Dear Editor,
The island is swiftly becoming a concrete jungle, as uncaring financiers are pursuing every square meter of land to construct more and more buildings. How much longer can the environment endure the slaughter of greedy investors – the ones who are controlling the government and dictating the direction of the country?
How sad it is to see that the very attributes that define and attract the visitors are the exact features that they are continuously destroying. Where is the balance between erecting buildings versus preserving the greenery and the island’s natural beauty?
Even though there are demands to build more hotels, the ultimate decision lies with government and not the investors. If the evaluation of these requests was thorough, and done with the purpose of putting the people first, government will not surrender to their demands. But as usual, this happens when there is weak leadership, and when government has no clue as to where it is taking the country.
It is not surprising to learn of the request to construct a hotel at Indigo Bay. It was their intention all along. The real intent was camouflaged by putting up these ugly looking condos as a precursor. After they have spoiled the hill, when they chopped it up like amateurs, now they want to block the view with another unsightly building. Why destroy the natural view and cut off the fresh breeze, to accommodate slabs of concrete?
Why do investors have to occupy every beach on the island? Are the seashores too valuable for the local people? As it stands, very soon only the tourists will have direct access to all of the beaches. So, Cousin Russell Simmonds, you are so right. There is absolutely no need for any more hotels, because these types of investments are just burdening the environment and keeping the workers on slave wages.
Apart from hotels being located by the beachside, government has issued a building permit to construct a hotel and casino close to the border in Cole Bay. Can the population visualize the chaotic traffic situation that this business is going to create next to an immediate roundabout? And, is it not that the hotel is attached as a disguise regarding the policy on standalone casinos?
Besides destroying the environment with excessive hotels, another goal is to plaster the island with casinos. More gambling dens fuel the addiction of patrons, which is bound to escalate the level of poverty to the point where the majority of the population will become beggars. Pay attention to who the impending business belongs to. These investments are strategically designed, and government knows it, because they too are part of conspiracy.
The poorer the population, the more dependent they would be on the politicians to assist them. Every government has failed to protect the people from these investors, who behave like vultures. All have refused to uphold the law that restricts the amount of times locals can visit the casinos on a monthly basis. So then, government is just as guilty as the investors, whose sole intention is to exploit the vulnerable gamers.
This is why the gas station was deliberately placed by the Causeway Bridge, as a supplement to this new investment. It was a plan in the making a long time. Have the population paid attention to the names of businesspersons that one MP mentioned in recent times; some of whom are with questionable characters? All of a sudden, they have become credible, and were recommended as a source of financiers to government.
Now it is easy to calculate why certain politicians don’t want the Dutch money, and at the same time are insisting that the Dutch money that they are refusing be transferred directly to government. It is also very easy to determine why the environment is not their priority.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
Human beings are an inexplicable mix of contrast. Our reservoirs of human activities and ways of being are populated with copious amounts of polar opposites and mysterious contradictions. We experience internal conflicts, which at times are so intolerable and unbearable we would rather discontinue self-insistence and self-preservation, opting instead for self-erasure. We hope with optimistic fervour for desirable and favourable outcomes in our lives, only to be reminded ever so often by bouts of despair that hope is its binary opposite.
We endeavour to love and not to be deluded by the subterfuge of love, but our minds ceaselessly fall prey and victim to love’s cunning trap. The very object of our love suddenly ceases to be beautiful for reasons we often cannot explain hastening us to aim arrows of hate at its heart. We mistakenly love an object because it is beautiful but seldomly find an object beautiful because we love it.
Our perennial need to be authentic, to discover the “I”, to be an individual, to gain freedom from being helpless slaves of circumstances is constantly in conflict and tension with our sense of belonging, our need to be social creatures forever seeking to be a part of the herd.
Humans establish strict moral and legal codes to control and censor their behaviour, which so often militate with and prick their conscience. We commit an unimaginable amount of resources and authorise the use of institutional violence to slaughter and maim fellow members of our species, but pay scant regard to the suffering and destitution of many.
We enter into social contract with the state, trading aspects of our freedom for security and order only to be rudely reminded that we are forever at the mercy and discretion of the state. We choose government and its politics of representation over anarchy but instead receive the oppressive boot and shackle of the law.
We claim to have the luxury of free will but continue to apportion blame to others whenever misfortunes and unwanted circumstances befall us. We attribute the misfortunes of others to bad character but blame circumstances for our own. We aspire to live long, rewarding, happy and fulfilled lives but simultaneously engage in activities that hasten and threaten our existence.
We accord immense value to capital and profit, ends for which we become subordinated to the means. We subject our bodies to severe levels of wear and tear to acquire material possessions only to be left with irreparable bodily damage, which we somehow hope can be medicated with the objects in our possession.
