Dear Editor,

  Let me start by wishing you and all your readers as well as the people of St. Maarten a blessed and prosperous 2021 with a complete recovery from COVID-19.

  I am aware that our form of government is not the same as that of .the USA, but in my opinion more and more the majority of our people in government are too often at loggerheads with our kingdom partners because our people have a tendency to deliberate the way they see on American television instead of governing according to our constitution. I am aware that politicians usually do as much as they can get away with. That is not an excuse for irresponsible behavior..

  Because of COVID-19 the people’s outlook on life has been altered and I expect responsible members of Parliament to be aware of this and act accordingly. There is a popular saying: “It is not what you do, it is the way that you do it”. In this case it is not only what is said, but also who said it. What I know is that everything that happens in the country is the responsibility of the government. Let me be clear, I did not write that the government is responsible for doing it. So, if you are a member of Parliament it is also your responsibility.

  That is why I usually comment on certain expressions from the members of Parliament when they are expressing themselves publicly. If we follow the reaction of the youth all over the world of late, we should choose our words more carefully. Making a point to impress the people in order to be able to keep one’s followers can be done in different ways. That saying “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” is true. This tactic should be used by members of Parliament and not words bordering on incitement.

  I would even smile at sarcasms, but these are definitely not the times for that kind of behavior. When we are ready to accuse anyone of not being responsible we should first look in the mirror and ask ourselves “Am I a responsible person?” I usually do when I write letters to the Editor.

  The Dutch translation for responsible is “verantwoordelijk”. Check the Van Dale Dutch dictionary for the different meanings. This I also do, because words have different meanings and can be interpreted several ways and even be taken out of context.

  Do the right thing, be responsible, choose words carefully, and think of our youth.

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

  Sovereignty and “decolonialization” is being touted as the great salvation for countries with ties of different sorts to one-time colonial countries not just in St. Maarten but in very many different countries including Curaçao, South Sudan and even in England. But many advanced countries have asked themselves “what is the value of sovereignty” and  their conclusions have led them to be prepared to give up some level of sovereignty in order to achieve various goals in the fields of trade, education, research, etc.

  In the Caribbean there are many territories that have achieved total sovereignty and a few that have stayed connected to the “mother country”. The Dutch Caribbean islands have settled after referendums with a hybrid model which is relatively unique. Most of the countries in the Caribbean that achieved total sovereignty immediately proceeded to relinquish some of the gained sovereignty. The United Kingdom gave up some sovereignty to join the EU  but has now reclaimed it with their Brexit; almost all economists have denied real benefits to citizens having been gained.

  Does the recent history show a big win for greater sovereignty when you measure the success or otherwise based on quality of life, distribution of income and citizen satisfaction? Or is the opposite true?

  Without doing the massive study to measure this accurately I suspect that the answer would be that there is no clear winner for the competition of governance models. The result of such a study would be likely to show that each model comes with advantages and disadvantages very much dependent on specific country conditions, scale and threat and opportunities. I suspect that the positives and negatives of the Dutch Caribbean islands contain distinctly different elements to the sovereignty drives in countries like South Sudan or the United Kingdom.

  If such a study included much larger countries than small Caribbean jurisdictions it would conclude that scale (size) played a major role in the development of newly sovereign territories.

  There should not be a fear of the discussion of sovereignty because the advantages and disadvantages are mostly easy to measure when transparency is in place. What is not easy to measure is the liberating emotional component of sovereignty especially when this is strong in limited parts of the population. The discussion on sovereignty will always be impacted by romantic idealism that is likely to remain, no matter the quality of the discussion of the country’s real and measured interests. A fact-based approach is likely to be the most beneficial for all concerned.

Robbie Ferron

Dear Editor,

  Is it possible for a foundation to represent the people of St. Maarten in court to obtain their decolonization? A good way of answering this question is by looking at the activities of the Dutch Foundation Urgenda. On December 12, 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) handed down a landmark sentence that drew international attention. In that verdict, the Dutch Supreme Court sided with Urgenda Foundation and ordered the Dutch State to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands.

  This verdict inspired activists from around the world to take legal action to force governments to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. (It is worth bearing in mind that The Dutch Supreme Court's verdict regarding Urgenda Foundation's legal action was subsequently published in the Harvard Law Review.)

