Dear Editor,
Paul Kroll said oil makes the world go round. Long time ago coal and oil producing countries were not involved in selling energy for huge profits. Nowadays oil has become a political instrument. A country either plays by the rule, or faces the risk of losing its business. Such unpleasant behaviour pressures government and businesses to pay more for electricity and fuel power. Coal, oil and natural gas provide energy power for most electricity plants in operation today. Petroleum and natural gas provide energy for automobiles, households and businesses.
Natural is a combustible gas that forms naturally in the earth and consists of methane and hydrogen and other gases. Methane is colourless and flammable and is used as fuel. It is formed from the decomposition of plants and other organic products. Propane is a flammable colourless and heavier gas. It is also used for fuel. Fossil fuel is coal and oil. It is one of the best sources of energy power dating back to the 1930s to produce clan energy. It was formed from the decomposition of animals, plants and other organic products over millions of years ago.
Renewable energy sources include solar power, wind farming, hydro-electricity power, nuclear energy, gas and electrical energy power. Solar power is excellent for countries with plenty of sunshine. Solar batteries should be fully charged for continuous functional operation. This source of energy is for every household and business. Installation fees can be costly but operational cost is usually low. Dead batteries no longer used must be carefully disposed of and destroyed to protect the environment. Recondition batteries should be protected and stored in a safe place at all times.
Wind power is vital for every sector of the community. This energy source can be used commercially to reduce the cost of producing electricity to the public. The problems with wind power technology are the rotating blades on the units causing destruction to birds in their path. During hurricanes, the units can be destroyed by hurricane-force winds. This energy source is commercially important to the population for daily power supply. Hydro-electric power using dams, river and lakes is also an important cheap source of clean energy. This source does not need a huge maintenance cost. During natural disasters, dams may be broken by rivers bursting their banks and cause lakes to overflow and damage the energy producing equipment.
Electrical energy and natural gas are still the cleanest and best sources of energy for the environment, households and establishments until now. The flow of these types of energy usually depends on demand and supply. Nowadays both economics and politics are driving forces for high energy cost and for creating high rate of inflation around the world.
The sun is getting hotter these days. This is because of the Green House Effect. Many countries around the world are experiencing severe weather conditions due to global warming. When fossil fuel such as coal or oil is burnt, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere along with other poisonous gases. These gases trap the heat of the sun and cause the earth’s surface to become warmer. This process is causing devastated hurricanes, wildfires, floods, drought, and the ice in the Artic to melt. In addition, smoke from motor vehicles, factories, and air-condition units are also contributors of air pollution which increase global warming. In summary, the choice of supplying affordable energy power sources to the population will depend on stability, reducing electricity cost, increase in demand and maintenance of equipment.
Coal, oil and natural gas provide about 80% of energy power produced by electricity plant. Renewable or alternative energy power provides about 15% source for general consumption use. Nuclear and hydro-electric power provide the other 5% use. Factors affecting the environment using fossil fuel: We have seen how off-shore drillings of crude oil caused death and destruction to fishes, birds and other sea creatures. A broken pipeline for example, or blowing up pipelines under the sea could be detrimental to humans, sea-creatures, birds and animals.
Repairs and clean-up costs are usually in millions of dollars to governments and plat form entrepreneurs. Coal mining is also a dangerous operation. Extracting coal from beneath the earth surface usually involve the cost of human lives and high-tech drilling equipment, also the release of dangerous carbon gases into the air which pollute the environment. We should help protect the environment by using more renewable and clean energy power to prevent global warming. Trees are important in the carbon cycle. They help to decrease carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere which is responsible for Climate Change.
Deforestation is also a major cause of global warming. Renewable energy is the ideal source for cleaner power to promote a healthy working environment.
Joseph Harvey
Dear Editor,
To begin with, the basket of goods concept should be in line with inelastic demand before government begins to set policy on tariffs and taxation for businesses, consumers and public enterprises. The price of goods in the basket are based on supply and demand, distribution chains and government control. Any change in prices in the basket will have an effect on suppliers and the receivers of goods. Items such as bread, milk, flour, cornmeal and rice have no close substitutes, and people will have to buy them even if the price is high or low.
Regular monitoring and control of the basket of goods is necessary to protect the purchasing power of the low wage earners. The price of goods for hygiene purposes such washing soaps, Clorox, toilet-paper, dish liquid, toothpaste and other cleaning materials must be affordable to the public as low-price control items. The basket should also be in line with the Consumer Price Index. The CPI is a statistical collection consumer spending on certain goods over a certain period of time. It usually shows an increase or decrease in the cost-of-living figures for the period. The cost-of-living Index is an important measure in setting policy for taxes and tariffs for businesses and customers. The total invoice of goods in the basket plays a significant role in calculating taxes on goods in reference to the amount paid by the customers to government regarding who pays or who doesn’t.
