Dear Editor,
So, two years ago, I walk into the Haval dealership in Simpson Bay to buy a new car. They quote a price; we agree on the terms; I write a check and it’s a done deal. Seems pretty simple. Then the car has some minor problems. One big… but mostly small, easy-to-fix stuff. But the dealer who just took a fair bit of money from me on a car that that is factory new, does not want to hear it. They effectively say, “tough luck, that’s the way it goes.”
I found this annoying. The small stuff like the tires going flat every few days and other things I could deal with, but the fact that when you stepped on the gas to try to go up a hill and the car would just say to you
“maybe some other time“ was pretty disconcerting, especially for my wife who was the reason I bought the new car in the first place. So, I contacted the Haval mothership in China and we had a perfectly good professional exchange about the basic notion that –while their hardware may or may not be pretty good– the fact that “their after-sale service and local warranty were being handled by a bunch of bozos that you wouldn’t normally let mow your lawn, probably wasn’t good for their image over here.
To their great credit, the Haval mothership took it seriously and, pretty soon, we heard from the Dealer and, low and behold, all the little problems got fixed. The bigger problem took another more technical discussion with the Mothership which, after I told them where to look for the problem and the procedure to fix it ( common issue in modern electronic cars that most competent professionals are aware of) and that info was passed to the Dealership. Then that problem was resolved as well, and now the car is a perfectly good car.
Right up until the other day. Another nickel and dime failure. No big deal at all. A warning light comes on that says the battery in the key fob is failing. Now, as most people know, that key fob runs everything. When that’s bad, the car neither starts nor runs and you are dead on the road wherever you are. So, my wife being the rational and intelligent person she is, calls the Dealership where the car came from 24 months ago with about 6,000 miles on it, and says, “Can I come in and get this fixed please before I get stuck somewhere”. And they tell her, “ No… we don’t do that. Take it to a Chinese market somewhere, buy a battery and do it yourself “.
Really? She was happy to pay. Never asked for warranty or wanted it free. Just wanted it done right. Clearly an unreasonable request. The device itself is worth about $300 and probably still under warranty and you would think that having some Haval dead by the side of the road might reflect badly for the dealership. Apparently not. What they seem to want is some nonprofessional to pry this thing apart with a kitchen knife and take a whack at fixing it themselves. Why? So, they say later, “Gee… someone screwed with this… sorry, that will be $300 please, and four months to get it “.
And what do they think she is going say the next time someone asks, “Gee, how do you like your new Haval?” Probably something along the lines of “Well, the car is ok once they sort it out, but the Dealership is the worst place I have ever dealt with in some 50 odd years of buying cars. The next one will be a Toyota.”
Forest Gump said it best, “Stupid is as Stupid does.”
Steven Johnson
Dear Editor,
I knew it was coming, I even warned that the people would only rise up by their next pay slip, but somewhere, somehow, I had hoped it would not be true. Much to my dismay, the proof is in the pudding.
The numbers do not lie. My personal health insurance cost has gone up 2.7x compared to last month!
This law is draconian, and unfair, and completely unhinged with reality! Not just for myself, but also for my employer. If we total the costs, we are talking about 978.85 x 12 = NAf. 11,746.20 or $6,525.67 per year to insure a young, generally healthy professional. That is unacceptable from nearly all perceivable angles, truly.
In August: 640 SZV/ZV Employer NAf. 649.96, plus 641 SZV/ZV Employee NAf. 328.89 = 642 SZV/ZV Total NAf. 978.85.
In July: 300 Sickness Insurance NAf. 118.68.
An increase of 2.7x.
How much does this government want to take from the same people time and time again? Always resorting to the measure that will hit us in the pocket at the flick of a pen, but slow to do anything with regard to accountability, with increasing efficiency, with reducing costs, with tackling the problems at the root of the source,
We, the tax-paying citizens of this nation, have sacrificed with the COHO measures, taken hits with increased cost of basically everything, and are constantly bombarded one scandal after the other, so much so, that we cannot even begin to focus on one or get the answers we deserve. Enough is enough. This is the price we pay for electing short-term thinkers who only have their and their people’s own interests at heart.
