Dear Editor,
A Commonwealth is a nation, state and or other political unit, founded on law and united by compactor tacit agreement by the people for the common good.
The creation of an all-encompassing Commonwealth of Caribbean Nations based upon their regional and Island Culture, as a cornerstone to complete Caribbean Unity.
Assertion: So long as individual Caribbean island nations must compete against each other and with much larger and more powerful international competing nations these separate nations of the Caribbean will not reach their full political-economic potential. Only by uniting the Caribbean into one socio-politically economic powerhouse will this commonwealth and its member nations achieve the respect and competitive fear of their opponents within international markets.
Presently there are many Caribbean-centered international organizations such as Commonwealth Caribbean where nation states work together to promote their goals individually within the organization.
I assert that a fully united Caribbean can and will fulfill the aspirations and needs of each of its member states while assuring this group has the united might in political-economic leverage. A united Caribbean will be stronger in many ways.
- Greater purchasing power as a group, with a larger united population..
- Political power and influence through a united front to all friends and competitors.
- Greater influence on the international stage.
- Unity of purpose, national outlook and aspirations.
- United financial clout.
- Pooling a collective financial revenue to be applied to each member in the same fashion no matter the size of population or island mass.
- Uniting each member’s ambassadorial, consulate and foreign affairs ministries into one unit.
- A united commonwealth will assure the ability to quickly and profoundly respond to natural, climatic crises through the establishment of a internal emergency ministry that’s job is to save lives, repair and rebuild that which has been damaged quickly.
Each member must work towards a democratic outlook and practice. A complete democratization of the Caribbean will be required and demanded. Democracy is the natural human state of most Caribbean nations and must become the basis of this commonwealth.
The wealth of each member nation is considered part of the greater entity. The petroleum, mining and natural resources sector would be used to the benefit of all member states, much like a health care insurance agreement. Some islands will need more care and investment than others, but these investments can create the greater good for all. The International Bank and foreign banking concerns will prefer to do business with a United Conglomerate, a Commonwealth of Island Nations than separate nations who do not have the ability to borrow.
Imagine a group of island nations within a greater commonwealth of nations. A government with a president from, say, St. Vincent, a deputy prime minister from Barbados and ministers from islands as diverse and different as Trinidad, Martinique, St. Lucia, or Bermuda. This Commonwealth would move towards gaining new membership from other island nations such as those controlled by former colonial powers such as America, France, Britain and the European Union. Independence for all members within a greater commonwealth, so yes St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands), Puerto Rico and even St. Pierre and Miquelon (beside Newfoundland). This Commonwealth would welcome their brothers and sisters from island nations throughout the Americas.
The Caribbean must be courageously ambitious, creatively aspiring to what is truly within its grasp. The Caribbean, with their island lifestyle/culture demand better for their people. Only through unity can the Caribbean become, otherwise it will remain as it has been, a political and economic possession of other powers.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
Dear Editor,
A few months ago I wrote you a letter which I realized you opted not to print and as usual that prerogative remains yours. Even though I think the people were short-changed.
Because of what we do, people in government and the police have become fair game, while those businesspeople who are known to buy themselves into and out of almost everything are, as it were, spared the public scrutiny. The results of all this is that 50 to 60 thousand people on merely 16 square miles of land are administered as if the country was so big that so many things have to go unnoticed.
I have always remarked that our road infrastructure has not changed and very few roads have been added,. Along with all that, nothing has been done with those bottlenecks which are the only connection between above and below the hill. Today I got one text and two calls concerning the traffic congestion over A.J.C. Brouwer Road and Alexis Arnell Road and traffic was also moving at a walking pace over the Link One Phase Two.
I was getting into my car after checking out the Christmas trees at Kooyman when I received another text concerning the traffic congestion. That person texted me stating that she was getting frustrated and decided to text me because she can remember me having written about the traffic situation several times. I reminded her that she was in traffic and should not be texting. “Which traffic? The traffic is not even moving.” So again I will repeat, we urgently need to revise the public transportation ordinance and we also urgently need to limit the random import of motor vehicles.
