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PHILIPSBURG:--- The final push for political parties on St. Maarten took place on Wednesday August 27th, 2014. The Democratic Party held its meeting in Simpson Bay while the National Alliance hosted their final meeting live on Cable TV in St Peters. The DP headed by Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams presented its plans and aspirations for country St. Maarten. The headquarters will be at the Bute Hotel on the Illidge road and supporters are asked to come as volunteers are needed. MP Roy Marlin in his presentation to the party supporters stated that the CEO of the Harbour Group of Companies Mark Mingo donated $10,000 on behalf of the Harbour for plane tickets for United Peoples Party supporters to come and vote in the August 29th, Parliamentary Elections. The MP says that Mingo is using his power as the CEO of the government owned company as a political pawn for the UP. Meanwhile the National Alliance Leader William Marlin stated in his address that if there is a UPP government they will last for 4 months instead of 4 years because of the different cases hanging over several candidates. Click the video below for the highlights of both meetings.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):----  Section Collective Prevention Services (CPS) within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour is appealing to the community to step-up mosquito prevention measures in order to prevent an increase in dengue and chikungunya cases due to the daily rainfall that the country has been confronted with.

CPS uses this opportunity to also commend the Dutch Quarter Community Council in conjunction with the organizes of the OASIS project for carrying out a clean-up effort within the district about two weeks ago.

Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever is appealing to social and civic clubs as well as community councils to come together with their members and assist the people in their districts with clean-up campaigns

Every individual, household and business has a responsibility to take action and protect public health and our economy.

Chikungunya, is a virus similar to dengue, transmitted by the same mosquito that spreads dengue. The symptoms are similar to dengue fever and may include a sudden high fever, headache, rash, nausea and muscle pain.

However, stiffness and severe joint pain, especially in the wrists, knuckles or ankles, are more often associated with chikungunya. The incubation period (time from infection to illness) can be two to 12 days but is usually three to seven days.

Acute chikungunya fever typically lasts a few days to a few weeks and some infected patients in the Asia region have reported debilitating arthritic pain persisting for weeks or months.

The condition's outcome is that most patients feel better within a week; some people may develop longer-term joint pain; people at increased risk for severe disease include newborns exposed during delivery, older adults and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. Deaths are rare.

There is no vaccine or medication to prevent chikungunya virus infection or disease, the recommended prevention is to reduce mosquito exposure.

Residents and business leaders play a key role by continually being active in taking measures to mitigate the mosquito population in eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

Residents and visitors are reminded to protect themselves especially when out during dusk and dawn hours by using mosquito repellent or wear proper clothing (long sleeve shirts/blouses and pants) to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Every household is requested to actively take actions on a daily basis to eliminate mosquitos by checking containers such as buckets and water tanks for larvae and eliminate the breeding source. If there aren't any containers with water for mosquitoes to lay the larvae there won't be any adult mosquitoes.

Dengue Fever and Chikungunya are transmitted by the female vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays her eggs in clear (clean) stagnant water. Within eight days the mosquito can complete its life cycle from egg, to larvae to pupae and to adult mosquito.

An increase in the mosquito population puts all residents and businesses at risk. Call for information on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito breeding sites and respective preventive measures at 542-2078 or 542-3003 or visit the Facebook Collective Prevention Services.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), hereby announces that there will be several road closures related to sewage work that has to be carried out in different areas.
There will be a temporary road closure of Back Street between intersections Hotel Steeg/Korte Steeg and School Steeg/H. Beaujon Steeg, on Sunday June 15th from 8:00pm till Monday June 16th 5:00am, and this is related to sewage connection Backstreet lot #114.

There will be a temporary closure of Front Street between intersections Hendrik Straat and Emmaplein from Monday June 16th at 8:00pm till Tuesday June 17th 5:00am, and entails the installation of sewage connection to offices near Kanaalsteeg. Work will continue on Tuesday June 17th 8:00pm till Wednesday June 18th 5:00am and is related to sewage connection of shops near Kanaalsteeg.

There will be a temporary road closure of D.C. Steeg on Thursday June 19th 6:30am till Friday June 20th 6:00pm and is related to a sewage connection at DC Steeg.

Motorists and pedestrians are requested to be vigilant and observant for the traffic directional signs indicating what works are underway in the respective area.
Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Based on ongoing dry and hot weather the island has been experiencing and based on water quality sampling conducted by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation it has been decided to issue an alert concerning the medium to high potential for a Tilapia fish die off in the Great Salt Pond.

The Nature Foundation has tested the water quality in the Great Salt Pond and has measured a decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in salinity due to the ongoing weather conditions. These factors coupled with the large amount of introduced and invasive tilapia in the Great Salt Pond have made conditions favorable for a tilapia die-off event.
The Nature Foundation has sent its recommendations to the necessary governmental departments and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. As of Tuesday, April 29th there have been no dead or dying tilapia recorded.
The Nature Foundation will issue updates as the situation develops.

PHILIPSBURG:--- During this carnival period the Prosecutors Service acts firmly against people who misbehave. The two men (18 and 21 years old), who were arrested with a machete during Jouvert Morning Jump Up have spent a number of days in pretrial detention and will have to appear in Court on June 19, 2014. Further, a man who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, was arrested for destruction of a window of a parked car. This man was taken into pretrial detention as well and is also summoned for the so called carnival-court hearing on June 19, 2014.
Usually the date of the court hearing lies further away from the day of arrest. Given the importance of a festive carnival, the Prosecutors Service created space in the court hearings schedule to make it possible to prosecute suspects of crimes committed during carnival sooner.
The Prosecution emphasizes that it is an offense to carry a knife or other weapon, especially on public roads. During a crowded carnival this is a major safety risk. The Prosecutors Service will continue a strict policy the coming week.

Press Release from the Public Prosecutors Office

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PHILIPSBURG:--- OSPP- One program that will consequently coming forth out of our manifesto and that will be championed once elected into parliament is "Land rich but money poor"! This is another social-investment programs of the OSPP where the party wants to broader the perspective and possibilities of the people of St. Maarten. The OSPP is of the opinion that if a person is part of a succession which consists of a piece or pieces of land, that person should have under certain circumstances the possibility to be funded to get his piece(s) out of the succession. This will give this person(s) the opportunity to develop the land for instance for agriculture, infrastructural, business or residential purposes. Too often we see that personal and country development plans are being restrained because of succession issues amongst heirs or family members. But often are those who want change and development not always those who can finance the cost of legal procedures etc. By putting this program in place the OSPP believes that individuals and the community at large will be benefiting of these developments. St. Maarten Let's get Serious!

Fellow St. Martiners , St. Martiners-at-heart, citizens of the island of St. Martin,

Once more, I have the honor and privilege to deliver the State of the St. Martin nation address from the perspective of the St. Martin Grassroots people Movement.
This address marks our fifth one- and thus signifies a mile-stone in our existence as a movement.
As usual, we care to emphasize that the main objective of our movement is to promote the preservation of the native, indigenous St. Martin people and their cultural-heritage as part of a 'bigger-picture' - the St. Martin nation building- and unification process.
In addition, for us an integral part of the nation building process - is the inclusion of people of all ethnic backgrounds with an added-value to the process.
Inclusion of others with an added value reinforces the nation building process with new socio-cultural- and intellectual 'DNA' making the nation more competitive in dealing with other nations.
Based on these and other considerations, our grassroots movement, not only welcomes these people – we emphatically encourage and invite them to become part of the process in all its aspects.
As stated before - this particular State of the nation marks a very important mile-stone for us.
We are very proud that the initial phase of our functioning, which was the most difficult part has now been transformed into the next phase.
While initially, our movement had to overcome many forms of mis-understandings and understandable distrust by many – our hard- and committed work over many years, has yielded a broad basis of understanding , interest, sympathy and support from all ethnic sectors of our society.

The Year 2014 - from a political perspective for sure - has brought about a complete paradigm shift as never before - certainly on the Southern-/Dutch side of the island.
Whereas in the past - certain political parties and traditionally powerful families - because of their track-record of using political intimidation, bribery, foreign 'witch-doctors', money, connections to financiers etc - were always sure of the outcome of elections – no more.
Worse yet- many of the political candidates for the ministerial- and Parliamentary positions have been indicted to stand trial for a range of alleged crimes and could face jail-time.
Even the most powerful politician of them all – 'The Golden Boy' - Theo Heyliger, has become an almost pathetic, 'sitting duck'- like political leader - many no longer fear, respect, let alone even care to be associated with.
Without his once –alleged - total control of the vast money-sources - including the very profitable Government-companies - the political 'boss' of the 'Friendly-island' now needs real intelligence, real personal-appeal and real leadership skills to maintain the 'iron grip' he had up until very recently on the island, much like his late grand-father, Claude Wathey.
For Theo Heyliger as well - a ministerial position now at best - seems to be an illusion - since he too has to stand trial as the 'Master suspect' of the island now internationally known as a 'Den of corruption'.
Most of the changes that have altered the very political landscape of St. Martin, South, can be attributed to the growing awareness, involvement and empowerment of the people by the so-called internet bloggers.
Collectively, they have become the 'night-mare' for corrupt politicians and their cronies.
Among these internet investigative reporters - or our own local SXM 'Weaki-leakers' – NONE stands out like Judith Roumou.
This young lady is simply a tireless, fearless, laser-focused 'One –Woman - Intelligence-Service' with a deep expertise of everything 'internet - blogging'.
While this lady has contributed to the awareness of the public of what has been taking place in the body politic, we hope that in the years to come, she would train youngsters in that field as well.
Also, we hope the lady transforms her work into an even more professional 'investigative tool' - not focusing on personal attacks, but on making Government and politicians much more transparent and accountable.
2014 also saw a very regrettable setback for the people of St. Martin in the area of civil society.
Because a number of newcomers to the original St. Martin Grassroots People Movement felt, that it was not 'moving fast enough' – they committed a 'coup' and first tried to move away on their own with the name that was officially registered on both sides of the island of which they were not officially part.
When they realized the possible legal implications of their act of plagiarism - and also under the pressure of criticism from the public, they slightly changed their name -still leaving much room for people to be confused.
This- we think shows either bad faith and/or it shows that the new group in town wanted to benefit from the original St. Martin Grassroots People Movement's name, because of its record.
Be it as it might- it still is a great dis-service to the people they claim they so love so much - the 'Soualigans'.
For the record.
We have no problem whatsoever, with members of an organization wanting to do their own thing – it happens all the time in politics as well.
But - please people - at least do such in the 'light of day' and not in a 'coup' under the 'darkness of the night'.
That shows poor character- and intentions, to say the least.
Also - if one wants to moralize- and to criticize those in Government, at least one should respect oneself and one's own credibility.
One should carefully realize, that everything that one starts out in bad faith- can only take one so-far and no more.
Had they decided to do 'their own thing' in a transparent, mature way and had come out with a novel name and a clear identity, then for sure, there would have been the possibility in the future – for us to find common grounds and work along as distinctly different organizations, where possible and in the best interest for the St. Martin people.
Clearly, the way this 'coup' took place, was not well thought out.
Or was it ?
Could it have been the fulfillment of a 'promise', the 'Great new leader' made during a meeting to - quote ; 'Break the movement at its knees' ?
Time might tell.
In the meantime, the 'new' group that was in so much a hurry for 'actions', has become the very embodiment for more 'talk'- and less action, as has been observed and mentioned by their dwindling listening audience.
As a matter of fact, their 'Great new leader' recently started off their radio-program with a lesson in 'philosophy'.
He explained that for a 'Bamboo' seed to germinate and to develop into a mature tree - it takes at least 5 years - with constant watering and nurturing.
This was how he predicted his Soualiga Grassroots Movement would also develop – with much watering and nurturing at least 5 years to become mature.
Not our words – but words of the new 'Great leader' of the 'Bamboo-seed- movement'.
Meanwhile, 2015 will clearly expose the fundamental difference between the original St. Martin Grassroots People Movement and the new 'Soualiga Grassroots Movement'.
This un-ambiguous difference will allow for the population to determine, which of the two is 'reactionary' and 'frozen in time' and which one –once more – is of a visionary, pro-active nature and ahead of time.
As far as the New Year 2015 is concerned, we are planning to produce a syndicated series of radio- and television programs specifically dealing with all aspects of the St. Martin nation building process in which interested persons of all ethnic groups on our island will be allowed to give their input.
We are proud, to be able to - once more - set the trend for the future in terms of nation building - again remaining ahead of the curve of those still trying to establish themselves and fearful of including others in the process.
In keeping with our tradition, we have nominated our top- 10 Persons of the Year 2014.
All these persons -in their own personal way have contributed towards the empowerment of the St. Martin people and citizens on the island.
Collectively - they form a 'mosaic' - reflective of our very diverse population.
Some are of native St. Martin heritage others not.
However - once anyone in our judgment has earned our recognition and nomination – we will not fail to acknowledge such -, regardless of nationality, race and creed.
Our St. Martin Grassroots people Movement is for St. Martiners coming first at home – but will never exclude others with added value simply because they are non-native St. Martiners.
Following are our Persons of the year 2014.
Out of these was nominated as the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement's Person of the Year 2014 – none other than Judith Roumou.
Judith Roumou, A very courageous, un-conventional, grassroots St. Martin activist and blogger. More than any other person in the media, Judith has transformed blogging into a very effective medium capable of maximum exposure of corrupt politicians. Based on her impact on others, Judith has – like no other blogger – empowered St. Martin people, while at the same time, humbled politicians in realizing that they no longer are in full control of the minds of the people and that the people will no longer simply accept what any politician does, or says.
Other persons of the Year 2014 are;
'Gabu' – the embodiment of a natural, unpretentious, straight-talking, un-polished, conscious and proud grassroots St. Martiner. For years 'Gabu' has made it her business to call in at radio-talkshows to vent her concerns about what is happening to the natives of this island. While some may look at her condescendingly - for us 'Gabu' is the very proof that the St. Martin spirit is alive and kicking in the hearts, souls and minds of St. Martin grassroots people.
Emil Lee – As a non-native St. Martiner, Emil Lee has broken many barriers to gain our respect. For years, he has –grace-fully accepted our public criticism of him not being reflective of St. Martin people in functioning as the president of the SHTA . However, after having met Emile on a number of occasions, we realized that we were wrong and had been prejudiced towards him. We have meanwhile apologized to him for such. In addition - Emil has courageously- and publicly spoken of the importance of our movement as an example of a necessary agent of change' for SXM. He did this not in a private conversation - as many of our own politicians do. To the contrary, he did that during an Annual SHTA meeting, in the presence of the Governor drs. Holiday, Prim-minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, many other ministers, captains of industry, talks-show host Oral Gibbes and members of our grassroots people movement. In addition - more than anyone else – Emile has publicly emphasized the need to fight against corruption, a most sensitive and risky issue to bring up. In addition - Emil can be credited to have contributed significantly to the transformation of the DP-party towards having their members sign a pledge towards open- and transparent Government. As a non-native St. Martiner, he could have done like many other SXM'ers have done for year – 'gone along to get along'. He did not. Not acknowledging people with such an added value to our nation would be a sign of prejudice. We choose not to be that, because we consider Emile Lee a most value added member to our St. Martin nation.
Chris Emmanuel- a young very dynamic and outspoken young man and new Member of Parliament for St. Maarten.
Chris has remained true to the values he was raised with- and to the contributions his late mother Lillian Stephens has made to the awareness- and empowerment of the St. Martin people. In addition - Chris has been a popular talk show-host, social- activist and a role-model for many young people.
These- and other attributes allowed for Chris to break the barrier of the power of money to get elected in office.
By having made these great achievements, Chris has also created hope for up- and coming social activists to get elected without having deep pockets.
Another person of the year 2015, is Councilor Jules Charville, for going beyond in keeping his St. Martin people up to date of all important developments within the Collectivity.
In addition, Mr. Charville is very well respected for the very clear and eloquent way of expressing himself.
Even when under undue pressure by certain interviewers - Mr. Charville always remains a gentleman, never loses his control and always stays focused on the issues at hand. These are very important attributes for people who want to deserve the respect and trust of the people to become leaders.
Leopold Baly, one of St. Martin's most prominent -and respected intellectuals, independent thinker, self-made agriculturalist, home- and boat builder, author etc.
Leopold Baly has earned broad respect from so many people on the island for always sharing valuable information with the public.
In addition, so many people have told us how, Mr. Baly has helped them with legal- and other forms of advice pro deo.
Leopold Baly is not only one of our most respected elders and intellectuals, but he is the embodiment of wisdom, stability and of a fiercely independent mind.
Dominique Aubert is a woman with class, principles and of her word.
A lady who stepped up to the plate and created an oasis, where our young students could go to for help in mastering any subject they might have been having difficulty with.
When called upon, Dominique was not afraid to give it a shot in order to enter the political arena taking along with her high morals standards and scrupules.
A woman we can all be proud of.
He is called 'Big Ray' – his real name is Raymond Helligar.
'Big Ray' has transformed his talent to a really creative-, local art-form, loved by so many.
The way he describes our history, our cultural-traditions and social happenings in poetry- form, is really connecting with St. Martin people as well as with others.
'Big Ray' is a great example- and role model for so many St. Martiners, who also have their own talents, to take it to the 'next level' and to improve on is, in the process, regardless of age.
'Colombo' - nick-name for Remy Daniel.
Apart from being one of the very popular 'Sand-box' tree co-hosts 'Colombo' – also nick-named 'Inspector' does his own interviewing of political leaders from St. Martin and France as well.
According to the many people, who recommended his nomination, 'Colombo' deserves a lot of respect and praises for the very professional way he conducts his interviews.
Not only his profiency of the French language, makes him stands out of the crowd, but the respect he shows for his guests- and callers as well as his overall control of his interviews makes him some-one with a promising future.
The other individual of our Persons of the Year 2014, was our number 1 Person of the Year 2011- and again, he could have easily become such this year again, but because we wanted to give some-one else a chance, he did not get that position this time around.
However- we consider the man - some jokingly refer to as 'World-boss' - a living St. Martin institution- and legend in his own rights.
With respect to others - it can hardly be denied that 'Billy D belongs' to a class of St. Martin cultural champions by himself.
The contributions 'Billy D' has made and has allowed others to make towards the preservation of our St. Martin culture and tradition is totally un-deniable.
His tireless- and creative mind is hard to keep up with- and he has really made his radio-station SOS-radio, 95.9 F.M. one of St. Martin's most well-known 'export-product', there is.
For doing that for so long- and so consistently makes 'Billy D' an 'All-time St. Martiner' in our books.
As token of our appreciation - these persons - if they so choose – can contact us in order to will receive their St. Martin ID-card from us.
In ending, on behalf of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, I wish you a
Happy, prosperous and blessed New Year 2015.