In regard to the consumer price index, reference should be made to the amount of the invoice including trade and cash discounts if any, and the channels of distribution for the goods in basket. The basket of goods helps keep items at control price and protect consumer spending. Who pays for the goods in the basket? Please see the demonstrated example of the purchasing power of two families. Here is a typical example of consumer spending for one month on selected items in the basket of goods. Family A monthly spending amount total is $200. Goods in the basket were subject to 10% trade discount on reaching the retailer from the manufacturer or the wholesaler, i.e., 0.10 X 200 = $20. The real cost now $180. Let’s say the retailer adds 3.5% Turnover tax to the $180, i.e., 0.035 X 180 = $63. The price for the basket of goods for A will now be $245. So, $63 will go for tax.
Family B invoice total is $150. Trade discount from the manufacturer/wholesaler is 10%, retailer adds 3.5% tax on the items. Based on policy for example government might add 10% to the goods as tariff. B’s budget can also be calculated. See A’s information above. Final consideration: Who pays the burden of taxes in the basket of goods? From the wholesaler to the retailer and to the customers, and even if we
bypass the middleman, the business usually passes on the burden to the innocent consumers.
Government must take a firm stand with its policies to protect the poor people.
Joseph Harvey
Dear Editor,
“Those who don’t know the value of loyalty can never appreciate the cost of betrayal.” Equivalently, when trust is broken, this level of infidelity cancels all concepts of integrity. Presently, the country is in a descending mode and based on this current trajectory, the behaviour of this government will persist until they accomplish their selfish motives.
When Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs proudly announced that she will bring a different style of leadership to the NA party, who could have imagined this blatant deception that the country is witnessing today? Who would have thought that the party that prided itself as being committed to the people could allow an egoistic lobbyist in parliament to control them completely?
So, what is the trade-off between MP Rolando Brison and this government? Apart from getting his ego massage every time he grandstands on the floor of parliament, what exactly is he receiving from government in exchange for his performance? Is it a monetary compensation or has he already been recruited by NA, in the hope that the party become a replicate of the DP, as a one-party government?
What is this missing link that the 14 other MPs are not envisioning, to have the majority of them portrayed as incapable? Why is MP Rolando Brison this desperate to return as the chair of parliament and why is government working overtime to reinstate him? Yes, Prime Minister Jacobs, the population is aware of what length you went through to resolve that technicality to get rid of Chairlady Grisha Heyliger-Marten.
Prime Minister Jacobs, your actions are so contrary to the moral values that you preach about every day. Is it not the chairlady’s role to honour the requests from Members of Parliament, whether the invites are from the opposition or those who support the government? If calling meetings that the opposition have requested is a bother to the government, is this not corruption to the core, Prime Minister Jacobs – the promotion of unethical values and favouritism?
This why MP Ludmila De Weever thanked Chairlady Grisha Heyliger-Marten for being impartial regarding the handling of the meetings, unlike MP Rolando Brison, who keeps the government away. So, now that the technicality has been resolved and the threat to oust the chair is imminent, what is Theo going to do? Is he going to choose MP Roland Brison over Chairlady Grisha Heyliger-Marten? We’ll see.
To illustrate further how this government has repeatedly discounted the role of parliament, the meetings surrounding the ongoing crisis at GEBE said it all. When it wasn’t an excuse by the PM to attend another meeting that she scheduled intentionally, she refused to send answers to parliament on time, or she found it fit to saddle the MPs with a barrage of information regarding the role of the various boards of GEBE and what government could do or couldn’t do.
All these unethical tactics were used to delay the vote of no confidence against the VROMI [Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – Ed.] Minister Egbert Doran. So, if it is important for parliament to understand and respect the role of the management and supervisory boards of GEBE, then why isn’t the same value being placed on The People’s House? Oh, how I missed the intense and educational deliberations by former MP Claudius Buncamper. Surely, the atmosphere in parliament would have been completely different.
In my observation, Chairlady Grisha Heyliger-Marten gives the prime minister too much leeway. Instead of asking her how much time she needs to answer the questions posed, the response should be: Prime Minister, you have the floor. Let her bear the responsibility solely and hold her to her obligations. This lack of assertion is her biggest obstacle in parliament. And, being too lenient with the PM has come back to haunt her.