No vision, no long-term plan, no viability assessments, and rampant inefficiencies have brought us to where we are now. If it were up to me, elections should be held sooner than later. It is time for change!
But whether it is sooner or later, I implore every hard-working, tax-paying St. Maartener, please, please, please, do not forget who put us in this mess, and what they did to “fix it”!
David Salomon
Dear Honourable Rodolphe Samuel, Minister of Education in St Maarten,
We are concerned for great improvement towards education for our children and citizens.
And we ask how many school boards are on the island?
And also (l quote) can teachers or school board members seek to have a function book?
Please answer my questions in the next Wednesday briefing meeting (thanks in advance).
Cuthbert Bannis
Dear Editor,
Our delegation led by myself, arrived on St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week as part of our sensitisation programme to let the world know of our struggle for emancipation and equality on Bonaire. While in St. Vincent, we have had very important and fruitful discussions with Prime Minister Dr. Honourable Ralph Gonsalves and the Cabinet of ministers to give them a deeper understanding of our fight to be listed as a “Non Self-governing Territory”.
Our team also engaged the media, on radio and television interviews, where we addressed the general public directly and engaged them in interactive call-in programmes. The government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines welcomed us warmly and fully support our fight against this form of neo-colonialism, supporting our right to self-determination. We continue our fight for freedom and we continue to thank the people of Bonaire for their support and commitment to the struggle.
James Finies,
President Nos Kier Boneiru Bek
Dear Editor,
I can remember at 18 years old in 1964 during my interview to become a police officer one of the three men conducting that interview asked me in Dutch if I knew what “Het zijn sterke benen die de weelde kunnen dragen”, meant. I answered him and then he asked me how would you say that in English? I could not answer and he told me I should look it up and challenge my English speaking friends. I looked it up and the English translation is “It takes strong legs to carry luxury”. When I explained to my father about that interview he wanted to make sure that I had realised what that person was insinuating and we had a man-to-man conversation about that. On the 17th of August I received a video concerning news that was repeating itself in the papers. That reminded me of that saying.
My parents had 14 children of which 11 were boys and 3 girls, During my tenure as a police officer 2 of my brothers got themselves involved in the use of illegal substances. In the beginning I heard umpteen times how people would suggest that I should pick up my brothers just like I did with the other substance users. Let me first state clearly that I cannot remember arresting anyone for the use of illegal substances. I have arrested drug users who were caught stealing, but not for using drugs. I have also arrested persons in the possession of illegal drugs, but again not for the illegal use of drugs. On approaching known marijuana users I have gotten the scent of the smoke but on reaching them some of them had already gotten rid of it or even swallowed the joint.
My brothers know what kind of treatment they got from me. Not because of my job, but because they did not take the embarrassment that their behavior caused my parents into consideration. Did that stop me from doing my job ? No. Can anyone say that they felt that I have acted against them because of what I know they said about me? No. Did that stop me from being me during the carnival parades? No. My brothers’ behavior was offensive to the community, just like any other person who committed an offense.
And yes they will always remain my brothers and I will not give up on them but I will never feel offended and go so far as to give others the impression that they are wrong with me because they associate my position in government with the behavior of my relatives. I will always say it Everything that happens on St. Maarten is the responsibility of the government. Point in case. The Justice Minister said no to a request for a jump up and the Council of Ministers got together and said yes, because they are responsible for the consequences. Did they take responsibility for the consequences? On the contrary, I was told that a report was made against the police, for not handling an altercation the way certain people expected it to be handled.
The other saying that came to me while listening to that tape is “Doe wel en zie niet om”. One should not look for praise or compensation when one does well. I do not believe that that is why our people in government were put there. Absorbing criticism comes with the territory. My brothers found out that they had to straighten up and fly right, and they did. A minister of government does not defend one’s relatives because of an offense. That is not what that position is for?
There is another tape of a Dutch politician openly mentioning the names of political convicts, ex political convicts, soon-to-be-locked-up political leaders. This kind of behavior is what empowers the Dutch to spew all kind of garbage our way. It is time to exercise maturity.
Russell A. Simmons