Drs. Leopold James
Founder- and president of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement

We would like to congratulate the 1,156 Citizens of St. Eustatius that came out to vote in the Referendum, and exercise their Right of Self Determination. Particularly, the 747 Souls that braved the onslaught by the "Nay-Sayers" and voted for STATIA to become an Autonomous Territory within the Dutch Kingdom.
Not forgotten, MR Ricardo Tjie-A-Loi, a casualty of the struggle who performed his duties until the very end. Securing the Ballots in the Netherlands, so that all of us may have a voice Today.

In principle 98% voted against any sort of Integration into the Netherlands. This should give the Dutch Government and Parliament pause – to acknowledge the wishes of the Statia People – and stop all proceedings to anchor the present status in the Constitution of the Netherlands. The Island should remain protected under the 'Statuut' as was proclaimed to the International Community in 1954 and set on a path to secure Self Governing with social and economic sustainability as was intended for all the Colonies.

Together, the two camps Autonomy and Public Entity attained 97% of the votes for more Local Autonomy. This fundamental aim of the Referendum is constitutionally a fallacy under the Public Entity Status, to think this can be achieved forming an integral part of the Netherlands. If that were possible under the Dutch Constitution, Friesland and Limburg would be Autonomous Provinces and devoid of Federal Government intervention. Hence, I do plead for all sides to stop the rhetoric and allow the Constitutional Experts and Law Scholars to formulate the best path forward for
St. Eustatius to attain an Autonomous Status under the 'Statuut'.

There are forces in the Netherlands that wants these islands to remain under Dutch Government control for their own interests and economic benefit. In December 2009 the 'Motion Remkes' was accepted by the Second Chamber representing the First assault on the Right of Self Determination for the Islands. The Members of Parliament accepted this knowing full well that the only way out of the entity, The Netherlands, would be a call for Independence by the People of Statia. Minister Donner on more than one occasion made this clear to the Representatives of the islands. Yet they had no qualms delivering us into the hands of the Dutch Government. This would constitute an act of treason by the Collaborators – anywhere else in the world – to sell the birthrights of a people unbeknownst to them. People of Statia, do take notice Who was rewarded for this deed. The Dutch Government drafted the documents in such a manner that it would seemed the Islands asked for this Public Entity. In so doing it would have the appearance internationally of being legal. Worse than Crimea, at least the People exercised their Right of Self Determination, which was also skewed against the Ukrainian Constitution.
Parallel with 10-10-10 these islands should have been anchored in the Dutch Constitution. The outgoing Cabinet Balkenende IV forced this issue through. Only the rise of the PVV of Geert Wilders stopped them from achieving their goal. And the subsequent Cabinet Rutte I could not table this proposition as they were dependent
on the support of the PVV to govern.
Despite objections from the Three Islands, and Parliamentarians in the Netherlands to wait until after the Evaluation in 2015, the motion was tabled by Minister Spies, and passed in the Second Chamber for the First Reading on 23rd October 2012. Fortunately, we were saved by Dutch Politics again as the Members of the First Chamber refused to ratify the Legislation. That is where the Legislation sits until the 18th march 2015 – Provincial Elections in the Netherlands – when the members of a 'new' First Chamber will be chosen and the First Reading as required by the Constitution could be completed.

The second caper, the assault on the Referendum and the processes surrounding this culminated in the disenfranchisement of over 800 voters on Wednesday who were denied their Organic Rights under the Constitution to exercise their Right to Vote.
The arrogance and brazenness with which these incidents keep occurring makes one wonder why the Dutch Government, Parliamentarians and/or Civil Servants wants control of Statia so badly. It is so orchestrated that happenstance is excluded.
Since 10-10-10 Dutch Laws are implemented on Statia – thus, also the Rules governing our Elections. Without consultation and evaluation of the merits of the systems at hand, all the customs were discarded in lieu of privacy considerations over transparency.
No Local Observers are allowed in the Polling Station; Only Initials on Voting Cards (European Elections – First and Last Names were used); Married Women are listed by their Maiden Name; No Duplicate Voting Cards available on Referendum Day; The process to verify your name on the Voters List is all but non-existent for the voters list is not distributed nor made available to the Public. No intervention by the Courts to add names to the voters List.
This created the vacuum under which what transpired on Wednesday became reality.
On Tuesday (16 December) our Group – Pro Statia - alerted the United Nations Monitors of this possibility and was astonished a day later to the extent in which this culture was allowed to fester in the most sacred of Departments, namely, The Civil Registry in such
a short time.

Let the Scholars write an opinion on this also. For I do not see how you can count these 800 as Eligible Voters if proven that the Census Office was refusing the voters a Voting Card. Even to the point of making a new ID Card for one individual, yet was not able to obtain his voting card. The amount of Eligible Voters would decrease to 1,746 – bringing the turnout past the required threshold to 66%.
Pollsters the world over are applauding The People of St. Eustatius for coming out and participating in such large numbers – and the overwhelming choice for Autonomy.
One single action by the Governor, bringing all the Voting Cards to the Polling Station on Election Day would have avoided this debacle. And, preserve the trust in the Institution.
As the vanguard of the Kingdom Government, The People of Statia feel violated that their Rights once more were trampled upon. The Island Council as the highest authority on the island who instituted the Referendum in first instance needs to establish an investigative team to investigate the proceedings leading up to Wednesday, 17th December 2014 Referendum Day on Statia. The People of Statia have thus spoken, We do ask the Partners in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and The Netherlands to work along with us, And make this desire of The People of Statia and their forefathers a reality.

Dear Editor,

This week the harbor's financials and an excerpt from a Panamanian financing company were published. Both look factual and there is no reason to doubt their accuracy. A "financial expert" has said his piece and all is there for anyone interested to read.

From the financial statements, it is clear that the harbor management has embarked on projects that are definitely not their core business which is managing the port (Cruise, Cargo) and therefore has put a tremendous strain on their cash flow. Furthermore, the financials are not conclusive enough and lack substantial information. One wonders if the accounting firm that signed off, which is the same firm the harbor's current Chief Financial Offers was previously employed (how convenient), has met all legal accounting requirements.

In a nutshell, the financials show a "harbor" taking on all types of ventures from real estate to selling fuel and building bridges and creatively financing, at the same time they are not paying Turn Over Tax (TOT) and are increasing the cost of goods in St. Maarten's stores due to increases in import fees at the port (e.g. Container Throughput Fee, Container Charge and Container Tax etc).

Fact is the harbor is owned by the government (read the people) of SXM. Fact is the harbor is there to make sure that St. Maarten is accessible for goods and services as efficiently as possible to benefit of the people of St Maarten.

Fact is the harbor is not there to sell fuel to mega-yachts as cheaply as possible, not there to make sure containers transit to neighboring islands cheaper, not there to build roads and bridges, not there to prevent people from developing their property. Not there to figure out ways to pay as little tax as possible.

Fact is the harbor is not there to compete with entities that pay taxes like TOT and Profit tax. They are not there to come up with Panamanian fiscal constructions to provide loans while not taxing profits from those interest payments, like local banks would have been taxed!

Fact is the harbor has a board and a shareholder representative to MAKE SURE that the interest of the share holder (read the people of SXM) is secured. This means making sure that cargo and cruise passengers can arrive safely and cheaply and nothing else. It means making sure the throughput to GEBE can be reduced so that everybody's electricity bill and grocery bill is a little less. It is not to make sure that the newest Mega Yacht saves a couple of bucks on the way to dropping of well to-do guests in St. Barths. It should not be, that in order for that wealthy guy to save some bucks, you and me pay more in the local grocery store.

Why are there shops operating at the harbor that don't pay TOT? How come we, mere shareholders, can't just go and shop in those same stores without paying TOT. How come the harbor is trying to prevent Dock Maarten from developing when they can't develop that unsightly sandbox next to it? Why aren't the people or Parliament consulted when the harbor takes out $ 150 million loans for bridges and expansions? Loans that, we the people, have to guarantee. Imagine that: your neighbor goes to the bank - for a mortgage that you have to guarantee - gets the loan and then to add insult to injury, you aren't allowed near the property! Then when you want to build additions on to your own house, the neighbor tries to stop you, because it doesn't fit in their 'master plan'.

What the harbor needs to do is come clean and re-focus on its core tasks. Parliament (which has been surprisingly quiet up to this point regarding this issue) needs to make sure that the Minister of TEATT keeps the management of the harbor to that. Everything else is fluff.

It's time for Parliament to do its job and protect the interests of citizens of St. Maarten, instead of appeasing certain individuals.

Christopher James

On February 22, 2012 an article appeared in the front pages of the Daily Herald newspaper that SMHDF employees wanted Dictator Lynch out. All the employees behind this letter are healthy ex- employees. Lynch went to the extreme to find out who they were. All were send home with pay until their contract was UP. One is still at home with pay for the last three going into 4 years. St Maarten we talking about the SMHDF who did not built one social home since 2002. But employees who can work are send home with pay. In the early years of the SMHDF the employees knew ever tenant/client by their first name. Tenants were treated like best friends.
With only 14 employees the SMHDF managed and dismantled the container village. The hand full of staff also supervised the placement and infrastructure of the 200 emergency homes. After that Belvedere came and the few employees rented all 474 apartments. Also rights after Louis close to 375 homes were repaired. The self-building program with only 2 employees of the SMHDF helped many land owners on minimum wage with their first home. In this program 198 landowners now have a home. Employees worked as a team and were happy employees.
A handful of employees would also go on the road to collect monies from the ones that were not able to visit the office. We made it work. The same projects are today paying for the high salaries of the dictator and his family and friends. Some friends are employed by SMHDF and can be seen with SMHDF vehicles working at his project in Dutch Quarter every day during work hours. An architect working at the office made the drawings of this project and forgot it in the SMHDF kitchen. I can publish it for St Maarten to see if you do not stop. You never worked for the SMHDF, you were too busy making money for yourself. Leona sister CM and your wife who of course are defending you, should correct you of your wrongs. If you and your friends and family that you employed did nothing wrong why are you afraid of a forensic audit. Leona sister works at the SMHDF and is defending you on SMN news. Whatathing.
Maurice Lake informed us before elections about the KPMG report and that he will call in SOAB. Maurice even called off the Ebenezer ground breaking as he could not applaud the wrongs from the dictator. What happened to our Minister now. Whatating, he is caught lying again?
Belvedere, Hope, DQ voted massively for UP because they wanted the Dictator out. UP promised to do just that and told us he had one more year to go, give us some time. Janchi when you crashed Theo party at Trevor house in Belvedere and took the microphone what did the Belvedere people tell you in chorus.
We are not blind; we pass by DQ every day and see SMHDF employees with SMHDF stickers working for Lynch private project instead of fixing our homes. You did a small job in Anna Hoop but is that all. The people painting were not employees who understand us. They were contractors because employees work at your DQ project. When you do bad it will follow you. You received so many chances but think that you have the Government in your hand. You know it all, you know everything better mmmm. You said you will throw down the Government again and the liars in UP and USp will get each 2 votes. Brother Frankie where are you, you were with Belvedere. Theo how come you so silent we trusted you.
Let the dictator who became a millionaire during his 4 years at the SMHDF run his DQ business, why does he need the SMHDF job if he has his own kingdom? Give the job to some honest St Maarten Intellectual who is serious and needs an honest job. You built 24 SMHDF homes in 4 years whatating. With land given by Theo. For the 24 homes you hired two times the amount of employees, including your sister in law who is Leona sister. Did the employees build the homes? Nooooooo. Now he wants to go after the rest of the employees saying the board wants them out. But what happened to your family and friends working on your projects, they can stay right?
You and your SMHDF dawgs campaigned for Leona again during office hours; nobody could find you around that time. You had all your friends at the office put USp stickers. SMHDF had more looked like an USp head office. If and when you showed up at the office during election times it was to hold USp meetings in the SMHDF meeting room. You even went as far as to use the company car and gas with USp stickers to run your political campaign.
You made many proposals but where are the projects. Rumor has it that the ship is sinking and millions in depth. What happened with the moneys USp Carnival Queens sponsored?
You are not suspended as what you did to others. You are on leave with pay, but do not have access to the SMHDF tools and materials you need for your project. I still see some employees at your DQ project with the company pick up, showing disregard for proper procedures as you claim you can make the Government fall anytime.
If you are so powerful and mighty why fight for a job. What are you afraid off? No one accused you. The only thing employees and tenants see are the SMHDF employees at your DQ project instead of doing work at Belvedere. But they can lie and say "it was not me". But remember the truth always reveals it self in the same way you appointed yourself employee of the year. It looks like you knew something was boiling. The Spanish station was asking how it was possible as no one voted for you. Cheewee I forgot your sister in law and friends that are working at your DQ project.

Signed Belvedere Residents

The honorable Minister of Public Health Mr. Cornelius de Weever
The honorable Minister of Justice Mr. Dennis Richardson
The Solicitor General Mr. Taco Stein
The Commissioner of Police Mr. P. De Site

More and more we are experiencing the problems of drug addicts roaming  our streets. One case that is of particular concern to me is Bobo who now have taken up residence Over The Pond. He has created his own little place of stay next to the Chinese supermarket on Illidge Road just behind the GEBE transformer house. We see him everyday jumping in front of cars, dancing and prancing in the street, exposing his private parts to pedestrians and drivers. Intimidating female drivers that traverse the Illidge Road. Just imagine the trauma a child goes through sitting in the car with his mother and Bobo jumps out unto the road naked. This happens everyday. We all see it, experience it and no one does nothing about it. Is this normal?Is this the type of society we are slowly becoming? We're no one cares, because it is not in my backyard ? Were those that are challenged with psychiatric problems due to substance abuse are left to fend for themselves ? I have had to deal with Bobo on umpteen occasions when he comes down to my Gasstation. I have called the police who dealt with him. Even our law enforcement officers tell you they are tired of being called to deal with Bobo. I have brought this matter to the attention of the honorable Minister of Public Health Mr. Cornelius de Weever in the past, looking for a solution for this individual. A couple of months ago Bobo beat a drug addict ( now a former addict) so bad that he had to be hospitalized. Bobo was held for a couple of days and then released back on to the streets to do more damage. What prompted me now to come publicly with this issue after bringing this matter to the Minister of Public Health some months ago, is on December 8th while driving with my wife on the Illidge Road, Bobo jumped across my car, but me knowing Bobo and Bobo knowing me he pulled aside right away. Imagine if my wife or any other female driver is confronted with an individual behaving the way he does. They could have panicked pressed gas and what would be the consequence for the individual who panicked.

A couple of weeks ago Bobo jumped in front of another female driver and destroyed the sun roof of her car. What is this poor woman to do but replace it herself with no form of compensation. We desperately need a meeting of minds of those in authority, the Minister and the sector director of Public Health, the Minister and the sector director of Justice, the Solicitor General, the Mental Health foundation and the Turning Point Foundation together with the Chief Commissioner of police and the SZV. The solution is there. All they have to do is contact any family member of Bobo and prepare all documentation and have them submit this to the judge in first instance who will have to hear Bobo and make a decision to place Bobo under guardianship of one of his family members. In fact Bobo's case is so known on St. Maarten I doubt if this matter is brought up by the family member assisted by those in authority and based on the numerous complaints against Bobo that's he will have to be present for the hearing at the court of first instance. After this is done room can be created for treatment of Bobo with the blessings of his family member who now holds the legal guardian, under the guidance of professionals either at the Mental Health Foundation or at the Turning Point Foundation. And if these facilities are not adequate enough to house Bobo for a long term, so he can be treated adequately, then the other option is the Dr. Ricardo Capriles Clinic in Curacao. Who will pay for it will be the question? Every month employers and employees set aside funding that is paid to the Receiver of St. Maarten, which is the AVBZ fund. This fund was created sometime in 1996 specifically to assist persons with among others physical and psychiatric disabilities. This fund has sufficient means to pay for the long term care of Bobo. Bobo can remain under guardianship of his family member as long as it takes for Bobo to recuperate from his state of mind.
 All those in authority needs to do is get all noses pointed in the same direction to help Bobo and help St. Maarten, before Bobo once more viciously attacks someone whose family members may not take it so lightly this time around. The solution is there. Let's see who in authority will, or direct someone working under them to pick up the ball and run with it to save Bobo or save the next driver on the Illidge Road who may not take it so lightly when Bobo jumps up on his car.

Roy Marlin

Dear Editor,

Please allow me some space in your esteemed publication to try and shed some light on the topic of 'Environmentalism' and some of the academically established tenants that society uses to achieve environmental change. I find it important to make a distinction on the different methods which are used globally that constitute the movement of Environmentalism and Conservation and would like to highlight how they apply to the situation on St. Maarten.

Within the philosophical tenants of environmentalism there are three ways to bring about what should be the ultimate aim: the protection and conservation of the environment. These are all three different from each other but essential in achieving the ultimate end-goal and each has its own particular role to play. It is my hope that I can bring some clarity to these three methods: Environmental Activism, Environmental Advocacy and Environmental Resource Management.

Environmental Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, or direct environmental change. The various forms of activism range from writing letters to newspapers and politicians, political campaigning, rallies, street marches, and sit-ins. For a very long time this was the only way in which environmentalists on the island sought to achieve change and attempted to conserve the environment. Although this is an essential and very important component it is often ineffective in and of itself. The reason for this is that the starting premise of activism is one that is negative and reactionary. Although necessary, activism must translate into advocacy and subsequently into sound conservation management in order to be ultimately effective.

The most famous example of an environmental activist organization is of course Greenpeace. While studying for my Masters Degree in Amsterdam I used to be a member of Greenpeace. During my time with the organization I was involved in many actions focused on activism, the most memorable of which was the breaking into a coal-fired power plant in Rotterdam in the dead of night and planting 365 trees on the premises. Needless to say we all got arrested and the trees were destroyed but the action did result in opening the dialogue of the need for renewable energy which ultimately resulted in changing Dutch energy policies.

Environmental Advocacy is a political process by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. Advocacy can include many activities including media campaigns, public speaking, and commissioning and publishing research. A prime example of an Advocacy Group on Sint Maarten is Animal Defenders which strives to educate the public on the plight of animals on the island on the premise that all life is sacred and all beings have a right to live a full and rich life. Animal Defenders also highlights the obvious fact that a country that protects its animals will ultimately build a stronger, more harmonious society and as such it advocates for protection through the lobbying for the establishing of laws that reflect this. This makes the organization an Animal Rights Advocacy Group.

