoid people recognizing them as street cleaners. Knowing that politicians make use of pressing opportunities to get votes and at the same time it would help those guys cleaning the streets, I approached a politician on a political list and asked him, “Where are those street cleaners from?” He told that the majority of them are Sint Maarteners. So I explained to him that I had a suggestion which could kill two birds with one stone.

I asked him about his relationship with the Minister of Justice. That was great. So then I told him what was told to me about the reason the street cleaners cover their face, and if he, with cooperation from the Minister of Education could encourage those streetcleaners to get their G.E.D. diploma this would would be the begining to possibly higher education, that could bring him some votes. Regulate the easiest way for them to finance it.

I do not know why it did not come to fruition, but I believe by now the history of who were and how people were and still being employed should tell us that things have to change to benefit the native first. I will never state natives alone, but I do not believe that anyone would criticize my point of view.

Russell A Simmons