Dear Editor,
The start of a new year is always a good time to take stock of the previous year and evaluate how we can improve on the past. The year 2020 started and closed with one of the single most critical issues facing much of the world.
This new year will hopefully mark the start of a new era. We have 10 years ahead to look at our lives with a clear vision supported by achievable and coherent plans to deal with this pandemic as well as other pressing matters facing our young nation. As stated in previous publications, there is an undeniable correlation between how intelligently we handle the pandemic and our ability to stabilize and grow our economy. We must put people back to work with an executable plan.
Today we can look back at measures taken and evaluate our actions to present a comprehensive COVID-19-repressive economic-growth policy to our nation. We must do this now and not in hindsight. Citizens must be better informed as well and have more say in decisions that affect their lives and livelihood.
This year is the year for and by the People. It’s a year during which we must solve issues that are in your face up-close and personal “Inspraak vooraf niet achteraf”. Citizen’s consultation must be done prior to implementation of decisions that affect us all and not after the fact or once past the point of no return. Increase transparency and accountability to the people. Deep-clean Sint Maarten and strictly enact litter fines for trespassers.
Again, there is a compelling case to be made in appointing a separate department manned with a multidisciplinary team to research/coordinate, plan and advise COVID-repressive policies on behalf of the government.
The latest government decision to allow this year’s Carnival to take place, followed by the public debate about the consequences of this decision, warrants the need to install such department soonest. If this fete is allowed to take place, the negative health and economic consequences will be catastrophic if common sense fails to prevail.
We paraphrase our current Prime Minister in response to the Dutch government’s conditions set to provide liquidity support to St. Maarten: “We will be caught with our pants down.”
Currently several ministers and or their spokespersons and other stakeholders update on pandemic measures while using several and different media outlets. This remains of great concern, as often these messages contradict each other or are sometimes even outdated.
We certainly understand our small island culture where most ministers prefer to do the talking themselves rather than delegate to an experienced and qualified entity. Such an entity removes the political element from the issue at hand. Doing this leaves the day-to-day management of our people’s business to the ministers while parliament executes its oversight duties on the executive branch. Too many voices and one head can’t work.
There are enough pressing issues facing our island in the wake of this pandemic which need our undivided attention. Matters that lie in the hands of our local ministers and parliament can be solved without pointing fingers at Holland. For example, our national symbols are derelict and have many unfinished structures, empty beer bottles and screaming ugly advertisement placed anywhere possible. These matters may seem small; however, once dealt with will give new meaning to “small and clean equals beautiful”. Areas which need our attention include the following:
Introduce the unemployment benefit regulation. This public/private partnership regulation can take away the element of negative surprise for employers and employees after any disaster.
Focus on the plights of our pensioners.
Update our urban-zoning laws. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma several derelict structures remain un-cleared, un-developed and even insalubrious. These include the former government administration building, Sapphire Beach Club and Mullet Bay. The fate of other buildings such as the “Blue Mall”, Westin hotel, Caravanserai hotel, Mary’s Fancy Plantation remains unclear. At the same time buildings 15 stories and up are constructed. Is this the direction we are heading towards? Are we ready to cope with the inevitable disasters ahead with the choices made today?
Update our economic zoning regulations. Why have food prices reportedly increased over 53 per cent over the past years while government continues to grant more licences for grocery stores, including locations that obstruct traffic and in locations that previously hosted restaurants? These “new” shops are allowed to do business a few hundred meters from yet another grocery store. Also, there’s a noticeable increase of “sidewalk ads” and liquor/cosmetic ads on buildings.
Additionally, our island is littered with empty beer bottles. Revenues are literally to be found on the streets. It’s time for government to restart the discussions on introducing the so-called “sin tax” on liquor and tobacco, implement the removal of the income and/or profit tax. Increases in “number booths” and stand-alone casinos must be halted. What is the status of the gaming control board?
Our beautiful island is slowly turning into one giant advertising board. Business diversification policy is urgently warranted.
Implement real bus stops, thereby significantly cutting traffic jams. It’s time to bring part of our infrastructure into the 21st century. Identify, purchase land where needed and designate real bus stops.
The first quarter of the new year should give citizens a more unified and coherent action plan from our elected and appointed representatives, a plan based on a vision that is clear in its intention and deliberate in its actions. Our citizens also have a critical role and say in the direction we want to take St. Maarten. Together we can. Let’s make it happen.
Gracita Arrindell
Leader, Party for Progress
Dear Editor,
As a former President of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation I stand in support of St. Martin of Tours Parish Priest Father Adam in asking our Government to cancel all plans and refuse issuing the necessary permits for Carnival 2021. And just in case there were thoughts of it, do the same for the Heineken Regatta.
Hopefully the Collectivité will also deny permits for Carnival on the French side of the island.
None of these events where no one can truly control crowds getting in each other’s faces must take place this year to prevent more havoc on our health system and by extension on our really-screwed-up economy!
As much as I personally love the annual event, the idea to organize St. Maarten 2021 Carnival is irresponsible and dumb, not to mention playing Russian roulette with our citizens’ and visitors’ health.