Environmental resource management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. Environmental resources management aims to ensure that ecosystem services are protected and maintained for future human generations, and also maintain ecosystem integrity through considering ethical, economic, scientific and ecological variables. Environmental resource management tries to identify factors affected by conflicts that rise between meeting needs and protecting resources.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation, much like its sister organizations in the Dutch Caribbean CARMABI Curacao; the Saba Conservation Foundation; Parke National Arikok in Aruba; STINAPA Bonaire and STENAPA on Statia are Environmental Resource Management Organizations. Although the day-to-day work of these organizations can include elements of advocacy and to a much lesser extent activism, the core tasks and responsibilities of management organizations is the protection of nature through focused management tasks using an inclusive, realistic and holistic approach. As such management organizations are required to work with both the public and the private sectors to ensure that conservation and development occurs sustainably. Therefore management organizations frequently enter into agreements with governments through Service Level Agreements and Management Contracts and very often play an advisory role regarding the ensuring of the sustainable development of the country and the conservation of natural areas. In other words, it is less the task of management organizations to 'make noise' so to speak but to enact concrete solutions to solve environmental issues on the ground. This relates to the establishing and management of protected areas (the Man of War Shoal Marine Park for example) and species-specific initiatives such as the St. Maarten Sea Turtle Conservation program. Management organizations, through the necessity to work with both the public and private sector entities, often come under fire for working too closely with wide sectors of the communities they are operational in. It is therefore important that steps are taken to ensure that these organizations are completely transparent. For example: the Nature Foundation every year undergoes an extensive external audit by a third party and its financial statements are public and distributed widely, including to the Ministry of the Interior in the Netherlands. My colleagues and I often joke that we have been practicing integrity since 2004, way before it was such a hot topic.

Having said all of the above I must again make it clear that all three form the sides of the same coin (that is if a coin had three instead of two sides). It is a trifecta approach to environmental protection which is ultimately necessary for a country with the issues that St. Maarten has. As with all things there is a need for balance and compromise, a balance which is reflected in the natural world, the breathtaking natural world of our country which we strive so hard to protect.

Tadzio Bervoets
Manager, St. Maarten Nature Foundation
Secretary, Animal Defenders Foundation
Vice-chair, Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance

'Help promote ethnic diverse input in new generation talk-show'.

In keeping with our objectives -, our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement has decided to take its role as the fore-most, visionary St. Martin nation building- and unification institution in informing- and empowering the people - to the 'next level'.
After having inspired-, produced- and hosted a number of informative programs on the issue of nation building and unification - starting in the New Year 2015 - we hope to start producing a variety of similar informative- and forward thinking programs – this time to be hosted by a variety of interested young people as hosts.
In fact - it is our intention to encourage and to promote young people from ALL ethnic backgrounds on our island- and from both sides of the island and beyond- to get involved in making use of our platform to freely express their views, in terms of how they would like to see the ST. MARTIN nation building- and unification process proceed- and evolve, from every relevant aspect of our society.
We are convinced- that with some coaching - this is the time for the younger generation of citizens living on the island and having a stake here – to start designing- and owning their own future.
We have had our impact on the process for over a very long time and now we - as the original, self-respecting St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, feel it is time to 'pass on the baton' to the next generation, certainly in terms of allowing for the voices of the future generations to be heard.
Our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement - has already been successful in attracting a number of outstanding young people from both sides of the island, to take on this mission.
Soon, we will be contacting you in order to be able to come to an understanding of how your stations can make time-slots available for this very important initiative necessary for the inclusion of all people in the process of nation building.
In ending - we also look forward to support for these young people from Governments on all levels, from the private-sector/corporate sponsors, educational institutions, social clubs and all other interested parties.
Indeed - failing our young people in this vial task, is not an option, so we anxiously anticipate your positive response- and participation.

On behalf of the
ST. Martin Grassroots People Movement,
Drs. Leopold James, president.

Copies to
UN, CARICOM etc.

Dear Editor,

The front page headlines on Saturday November 29, 2014 speaks volumes of how this particular (Government owned!!!!) group goes about its business. Government and it's wholly/partly owned companies are there to FACILITATE private enterprise, while providing core services to the citizens and visitors of the country. NOT bully them, intimidate them, or seek to destroy them in an effort to improve the profit margin of the involved Government owned company and certainly not to possibly create income streams for those in charge, or politically affiliated. The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) of which I am a Board Member, has in the past years repeatedly sounded the alarm about the Harbour Group of Companies using its SLAC affiliate (daughter company)'s regulatory authority to negatively impact the economic well being of Private Sector enterprises involved in the Marine Trade on the island and to compete with these Private Sector companies by "regulating" their very existence, while playing "Pacman"with their businesses. I do not know Evans Deher's children or grand children to be one of those local families that rolls over and plays dead when bullies walk into their yard. Harbour Group of Companies: Are YOU "ready"?

Michael J. Ferrier

Partnership between the St. Martin Grassroots people Movement and SMECO-2014 a logical alternative 

Dear loyal supporters,

For a while now, we have been approached by many of you because of you feeling confused by a group of individuals, identifying themselves as the Soualiga grassroots movement, or as THE grassroots movement.
The reason, you tell us why you are confused, is because the original- and only grassroots movement, most people knew from 'day one', is the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement.
This movement is officially registered- and established on both sides of the island.
Many of you express having the feeling, that this group of persons, is deliberately trying to confuse the St. Martin people.
In addition, a number of you, is very concerned about our future, because you feel that there is a conspiracy to undermine and to deny our very existence as the original grassroots people movement.
While we understand your sentiments, we inform you, that we too are very well aware of what this group is up to.
In fact – the objective is in keeping with a threat Mr. Horace Whit - the leader of this group - made back then, during a meeting.
He stated clearly, that he would (quote); 'Cut off our original movement at its knees'.
As a matter of fact - when he joined our original movement, we were fore-warned by others who worked with him in the past, that he has a track-record of infiltrating organizations, only to destroy them, if he could not be in control.
We nevertheless gave the gentleman the benefit of the doubt.
The rest is history – the good gentleman confirmed his reputation- and track-record.
He committed a 'coup' behind the back of the founders of the movement - then tried to even steal the name - and when that did not work, he choose a name almost identical to that of the original movement.
Clearly, it was his mission from day one to destroy the original grassroots movement – all based on envy and worse.
For the record.
We respect the rights of anyone to break away from any organization to set up their own – nothing wrong with that.
But, when one deliberately tries to steal the name of the organization they joined, and when that does not work, to then choose a similar name, that the motive becomes questionable.
Why didn't Horace Whit choose another name for his 'new' group.
How about SMECO-2014, or SMECO- movement, or SMECO-North &South, or SMECO-Anti Colonialism – after all, they always talk about having 'invented' SMECO and about the great work SMECO did – which we absolutely agree with and give them all the credit for.
If they had done that, not only would they have created a REAL alternative and clear distinction without confusion for the people, they claim they love – it would have made so much logical- and moral sense
In addition, it would have allowed for us both to find common ground to work on in the best interest of St. Martin people.
For sure then, sowing confusion, could hardly have been the motive to show love - and the way to set an example for St. Martin people and politicians, whom are often attack for lacking morals.
Dear loyal supporters of the original St. Martin Grassroots People Movement now, that you know this - please put aside all you concerns, because anything that is built on betrayal and deception will be eventually exposed and more.
It should also be known, that we do not harbor any ill will towards the members of the Soualiga group – what they are doing is courageous and necessary.
BUT, whenever anyone tries to 're-create' and to 're-invent' history by denying what others did and how they (the Soualiga group) itself came into existence – we do not tolerate anyone doing that to us.
We paid too high a price for too long for that.
And for the record- we recommend you listen to the words of Ras Touzah Jabash, expressing how the plot of betrayal was committed.
In the meantime, the original St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, thanks all of you, the many people, natives and other residents for your support and we can assure you, that our movement will continue to set the tone for others to follow, as we have done for decades.
Lots more information to come.
One love.

Leopold James
President and founder of the
St. Martin Grassroots People Movement.

'Do not fail our benefit of the doubt'

In the wake of the recent 'instructions' handed down by the Dutch Government to St. Maarten, the island experienced a crisis of major proportions, which could have had - and still can have far-reaching consequences for all within the Kingdom, as never before.
One thing became very clear to all, after the last elections and since the issued instructions.
The St. Maarten 'body politic' has lost about every bit of trust- and confidence – not only from the Dutch Government, but also from the majority of St. Martin people, residents and institutions on the island.
The response of politicians and their political 'operatives', to also call 'the Dutch kettle also Black' - meaning to level similar accusations of corruptions against Dutch politicians, also proved futile with the majority of people on the island.
It is very clear that, based on the track-record of our politicians, the 'Dutch' – and many others felt 'empowered' to slabel and to define 'everything- and everybody St. Maarten' as corrupt, incompetent and un-trustworthy.
Because this very negative reputation/label, also affected our young people, students and potential political leaders, who were not responsible for such, we took the initiative to bring them together in an effort to clear- and protect their own future careers, reputations - as well as to regain the trust, confidence and hope of our own people in a future St. Maarten.
The response to our call was incredibly positive and we had started preparing the first meeting.
However, with the setting up of a so-called Integrity Project Bureau, we are willing to postpone our initiative for the time being.
The main reason is that we appreciate the fact that our Government at least has decided to accept its own full responsibility for what happened in the past and the willingness to DEAL with such.

This in total contrast to having become engaged in non-constructive , ridiculous 'tit-for-tat' accusations- and in silly, opportunistic 'marches' against 'colonialism', simply aimed at winning over public support- and sympathy.
For taking this step, we are willing- to at least allow for this bureau to prove itself.
To be exact - that it will be managed and manned by independently minded professionals, who take an oath to uphold its commitment to contribute towards transparency, open Governance and to expose, report and sanction proven cases of corruption, nepotism, cronyism etc.
In addition, this Bureau should also be tasked with educating our young aspiring politicians in good governance for which they should be able to earn a certificate.
In fact - it should then be made mandatory for only thus certified persons to be able to hold public office.
With the abovementioned- and with other considerations in mind, the St. Martin Grassroots people Movement is prepared to put its plans for the training of the 'New Guard'- politicians, as was planned, on hold for the time being.
We sincerely hope, that this envisaged bureau does not make the very regrettable mistake of allowing for the same (integrity-) problems and the same corrupt politicians to return through some 'back door' to hold elected positions as ministers and/or as members of Parliament.
One person recently said on Facebook something actually to the effect of; 'It is to be hoped that the Bureau does not become the 'Banana that minds the monkey'....
In the meantime, the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, will remain open to meet with all interested 'New- Guard' politicians in order to assist them in defining themselves and to make sure that their reputation and future careers are not 'contaminated' with the label of corruption, for which our politicians- and island in general have become infamous abroad.
We also express our willingness to work along with the newly established bureau and to commend it where possible, as well as to criticize it when deemed necessary as well.
In ending, while we have been and continue to be extremely watchful of our politicians, we hope that our record will also show, that we can humble ourselves, be fair and say – ' Integrity Project Bureau - a step in the right direction Bureau – but still a very long way to go'.

Leopold James
President St.Martin Grassroots People Movement

I traveled to the Dominican Republic a few years ago and found out the acceptable language was Spanish. You couldn't even live comfortably in Dominican Republic if you couldn't speak Spanish. They have a way of forcing you to learn their language by speaking it to you whether you understand it or not. Same with when I worked in Paris, I had to attend French classes to be able to relate with the French people. It was almost a crime for you not to be able to speak the French language. I wasn't wholeheartedly accepted if I could not communicate in French. I have traveled to many African countries and even worked in Africa and in all my experience, I realized that in order for me to be able to relate with the people in the community and be generally accepted, I had to either learn their language or learn their culture. While I worked in Saudi Arabia I had to dress conservative and respect their culture and religion. In Bangladesh I had to do same thing.
Unfortunately back home in St Maarten everything goes. Everywhere you go to drink on Sundays the only music you hear is Bachata. You go out to order food and some of the restaurants have their food written in Spanish. You can hardly visit a bar without being forced to listen to the Spanish music.
St. Maarten is a Dutch Caribbean Island! Sometimes I almost forget that I am on a Dutch Island. All you hear is Spanish! Don't get me wrong, I do not hate Spanish people. I just think that it is wrong for anybody irrespective of their culture or language to force another person in their own country to speak their foreign language. My grandmothers was Spanish but she trained all of us and taught us to speak Dutch. She spoke fluent English and could also write in English Language. As far as I am concerned, I believe that she did that to prove her love for her husband's country.
It kills me each time it seem like I have to try really hard to impress the Spanish speaking population in my country to be accepted. I didn't realize how terrible this problem had become until I had the following experience.
A few months ago, I was in the hospital when I heard a Spanish lady insulting a nurse. The reason why she was mad at the nurse according to her was because the nurse couldn't speak Spanish. Therefore she deserved the insult. Again, during the last election, I attended a rally and one of the candidates of the White Party was a Spanish lady, I stood there in amazement when all she did was speak two sentences in English Language and carried on with her Spanish language as if to say "the vote of all the Spanish people in this gathering is all I need. I don't care if you understand me or not, I will just fly my country flag in your country." As if that's not enough, I visited the government building last week to pick up an official document and the security guard at the front desk gladly attended to the Spanish lady in her language, gave her all the help she needed before attending to me in a rather sad mood. These experiences are just a tip of the iceberg. The straw that broke the camel's back was this last experience. I visited a restaurant, while I waited for my order to be taken, since there were two customers before me, the Spanish waitress took the order of the first two customers who spoke Spanish, she turned to me and said something in Spanish, not sure what she said, I tried to explain to her that I didn't understand Spanish. The waitress's facial expression suddenly changed and before I could even finish my sentence, one of the customers quickly snapped, "You are in a multi-cultural country, you should speak Spanish". She was so upset, the second customer joined in, she said "I speak five languages and I am was born here". They said it was very wrong of me not to speak Spanish since I grew up here. I was so embarrassed and angry at the same time.
Wait a minute, the last time I checked, St Maarten was a Dutch Island! From my past experience, when you are a visitor in a country, you learn their language and culture so that you can relate with the people. You cannot be resident in a country and not be able to relate. I shouldn't be the one striving to learn a language to be able relate with a foreigner, it should be the other way round. You can ask me to speak Spanish when am in your country.
I think that the people of St. Maarten need to wake up and stop allowing themselves to be downtrodden. If the Spanish are smart enough to protect their language and culture in another country, we should be able to protect ours in our country. St. Maarten may be a multicultural country as they claim but we do have the original language and culture of the owners of the country and that should be first on the list no matter what. That language and culture should be respected and protected. Very soon am sure Spanish schools will start to operate just to cater to the Spanish population if care is not taken.
This beautiful Island has people from over 100 countries living here peacefully. How do you think we can all live peacefully if every foreigner tries to enforce their language on the people of St. Maarten? How would you feel if you are required to speak Chinese whenever you go to a supermarket to shop or Hindi when you visit a jewelry store in St. Maarten? Everybody has a language but they speak English to be able to relate with other people. You cannot convert somebody else's country to yours. If the Spanish can be so proud of their language that they are not willing to learn any English or Dutch, we should also be proud to speak our language wherever we communicate with them, maybe that way, they will understand how it feels.

Cecil Scott

'Pro-active versus re-active – make a pick'

Never mind that first there was the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, known to all...
Never mind that others later joined that movement....
Never mind that some later broke away to start their own movement....
Never mind their so-called motive was to be more 'active' and to organize more 'actions'...
Never mind that they first tried to hijack the original name......
Never mind that once that failed - they assumed another , mimicking name, creating confusion....
No- never mind all of that and much more, that is all their perfect right....
But, if nothing else, they deserve much credit for at least continuing along the very same track - firmly laid down by the original grassroots movement.....
Alas, there is one major difference.
One is based on true vision, originality, creative intelligence , forward thinking and - in particular on being PRO-ACTIVE.
Not so much the other one – it excels in being re-active and blaming others 'after the fact'...
Recent point in case.
The leader of the re-active, copy-cat movement, recently in a radio-program came out blasting the Collectivity for having invited 'foreign' entities to participate in talks regarding the planned revival of Marigot.
Just for the record.
It was Leopold James, who first mentioned that idea in a conversation with Bill D. in the studio of radio 95.9 F.M. in the presence of Albert aka 'Jesse' Adams.
To start working on this concept with others, Leopold invited a number of people on at his home in Friar's-bay.
There were several meetings held on the topic – all documented in minutes.
Present were among others; Jean Maccow, his brother Louis Maccow, Jesse Adams, X Rey, Freddy Richardson, X Rey and Miguel Arrindell and others.
During these meetings , Leopold James brought up a plan to be presented to the Collectivity in terms of making a contribution towards how native St. Martiners could be involved in this process in a very creative, 'win-win' manner.
Although, Leopold was the one who had come up with and had developed the basic concepts , he turned the initiative over to Mr. Horace Whyte, because the latter seemed more than interested to be in charge of the concept-project.
One of Jjames's basic and very strong caveat was – 'Guys, while everybody is complaining about the decline of Marigot, let us be PRO -ACTIVE and take initiatives BEFORE others do it and we again are left with no other choice that to RE-ACT.
That all happened in August 2013.
Since then, the silence was completely deafening.
Just in the event, anyone wants to dispute what is being stated here, I Leopold James am more than willing and prepared to publicly prove my statements here with witnesses and documents.
Now - all of a sudden, that the Collectivity has decided to invite 'foreign' groups, 'Mr. Man' has come out 'swinging', demanding that his 'RE-ACTIVE' movement should be invited as well in these talks.
Wattating.
The question should be raised WHICH Grassroots Movement should the Collectivity invite actually ?
The reactive, follow-fashion, RE-ACTIVE one – or the original, PRO-ACTIVE one ?
We will respect whatever decision the Collectivity takes in this case.
However, perhaps a letter that I wrote back then on the issue to the former president, Mr. Alain Richardson could be of some help in this situation.

Drs. Leopold JAMES,
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement

When I was a young man, I overheard the old folks talking that there was once an idea, a thought to transfer all the people from Statia (And, maybe Saba also.) to the larger islands of the Netherlands Antilles for they were too costly to upkeep. The same line of thought that nowadays would have one suggest to establish a border between Sint Maarten and Saint Martin. No comprehension neither consideration for the People living on these islands.
The examples above may be extreme, but if you find willing Representatives of the People these ideas becomes very real (Public Entity?? – Anyone). Thank God for the fortitude of our forefathers that they were able to withstand these forces in their time.

Today, we see the same pressures being brought to bear on our Representatives and I am imploring them to stand firm to the assault on our existence. We are not capable to appoint Ministers in St. Maarten, Unable to formulate a budget in Aruba and to top it off here on Statia my Representatives are deemed incapable of even passing an ordinance in the Legislature of St. Eustatius without interference from the Dutch Government.
The Local Institutions that are supposed to serve the People of Statia, have instead become agents and surrogates of the colonial masters oppressing the people under the guise of 'Good Governance' and 'Rule of Law'. To serve their Cronies and 'Dutch' business interests in the Islands. What the Dutch Politicians forget to mention is that the guarantee function stipulated by the United Nations also entails that the Netherlands must bring these 'Island Institutions' up to the International Standards – at their expense. That is the guarantee.

Each time the islands venture into any activity aimed at economic sustainability the 'Motherland' intervenes. Does anyone remember the Off Shore Business on Curacao?? – Holland blocked it, in essence relegating Curacao to what it has become today. That same activity is flourishing in The Netherlands at present. And, all the other Caribbean Islands picked up where Curacao left off and are the envy of us all.