I mention random because I am sure that no consideration is taken with the road infrastructure, when permitting whomever to import those oversized heavy equipment. And so, the drivers do not care about the regular traffic because all of them conduct themselves in traffic as if saying, “Hit into me if you dare.” They literally ignore the traffic rules because of lack of control. You know what I am referring to because several articles concerning reckless behavior in traffic appear in this newspaper.
The car dealers and the car parts business owners are the ones who are profiting from this. And it has become so bad that more and more the motor vehicle owners are not even repairing the damage anymore because there is no control, which in my days the Control Unit used to have under control.
Car-pooling is something I also referred to over the years. I have made it my business to monitor the traffic Belvedere-Simpson Bay and St. Peters-Simpson Bay. Eight out of every 10 cars are occupied by only the driver. Eighty percent of the cars are used only by the driver. Because of the difference in working hours, a great deal of homes have more than one car.
It is more than high time that rich, middle class and poor be administered in a way that everyone is able to have a relaxed and not anxious life. After all, we are only 50 to 60 thousand people on 16 square miles of land with a billion dollar economy. Wow, that is totally mismanagement!
I once had a similar conversation with my father. “Disobedience and total lack of love” was his answer to that question. During the conversation he said to me, “What is the use of so many churches in St. Maarten and 70 per cent of the people are existing with less than a liveable salary? Yes, below the poverty line. You yourself have been going to church since you were a child, you should know that there are several places in the Bible where sharing is mentioned. He gave certain people plenty because He expected them to share, but their greed exceeded the love and they refused to share. This greed was converted into the lust for power and the rest is history.”
I know that we cannot talk about the lack of legislation because the laws are all there.
Now this. Over the years I know for a fact that when things are going in favor of some people, whether it is good or bad, as long as it is smooth sailing, no problem. As soon as the boat starts to rock, they look for someone to blame. As long as you are making a living off the sea, you are expected to endure what the sea offers.
I read, “Government’s involvement in pageants”. Actually, I read it twice to make sure I understood where the writer was coming from. I was surprised that it was not in defense of government. I have on many occasions said, written, insinuated, hinted about the lack of government protection of the people, so it would be hypocritical of me not to show appreciation when, no matter whether insignificant or not, government steps up to the plate for us.
I know that too often especially businesspeople do things behind the back of government and get away with it (I will refrain from giving examples) so that it has practically become a way of life. The result of that is that too often the people of St. Maarten have to hear that their country is corrupt. And that is the responsibility of the government. So let me repeat what I have stated on many occasions: “Everything anybody does on St. Maarten, whether bad or good, is the responsibility of the government of St. Maarten.” From accident to zigzag and potholes in between.
I do not know what the requisites are to be able to participate or represent St. Maarten abroad in pageants, but my sense of patriotism obliged me to wonder also. Kudos, MP [Member of Parliament – Ed.]Emmanuel. Did not Mr. Ferron, who definitely has an idea about flags, see that young lady flaunting the St. Maarten flag? That is definitely the responsibility of the government of St. Maarten,
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Not so long ago a young lady wanted to know what we used to do when girls complained that they were physically abused by men.
I explained to her what the usual procedures are. I also took advantage of the opportunity to pass on to her what my mother made all 11 of her boys to understand as the years went by. And often repeated it for the older ones also.
“First of all, you are all handsome young men and I expect you to be attractive to girls. This is healthy, but I forbid every one of you to treat any woman like you would not want any man to treat me or your sisters. If any one of you boys has a steady girlfriend, make sure you bring her home and we are going to make sure her parents know about it.”
One time one of my brothers said to my mother: “You always reminding us how to treat women, but what should we do if any boy treats our sisters incorrectly?” My mother paused and then told us to figure it out among ourselves and let her know. The consensus was that our sisters were females and should be treated correctly like any other woman should, but if any man laid a hand on any one of them, we would avenge that. My mother smiled and told us that we should be aware that every deed has consequences.