Our Governments must ensure everyone living in St. Maarten and Saint Martin, legally and illegally, gets vaccinated against all COVID-19 strains as soon as possible. The US CDC [Centers for Disease Control – Ed.] predicts that in the US, the place where well over 70+ per cent of all our tourists come from, the more aggressive UK Corona Virus variant could become the predominant strain by March 2021, with rapid growth projected in the coming months … yet our SXM Government succumbs to the SCDF’s public scolding and gives the green light for Carnival 2021? A truly irresponsible and dumb decision that hopefully will get rescinded.
P.S. I understand Trinidad and Brazil both cancelled Their carnivals!
Michael J. Ferrier
Dear Editor,
I have written it before, and today we see it again – millions of Euros in one way or the other embezzled from parents via the health department and what happens? The pandemic is about to overshadow the fall of the Dutch government. Those who could not justify the wrong that was happening for years, as usual did the honorable thing and took French leave (as the Dutchman would, say, “vertrokken met de noorderzon”) and it did not take Prime Minister Rutte, who they claim knew what was going for years, too long to submit his letter of resignation as that of his cabinet to the King.
Nothing is said about, arrests and going to courts contrary to what happens down here when our politicians or leaders in government are arrested and indicted for embezzling and messing with much less of the people’s money than was mentioned.
Did I always write that if I was not raised right the first one to be faulted should be my parents? So what about those who have always had and still have supervision over our finances, should they not be categorized the same as my parents who did not raise me right?
When I heard that this was going on for years I asked myself, if it was going on for years, why did they wait until now to report it? Because I am convinced it is a case of DNA or life’s motto, I conclude that the urge to “get you one day” overrode “the right thing to do” and today Holland is without a cabinet.
Some claim that it did not come as a surprise because Rutte was trying his utmost to piece things together, but to no avail. I know that government continues, but in the back of my head the question lingers, what if Knops does not get back in?
If this was going on for years and others knew about it, could I think that they probably were covering up things for each other? And if this is so, could the possibility of coming to the Dutch Caribbean after a few years as consultant or advisers be in the picture?
I do not advocate people being incarcerated, but If people are arrested and sentenced in this case, will we hear about it, like we always do of our people?
Russell A. Simmons
Congratulations to you and your team on the 22nd anniversary of your publication The Anguillan newspaper.
Indeed, you are among the brightest and best (traditional Anguillan son of the soil), among those of us who had the opportunity to acquire a secondary education back in the day at the (V.S.S.), that was known as the Valley Secondary School on the island nation of Anguilla.
As you may recall, you may have been ahead of me by a form or two, but nonetheless we were more than fortunate to have come of age after secondary education came to Anguilla. It gave us an academic foundation to take us to greater heights, and that is why you are a visionary, a scholar, an icon, an entrepreneur, a creative thinker and a doer, who realized and filled the need for a weekly publication to chronicle Anguilla's news at home and abroad throughout the global community.
I say this with a sense of home-grown Anguillan pride (whose roots are firmly planted between Anguilla and her island neighbors across the channel (St. Martin/St. Maarten), wherever we are planted and bloomed throughout the Anguillan diasporan community ... you made us look good.
Kudos to your strength, courage and endurance for rising above, and your willingness to share opinions that differed from others, that includes yours truly, whom you gave the opportunity to write my commentary under the column, “I call it as I see it,” or Letters to the Editor. Most often, it was published without editing, and with an opinion on the other side of the spectrum from a totally different point of view.
I am truly humbled, honoured and thank you for your tolerance to realize a different point of view matters. Yet, it is not a put-down, because traditional Anguillans (sons and daughters of the soil ) and their descendants are not a monolith. Our lens may differ ever so greatly, but at the end of the day it also makes us unique.
Your tolerance broadened the scope of our lens at home and abroad. It may have been sometimes a bit off the chain, to hammer home a point of view that is different, but during most times it was precise, affirming and respectful.
Nat, you have traveled many roads, stood as tall as Mount Kilimanjaro amidst life's pathway, you have done us real good, you have taken us to greater heights, somebody knows our name (Anguilla) ... we thank you for that.
It is such a blessing that Mr. Snow, a true Friend of Anguilla and publisher of the SXM Daily Herald, is also printer of The Anguillian newspaper. As you may know, he has also given me the opportunity to express my opinion in his publication ... and I am indeed also gratified.
In closing, I wish you and yours God's richest blessings throughout 2021 and always. You are a winner with traditional home grown Anguillan pride, you are second to none. Keep on keeping on.
Yinka
P.S. I have often said many traditional Anguillans underestimate themselves when it comes to paving the foundation to make the island nation of Anguilla what it is today. I would be remiss if I did not make honorable mention of the fact we probably would have never gotten a secondary education on the island nation of Anguilla back in the day, had it not been for another visionary traditional Anguillan son of the soil, my late paternal uncle David S. Lloyd. Not only did he as a duly elected legislator in the former government initiate a proposal for a secondary school to be built on the island nation of Anguilla, he secured the funds, and as a general contractor he supervised the building of the school. It paved the way for a wordsmith and publishing guru like you, as well as so many of us whose diverse careers have taken shape at home and abroad.
Dear Editor,
For ten long years politicians in the former Netherlands Antilles (NA) and those from the Netherlands debated, then negotiated, the future of our islands, heralded by a Slotverklaring (final declaration) in 2006 and culminating in the breakup of the country in October 2010 when St. Maarten and Curaçao became countries in the kingdom and Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire became “special” municipalities of the Netherlands.