Where was the same concern for my Statia, where it regards the 'Statia Terminals/NuStar' set up. For years our Island and Federal Representatives protected this 'Sacred Cow' at the expense of the Statia Community. Now the Dutch Ministries want to annex these potential revenue streams for the Netherlands and in turn accord the Island a 'Free Allowance'. For more than thirty years Statia is blessed or cursed with the 'Statia Terminals/Nustar Terminals' depending on your point of view. Besides the labour contributions and wage tax (gone since 10-10-10), and spinoff businesses no major contributions is derived from this entity for our island. Sorry, the last Agreement calls for a $ 685,000.00 yearly stipend for the Statia Community on a more than 2.0 Billion Dollar Profit (Not Turn Over) per year Multinational. And, the total disrespect or negligence of our Representatives that for years the same Company have been collecting the dues and fees that were the jurisdiction of the Island Government for themselves.

Finally the Harbour Ordinance is completed, thanks to the input from Dutch/Regional Professionals, and the due diligence of our Finance and Harbour Departments.
The People of STATIA must witness, that the aforementioned ordinances will be presented to 'NuStar' and The Ministeries in the Netherlands beforehand.
I cannot understand the necessity for such a trip to the Netherlands, given all the technical advances on hand. An island ordinance must first clear 'NuStars' Lobbyists in The Hague before reaching the floor of the Island Council.

I assumed our Representatives want to toe the 'Dutch Line' to avoid being branded like
MR Theo Heyliger and MR Mike Eman. The trouble only starts when you try to avoid, eliminate or bypass these 'Middlemen'. Our Representatives will never succeed in Holland, for they do not have the ears of the Dutch Council of Ministers nor the Dutch Parliamentarians nor its Civil Service Core. Your only hope is to take care of the People Business at home in the Legislature and pray that the 'Rule of Law' prevails in the end. Your protection is in the 'STATUUT' that is where you can rid yourselves of these influences and expose the coercive behaviour to the world.
To all sitting members of the Island Council and Executive Council, and Collaborators – Statia's electorate is watching your performance as it relates to the Referendum Ordinances and the Harbour Ordinances. Be advised whose interest you are about to serve, the People of Statia or your Lobbyists 'Friends'.
By instituting these ordinances forthwith and establishing the Harbour Holding Companies to manage and oversee these activities in our Marine Sector you would have protected and secure these revenue streams for Statia. Safeguarding, the social and economic uplift of all on Statia.

Franklin Schmidt

Dear Editor,

Top 10 ship-jumpers, since inception of Country Sint Maarten

1. Romain Laville;
2. Cornelius de Weever;
3. Sarah Wescott-Williams;
4. Sarah Wescott-Williams (jumping back?!);
5. Leona Marlin-Romeo;
6. Frans Richardson;
7. Patrick Illidge;
8. Dr. Lloyd Richardson;
9. [very soon to be announced]
10. [pretty soon to be announced]
Let's celebrate the sincere commitment to party-ideology and the pure and authentic aversion to power, greed and opportunism.

Roeland Zwanikken

Partner at BZSE Attorneys at Law/Tax advisers

To The Governments of ;France and The Netherlands.

'You helped remove the Berlin wall – do not erect one on St. Martin'.

On Tuesday, November, 11 2014 once again, we the people of St. Martin North- and South, (Officially Dutch- and French St. Martin) will be celebrating our annual St. Martin Day.
The initiative to set aside this day as an island-wide holiday, was taken by the late dr. Claude Wathey and the late dr. Hubert Petit.
It was celebrated for the first time on November 11, 1959.
Both these gentlemen are considered as the legendary leaders and founding fathers of the post-colonial St. Martin nation.
In their wisdom and knowledge of their St. Martin people, they realized the importance of the unique relationship of the St. Martin People living on both sides of the island, who - over hundreds of years - have bonded as one people, despite being administered through different national and colonial governments.
Both the Dutch- and French Governments of the past have neglected the needs of the people after the abolition of slavery and only in recent years have shown renewed - albeit opportunistic interest based on their own agenda for the island.
For the record.
The St. Martin day was not meant to recognize-, nor celebrate any colonial reality, nor their authorities- and/or nationalities.
Also for the record.
As native St. Martiners, we duly respect our French- and Dutch nationalities and their laws as the official laws of both sides of the island.
We are also grateful for whatever assistance we have thus far received and continue to receive from both France and from the Netherlands.
In addition, we pledge allegiance to these nations as long as we are part of their countries.
However, we as native, indigenous St. Martiners, whose ancestors survived the atrocities resulting from slavery, and who were forced to survive on their own after both the Dutch and French decided that the island was not worth their presence any longer – are very aware and conscious of our own specific, intrinsic cultural-identity and heritage as a people.
In addition, we realize that we are a people of one common history, of shared blood-lines, shared life-altering and historical experiences, shared sorrows and joys, shared succession - land on both sides of the island, shared everything defining of the native, indigenous St. Martiner.
The bond between all St. Martiners, be they Dutch- and/or French citizens is INDIVISIBLE, SACRED to us and is worth making the ultimate sacrifice for.
It is what defines the native St. Martiner – EVERY St. Martiner – regardless of race and/or creed.
Recognizing- and preserving this critical and typical identity of the St. Martiner, is the reason, why both the late dr. Claude Wathey and dr. Hubert Petit came up with the idea to create the St. Martin day, back in late 1950's.
In recent weeks, there have been reports circulating that some in the French Parliament might be considering annulling the Treaty of Concordia, which has been the official basis for our traditional freedom of movement in general for generations.
This Treaty - formulated by the then French - and Dutch authorities was aimed at creating a permanent situation of cooperation and sharing between the Dutch and French living on the island.
Without even wanting to know the details of this warped out-of-date colonial intention to cancel the Treaty - we suffice for now by advising those in charge not to go down that road – not in this day and age – it might turn out to be a very regrettable decision – not only for France, but for the region and beyond as well.
Now for the record again.
Regardless of whomever the treaty was initially designed to benefit - let the following be very clear.
For over 370 years, our native St. Martin people and our ancestors, have not only given the Treaty real CONTENT – we have surpassed it above and beyond and in fact we have become the ONLY very EMBODIMENT of the indivisible Oneness, the Freedom of movement, the USE of ALL natural- and other resources and services both sides of the island have to offer.
We have as a people, collectively been living that traditional St. Martin lifestyle for hundreds of years WITHOUT the objection or the resistance of either France and/or the Netherlands.
Not surprising naturally, because after the abolition of slavery, both the Dutch- and French had absolutely no use any more for the island, because there was nothing more to 'pluck'.
Boy, oh boy how that lack of interest has changed in the last number of years – RE-COLONISATION is the new threat to what we built up over hundreds of years and to our very existence as a people.
As far as our traditional life-style over hundreds of years on the island is concerned, let be known that such has become COMMON LAW which can not simply be changed, nor ignored simply because France, or Holland would want to return to the old colonial days.
In November 1991 the last piece of the 'iron curtain' - the 'Berlin wall fell.
Not on its own - but by the German people, who wanted to be re-united as one German people.
They were assisted by the US and most of the countries of Europe – INCLUDING France and the Netherlands.
It would therefore be in-conceivable, hypocritical and racist, if now 23 years after they helped remove the Berlin-wall, the SAME Dutch and/or France would even dare mention establishing a 'Berlin-wall' in the Caribbean to restore their colonial principles and reign.
Needless to emphasize that it will not go down very well to completely ignore and disrespect the traditional way of life as lived by all St. Martin people on this island for hundreds of years.
Instead, we appeal to the Governments of France and of the Netherlands to work along with the people of St. Martin in transforming our Common Law's St. Martin Way of life into a formal St. Martin People Treaty.
That for others coming from OUTSIDE St. Martin, certain conditions might be considered for freely traveling between both sides and making use of the natural and other resources of both sides of the island – that will be another issue. .
After all, for people not from the island- they never receive papers (work- and residence papers) for both sides and thus-far have been enjoying privileges which , actually should be first given to native, indigenous St. Martiners. .
In ending, we wish all St. Martiners a very happy, conscious, empowering and inspiring St. Martin day and let us enjoy it among ourselves, while being great hosts to all those who are guests in our wonderful country.
Recommended reading; ''1963, A Landmark Year in St. Martin by Daniella Jeffrey.

Drs. Leopold James
President St. Martin Grassroots People Movement.

Copies to The UN Decolonisation-Committee, The US State-Department, The EU, The Bundes-Republic, Caricom etc.

"Is Sint Maarten your departure point? Your transit station? Your final stop? Or can you truly say deep within your heart, that Sint Maarten is your home"? If so, then speak it, show it, be always committed to it, represent it, love it, and finally die for it. If all that depicts you, then I say to you, whether you were born here or not, my fellow brothers and sisters; You are a true Ambassador of Sint Maarten. If not, and you honestly know that deep within your heart; Then I say to you, allow those who represent Sint Maarten, to feed from Mother Sint Maarten FIRST. But yes, you can continue to enjoy the goodness of Our People and the Blessings that this Country offers. Not only for Us, but for you also. "May GOD Bless us all, and may GOD Bless the Nation of Sint Maarten. A Nation that we MUST LOVE DEARLY, to LIVE and to DIE for".

Achken Roberto Richardson

To whom it may concern,

I am a resident that lives in Marianne's Estate in Cole Bay. Between the houses numbered 27, 50 and 32 there is a white house in the corner, where the owner owns two properties of a total of approximately 500 square meters. He has built many small apartments and about 30 to 40 people live there. These people come with their own cars and always block the entry of the road. Recently they broke one of the main pipe, resulting in my entire yard flooded. And constantly I have to live in these situations where new people keep coming in who make a lot of noise, etc. I am not against people making apartments in their own land, however I am against having to deal with the problems that come about with the overpopulation of a small neighborhood. I write this letter with the intention of whoever is in charge of the land, such as the government, police or GEBE to try and control this because if this is not controlled this could cause other people to also follow, resulting in chaos. I thank you for your attention to read this letter, I am only a neighbor who wishes to live in peace. I have tried to talk amicably to the owner but he seems to pay no attention, which is why I am writing this letter hoping that you can find a solution.

Alfredo TAPIA

I am not a medical expert of any kind. I am hardly a travel expert as there are many more people who have traveled more than I have in my entire lifetime. I am however a travel sales consultant and many of you are clients of mines in one form or the other and therefore I feel compelled to write about dealing with the threat of ebola when traveling as I will undoubtedly get questioned about this as more travel warnings are being issued in regards to curtailing the spread of the ebola virus.

For a detailed description of the Ebola virus and a clinical analysis of the Ebola virus as a disease you can visit the Wikipedia webpage on the Ebola virus disease. Important is to note that... "The virus is acquired by contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected human or [..] animal. This may also occur by direct contact with a recently contaminated item. Spread through the air has not been documented in the natural environment."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_disease

The chances of you contracting the Ebola virus is infinitely smaller than the chances of you getting run over by a car while crossing the street. With that being said, it does not mean that I don't think you should not be careful about contracting this disease, especially if you are traveling in general or traveling specifically to a region affected by the Ebola virus. It pays to be careful and it pays to be aware of your surroundings and to take adequate measures to limit your chances to exposure in whatever form that may be prevalent at your travel destination.

But I certainly would not advise to actively participate in nor perpetuate the mass hysteria that is currently spreading around the globe into certain countries like a virus on to itself. Over the years we have had all kinds of diseases spread faster via word of mouth, the media and through the world wide web, from the Mad Cow Disease to SARS to Chikungunya and now Ebola.

The fact of the matter is that - whether we are traveling or not - we all should remain calm and be rational about this virus and the disease it causes. Adding fuel to the flames of mass hysteria will not help anyone and it certainly will not bring aid any quicker to those who need it most of all. The last thing we need is an isolationist movement that in my opinion will only lead to a quicker spread of the virus and the disease. Aid workers and medical people must be afforded the time to work diligently in peace, with focus and energy in combating the disease and the unbridled spread of the virus. What we are presently seeing in the mass media is simply a distraction from the real issue. And that is that, much like Polio in its heyday, Ebola is another virus for which I am certain a vaccine can be developed - if not already - and effectively deployed to stop the spread of this virus dead in its tracks.... if we just stay calm!

So how do we deal with the threat of Ebola when traveling? My answer is simply to go about your everyday business and plan your travels according to your needs. Be mindful of the places you travel to and pay attention to your surroundings, your personal hygiene, and that of others, and most of all, stay healthy! And remember... you need to have a ticket in order to travel. You know where to book your next travel ticket.... Online at http://www.lets-travel.com.

Terrance Rey

My Fellow Sint Maarteners:

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The current outbreak it is believed originated in Guinea in December 2013. The outbreak has reached community transmission and impacts two additional countries, namely, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In August 2014, the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes an extraordinary event and a public health risk to other countries; that the possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious; Ebola is considered a public health emergency of international concern.

The Government of Sint Maarten has been working to put the necessary plans and protocols in place along with our stakeholders and partners, in order to protect the public health of the Sint Maarten community. These plans are in line with our international obligations to the World Health Organization with respect to International Health Regulations.

On October 23, the West African country of Mali reported its first confirmed case of Ebola. Senegal and Nigeria have officially been declared by the WHO as Ebola free. This is a reminder that this disease can be contained and defeated.

The situation surrounding Ebola is fluent and one must be prepared to take the necessary measures deemed necessary to keep Sint Maarten safe.

"Per advice of the health officials of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, Sint Maarten hereby issues a travel ban (entry and transit) to all persons that have travelled in the past 21 days to, from and through the following countries where the outbreak is not contained, namely: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"This travel ban will also apply to persons who have been in contact with a suspected or confirmed Ebola case from affected Ebola countries.
"The travel ban will remain in effect until the areas and countries are declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization.
"In addition: for boats and cruise ships coming in: no boat or ship that has a person or persons on board that fit the profile will be allowed to come to shore;
"No passenger on the boat or ship will be allowed to come off the ship;
"Incoming flights with suspect cases will be allowed to land, refuel and return to the country of origin.
"A person or persons returning from Ebola affected countries that are registered on Sint Maarten will be allowed to enter Sint Maarten under the condition that they are quarantined for at least 21 days upon arrival."
In conclusion, you cannot get Ebola easily. Ebola is not an airborne disease spread by breathing air. You can't get it through casual contact with someone. The only way you can get this disease is by coming into direct contact with the bodily fluids (eg. blood, bodily secretions) of someone with symptoms. The incubation period from time of infection to symptoms is two to 21 days.

This measure taken is to ensure that the people of Sint Maarten are protected and that the economy of the country is not impacted negatively in any form or fashion with respect to the Ebola virus disease.

Thank You
God Bless the Sint Maarten nation

Monday, October 27, 2014
Sint Maarten, West Indies

Step up to the plate now- chart your own future and save our island shame and more intervention.

At the time that I am busy writing this letter, it is of course not yet known what a 'smashing success' the march organized by the 'People United for True Democracy (PUTD) later will turn out to be – if any at all.
So - all I can say, at this time is; Guys - wish you luck.
However - at this time, I will take the calculated risk to doubt it becoming a really, popular, non-political 'uprising' against 'neo-colonial Dutch' intervention.
Nevertheless, whatever the outcome of the 'March' , it will not fundamentally change the position of the Dutch Government towards the overall political situation of the 'Friendly-Island'.
If any change in that regards can be expected - I again put my reputation on the line by saying – it will NOT be for the better for the 'Old-guard' politicians – period.
The reason in fact is very simple.
Our current 'body politic' has reached an absolutely all-time low level of trust and confidence - not only among the Dutch Government in general – but worse yet – among our own St. Martin native population, residents and key-institutions as well.
Now, for sure there will be those, who would want to also blame the Dutch for being 'corrupt' and who would want to argue all the day long, who is/are to blame for this very serious crisis and breach of trust in the body politic across the board.
Not to mention those, who are trying ever so hard to even convince themselves, that 'We can solve our own corruption practices ourselves'.
Really ? Like firing all prison-guards and management, of point-Blanche so that the prisoners can guard themselves and guarantee the public that they will not escape to commit some of the very same crime they are now sitting for.
SO, let's now get serious and face reality and facts.
Fact is - it is a fact that - yes very unfortunately – there is a very great distrust among all involved in our society and far beyond in the 'Old-Guard' politicians across the board.
To make matters worse - those who have resorted - in recent times to 'jump ship'- in total disregard of the trust they received from voters - have significantly contributed towards the explosion of distrust in all politicians.
The most relevant question therefore now is - ' St. Maarten Quo vadis ?
Where do we as a society, as a people and as proud, conscious 'New-Guard'- politicians go from here.
Here being the place and time, where and when the Dutch Government has decided to take a more active role in guaranteeing better governance on St. Maarten – which some now- conveniently and opportunistically- term 'neo-colonialism'.
Also, the place and time, where and when the trust and confidence in the 'Old-guard' politicians by the local community, as well as international bodies has taken a severe 'beating' as never before.
The place and time, being also where and when ALL St. Marten people, locally as well as in the Netherlands and elsewhere have to endure shame and disgrace of being associated with all things corrupt.
The place and time, where and when also our young, 'New Guard'- politicians and young professionals , are being in many cases - UNJUSTLY connected with presumed acts of corruption and criminal activities they never actually were responsible for
And so, we can go on and on...
One thing is for sure.
Whether the 'Dutch' really had any 'colonial' agenda that would lead them to intervene or not – by us not starting to define ourselves as a people and starting to chart a new course for ourselves – they will AUTOMATICALLY get far more grip on everything on the island than if there was an alternative a 'fire-wall'.
For that reason, last week on Facebook, I made an appeal to all 'New Guard'-politicians across all party-lines to come together is an effort to start charting a new and more responsible way of Governing their country.
The response on Facebook was truly humbling to me.
Many young people responded incredibly positive.
Although, we do not want in any way to influence their possible thinking, we feel that as seniors, we have a responsibility towards empowering and inspiring our youngsters and young professionals to take control of their own destiny and of the destiny of their won country.
It can not be so - that because of the attitude of my generation of people and politicians in which we have created a situation of distrust and of negativity for our next generation, that they should become the victims.
Therefore, the least we of the St. Martin grassroots People Movement feel we can do, is to take the initiative to bring interested youngsters/politicians from North and South St. Martin together.
The idea would be to encourage them and where and when requested by them to assist in setting themselves up as the ' New Guard'- leaders of this country.
Eventually, they should work towards regaining the lost trust and confidence in politics and Government by our won people I the first place.
Also, eventually, they should put together a very professional delegation to go to the Netherlands, France, the UN, the Caricom, schools and other institutions on the island etc.
To us, this is the sensible action to take now, as opposed to allow the credibility and future career of our youngsters to be 'tainted' by them being used in a useless 'tit-for- tat' against the 'Dutch' – that is a lost proposition.
Needless to emphasize, that our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement is more than willing to assist our next generation of political leaders in the process.
Who knows, if The Governor, The UN, The Dutch Parliament and others, would also be willing to assist in this process of reconciliation and in regaining and rebuilding trust and hope in the future for all on the island.
In ending, allow me to thank the very many bloggers on Facebook for their very positive and encouraging response and we look forward contributing to our young people being able to be the best they can and to define themselves as such, as opposed to be associated with corruption, nepotism and the like.
God bless and guide our 'New-guard'- Politicians, young professionals and youngsters in general.