We condescendingly and snobbishly accord superior and pedestal-like status to those of high social and economic standing this very moment, but withdraw our snobbishness and condescending ways when they plummet from grace the next. We conceptualise ideals and ideologies to orient and guide us as to how we should live but constantly stumble as we approach their signposts.
We cultivate rational minds to help us navigate our treacherous lives but so often suffer betrayal when our faculties of reason have been exhausted by all known logical deductions. We create works of art as an act of the imagination, imagining alternative ways of being and new realities only to have our imaginative liberation insulted and fiercely criticised when our invented realities are at variance with the status quo.
We satirise and hold up to great scorn and ridicule our vices and follies, deriving humoristic pleasures from our limitations but scarcely recognise the absurdity of our foibles before we have done harm to others and ourselves. We try, almost all of us, to mentally overleap moments we are not desirous of experiencing, but remain totally unaware we are drawing closer to us the moment when we will cease to be.
Humans remain a strange collection of subjects filled with conflicts and contradictions some of which we are unable to harmonise and reconcile.
Orlando Patterson
Foundation Nos Kier Boneiru Bek and the Bonaire people congratulate the people of Statia with their overwhelming victory on October 21,2020, re-affirming the PLP leadership as their legitimate legal democratic representation. The Statia people showed with this win that they never accepted the betrayal and violation of their sacred democratic rights and send a clear message to The Hague.
In February 2018 the Dutch government led by their military-poised state-secretary colonel Knops deposed the same government with the same leaders, through an un-democratic act, abuse of power, an coup d’etat.
A historical moment of victory to the Statia people, strong and determined, defeating Dutch 21st century colonialism. A resounding rejection against Dutch colonial rule, very loud, very clear, claiming back and restoring their government they have elected themselves in March 2015. Reassuring that the people are the ones that have to judge and decide which government they wish. This serves as a message of courage and hope to all other Antillean islands, especially the autonomous bigger islands Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten, that are at the moment under duress of the Dutch government, using the COVID-crisis to blackmail them, forcing them to cede their autonomy for a loan with improper conditions. Statia has risen again and standing tall as a nation of people with dignity, that want to decide themselves on their own island, to determine themselves their own destiny, and want to protect their inalienable fundamental right to democracy, right to self-determination and self-governance.
As Statia government was seeking to honor and respect their people’s democratic choice and voice to regain their autonomy back, the Dutch government, initially Minister Plasterk and thereafter State Secretary Knops, were denying these fundamental rights to the Statia people and their government. During all these times, when the Dutch government abuse their power, with unjust laws and committing crimes against humanity, against Statia people, almost all the Antillean leadership and governments and political parties did nothing to condemn the Dutch government or support and protect the Statia just cause, their struggle to have Holland respect their inalienable rights. Nos Ke Boneiru Bek was one of Statia’s only alliances that stood up, spoke out, fought back the Dutch government frontally on their un-democratic abusive actions against the Statia people. Together in alliance with the leadership of Statia government Nos Ke Boneiru Bek embarked on the trajectory to regain back their autonomy, towards the United Nations Headquarters and the international community, raising awareness and more on the illegal annexation of Bonaire and Statia on 10-10-10. After the Dutch government illegally deposed the legitimate government, Nos Ke Boneiru Bek together with representative of the Statia people’s government made another historical breakthrough in April 2018 to meet officially with the Caricom headquarters secretariat in Guyana, and denounce the Dutch government’s illegal actions, and have the Statia government’s “white paper” officially handed over and disseminated among all the Caricom members. This was the first time the Caricom leadership was officially informed and understood what happened with the Antillean islands after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10-10-10.
Today we are looking back on these recent historical battles for the rights of the Statian people, but more important now is the Statian people’s heroic action that decided to put their same courageous government leaders back at front of their struggle to continue fighting for them, moving forward seeking their rightful self-determination and human rights.
James Finies
President Foundation Nos Kier Bonieru Bek
Dear Editor,
The conclusion I have come to after reading a letter dated October 19, 2020, sent by Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion to State Secretary Raymond Knops is that article 25 of the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision trumps article 16 of the same law. A text from the advices of the Department of Judicial Affairs and Legislation from the Ministry of General Affairs both from St. Maarten in my interpretation explains the matter clearly.
Article 16 outlines the rules and procedures that are to be followed when attracting loans for capital expenditures. And as the Minister of Finance explained and I quote: “The bond being floated for St. Maarten was not for capital expenditures, but to cover the cost of government operations, including social services such as the food voucher program, programs under the St. Maarten Stimulus and Relief Plan (SSRP) such as the income and unemployment support initiative,” end of quote.