Look at how last week Wednesday’s meeting went down, when Prime Minister Jacobs refused to answer the questions on GEBE and also totally disregarded the authority of the Chair, when she explained to her that she is moving away from the norm. This is the blatant disrespect to parliament by this government, under the reign of Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs.
Prime Minister, I ask again: Would this ruthless efficiency become the norm of this country? Is this the behaviour that you want to communicate? Is this the style of leadership that you wished for the young people to imitate?
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
It is quite an acknowledgement of the times when a figure like Theo Heyliger, the founder of his party the UP, would have to sink to the levels of actually having to put his thoughts in writing about the rumored firing of his wife as the President of Parliament.
Unless we forgot, the person they want to allegedly put back in the chair is the same con-man who has embarrassed the country multiple times, insulted Theo’s wife and has built a reputation as the king of schemers in the government of St. Maarten. That Theo would have to say what he said indirectly to someone he gave a chance to is astounding. And then Brison responds as if Theo is just a passing somebody.
It shows that Theo feels that his wife is not getting the due respect she deserves and clearly shows that he does not believe in the direction Rolando Brison has taken his party. The UP is now subservient to the National Alliance. It is incredible that Theo has let it come to this. He needs to fix it and rid his wife and his party of that no-integrity, no-shame con-man.
Because of Brison’s scheming, the Parliament of St. Maarten will have nine factions! Count ’em, NINE! He managed to convince MP Arrindell and Brownbill that they are great for the island after using them as the reasons he refused to run with the USP and eventually left the USP. “Crooks” he called them at the time. “Angels” he is calling them now.
MP Brison has completely ruined the UP from the inside and, the schoolchildren say, turned some of UP’s board members against Theo and Grisha with gifts and promises. He will do the same with the Alliance if they let him because he cares about one thing only: protecting any kind of power base for himself. He is dangerous for the country and criminally narcissistic.
But who will the UP listen to now? The man who founded the party and gave them all opportunities? Or the con-man who might as well declare himself a card-carrying member of the National Alliance?
And speaking about what will UP do, what will Cookie do? Is the Indian Community proud of Cookie’s representation? Are they proud that Brison is in his ear corrupting him? Will they be proud if he votes against the Heyligers? MP Bijlani looks to be losing more of his soul every day the longer he sits next to MP Brison. Bijlani has been exposed as a fraud in this term and I honestly believe the Indian Community needs to start looking at a different flag-bearer for representation in Parliament. This one has shown that he can be just as corruptible and he can walk all over integrity and accountability.
Name withheld at author’s request.
Dear Editor,
On social media I note many St. Maarteners searching for understanding of the political and administrative shortcomings that are being displayed in the first 12 years of our status as a country. Many are considering conspiracies in which St. Maarten people have very poor views of their fellow countrymen. Moral and mental shortcomings are extensively considered, heavy accusations are levelled and a degree of polarization appears to be developing.
But should one really be surprised that in spite of the institutions that are in existence with significant budgets. comprehensive legislation and many qualified persons there are shortcomings and breakdowns that make the bigger political picture look bleak. Is there really reason for such despondency and breakdown in trust of the fellow citizens that are involved with the failures?
The history of public administration shows that countries with effective and consistent administration usually have long-established civil service establishments where norms are strongly ingrained. Those cadres of civil service in some cases are in existence for hundreds of years. Many colonies that became independent had civil services with many years of experience and consolidation. Consider this about St. Maarten:
1. The size of St. Maarten and the relative isolation it had experienced historically meant that “village norms and relationships” play a large role in the community.
2. The majority of administration and all legislation had taken place in Curaçao prior to country transition.
3. The territory experienced rapid growth in the 20 years preceding transition to country, a period with relatively “wild” economic conditions and a general belief in limited control.
4. During the rapid growth period the territory did not enjoy a commensurate growth in prosecution services and the expectations of being prosecuted in many areas was not high as is indicated by the adventurous schemes that have recently been exposed.
Clearly the chances of public administration and political management instantaneously achieving a high level of stability and productivity in the short term was never high.
It has also become clear that the creation of the comprehensive range of institutions fully equipped with all the physical and legislative attributes for stable government do not function without the participants having taken on the spirit of their design.
This turbulent period will end when effective leadership focusses on where the breakdowns have occurred, corrects them and reduces the political polarization of the country.
In due course the turbulence of the first years of country will have been forgotten, but the inevitability of this turbulence should not be allowed to limit future success.
Robbie Ferron