With respect,
Drs. Leopold James
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement

Many of St. Maarten's timeshare owners either are affected directly or indirectly by the letter sent by the new owning company of what was known as the Caravanserai , which letter stated that their timeshare rights would be annulled. This goes on in a domino effect to also exert a negative influence on the lives of every St. Maarten person as the major source of money in our pockets is courtesy of our main pillar tourism economy.

The St. Maarten Timeshare Association is doing everything it can to encourage our government to become engaged in this issue. We have a confirmed meeting with the Minister of Tourism and Economy, Ted Richardson, the new owner and the SMTA set for October 28th. While draft legislation was prepared by MP Leroy de Weever that would offer the St. Maarten government the ability to actively protect the interests of the timeshare owners, the current law does not offer this tool to help our tourism product.

Although we do not currently have a lot of timeshare specific laws, there are plenty of laws to protect our timeshare owners' interests. As St. Maarten is a Civil Code jurisdiction this means people must hire legal representatives to plead their case before a judge.
The government of St. Maarten can exert its influence to see if cooperation can be obtained, but it has no way to force a private entity to comply in a private matter under the current law.

The SMTA would like to outline several possible options for Caravanserai timeshare owners. The options listed are not recommendations, but rather are put out so that informed choices can be made.

1.  Sign the Agreement sent out as is by Alegria.
2.  Hire a law firm to represent you to enforce your timeshare rights. You can do this individually or join a group. Two law firms have communicated to SMTA their interest in providing timeshare owners seeking assistance local legal advice ‎on the matter; Lexwell Attorneys at Law and Bermon Law Offices. Individuals would pay more than if they went as a group. Contacting one of these offices should give a clear indication of the strength of any action.
3.  Another option would be to do nothing and see what develops. Whichever way you decide, the SMTA will continue to work to make the St. Maarten timeshare product the best it can be for both our valued tourists and our society alike.

Ever since the Dutch Minister Of Overseas Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Mr. Ronald Plasterk, issued an instruction for the screening of the new ministers for St. Maarten to the Governor of St. Maarten, the island finds itself in a state of pandemonium.
To be clear however and judging from comments and reactions coming from bloggers and from the working-class people, it appears that this very far-reaching measure from the Dutch Government mainly has its effects on politicians, who seem to be very nervous, upset and scrambling for cover, sympathy and popular support.
In other words, while particularly the politicians and their political 'operatives', are the ones screaming the loudest about colonialism, racism and of 'fighting back' - the 'man and woman on the street', are much more neutral, if not outright open-minded to and in favor of the decision by the Dutch to 'intervene' in the screening process in order to stamp out nepotism, corruption and the like.
As far as our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement is concerned - what is happening now, was a long time in coming and was predicted on so many occasions by us as well.
But then again, who was interested in what we have been saying for some 30 odd years now ?
Certainly not those screaming the loudest – our 'honorable' politicians.
And while in recent times, our movement had decided to simply let events take their course, so that people and politicians would be forced to realize that the island is on a collision course – in the midst of this 'melee', we were contacted by a number of politicians from various political parties, looking forward to us giving them support against the Dutch instruction on the new screening measures for ministers.
For this reason, we have decided to publicly address the powers that are - of the following and hope it will suffice - for now.
The St. Martin Grassroots People Movement will - at this time - not get involved in any actions against the decision of the Dutch to give instructions to the Governor on the screening process.
For the record.
Our decision not to get involved against the 'Dutch' under the current circumstances is NOT based on our movement being 'pro-Dutch'.
Whosoever - for their own agenda – would want to believe otherwise – such will not be our concern.
The records all show unequivocally, that we have always been - an independently-minded, non-partisan, non-racial, non- national, very outspoken, 100% pro- grassroots St. Martin People Movement - without apologies - to be clear.
Many times, we have been the proverbial 'lone wolf in the desert' - a position we felt very comfortably with, as a matter of fact for the simple reason that we passionately believe in our vision and mission for this island.
Therefore, our movement, is not one that can easily - if at all - be fooled, intimidated, coerced and manipulated into thinking that the 'Dutch' - or any other people for that matter - are the real problem for the native, indigenous St. Martin people and for the country in general.
They are NOT – our own ignorance, lack of principles, lack of knowledge of- and love for 'Self' are our greatest enemies.
Our position in this regards, has been very clear, simple, logical and consistent over the years.
A monumental and historical case in point is the following;
When in the past, our own local St. Maarten politicians - NOT the Dutch - did EVERYTHING possible to break up the Antilles in order to get separate-status - I, Leopold James, along with the late Eldrige van Putten and with Elco Rosario, former notary went to the extreme to warn the politicians and the people, that it was NOT in the best interest of us as a people.
We were ridiculed and systematically denied access to many talk-shows on the island.
Consequently, the politicians had a 'field-day', 'spoon-feeding' the public with their specific and biased agenda.
In that process, the politicians deliberately 'set up' the St. Martin people against 'Curacao' and promised that with the new status, we would be able to do 'We own ting' (= the politicians filling their own pockets based on deals at the expense of the people).
We (= the politicians ) would eliminate the 'middle man' (= the Central Government/Curacao) and deal directly with Holland.
Our brilliant politicians were so 'bloody' eager and greedy for getting complete power at home, that they swallowed 'hook, line and sinker' the legal implications of being in the Kingdom as a 'country' within the Dutch Kingdom.
Consequently, they took completely for granted (= not to mean much) the 'Guarantee- function' of the Kingdom-Government for good governance and along with the Dutch SIGNED OFF to these provisions.
Now, that the Dutch Government is simply executing, what it is legally bound to do and to which our politicians agreed upon with their signatures - this action of the Dutch is now being construed by our local politricians, to be some form of 'colonial interference', racism etc.
Oh really ?
If, that really is the case, then who are the greatest fools for having agreed to those 'colonial' intervention provisions for the new and highly coveted 'Country status' dream to become a reality ?
As a matter of fact, we always stated, that the day of 'reckoning' would come and that the politicians would have to give an account to the people of St. Maarten for what they did to the people of the island.
For one, Why is it, that since they broke up the Antilles, we are no longer protected (as Antilleans were in the former Antilles) and why we are currently being completely overrun by hordes of bold, illegal, exploding numbers of non-added value, immigrants.
In ending - we the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement - once more state the following.
Unless and until, our politicians correct the deliberate 'mistake' and betrayal of the native, indigenous St. Martin people by refusing to recognize us and to protect our rights in the constitution – we consider those politicians the greatest problem and threat to the very existence of our people and NOT the Dutch.
Had our own politicians not thrown us under the proverbial bus - but had recognized us as a people and had protected our rights in the Constitution never to become marginalized and threatened to become victims of genocide by substitution – our position would have been completely different today.
Therefore - until such time - our 'honorable' politicians, should not hold their breath on any support from our side - they are free to 'suck their blows' all by themselves – it's all about the law of Karma.

Drs. Leopold James
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement.
Copies
St. Maarten Parliament
Dutch Parliament
UN etc.

Bloem Bonapart & Aardenburg Ill
Attorneys at Law 1 Advokaten

OPEN LETTER TO MR. A. BOSMAN Present
St. Maarten, October 19th, 2014

Re: Erroneous, slanderous and defaming statements

Dear Mr. Bosman,

On behalf of the Minister of Public Health Social Development and Labor, Mr. V.H.C. de

Weever, client, I request your urgent attention for the following.

I refer to the following media publications:

1. The Daily Herald in Sint Maarten on, Tuesday, September 30th, 2014: " According to VVD Member of the Second Chamber Andre Bosman, De Weever was "simply bought" by Heyliger" 1;
2. The Today Newspaper Sint Maarten, published on September 30th, 2014: POSTED:

09/30/14 10:55 PM : "According to WD-MP Andre Bosman "Heyliger simply paid De
Weever.2";

3. The Telegraaf, Netherlands, published on Monday, September 29th, 2014: "Volgens

VVD-Kamerlid Bosman is De Weever 'gewoon betaald' door Heyliger. 3
4. Amigoe, Cura<;ao, published on Tuesday, September 30th, 2014: "Volgens WD­ Kamerlid Bosman is De Weever 'gewoon betaald' door Heyliger"

1 http://www.thedailyherald.com/index.php?option=com content&view=article&id=50543:second­

chamber-calls-for-intervention-in-st-maarten&catid=1:islands-news<emid=54

2 http://www.todaysxm.com/2014/09/30/reaction-to-pwc-integrity-report-dutch-want-criminal -investiqation­
into-the-government-of-st-maarten/

3 http://www.teleqraaf.nllbinnenland/23136875/ Onderzoek naar corruptie Si nt-Maarten .html

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Attorneys at Law I Advokaten

To date you did not repudiate these statements that consequently appear to have indeed been made by you. If this is incorrect, please inform me accordingly. The remaining part of this letter is based on the likely premise that you indeed made referenced statements that by the way were quoted in exactly the same manner in at least four different newspapers.

The contentions that you made lack factual basis and are moreover slanderous and/or defamatory towards client. Your publications and/or public statements are untruthful, grievous and deliberately slanderous as per article 6 :167 of the Sint Maarten Civil Code. Moreover, the verbiage used violates the honor and good reputation of client which constitutes slander as per our Penal Code.

The expressions furthermore violate the duty of care that must be safeguarded in respect to other persons in society. By expressing yourself in the manner described, you have moreover committed a tortuous act against client.

I furthermore note in this respect that your contentions do not serve any -general- interest. They intend to deliberately jeopardize the good name and reputation of client and because
of this alone there cannot be any objective justification for the disputed actions caso quo

publications.

Your unfounded and untruthful comments actually cause severe damage to the reputation of country Sint Maarten and consequently in a broader sense also reflect negatively on the Dutch Kingdom. Within the International Community credence might be unjustly given to your untruthful, defaming statements, made with seemingly no regard or concern for
the financial, economic and social ramifications for client and country Sint Maarten, and for

latter's position within the Dutch Kingdom.

Client has reasons to believe that you will continue to deliberately tarnish his good name and reputation by means of untruthful, grievous and deliberate slanderous expressions. The fact that to this date you did not make any effort to distant yourself from the disputed statement(s) or otherwise provide any evidence therefor, only further strengthens client in his belief.

Attorneys at Law 1 Advokaten
By law you are obliged to verify the sources and accurateness of the contention(s) you make, even if you perceive this source to be correct. The thoroughness of that investigation must be proportionate to the severity of the accusations made. In the underlying case it is highly unlikely that you performed any investigation. Please note that by law you cannot hide behind alleged rumors or public statements which may have been made by others.

In light of the severity of the accusations made, your lack of -proper- investigation constitutes a violation of your duty to act diligently, which makes the statement(s) illegal. Your accusations were so severe that you were not entitled to make them, at least not without a thorough research and/or thoughtful reflection/consideration, concerning accurateness.

Client expresses the sincere hope that you will not attempt to hide behind your Parliamentary Immunity. Please note that a possible claim by you on Parliamentary Immunity would in any case not protect you from your civil and criminal liability in this matter, since you -also- made the disputed statements outside of Parliament. Invoking Parliamentary Immunity would instead reflect on your willingness to accept responsibility for the truthfulness of the statements that you made and as such reflect on your person and personality.

It would honor you, certainly in view of the manner in which you portray yourself as a straightforward, equitable and honorable person, to retract your incorrect and unsubstantiated statements out of your own volition. Moreover, since this would limit the damages suffered by client and country Sint Maarten to date.

You are hereby summoned to refrain from making any further factually incorrect, grievous and slanderous comment about client and notified that client reserves the right to start legal actions against you. Please also note that client holds you personally and severally responsible for the monetary equivalent of all damages he suffered and will suffer as a consequence of your illegal actions. You are hereby given notice of the legal interest on the monetary equivalent of client's damages as of today.

Bloem Bonapart & Aardenburg II
--AttoJneys at Law I Advokaten
Sin ererV, '

I salute you and I wish you God's guidance as you go about doing the people's work, defending and representing Country St. Maarten and her people.

You are Honorable Members of Parliament. You are NOT MP's.
For the salary that we are paying you, the chairpersons as well as each one of you must take the extra time and refer to each other as Honorable Members of Parliament.

There are two clichés that I want you to dispel so that you would not use them nor pay attention to them.
To go independent:
In our political terminology this applies to a Member of Parliament who leaves one party or grouping to stand on his/her own.
To jump ship:
In our political terminology, this means leaving one party or grouping to join another party or grouping.

You took an oath and based on that, all 15 of you are Independent Honorable Members of Parliament. The only grouping that is recognized is the grouping that agrees to appoint the ministers. After the ministers have been appointed by a minimum of 8 Members of Parliament, the majority, in Parliament, gives directions to the ministers.
This means that each of you can support or reject any idea or motion that comes to the floor, regardless to who presents it.
We want to hear WHY you support or reject every idea or motion that comes to the floor.
No more simply voting for or against, along party lines. For the salary we are paying you, we deserve an explanation/motivation and not just a 'for or against'.
We do not believe that the group of 8 or more is always right and the others are always wrong.

There is this crazy idea that the executive branch does its own thing and the legislative does its own thing.
That must be a thing of the past.
The most important law, that you have to legislate on, is the BUDGET.
That is the law that the ministers have to comply with, as per your instructions.
Every minister must come to Parliament to present and defend his/her budget.
The minister of finance must act as a controller to advise ministers and Parliament when monies are not being used properly, what monies are received, not received and spent. His/her duty is also to set fiscal policies, with the approval of Parliament.
There must a limit to the amount that a minister can commit the country to, without approval of parliament.

These ministers must be appointed for 4 years. Changing alliances, is no reason for changing a minister. If a minister does not perform properly, there must be a possibility to dismiss him/her. This should be done in a Parliamentary meeting, at which time the minister must be given the opportunity to defend himself. There should be special arbitration in such a case.

We believe that there must be a change to our electoral laws.
I have my suggestion, that I have been hammering on over the years and I will present it to you.

Once again, I wish you God's blessings and guidance as you defend and represent Country St. Maarten and her people.

Clifton R. Wilson

Cornelius de Weever starts his DP campaign with the grandiose statement: "I will accept no donations from third parties, as I want to owe nobody and be able to vote my conscience". He goes on to slide into the #2 vote-getter spot on the DEMOCRATIC Party list (without getting enough votes to elect himself). Every last DP vote was used to put Cornelius de Weever in the next Parliament of St. Maarten. The DP got together with the USP (2) and the NA (4) to make the needed majority and negotiated 2 Ministries for its 2 seats. Our party leader choose to go to Parliament and our second MP-elect Cornelius de Weever got first pick: Stay in Parliament or become a Minister. And then came what I term a "Leroy special": Cornie choose Parliament and suggested to the DP to appoint his aunt to the post of Minister. He explained that "the position needs some one who cares for people on St. Maarten, not a business person who really does not understand the needs of our population", ( Emil Lee??). The suggestion is immediately shot down by the Leader of the DP, supported by the party top then present. Fast forward to September 24th. Cornie signs up with 7 UP MP's-elect, but does not (up to today, Sunday, October 6, 2014) resign from the Democratic Party. Whether the Governor in his role to coordinate the forming of a new government, is dealing with one political party and a renegade MP-elect, or 8 renegade MP's-elect, either way, Cornie and Leroy are poised to become King Makers on the backs of the people that voted for all the candidates on the Democratic Party slate, with the financial support of donors to the Democratic Party (remember, Cornie gallantly said he would take NOT a penny from third parties, but yet, he proudly wore his DP#2 T- shirts and smiled at you from life sized posters, all paid for by the same DP Donors he "stood up against"). So picture this: As Leroy is officially out of a job come 10/10/14 is it possible that he will become Prime Minister, or Minister of Health while Cornie sits in Parliament and together they determine the fate of Theo's government? My vote is for Sarah, William and Frans to form the United Democratic Alliance opposition block of 7 in Parliament, and wait for this coalition of 8 to implode. It is bound to happen.

Michael J. Ferrier

Dear Editor,

On 10-10-2014 Sint Maarten will exist four years as an independent Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During those four years, we had three (3) governments (the fourth one is to be anticipated within soon) and there have been five (5) MP's that declared themselves independent/separated themselves from the party on which slate they were elected. The above means that, on average every (approximate) 9,5 months, a MP jumps ship, in many cases with extreme consequences and in many cases the step is eventually lighthearted and without giving very convincing or valid reasons.

In practice, (extreme and personal) power games are being played by MP's who already have declared themselves independent in the past and also by MP's who consider or threaten their parties to do the same. Today it may concern an MP that is on the DP slate, tomorrow it may be an MP on the UP, US or NA slate. Noteworthy is the fact that these personal power games are not warranted and cannot be justified based on the number of votes these (five) MP's got; none of them earned a seat by themselves.

Jumping ship is (therefore) a form of deceit of the electorate. It is also not democratic for the following reasons. By casting a vote, a voter communicates that he has confidence in (i) a candidate and (ii) a slate of a political party. The voter does take into account the risk that his preferred candidate may not gain a seat in Parliament, however the voter also trusts on the assumption that if the candidate of preference is not chosen, that the party on which slate the preferred candidate was listed, will benefit from this vote. Therefore voters, by casting a vote, express their confidence, not only in a candidate but and also in a party.

At the moment of voting, voters do not and can or should not reasonably expect or anticipate that their preferred candidate on a certain party slate will or intends to (suddenly and more than often light hearted) jump ship during his or her term of election. In principle this is not the proper thing to do; only in extreme case there may be a justifiable reason for same. To further illustrate the above, by taking a closer look at the most recent 'flip-flop Houdini act,' the following rhetoric questions can be raised;
- Would the 378 voters that voted for Ministr de Weever ("De Weever") also have voted for this candidate, if they would have known before Election Day that he would jump ship (within a month after the election)?
- Would the 2334 voters that voted for the DP Party also have voted for DP Party if they would have known before Election Day that De Weever would jump ship shortly after the election?

It is easy to add another rhetoric question to this list: will De Weever be the last MP that will jump ship (during this governing term)?

The national sport of ship jumping or flip flopping (in a lighthearted manner) leads to unstable governments, distrust of the electorate and - last but not least - is bad for the investment climate (why invest, if the investor cannot rely on a trustworthy and stable government?). It is also not democratic, because it was not the expressed wish of the voter, that his or her preferred candidate or one of his or her colleagues on the same party slate would jump ship. To anticipate on ship jumping is in essence really the same as playing Russian roulette. In other words: why organize an election, while we may as well roll a dice to determine how power will be distributed. The often heard arguments that "this is the dynamics of democracy" and "this is the way democracy works" are not convincing at all. To the contrary: jumping ship or flip-flopping can in all reason not be considered to be part of a democratic process.