These are vital to the people of St. Maarten. What I find extremely irresponsible is the fact that the Committee for Financial Supervision did not do its proper due diligence. Had they done so, they would have known that article 25 trumps article 16 of the same Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision.
The advice presented to the Minister of Finance a text of which was sent to State Secretary Raymond Knops was very clear and gave a historical narrative of the reasons why I come to the conclusion as stated. The advice to the Minister of Finance explained that deviation from Article 25 is allowed when it comes to extraordinary instances such as restoration of damage caused by natural disaster, the government of St. Maarten can do so in agreement with a decision from the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
According the advice given to the Minister of Finance, permission to deviate was granted by the Kingdom Council of Ministers on March 16, 2018, for the 2017 and 2018 budgets, permission was again given on November 23, 2018, for the 2019 budget. Repeated again on March 27, 2020, for the 2020 budget. The letter also explains that although the Committee for Financial Supervision has no decision-making authority when it comes to article 25 to deviate from the procedures in article 15 they were advising such; however, this should not be the case as was done in their letter dated June 24, 2020, to Prime Minister Mark Rutte and their email of October 14, 2020.
This action has caused fear amongst potential subscribers to the 75-million-guilder bonds. These funds could have been used to pay off the 50-million bond loan which matured October 21 with a remaining balance of 25 million which is definitely needed.
What was also noted in St. Maarten’s advice is that article 2 subsection 6 and 8 of the National Ordinance stipulates that the Minister of Finance is authorized to enter into agreements for loans that are necessary in the amount of 140,500.00 million guilders related to COVID-19.
The Committee for Financial Supervision must apologize to the people of St. Maarten for this blunder.
Finally, in my opinion the Kingdom Council of Ministers have set a precedent when it comes to article 25 (which the people of St. Maarten appreciate) which has to be continued seeing that the financial situation of St. Maarten has not yet been restored to the point where adherence to the budgetary norms is realistic.
George Pantophlet
Member of Parliament
Dear Editor,
“But I told the minister, with my finger directed at his nose. I said to him, ‘If you come, when you come, be prepared for the consequences. Because if you bring in the military, we will kill them and we will burn them in the streets of Statia.’” This is a statement made by Clyde van Putten, the most important politician in St. Eustatius, who won the elections on the island last week. This statement is from 2017, after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma. The Hague offered emergency aid and military support to repair the worst damage. Aid that was used by Van Putten to turn the island people against “the Dutch.” He even threatened to kill these emergency workers and then burn them and drag their bodies through the streets. An expression of his aversion for people from the Netherlands.
Van Putten was the winner of the elections and his party, the PLP, took three out of five seats in the Island Council. Van Putten was also in power when the administration was put on non-active in 2018. The reason was the “serious neglect of duties” by the Statia administration, which had terribly neglected the island. This also involved fraud and corruption, discrimination and intimidation. The administration refused to recognise Dutch supervision and Dutch laws any longer. At the time, I thought it was a very difficult decision to temporarily abolish democracy on this island. Yet I agreed, as did all other political parties in Dutch Parliament.
We have invested a total of about 65 million euros in Statia, which is about 20,000 euros per inhabitant. In infrastructure, facilities and better governance. Things have gone wrong; it is not easy to rebuild a Caribbean island all the way from The Hague. Certainly not in times of corona. Nevertheless, the state of the island is much better now than it was in 2018. Last week the people elected a new Island Council, as a first step to restoring the local government. The Statia people elected the same party and the same people who seriously neglected the island in the past. They are also the same politicians who preached an aversion to the Dutch and called for the island to break with the Netherlands. Van Putten was on the list of his party, but was chosen with preferential votes.
The dislike of the Netherlands in St. Eustatius seems to be deep, I once noticed during a visit in 2012 with some fellow Members of Parliament. When we arrived at our hotel in the evening, almost everything was locked and all employees had left. The beds had not been changed and the bathroom had not been cleaned. This is quite an insult in the Caribbean cultures where hospitality is so important.
A big difference with Saba, the neighbour island which is also part of the Netherlands. The people of Saba are not only proud of their island, but also of the relationship with the Netherlands. And about the investments that are made. Many mistakes are made by the ministries and I always invite the politicians on Saba to share these problems with us. After which they receive the support of almost all parties in our Parliament.
We should not complain about the choice of the Statians for it is their right to determine their own future. We will have to take these votes of protest seriously. The Statians cannot distance themselves from the Netherlands by means of elections as this is only possible with a referendum. I propose to organise a referendum, in which the Statia people can make a choice. If they want to be part of our country or not. If they want support from the Netherlands or not. If they want a Dutch passport or not.
Continuing with politicians who do not want to cooperate makes no sense. Unfortunately, the past has proven this.
Ronald van Raak
Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party (SP)