  The Dutch State had argued that Urgenda’s case be declared inadmissible (niet ontvankelijk) which is a standard defense deployed by lawyers around the world. (US President Trump has repeatedly run into this legal roadblock in his attempts to have the courts reverse the results of the 2020 elections.) However, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that the Urgenda Foundation’s case was admissible and does represent the interests of the inhabitants of the Netherlands who are being threatened by climate change.

  A lower court had earlier ruled that even if certain groups were against the position of Urgenda Foundation, that could not prevent the foundation from filing a collective action. It would appear therefore that a foundation can indeed, even in the face of opposition from certain elements, file legal action to obtain the decolonization of the people of St. Maarten.

Pro Soualiga Foundation

We are now about to bid 2020 farewell, and for many, we are saying goodbye to a challenging year. Nevertheless, it has been another year of life, another year of love, and another year of laughter. With the utmost gratitude to the almighty God, I bid 2020 farewell, taking this time to address the people of St. Maarten on behalf of the Council of Ministers, and wishing all our residents and visitors a Blessed and Happy 2021 filled with gratitude and faith for a brighter future.

  I am most grateful for another year with no significant natural devastation. We had our challenges as a nation, and the world faced their biggest challenge as of late: combating a global pandemic, COVID-19. With this challenge, St. Maarten now understands how to deal with COVID-19 compared to when we started our response measures back in March. This hurdle required much change and adjustment to the way we do things. However, we must continue to move forward, embracing our new normal safely and responsibly so that we may protect our most vulnerable.

  This year, I am proud to say that there has been more cohesiveness between the executive and legislative branches of government. In the interest of St. Maarten, we have put politics aside, and with the common goal of best will and prosperity for our island and its people, we have put our country’s needs first.

  For many, 2020 meant a loss of income from an economy that was on its way to recovery from the devastation of hurricanes in 2017. Despite all these challenges, the government of St. Maarten continues to work with our Kingdom partners for the betterment of our people and the sustainability of our nation’s economy.

  Our 2021 goals remain the same; a sustainable and self-sufficient economy, the strengthening of our financial institution, and meeting our sustainable development goals. Taking into account the lessons learned from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the global pandemic, the government has noted the need for diversification of our economy and the need to stimulate entrepreneurship, especially amongst our young people.

  I’d like to acknowledge the different strides made by all our local artists this year, to put St. Maarten on the map all over the world. In many ways, our music, our art, our artistry remains a large part of who we are, and we love sharing that with the world. In doing so, I continue to encourage persons of all walks of life of the many opportunities COVID-19 has brought about for doing business in a new, futuristic, and even more efficient way, not limited to 37 square miles but globally. Honestly, COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to find alternative means to create income, fully utilize the Internet, and realize its full potential to do so.

  We are so grateful to all our front-liners who continue to selflessly ensure that St. Maarten remains safe and moves forward. These men and women in uniform include but are not limited to the Police Force, VKS [Volunteer Corps of St. Maarten – Ed.], Customs, the Immigration Department, the Fire Department, the Ambulance Department, CPS, our nurses, doctors, teachers, sanitation and hygiene workers, and the many employees of our government-owned companies. Your continued dedication to service is invaluable to St. Maarten. Thank you!

  I humbly thank all of our hardworking civil servants who contribute every single day to our nation’s success. As such, I’d like to thank the Department of Communication for ensuring that St. Maarten and the world continue to be informed of the latest developments as well as the Collective Prevention Services for ensuring that we maintain our grip on our present COVID-19 situation locally. When we speak about capacity building, growth, and the future, we are talking about all the contributions of our government employees.

  A special “thank you” goes out to all our partners within the Dutch Kingdom for all their support this past year. We look forward to continued cooperation on all levels in the New Year. May 2021 bring us more opportunities to continue developing, defining, and fostering our partnership. There is still much space for growing and learning as partners. St. Maarten remains committed to our development by working with our strengths, overcoming our weaknesses, learning from our partnership, and maintaining our identity.

  As I conclude this address, I thank the people of St. Maarten for your faith, endurance, support, and belief in me as I continue to lead, together with our Council of Ministers with the support of our Parliament during these challenging times. Government’s major priority remains your safety and that of our most vulnerable while ensuring that our economy begins to stabilize and regain the pre-pandemic levels we were achieving post-Hurricane Irma.

  I once again wish all St. Maarten residents, your families both at home and abroad, as well as our visitors a blessed, happy, and prosperous New Year

  God bless you, and God bless St. Maarten.