What to do? There are in essence two options: change the people or change the system.

The current system is not bad (it works in Holland, where political parties have developed ideologies and hardly ever jump ship), however I have little to no confidence that (on the short term) it will be possible to change the mindset of the people (read the MP's, once elected) in such a manner that it will be realistic to make the coalition system function properly (within soon). Therefore, focusing on changing the system seems more productive. After four years' experience, it is clear that the Dutch system (coalition system or parliamentary democracy) doesn't work on this side of the ocean, or at least not on Sint Maarten.

Maybe Sint Maarten should consider the following suggestion for a (more U.S. or French like Presidential) system. This suggested system will in any way create more stability and it will immediately end the objectionable personal power games of (potential) ship jumpers.

An election procedure with two phases:
- Phase 1: during this phase, it will be established which two parties get most votes and only these two parties will participate in the second phase;
- Phase 2: the electorate will not only elect members of Parliament, but will also vote for their preferred Prime Minister. Candidates for the position of Minister-President will have to be screened (successfully) before the first phase of the election process;

The party that gains most votes in phase 2 will be in government (in principle for four years) and will also deliver the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will be exclusively authorized to appoint and dismiss his or her cabinet of Ministers. The system will also ensure that there is one big opposition party (and thus the opposition will not be fragmented). Furthermore, the laws should stipulate that if government no longer enjoys a majority in Parliament, it will be obliged to call for new elections (in other words: to form a new government on the same elections results should be explicitly forbidden).

Another alternative to end the objectionable practice of ship jumping is to implement statutory rules that forbid that an MP elect leaves the party, on which slate (s)he was elected, unless (s)he gained the seat by getting sufficient votes to pass the electoral threshold. Other MP's are free to leave, but are in that case obliged to hand over the seat to the candidate next in line on the party slate on which he was elected. The often heard argument against this alternative is that it may be unconstitutional. I am not necessarily convinced that this is a valid argument. After a decision is taken to head into a direction like this, it must be possible that juridical technocrats work out a way that is also acceptable from constitutional point of view.

Disadvantage of both suggestions above, is that there will be more power with the political parties (which may lead to abuse). This is true, however this interest should be weighed against the big advantage that it creates much more stability in government and that it will make an abrupt end to the reprehensible practice of opportunistic and light hearted ship jumping.

The aim of this opinion letter is not give readers or government the impression that I have the ultimate wisdom and/or that I pretend to know it all better. The aim of this letter is to make clear that this continuous practice of ship-jumping is in fact a problem that should be recognized and addressed. I hereby assume that most people in Sint Maarten are more interested in having a democracy, rather than a country run by a dictator or by the highest bidder. I also assume that the majority of the electorate is not interested to having a country that is run by administrators that – once they are elected – act in a basically ad random and thus unpredictable manner.

The real aim of this opinion letter is to initiate a constructive discussion in order to find a solution of a problem that, in my view, can and should no longer be ignored. As chances are small that (on the short term) the people (read: mindset of the MP's, once elected) will change, I am convinced that it is in the interest of more stability, that regulatory changes to the system will be made (at least before the next election). In principle we have four year to work on this...

Roeland Zwanikken
Partner at BZSE Law Attorneys at Law/Tax advisers

Dear Editor,

"When I left , it was late. I was burdened by a tremendous sadness. I understand Florence's predicament well. All the peri-Independent generation shared a common vision of a better life. Unfortunately, too many of us had translated this into a material definition of success. We developed all the symptoms of the Post-Colonial Syndrome, endemic to Africa: acquisition, imitation and a paucity of imagination. We simply rushed to secure what the colonialist had. We bought their homes, attended their schools, leased their offices, spoke their language, played their sports, and courted their company. We denied our own culture, relieved to leave our primitive origins far away, in some forgotten village. And so we believed ourselves sophisticated at last, integrated into the mainstream of cosmopolitan culture. We created an invisible white line of ultimate aspiration: to achieve what the Europeans had. This was the epitome of civilization, the very definition of evolutionary advancement. We ceased to dream, to have our vision of happiness and success. We were able to carry off this farce with aplomb but our children were getting caught in some grey zone that was neither black culture nor truly white either. We had to acknowledge our dual citizenship. We are urban and rural, old and new. We exist in contradictory timeframes; in one we are creating computer programs for artificial intelligence and in another we are carrying a bucket to the river to fetch drinking water. It is our reality, we cannot run away from it. If we cannot fully resolve our dual citizenship as Africans, we must at least be honest with ourselves for the children's sake. It is a commitment that your father and I made when you were born. I could not forsake our determination to expose you to our culture. If in the end you rejected it, that was fine, but we have fulfilled our responsibility as African parents; the rest was up to you."
The above is taken from the novel: 'Zenzele, A Letter For My Daughter' (1996). It was written by Doctor Nozipo Maraire (neurosurgeon) and her book is according to the good Doctor a staple of African literature and is required reading for colleges and schools nowadays. With some imagination, a little more than paucity I pray, the above can easily be translated to Sint Maarten (Sainmat'n) and many other Caribbean Islands. However, despite the obvious similarities, an institution like the Caribbean Court of Justice shows that there is a movement of emancipation.
For the last few years I observed a Sint Maarten in transit, continuously doing the same thing and pretending to expect different results. Now I'm reading that we went from a 'formateur' to two 'informateurs' and I'm left to wonder; what will be next on this mini island nation of ours that will again keep us in transit? Why opt for fictional characters that have no democratic legitimacy? My mind keeps going back to the above quoted passage that helped shape my reasoning years ago. It made me aware that when it comes to building the important things in life, it's best to be part of the designing from the early beginnings, and when building ensure that every building block is thoughtfully or even meticulously selected in order to ensure that whatever we build, we are fully responsible and accountable for. We were not part of the design team of the system we are living under. We do not know the how's and the why's of the system. We don't have all the previous blueprints and we were not there while those blueprints were being drawn. We have been handed a watered down version of the present blueprint and are expected to fend for ourselves. This method of nation building has rendered us into mere repairmen by default. Always forced to 'fix' and never able to design, build, own and operate. We can no longer ignore that the system we are living under is broken, equal to that of the Netherlands Antilles was from the onset, and end the jumping through hoops, the twisting and turning words to the edge of insanity to accommodate feeble agenda's.
By hook or crook this nation is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since October 10, 2010. We, the citizens of this nation, are obligated to be more responsible and carry out our obligations as a nation by upholding the rule of law and continuously seek out the general interest in all we do. To ensure success we need realistic laws that are simultaneously sound, reflective of us, executable by us, and enforceable by us.
We can no longer afford to follow models that were created through a long and tedious historic process befitting to those they were created by and for but unknown to the majority of citizens of this nation. We cannot be taken aback nor surprised that we may never be able to fully comprehend, implement nor maintain a system we didn't build. You cannot be riding a bike while at the helm of a space craft. Nor can I expect from myself to be well versed in Chinese (actually I should say Mandarin) just because I have Chinese heritage. You wouldn't go to a store and spend your hard earned money on clothes 5 sizes bigger than your size, would you? Why would a 16 square miles island with a workforce well below 20.000, with limited financial and human resource capacity, and particular ways/cultural expressions want to fit in a model designed for a country that requires a larger (thus more anonymous), more educated, more vocal, more industrious, more regulated, more compliant work force? The result of this is a logical consequence: perpetual dependency on foreign/outside assistance. There will simply never be enough of those from here to fit in any such model that isn't based on our capacity. The true Sint Maarten model must fit the reality and the stage of development we are in. The system must provide us with the necessary incentives to develop in hopefully a right, positive and cohesive direction.
We must reject this failed system as soon as possible. We urgently need to start designing, building and operating a system by us, for us. All hands on deck. Let us actively seek out the assistance of the many successful professionals we have out there in the wider world. Those that are contributing to building the nation of others. Some by choice, some by sheer disappointment with the level of disrespect Sint Maarten bestows on professionals. Whatever we do, we cannot continue to kid ourselves that this model will ever work.
Can we take the challenge? The challenge of engaging each other on all levels from a heartfelt desire to address the many qualms that are systematic. Most of our laws are in disconnect with the norms and values that we yet have to establish for ourselves as a nation. While the present laws are ideally meant to be a reflection of our norms and values as a nation, reality is that we believe in a different set of norms and values. An example of this, is that most of us still believe that prostitution is illegal. Reality is that the term prostitution doesn't even exist in our penal code. The activity of a female adult engaging in transactional sex with a male client is legal. Oddly enough the one thing that we have grown accustomed to, which are the various houses of pleasure, are the ones that run the risk of prosecution. Taking a cut from and/or structurally facilitating the process of a woman providing sexual services for payment is the only act that can be easily prosecuted.
We have mastered the art of facilitating, making the impossible possible. Yes is No and No is Yes. Words, whether imbedded in laws or not, may and cannot stop nor deter, is the attitude of those claiming to power. We have earned degrees in finding patches without actually tackling and fixing the problem. Of course laws must be abided by unless it works out negatively and affects one of us personally. Then enters the reverse 'of course', that same law becomes an unjust law and therefore cannot be applied. Laws are mere words that aren't meant to keep any of us from getting what we want especially if we know who to turn to for an 'exception'.
On the flip side we also developed the amazing skill of creating laws or derivatives thereof out of thin air, actually hot air in our context. We have conjured up a formateur and now informateur(s) as fictional characters based on the process of government formation that is nowhere described in any law. I must wonder what the English translation will be of those terms. We are screening ministers and are happily infringing on their internationally and constitutionally vested right to privacy. Conveniently ignoring that only by the highest form of law (called ordinance in our 'country' context) someone's right to privacy can be trampled upon. Although I can't wait to hear the dissenting opinions I urge you to take keen note of the below mentioned 'traps'.
We have established and lifted moratoriums without any legal basis. We have forgotten the role of institutions like the Chamber of Commerce regarding market saturation. We have come to believe that - I can only get a license through the 'help' of someone in power. No. You have the economic right to engage in business. If you want a taxi license as the source of your main income you may apply for it. If you fit all the criteria you MUST get it. Simple. No one is doing you a favor. It is your economic right. If you were 'helped' means that due process wasn't followed and that a legal stipulation was skipped or twisted in order to 'help' you attain your license. In other words, a law was blatantly broken to accommodate you. Gratefully running the risk of losing that same license that was meant to sustain you and your family because due process wasn't followed. Never mind that you have put your 'helper' at risk of being prosecuted.
We seemingly strive for integrity yet apply non-integer means to achieve the goal of integrity. Odd. Those same institutions, bodies, departments that are supposed to be part of the integrity guarding process are consciously or subconsciously placing internal and external non-compliance above compliance to the principle of the rule of law thus defeating the purpose of their existence. Our misguided need for practicality and servitude of agenda's has rendered this nation of ours defective and at the mercy of any and all outside powers. Outside powers that will oddly do more harm than good as they fall in the 'status' trap, the 'I know it better' trap, the 'expat' trap, the ' I'm going to clean up' trap, the 'sex-drugs-alcohol' trap or the 'any combination thereof' trap.
We are slowly bleeding out and need a blood transfusion. If we don't find our own blood type to revive us and instead continue to use the wrong blood type, well then yes, the writing is on the wall. We are on the verge of not only losing at home but of losing our home. And for what? To say that we believed to be doing it our way? That we were blindfolded by promises, alcohol, bright lights, sex, sweet sounds and smells and didn't realize the destination Air Hot Vision was taking us? The pilot sitting in first class just sent the second pilot in the cockpit a Whatsapp message with the instruction to announce to the cabin crew to prepare for landing. After landing the following is announced: welcome back to Sint Maarten. To ensure your maximum pleasure during your stay, please ignore laws when convenient and create nonexistent ones also when convenient. Please take anything you want out of the overhead bins. For those of you missing anything from the overhead bins, please announce yourself to the gate agent for a full refund of your return ticket, any missing items and a 'likkle' extra's to ensure a pleasurable stay.
We have systematic flaws in the design of our system that need all (well most) hands on deck if we are to steer the course in a positive direction. How long are we not going to hold each other accountable despite living in a small community? Yes the revolving door reality of 'today for me and tomorrow for you' is very much alive on this small island of ours, but we cannot use this as an excuse to hamper, stifle or even stop progress. Ego's will and must be hurt and fears must be overcome if we need to grow up, learn to swim, make our own rods, use our own bait, build our own boats, learn to sail, take to the seas and fish for ourselves.

Eunicio S. Martina

St. Maarten facing situation where 15 elected parliamentarians realize any eight can form the government; party leaders and political parties are irrelevant. It is possible that any eight MP's can form a government without any party leader

The electorate should brace themselves for one of the most exciting periods in the country's young political and constitutional life. We are facing a situation with the present formation, where elected Parliamentarians have finally come face to face with the enormous power their election has brought them. Any permutation of eight MP' s can form the government. They do not need their party leader or their party. The party system as we know it has become obsolete. This is a reflection of our constitutional laws which allow an MP-elect to declare him/herself independent a la Connie de Weever.
There's nothing the Democratic Party can do about his defection. He is de facto a free agent. But so are the other 14 MP's. It is now everyman for himself. We are facing a period of intense political negotiations as the 15 MP's jockey to cobble together an eight seat coalition to present to the governor.
The eight who signed the earlier agreement are totally free to withdraw from that agreement at any time. It is not a legally binding document, because an MP as we know can "jump ship" or withdraw his support of the government-in-formation at any time. This is especially true now, before the government is sworn in. The informateurs are now reduced to bystanders. The real actors are going to be the 15 MP's. The power has shifted from the leader to the MP's. If for example an MP receives an offer to join a coalition in which he will be appointed Prime Minister plus be allowed to appoint another Minister, giving him in effect two ministerial posts, what can his party leader do if he accepts? Absolutely nothing! It is conceivable in this scenario that a government can be formed which does not include, say for example, Theo Heyliger, or William Marlin. Once any eight MP's can form a coalition of eight they do not need to include the party leader.
As the MP's realize their true power and begin to negotiate among themselves, we will witness a truly democratic process. It will not be always pretty to watch, but boy is it democratic. No more party leader calling the shots, but fifteen independent MP's trading and negotiating among themselves to form a government. We are really witnessing the dawn of new era in St. Maarten politics, one where party leaders and party loyalty become a thing of the past and the power really returns to the people via their elected representatives. We will still need political parties as vehicles for elections, but once the elections are over, we will have 15 free agent-MP's. Who knows, perhaps other countries might even copy our model...

Name Withheld Upon Author's Request

I am appealing to your faculty to reason, and if you can no longer do so in the interest of our country, permit us to advise you. The ill that is eating away your honorable Assembly resulting in its total implosion, has reached the proportions of an epidemic in its most insidious aspect, that is, it is actually spreading. Each thinks that he/she is capable of solving the problem by running as a candidate or a substitute in the upcoming senatorial elections. This is just an illusion.

Those who have preceded you in the politic life of our island know exactly what you are suffering from. But when one suffers from an ill, treatment must be sought. The elected candidates are incapable of solving the problem or bringing back the situation to some form of normalcy, as they claim. You have lost the sense of what it is to be an elected representative. Your mission is to serve Saint-Martin and its population, who is in dire need of your attention.

You must admit it, - and the general public is quite aware of it now - you are in reality getting even with one another, and that is blatant. You cannot hide anything any longer. So ... permit us to guide you. The only members of the Territorial Council who are capable of saving the situation, are those who are not running. We are asking those who are seeking their revenge to stop. Saint-Martiners are ashamed of the "masquerade": the young ones, the old ones, and the less young ones. They are finally getting it. You are not running this country. You only have titles and a disproportionate ambition, out of the ordinary. Never seen in our country! Incredible but true!

Here is the only honorable solution for you and for us who are looking at you, before the general political suicide of September 28, 2014. There is only one candidate who is not involved in this personal or partisan revengeful task. There is only one candidate who is professionally qualified to exercise the duties of lawmaker. There is only one candidate whose focus is primarily on Saint Martin, who is not first and foremost a party politician, who is not a dealer and who will not cut deals in Paris with any party or group whatsoever. There is only one candidate who has no other ambition than to defend the interests of our island and its people as a lifetime struggle. There is only one candidate who has been "vetted" successively by the American and French institutions of Law, the only candidate who will be free to choose the working group ready to take into account the specific reality of our island. Finally and most importantly, there is only one candidate who will take up this Senate function with honesty, integrity, and competence and who will not hide from the population the various obstacles encountered during the term of office. You must not hesitate to vote for such a candidate. Everything will not be perfect. But the cycle must be broken to avoid the imminent political disaster. And only you can do so.

Afterwards, you will handle the implosion of the majority group of the Territorial Council. There too, there is only one honorable solution ... but that is another page.

Daniella JEFFRY
Councilwoman of the Minority in the last municipal council
Former President and co-Founder of the United Saint-Martin Movement (U.S.M.)

All citizens of St Maarten must abide to the Motion resolved in our Parliament to inform the ministers and the directors of government owned companies not to make any long term policy or decision of such a nature, that may obstruct the incoming government.
When a director of government owned companies, such as, Mrs Helma Etnel and members of her board of directors, who does not abide to this motion mention in the newspaper on Friday and Saturday, September 20, 2014, we as a citizen are concerned that all in a new country must abide by the laws in St Maarten.
We are gathering signature throughout St Maarten for those directors and board members who signed long term accord after the election and before the new government swore in to step down and if the instruction to sign the accord were given by Minister Mrs Sara Wescot William who is responsible to the shareholder of the government owned company then the Minister should step down.
Mrs. Helma Etnel made recently a mistake by signing an agreement with UTS for partnership without informing first our parliament. Parliament were not happy with such dealing and throw it out. The second mistake Mrs. Etnel did again by signing an accord without informing Parliament. There were plans made with Digicel long before by painting the building of Telcell with Digicel color red.
When hiring directors of government owned companies screening are carried. We wonder if Mrs. Etnel was subjected to our screening.