My mother used to tell my sisters, “I will not tell any one of you that I am your friend, because friends are not forever. I will never relinquish my position of mother. Yes, I will always be your mother and will always feel it when there is something not well with anyone of you. So always feel free to talk to me about it. That is why I was the first one to hold you to my bosom.”
When I reflect on those words, I ask myself what happened to that model of parenting? And then I think of those who completely disregard Proverbs 13:24 and Proverbs 22:6 and are making it difficult for parents to correct their children. So why should we be surprised when we read that the average age of the people in jail is 27 years?
Violence is bad enough, domestic violence is worse.
Now this: At one time my father told a politician who was campaigning, “When are you going to tell the people what is attainable and not what they want to hear?” When I read that, what I accept to be junk, that Member of Parliament Brison suggested, I thought back on what my father said at that time.
A phrase that I use on occasion: “Any self-respecting person would not do so and so.” Actually, what made me look up that article in the paper is because while waiting to pay a bill a person who was standing in front of me while reading the paper said out loud “When is Brison going to stop trying to fool the people?”
In what sense can we compare Fort Lauderdale to St. Maarten? Must everything our politicians suggest be about money? Is MP Brison trying to say that it has reached so far that regular security by the businesses is not enough. What MP Brison has to do instead of trying in a tactical way to relegate them is not try to get back at the police because he messed up. It would be profitable for him to try and see if he could get on their side by getting the government to do that which is right for the police in every sense.
Did MP Brison ever take time to reflect that the Justice Department regards the whole of our country? Every Ministry needs cooperation from the Justice Department. We are a country of laws. Every member of government should be aware that we all need the jail, we all need the Customs, we all need the Immigration and we all need the police. Does MP Brison know if there are enough police personnel to properly police the country?
First it was one MP encouraging the people to gamble and buy numbers to make a living, now it is another member ready to relegate our police, in order to help them to make ends meet.
Are we really encouraging mediocrity? No wonder it is constantly repeated that people in government often say that our people are overqualified.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Governments worldwide have found increasing consensus on what governments should manage, own and regulate and what they should not involve themselves in. Maintaining roads and eliminating potholes is generally accepted to be a definite governance function. Operating airports and harbours has been very much on the decline and mostly moved to the private sector. Utilities are still a mixed bag.
But beauty pageants are definitely not in the category where governments normally involve themselves. In the case of sports, the major global sports bodies actually disallow any involvement by government in the representation of athletes by their countries.
Should we not follow global trends and encourage our government to fix potholes and stay out of categories of activity that are regarded as unsuitable for government involvement?
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
My name is Alex Richardson, and I took a look at the Tax Tables 2020 that’s currently used during payroll and I wonder why many pensioners really not looking to work seeing they have the time and could use some extra income. My review of the tax table was very alarming as the tax per centages are very high and the tax tables are full of mistakes. I didn’t review all the sheet for it took a very long time as I took a look at 2017 and 2018 as well.
The taxes within recap sheet show that the percentages are too high and the pensioners working at retired taxes apply need to set a maximum.
I hereby submit some examples to highlight the actual effects of the taxes that the people are facing.
- Example shows pension collected will have to be added into the 10.414.18 per month and will cause a tax due for the sum NAf. 16.771 that’s to be paid from my pension 23.007 (72.9 per cent). I did look at the little deductions that are possible but the general sense of the tax tables. Of course this is an extreme example.
- Work 21.600 taxes 12.5 per cent = 6.828.91-29.7 per cent
- Work 1.800 monthly taxes 51.17-2.8 per cent
- Work 900 Quincena 32.72-3.6 per cent
- Real life 1.800 guilders monthly with my pension taxable 26.25 per cent
- That means the monthly 1.800 cost 2.8 per cent but at the end of the filling 11.709.14 meaning the government needs to set a cap on the pensioners and the tax tables are no good. What is 2.8 per cent due on an income of 1.800 monthly plus the recap percentages don’t reflect the tables and the percentages too high.
Recommendations are as follows:
- Used only percentages
- Set a cap 12 per cent maximum on the overall income of pensioners so they are able to work again.
Hope to have informed you truthfully as it is.
Yours truly,
Mr. Alex Richardson