Concern Citizen

Dear Mr. Editor:

If we truly want to make St. Maarten a better place for our children and grandchildren, letters to the Herald's Editor like the one in Sept 11th's edition under the caption "They have a right to" should become a thing of the past and so should graffiti like the one on the Government Building wall yesterday (thankfully removed by those in charge of Government Facilities). The non-indigenous born-to-be-here St. Maarteners (including me) are here to stay. Let's all get along. Many of us came here as young children and instead of hiding behind excuse after excuse for failure, as many do today, we grabbed opportunities that we were presented with, worked our "tails" off and certainly made the best lemonade out of any lemons life threw at us. I am proud to be one of "the locals that ran Mullet Bay when it was the Flagship of the Caribbean", together with greats like Lou Peters, Keith Franca, Vernon Jacobs, Zephanie and Pedro Fleming, Olga Williams, Bobby Bouwer, the late Robert James, Clarice and Vilma Hodge, James Richardson, the late James (Fats) Hughes, Alphonso Danny David, Pedro Koeiman, the late Louis Wescott, Minder Rismay, Delphine David, the late Joe Brooks and many, many others, a fabulous mixture of Born-Here and Born-to-be-Here St. Maarteners, who never questioned "where we were from". Some did very well, most did quite well, some did satisfactorily and some did not do so well for a variety of reasons. As St. Maarten started to become a player on the world stage, many of the "indigenous" families sold their land, their houses, their properties to some of the same Indians and Guyanese of which this "concerned citizen", (who not-so-bravely asks for his/her name to be withheld) now says "They don't have a right..".
If we are to become a great little country, we had better learn to respect, tolerate and embrace each other. None of us must ever accept to be treated like a second class citizen, especially here in our "own" country, but we should certainly stop blaming all others for what may be our own shortcomings. And let us make a concerted effort to expose those unscrupulous ones amongst us that take advantage of those that are most vulnerable. Keeping employees on repeated short term contracts and paying them the minimum wage is abuse, plain and simple. Everyone has the right...... to a decent life, to a roof over their head, to three square meals a day and to be respected.

Michael J. Ferrier.

Huang Jin Bianji reports in his insightful and well written People's Daily article "Chinese FM calls for new security concept to ensure lasting peace in Asia" that "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a security concept for the 21st century so as to ensure the long-lasting peace and security of Asia." Mister Wang Yi desires "consultation and dialogue." "He calls for "win-win cooperation rather than zero-sum game." The article also reports that Minister Wang Yi asked for all parties to "to seek for peaceful resolutions through negotiation and consultation based on international law, norms governing international relations and historical facts."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's lofty goals for an ideal security concept for the 21st century are realistic and attainable, but not with current defense strategies of diplomacy and force of arms.
An ideal level of security for the globe is only attainable with a far more advanced military technology, known as "Invincible Defense Technology" (IDT).
This IDT approach to defense has its basis in a radically new approach - reducing individual and national stress. Its methods have been proven and adopted as part of the training of America's future commanders at Norwich University, and has been field-tested by other militaries. It is validated by 23 peer-reviewed studies carried out in both developed and developing nations.

IDT is totally unlike any other defense technology because it goes directly to the root cause of violence - the stress in the individual and collective consciousness. High levels of collective societal stress are the underlying cause of all war, violence, crime and terrorism. When the IDT methodology is applied stress levels throughout the population are reduced.
In an environment of lowered stress even staunch adversaries find ways to work together, cooperate and overcome long-standing differences.
IDT - Using the Transcendental Meditation® and advanced TM-Sidhi program to create a Prevention Wing of the Military.

The IDT soldier's daily routine includes the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced TM-Sidhi program. As a societal coherence-creating military unit, they practice these technologies of consciousness twice a day, seven days a week, to create an invincible level of orderliness for their nation.
This invincible orderliness prevents the outburst of violence and other forms of social disorderliness - crime, terrorism, insurgency, and war. This is the professional career of members of the IDT Prevention Wing of the Military.
Rapid Transformation to Peace, Progress and Prosperity with the IDT Approach

Such coherence-creating groups have achieved positive benefits to society, shown statistically, in even just 48 hours.
The IDT approach has been used during wartime, resulting in reduction of fighting and in number of deaths and casualties, and in progress toward resolving the conflict peacefully. Societies applying IDT perform extremely well in a very short time. This is what decreased the intensity of war in Lebanon in 1983 in a dramatic way in 48 hours, to name only one of the successful experiments. (See a summary of the Israel study published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution and summaries of follow-up studies in the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality and the Journal of Scientific Exploration).

Documented Transformation in Mozambique

In 1992, the Mozambique military carefully analyzed the IDT research and decided to apply it. As predicted, violence disappeared by 1993 and Mozambique became more self-sufficient. The economic growth reached 19%. Once the poorest world country in 1992, by 2000, it had moved up to be the world's fastest-growing economy. Former Mozambique President Joaquim Alberto Chissano, who learned Transcendental Meditation himself, introduced it to his cabinet and then the armed forces. 19 years of civil war and drought ended and President Chissano is the first to give credit to IDT for this effect.
Mozambique continues to be a shining star for Africa and a model for development. President Chissano was awarded the inaugural Ibrahim Prize in recognition of the unprecedented positivity that manifested throughout Mozambique under his wise guidance.

CONCLUSION

Albert Einstein is famously quoted as saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Using violence to quell violence ultimately just ratchets up the spiral of violence. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is wise to voice an end to repeating the same old cycle of violence. He now has the chance to achieve his goals, but only through a truly innovative approach: Chinese military implementation of IDT to create real lasting peace and prosperity.
When the Chinese military adopts IDT it will become even more powerful and respected worldwide because it will introduce to humanity a humane and non-violent means to create international law and order, not through fear-based methods, but through peaceful means.
IDT defense technology supersedes all other known defense technologies (which are based on electronic, chemical, and/or nuclear forces). These fear-based modalities are ultimately self-destructive for any nation and must be replaced with IDT, the only known and proven constructive approach.
IDT creates genuine and lasting reconciliation and friendship in the place of hatred and conflict. The military that deploys this powerful human-resource-based technology disallows negative trends and prevents enemies from arising, and as a result, it has no enemies.
A lasting global peace is easily obtainable if Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi establishes Prevention Wings of the Chinese Military. They will ease high tensions, reverse centuries of mistrust and hatred and permanently prevent future unrest.
Extensive scientific research is empirically shows, "Yes, the approach works."

TRY AGAIN!

The letter to the Editor by a Ms. Iris Rogers in the TODAY on Saturday, September 6, 2014, also appeared on SMN-NEWS, but there it was signed off by "a concerned and disappointed DP Supporter". Seems to me that Ms. Rogers (?) is anything BUT a DP. Her ranting reads more like a severely depressed, hopelessly UP-set, green with envy supporter of another party, doing what many of them seem to do best: throwing out rumor after rumor, trying hard to break the rock-solid partnership between the DP/NA/USp. But as we say in local parlance: Wheel & come again! And please don't worry your little confused head about HOW this DP works on the inside. We all "know our place", know our individual responsibilities and most importantly, know exactly where our loyalties lie!

MJF

Dear Editor,

Would you be so kind to publish this letter on your well read website. First I want to thank SMN News for the hard work they have been doing in informing the people of St. Maarten/ St. Martin.
SMN News is the only that chose to expose what Leona Marlin was doing to the leader of the USp Frans Richardson who knew exactly what Leona Romeo Marlin is all about. Richardson and Marlin was on the National Alliance list so Frans Richardson know exactly who he was dealing with.
Mrs. Romeo Marlin, you stated on Friday during the press conference that you are a woman with INTEGRITY and a professional, Mrs. Romeo which person with integrity would use a convicted murderer as her campaign manager? Which woman that has integrity and calls herself a professional would bad mouth her party leader when you told several people that you cannot be on a list with Frans Richardson because he is a dummy and stupid, that Frans Richardson cannot speak proper English and that your mission is to take away the leadership of the USp from Frans Richardson. Mrs. Romeo everyone that you told this to find you to be an "OPPORTUNIST" not a person of INTEGRITY or PROFESSIONAL. Everyone that has to deal with you at the Civil Registry knows of your arrogance and boldness.
Mrs. Romeo Marlin, you made a statement on Friday that "today you are being thrown to the wolves but when you come back, you will be leading the pack. Were you telling Frans Richardson in parables that in 2018 you will be the leader of the USp? We need to know Mrs. Marlin Romeo?
Furthermore, I need to remind you that you said on Oral Gibbs show that you are only responsible for the 245 persons that voted for you, Friday you thanked those persons also. Mrs. Marlin Romeo I need you to know that you need to thank the system and the fools that wrote the law, because the quota to get elected was 907 votes, you Leona Marlin Romeo did not get half of that. So you need to know you became a Member of Parliament because of the votes the other candidates on the USp slate. Most of all the system allows you to get in because of the residual seat that was allotted to the Usp. You said you studied political science but somehow you skip the real facts. The owner of SMN News asked you some strong questions we the voters of St. Maarten need the answers to those questions Mrs. Marlin Romeo because you did not answer none of them except to admit you were having internal issues with Frans Richardson. Just so you know I am one of the 245 that voted for you, but I don't trust you anymore. You are no better that the greedy politicians that seek public office to enrich yourself. Just know Mrs. Marlin Romeo I am waiting for the answers. The bullshit you told the media on Friday is not what I want to hear.

A proud St. Maarten Voter

Dear Editor,

After reading certain statements made in the media by representatives of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten this week, I had to express my feelings and believes to those same representatives and the fellow members and supporters of the Democratic Party.
First of all let me congratulate the public of St. Maarten for coming out on August 29th and voting for their candidate of choice. It was evident that this election, voters voted for candidates and not parties.
On August 29th, the supporters of the Democratic Party sent crystal clear messages to the leader of the Democratic Party and its board. The supporters are happy with the DP's attempt to rejuvenate and rebuild the party by adding persons like Cornie, Emil, Cookie, Geerlings and Hasani to their list of candidates. Congratulations to these candidates and their teams. A job well done! The time has come for young dynamic fresh blood to enter the political arena and make a contribution to their country.
Having said that, the amount of seats the current leader of the DP and the only Prime Minister our young country has had so far, was less than all other party leaders who got seats in Parliament.
Now, as a human being, I can understand the disappointment. After all, it was a long and hard campaign. However, never did I expected the leader of the DP and more importantly the Prime Minister of St. Maarten, in her congratulatory speech to the public and the parties as leader of the DP, to speak about "not wanting to offend anyone" and "true votes" when referring to the amount of votes DP received on Friday August 29th.
Is the Democratic Party such a sore looser that we now are referring to votes other parties received as not being "true votes"? What are we then insinuating? Were the votes, we received in 2010 not "true votes"? Are the votes that the UPP, USP and NA received this election not "true votes"? And if that is the case, how is it that we the DP, knowing that those parties did not receive "true votes", that we are now forming a government with two of these parties? What does that say about our integrity? Is this how Democratic Party members react to disappointing election results?
If that wasn't enough, Mike Ferrier on behalf of the DP, sent out a press release on September 3rd, in which he categorically denounces the decision of the current Minister of Economic Affairs to lift the moratorium on car rental permits. Now, regardless of whether or not you agree with the decision of the current Minister of TEATT, how is it possible that the DP is already meddling in other coalition members' portfolios, while government still needs to be formed officially? At this rate this new government will fall before it governs.
Don't we as a party have more important priorities then focusing on other coalition members' portfolios? Shouldn't we be analyzing the results of the election? Shouldn't we be focusing on our two portfolios which are Health and Justice? Shouldn't we be looking at ways to put the young politicians who received clear support from the voters, in key positions so they can start preparing to take over the leadership of the Democratic Party? Why is it that Mike Ferrier is making public statements on behalf of the party while on August 29th, the DP supporters sent a clear statement to the party leader and its
board, indicating that they want young energetic persons to represent DP? Why aren't Cornie, Emil, Perry, Cookie or better yet, why isn't the President of the DP Board Hasani Ellis speaking on behalf of the party?
When will we give young people a chance? When will we listen to the voters?

A concerned and disappointed DP supporter

A two-year paid holiday awaits the losers of last week's elections!

In the general euphoria following the house cleaning the last elections brought in Parliament as well as in government, one factor is overlooked: the high cost associated with making so many office holders redundant all at once. At least four ministers and about six or seven Parliamentarians have been sent home. They have not left the government payroll however. Parliamentarians, clever fellows that they are, have made sure to provide a generous golden handshake for themselves. In all fairness it should be mentioned here that this is an old law brought over from the former Netherlands Antilles, which was in turn copied from Holland. Aruba and Curacao, as well as the BES islands, all have variants of this same law. Seems that politicians everywhere are equal opportunity moochers after all.
Articles two through ten of this law explain in detail how this golden handshake works. For up to two years after leaving office, ex pols can collect for the first three months 95 percent of their salary, the following seven months 85 percent, thereafter 75 percent for ten months, and 70 percent for the final four months. This allowance ends at the age of sixty, when the regular-generous- pension arrangement kicks in. Income earned during this period is deducted from the allowance, so that if the politician accepts another job, the allowance is reduced by the salary earned. So even in defeat, politicians manage to extract victory. They might have lost at the polls, but they still come up winners at the payroll. The rest of us should be so lucky, but then again, which other group of workers have the right to make their own pension rules? In essence, the voters will have to finance a two- year paid holiday for cast-off politicians.

Author's Name Withheld Upon Request

'You have a unique opportunity to give Amnesty, or Affirmative Action to native, indigenous St. Martiners – NOW'.

To set the trend of this plea, I will start with a number of quotes, paraphrases and other information as they relate to a number of our incoming members of Parliament as well as to our prospective Ministers.
Feel free to have them verified and to correct me, where incorrect.

1. Chris Emmanuel; Has built an impressive track-record as a social-activist for the rights of native, indigenous St. Martin people and for the unification of the island. For the record, Chris has also been host of our radio-program NATIONtalk on radio 98.1 Pearl F.M. a number of years ago.
2. February 23, 2010, Sarah Wescot-Williams; Calls to amend the Constitution – Quote;'Time to include outstanding issues – the rights of indigenous St.Martiners should be guaranteed in the Constitution'.
3. March 2, 2010, Frans Richardson, during an interview with Fernando Clark on 'ONLINE'. Frans expressed support for the work of our nation building- and unification movement to protect the rights and the very existence of the native, indigenous St. Martiners. In addition, when Frans was still Commissioner back then, we had a meeting with him. In this meeting, he expressed strong support for our work, especially as it relates to the promotion of unifying both sides of the island.
4. September 11, 2010, William Marlin; 'New Parliament's first task is to establish who is a St. Maartener in the Constitution'.
5. Sunday, March 10, 2013, Silveria Jacobs, At the time, minister of Education at Fort Amsterdam launches the '2013-2024 The decade of Revitalizing Our Natural & Cultural heritage' project.
6. March 2013, Governor dr. Eugene Holiday. Although the Governor is not a politician, his words still matter. During the Symposium of National Heritage the Governor stated very clearly that 'Preserving heritage and development are not incompatible'.

For now, I will let the abovementioned quotes, sources and statements suffice to make my case , but I can produce much and much more information if more is necessary.
If just by reading the abovementioned, a 'bell does not start ringing in your heads'- no problem, here are some 'hints'.
Chris Emmanuel has been elected member of Parliament during the recent elections of, Friday, August 29, 2014.
Sarah Wescott-Williams ?. Ok, She too has been elected to the same Parliament.
Frans Richardson ? Surprised many by also being re-elected to Parliament - yes, the same Parliament.
William Marlin ? Ok, you get the drift.
Silveria Jacobs ? Indeed, you are right.
And Drs. Eugene Holiday ? He still is the very same Governor, whose position on the preservation of our heritage, is duly recorded.
Are you 'feeling me' now ?
A little ?
Great, we are getting there....
Now, these persons, with the exception of the Governor of course, are not only elected in Parliament – the coalition party-leaders, William, Sarah and Frans have already signed a 'Governing-accord', making them the dafacto new Government of St.Maarten.
Now, here is where I am heading to.
Of course, once the coalition-government is formed, they will be confronted with a 'ton-load' of challenges and issues,
All very, very, very important issues
Issues like education, employment, health-care, housing, infra-structure, you name it – all need their strong attention, which we encourage the new Government exactly to do.
However - and this a very, very, big however.
Recent elections have once more clearly exposed the fact that due to serious shifts in our demography, native St. Martin people are fast heading towards their demise as a people.
To be very clear, it is more than evident, that our native, indigenous St. Martin People are in the process of being 'wiped out' as a distinct people, by means of 'genocide through substitution', regardless it being 'bloodless' – for now.
Our record, efforts and commitment towards the recognition, protection and preservation of our native, indigenous people as foundation for inclusion, nation building and unification is well known the globe over.
To date, most of our own native, indigenous St. Martin politicians have bent backwards to accommodate, appease and reward immigrants, including the illegal ones.
This to the point, where they are simply being 'regulated', meaning nothing less than that they are given one grace-period after the other, one amnesty after the other to be finally 'rewarded' with naturalization.
Presently, this trend has resulted in non-native St. Martiners having found the 'key' to enter into Government and where they can eventually RULE over us in their own ethnic interest, which is only natural for anyone to do, given the opportunity.
Many of our own native politicians, in personal conversations have also expressed deep concern about the final outcome of this demographic-shift, but they always claimed that there was no enough political support to come up with legislation to protect our own native, indigenous St. Martiners in our OWN land.
With the outcome of the last election and with the changing and very 'vexing' mood of the native, St. Martin population, there is no reason and much less no more TOLERANCE for any excuse not to start making sure that finally 'Charity starts at home' for we the native, indigenous St. Martin people.
Not only, is it time for the persons, mentioned above to get started on this 'outstanding issue', but we challenge any Member of Parliament not to co-operate with finally taking care of the people of this land.
It is the most UNIQUE and SACRED opportunity and obligation for those now in Government to start writing history and to lay the foundation for the new 'St. Martin Order' – Nation building and unification, bottom-up.
We of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, are more than willing, prepared, motivated, passionate and competent to play a very active role in the process.
In ending we say, 'Young blood leadership', 'Veteran leadership', let us together make history for our island and become the blue-print society for how to build a nation.
And remember the words of the Governor ' Preserving our heritage and development are not incompatible'.....
It is now, or never.
The 'right' people are now in place and betraying the St. Martin people again will come at a price.

The choice is yours.
WE READY!

Drs. Leopold James
President of the St.Martin Grassroots People Movement
And proud native, indigenous St. Martiner – without apologies

General

The UP lead government has created a real estate bubble that will burst and hurt many real estate investors.
Let us take a look at the real estate transaction by Minister Lake of the UP party from an auditor's view:

Requirements
Before a minister can sign a document or contract that binds government financially he has to obtain at least 3 approvals from different control units:

1. He has to obtain the approval from the minister of finance, because the minister of finance has higher supervision on all the ministries in government.
2. He has to obtain the approval from the Council of Ministers.
3. He has to obtain the approval from the Governor of St. Maarten and
4. If the transaction is not budgeted, he has to get the approval of the CFT.

Since the transaction with the Vorst family did not have these approvals and it was not budgeted, it will have to be classified as an act of gross negligence.

Control Mechanisms
The Parliament of St. Maarten did not act because the Minister should have gotten a vote of no confidence.
The Council of Ministers did not act because the minister could have been suspended.
The CFT did not act because they should have written a letter asking questions relating to this matter.
The Audit Chamber still have an opportunity to act and audit this transaction, since the transaction has a negative effect on the community of St. Maarten. Real Estate prices will get out of reach of all local St. Maarteners. Thus our children will not be able to buy a piece of land on St. Maarten. Only rich foreigners will capable of buying overpriced real estate on the Island.
The Governor should have ask some questions and call the minister to order.

Conclusion
This land deal which forces government to buy land for more than 4 times the market price, sends a questionable signal to the real estate market on St. Maarten. This questionable bubble can only burst in the near future.
The young people of this country will not be able to purchase a parcel of land to build their dream home on the rock called St. Maarten.
The Audit Chamber should investigate this transaction so as to limit the damage to Government and the community in general.

Former Minister of Finance Roland S. Tuitt

Dear Reginald Richardson,

Like many people, I too agree with your advice to our current Prime-minister, Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams.
For the simple reason, that the lady has in her own style and un-disputably displayed a political knowledge, prowess and tenacity - un-matched by most other politicians in our history.
In addition, during her career, The Prime-minister had to endure the loss of her late husband.
Many would, under those circumstances have decided to 'throw in the towel' and to enjoy quality time with family.
The lady endured and persevered tough challenges nevertheless.
Our movement, in the past has also commended and criticized her political positions, whenever we considered such appropriately.
We were never easy on her and she never responded with any sense of revenge, rather always very polite whenever our paths crossed.
We ourselves tried not to disrespect her as a person.
As a matter of fact we acknowledge that Sarah is a very down-to-earth and like-able person.
Still - based on the abovementioned and on the changing political reality, which is nothing less than a political 'paradigm-shift' in many aspects, we too think that the lady should draw conclusions from these and do the 'honorable thing'.
However......., we still believe that her real legacy will never be complete without one historical milestone.
It is no secret that Sarah has native St. Martin roots on this island and that she truly loves this island, not to talk about her deep relationship with the people from Simpson-bay, who are becoming strangers in their own community.
It is also no secret, that all her very own native, indigenous St. Martin People are being threatened with extinction, by means of 'cultural genocide by substitution'.
This will result, in eventually others being in total control of all aspects of the island, including Government.
We can not begin to imagine, that Sarah would want her legacy to show that she did nothing to protect and preserve her own native St. Martin people.
Therefore, we sincerely hope and pray, that Sarah, before passing on the 'baton' of leadership to the 'new blood' generation, at least has the courage and wisdom to take the initiative to work on a 'New St. Martin Order', focusing on preservation of the St. Martin People, their cultural-heritage, nation building, and unification of the island – bottom-up.
Sarah does not have to do that by herself.
The same advice namely goes to the NA-leader, William Marlin, who also got a very clear message at the polls.
In addition, Silveria Jacobs, the presumptive new leader of the NA, herself in the past, committed herself to promote the 'Decade of revitalization of our St. Martin heritage'.
And to top it all off.
What better, most experienced and dedicated group to assist in the formulating of this 'New St. Martin Order', than the St. Martin Grassroots People movement, duly registered on both sides of the island and well-known to all ?
As they say; 'We are just a call away'......

Leopold JAMES
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement

Dear Editor,

I read with interest your recent article about the Harbour law suit. While not immediately obvious, that incident is actually related to the below press release which you may not be aware of.

The foreign port in question is St Maarten and the local official is your illustrious UP leader, Theo Heyliger.

It is only a question of time before the US Department of Justice makes this public knowledge. Another rock that no one has looked under yet is the sale of St Maarten Port Services N.V. to St Maarten Terminal Services N.V. A business owned and operated by Heyligers family. Through this purchase the Heyliger family now holds a monopoly over the shipping business at the port. An enviable position for a politician with executive control over the Harbour.

What you do with this is up to you of course. I can only tell you what rocks to look under.

AGL: Shipping subsidiary paid off officials

A shipping company owned by AGL Resources Inc. has delivered what could be a headache for the natural gas giant.

AGL reported Oct. 30 it has begun an investigation into payments made to "local officials and other persons" at a foreign port used by AGL's shipping subsidiary, Tropical Shipping, which is one of the largest containerized cargo carriers serving the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

"While the investigation is ongoing, we believe that a number of payments were made over a series of years and the aggregate amount of these payments is less than $200,000 based upon information obtained to date," AGL reported.

AGL (NYSE: GAS) said it has voluntarily disclosed the payments to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. "We will cooperate with any investigation by the DOJ and the SEC," AGL said, adding that it is unable to predict the duration, scope or result of any investigation.

An AGL Resources spokeswoman told Atlanta Business Chronicle on Oct. 30 that the company would not comment on additional specifics related to the investigation at this time. Rick Murrell, CEO of Tropical Shipping, could not be reached for comment.

AGL acquired Tropical Shipping in December 2011 when it bought Nicor Inc. for $2.4 billion, making AGL the nation's largest national gas distribution company based on customer count.

Headquartered in Riviera Beach, Fla., Tropical Shipping has provided containerized cargo transportation services in the Bahamas and Caribbean regions for 50 years.

In 2012, Tropical Shipping had an annual revenue of $342 million and earnings of$8 million.

Through the first nine months of 2013 its revenues were $264 million.

The company employs more than 1,000 people.

On Oct. 30, AGL CEO John Somerhalder said in AGL's third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts that AGL's cargo shipping business has "improved meaningfully."

"We are seeing continued improvement in market conditions, and our volume is higher by 10 percent year-over-year through September," he said, according to a transcript of the call. "While the rate per 20-foot equivalent unit, or TEU, has fallen slightly on average due to pricing action taken last summer, rates for the third quarter were above last year's levels."

Somerhalder did not discuss the Tropical Shipping investigation.

Tropical Shipping helps AGL reduce its taxes. Tropical's operations are structured to allow AGL "to take advantage of certain provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 that provide the opportunity for certain tax savings," AGL's annual report says.

Tropical Shipping transports containerized freight and provides southbound scheduled services from the United States and Canada to 25 ports in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, interisland service between several of the Caribbean ports and operates from St. Thomas and St. Croix as its hubs in the Caribbean. Tropical Shipping also provides northbound shipments from those islands to the United States and Canada. Other related services, such as inland transportation and cargo insurance, are also provided by Tropical Shipping or its other subsidiaries and affiliates.

Tropical Shipping's southbound cargo consists mainly of building materials, food and other necessities for developers, distributors and residents in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, as well as tourist-related shipments intended for use by hotels, resorts and cruise ships. Tropical Shipping's interisland shipments consist primarily of consumer staples and northbound shipments primarily consist of apparel, rum and agricultural products.

On average, approximately 70 percent to 75 percent of Tropical Shipping's total volumes shipped are in the southbound market, 15 percent to 20 percent interisland and 5 percent to 10 percent northbound. Tropical Shipping's contract consists of a southbound shipment of goods from Canada destined mainly for Puerto Rico. The company's cargo shipping segment also includes Triton Container International Ltd., a full-service global leasing company and an owner-lessor of marine intermodal cargo containers.

Phil W. Hudson is a finance, banking and general assignment reporter.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2013/11/08/agl-shipping-subsidiary-paid-off.html?page=all

The Whistleblower

It has come to my attention that in his bid to win re-election Theo Heyliger has promised to deliver a waste to energy plant to Country St.Maarten. In the ad is an artist's rendering showing what the plant will look like when built. All in all a pretty effective ad for something St.Maarten has needed for a long time.

Now I do understand the business of politics and that come election time all politicians will remind voters that it was them or their political party that "brought home the bacon". The only issue I have is that in order to bring home the bacon you must first realize that bacon comes from hogs and you must be willing to go find the hogs or at the very least stop at your local supermarket or butcher to pick up a pound or two. That takes a bit of ambition which despite the high salaries they are paid none of the politicians in St.Maarten seem to have when it comes to the need for sustainable energy. It took me doing the research, finding the company, contacting the company, looking at what they had to offer and determining how it could benefit the island. After all that I still had to practically light a fire under their rear ends in order to get them to move on it.

Now I have been writing about this need for sustainable energy in the local St.Maarten papers starting way back in 2002. The second article I wrote for the Daily Herald was titled
The Winds of Change
Are they blowing in St.Maarten?
This article ran in the business section November 23, 2002. It prompted a good deal of discussion and for many years politicians promised they were doing something about it when it was what they thought the people wanted to hear. The problem is nothing was ever done about it.

The people of the island have suffered needlessly due to the high cost of energy. When GEBE was in the news constantly back in 2011 due to the outrageous bills people had to pay it prompted me to write a second follow up article titled "The Winds of Change- Revisited" which ran on June 29, 2011 and even prompted the editor of the Herald to write an editorial piece about it titled "Sustainable" which also ran on June 29, 2011. Finally I decided to take matters into my own hands so on Thursday July 21, 2011 I called a company in Dallas to inquire if they would have an interest in doing a sustainable energy project in St.Maarten. They did have an interest so after studying the material on August 3, 2011 I made my first contact with then Minister Heyliger. My letter to him as well as his response to me is copied below.

Re: St.Maarten has problems, I have solutions‏
Theo Heyliger

8/14/11

To: Andy Croxall

Dear Mr. Croxall,

St.Maarten is indeed looking for a solution to our waste challenges. Several years ago we issued a public tender for interested companies. To date we are in negotiations with the proposed finalist. Many studies and negotiations have been done and are continuing.

To the person that does not know better your email gives the impression that you are bringing the holy grail.

I have seen and heard many of the same claims that you are boasting only to have been disappointed in the end.

St.Maarten is seeking a proven system that has been tried and tested. Not one that is in a developmental stage. Building plants and not having existing plants is in my opinion developmental.

Nonetheless, I am still willing to meet with your contacts with a open mind.

Would you be so kind as to provide a webiste or other information that we can continue the research ?

As you have published my emails in the past, please feel free to send my response to whomever you deem necessary.

Regards

Theo Heyliger

2011/8/3 Andy Croxall <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Dear Theo,

As we are both aware, St.Maarten is currently experiencing some major problems, the high cost of electricity, the overflowing landfill, the damaged cruise pier and a lack of funds needed to deal with these problems.

A few weeks ago in an effort to develop a solution to the GEBE problem I reached out to a contact of mine here in the States to see if his company would have any interest in doing a wind energy project down there. During the course of our conversation he told me that in addition to wind turbines his company could also provide a waste-to-energy plant which, with an annual volume of 100,000 tons of waste would produce 15 MW of electricity.

I know you have looked into building a waste-to-energy plant on Pond Island in the past, so I pursued this with him. His company would provide all needed development capital and financing for this project. St.Maarten will not need to contribute any equity for the project. This company's projects are totally self financed. In addition, a plant of this type would result in a net reduction of 95,000 tons of greenhouse gasses. These carbon credits would be retained by St.Maarten and can be sold for approximately $30.00 per ton amounting to 2.85 million per year in income.

This project would create approximately 100 construction jobs and 15 to 20 permanent "green jobs" in the ongoing operation of the plant. The company will provide all job training and the workforce will be comprised of locals. Every effort would made to hire local help in the construction of the plant as well.

In addition to the solid waste facility this company can also convert the sludge produced at the wastewater treatment plant into energy. I know St.Maarten recently began construction on an expanded and upgraded wastewater treatment plant. This could fit in nicely and be beneficial to St.Maarten.

Once construction starts it would take approximately 12 months to complete the plant. The waste-to-energy facilities generate emissions that comply with all U.S. EPA and E.U. standards. The conversion of the waste into electricity is within an enclosed building similar to an industrial warehouse with no adverse odors or noise.

In order to make this happen, the company will need a 20-year firm agreement for a minimum amount of municipal solid waste and sewage sludge. As well as a couple sites with a ground lease to locate the facilities of 5-7 acres per site (one near the land fill and one near the waste water treatment facility, and a 20 year firm priced power purchase agreement.

From what I can determine this company can offer St.Maarten an environmentally friendly, turnkey solution to; the GEBE problem, the landfill problem, the cruise pier problem (income generated by this project can pay for the pier repairs), and the as yet to be created problem of what to do with the sludge from the wastewater treatment plant. All with no investment of money required by St.Maarten.

The company has plans to begin construction of two plants this fall, one in the US and one in the Caribbean. St.Maarten could be number three.

There are some other income streams involved that can be discussed once the project has been evaluated in more detail. If you have an interest in discussing this further I can be reached at 330-835-9648 before noon everyday.

Best regards,

Andy Croxall

As you can see from his reply Theo was quite wary of me from the start which given our past history was not unexpected on my part however we got over it and things moved forward.

Knowing St.Maarten politics the way I do I did not want to see this project turned into a political football due to the huge upside potential to the people of the Island so I also contacted William Marlin then in the opposition benches as well as Kendall Dupersoy and let them know what was being proposed. In fact I actually contacted Kendall a few days prior to approaching Theo. St.Maarten politics being what they are this proved to be a wise move since the first government fell and William replaced Theo as the point man on the project with Kendall serving as his advisor. This allowed for a transition with a much shorter learning curve since they already had knowledge of the project from the start.

William's turn at the helm narrowed the field to four potential companies before the collapse of the second government.

Maurice Lake became the next minister in charge of VROMI and has recently announced the company selected to do the project is the same company (Synergy) who I initially put Theo in touch with.

That is the short version of the long history of this project. I don't think the voters really care who brought home the bacon just so it costs them less in electric bills to fry it up when they get it home.
Note: During this project I was also in contact with Jadira Veen as well as Bibi Shaw so they had knowledge as well as to what I was trying to make happen here in addition to the aforementioned Politicians. I just want the people of the island to know the whole truth as to who did what before heading to the polls on Friday. I'll be sitting here in Akron, Ohio waiting to hear the results. Now get out and vote. If you don't vote don't complain for the next four years. I will be happy to answer any questions anyone has about this.

Regards,

Andy Croxall
Ph# 330-634-4426

As we enter the last week of the campaign for the 2014 - 2018 Parliamentary elections I would like to take the time to speak to our voters and all citizens of St. Maarten.

I can imagine you are being bombarded by candidates and parties vying for your vote. You are the most important person to all parties right now, and I can imagine it is overwhelming, but remember that you are important ALL the time and you can voice your opinions at any time and not just at election time.

However, please stay calm and carefully analyze the facts that are presented to you by asking yourself these three questions:

1.  Who is this person (character)?
2.  What is his/her track record in politics or in his/her current life/work/community?
3.  Does his/her party reflect the same values and vision?

Many are talking about a change being needed while their party is in government -and has been for 33 of the 46 months of this term. What does that mean?
How does the current leadership in government factor in with the new candidates - do they really have one Vision?
Ministers are taking decisions in direct violation of the law which will cost the government loads of money, who will be held liable for these decisions?
Members of Parliament have walked out on motions and other resolutions that would have brought relief to the people, or have not spoken out and taken any decisions against those in violation of the rules and laws which has brought about several integrity reports.
Even the headlines this very week are filled with integrity issues which can be prosecuted and paints a very ugly picture to our citizens and the world.

These are all facts that you should consider before voting.
If you would like things to continue as they are then by all means vote for the current parties in control of government.
However if you would like to see a true change in the way government operates, one that includes real transparency, integrity, and hard work for the benefit of the people of St. Maarten then your choice is clear.

Vote for the party for strong leadership, experience, new and innovative ideas to increase revenue, diversify our economy to stimulate the labour market and opportunity for growth for all.
Vote For a representative who will put Education and the development of our Youth as priority one in building a strong nation. Nelson Mandela said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Don't miss out on the opportunity to be the change you want to see in this country. Make use of your democratic right to vote and influence the way your country is run.
Choose a candidate on a list that you believe has the best interest of St. Maarten at heart, has a vision to achieve this and the individuals to carry it out.
In all your deliberations and pondering of your choices, one thing is certain:
YOU MUST GO OUT AND VOTE!!!!

Silveria Jacobs

Ministry of Economic Affairs & Harbour
The Government Administration Bldg.
Clem Labega Square,
Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Honorable Minister of Economic Affairs,
Mr. Ted Richardson.

Dear Minister Ted Richardson,

We are very disturbed about the front page article that appeared in our two dailies of Thursday, August 21, 2014 indicating that Zebec Development N.V. filed a legal claim for more than US 100 million against the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Mark Mingo.

Were you aware of the pending dispute between Zebec Development N.V. and the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies? When these contracts were signed between these two companies and are you aware of the contents of those agreements?
Have you ever tried to intervene in this dispute knowing that the image of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies can be tarnished internationally?
Has there been any type of interference of third parties that may have swayed the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies to consider doing business with them that would be economically more beneficial to the harbour than the agreements signed with Zebec Development N.V.?
Have you discussed this dispute with the Council of Ministers and what was their take on it?
Don't you believe that you and the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies should go to parliament to inform them about this serious development surrounding the patrimony of the people?

Mr. Richardson while the OSPP strongly believes that there is two sides to every story we are very concerned and would hate to see the good name of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies be dragged through our legal system. These types of litigations are very expensive and at the end of the day the people funds will be used to pay for something that could have been avoided. Secondly, future investors may have doubts about entering into agreements with any of the government owned companies.

We are urging you to look into this matter and to arrange a meeting between the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies, the Council of Ministers and parliament to inform them on these recent developments.

The OSPP is of the opinion that we should act quickly and swiftly to avoid any type of damage to the harbour and the image of St. Maarten.

Yours truly,
One St. Maarten People Party

Lenny F. Priest
Leader

Cc: Parliament of St. Maarten
Council of Ministers
St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies

Dear Sint Maarten Residents,

If you are a registered voter and are voting on August 29th, 2014 I would hereby like to ask you to please cast your vote for my colleague, protégé and friend Rueben J. Thompson. Rueben is an environmentalist in the true sense of the word, he will never sway away from conservation, environment and heritage issues. He is without a doubt the very first professional environmentalist to postulate for Sint Maarten's elections.

Rueben has shown his dedication to natural, cultural heritage and environmental activism since he returned from the Netherlands with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Management and Policy. Rueben has organized and participated in countless clean-up activities, provided environmental education classes and activities to thousands of school children, he has consistently lobbied for proper environmental management and decision making with Government and Governors. He has used his education and experience to write and submit draft parliamentary motions, draft policies and ordinances in order to motivate Government to take measures towards the protection of natural and cultural heritage and to protect the environment. Rueben Thompson will not give you a gift for your vote but you can be assured that he will focus all his energy on protecting our people's interests including the sound management of the environment, nature, wildlife and heritage. There is nothing short term about this young man, he stands for a long term commitment towards improving your quality of life!

I endorse and support Rueben J. Thompson, candidate #4 United Sint Maarten Party, for Parliament, for I know who he is, his good integrity and the principles he stands for.

Jadira Veen

Dear Editor,

In February of 2013 Member of Parliament Mr. Frans Richardson called to assure me that he believes in and fully supports the efforts of Sint Maarten Pride Foundation, EPIC and the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation to safeguard and properly manage Sint Maarten's Natural and Cultural Heritage. After a productive discussion, the Member of Parliament and I agreed to pool resources on the compilation of several parliamentary motions aimed at the protection of Sint Maarten's Natural and Cultural Heritage. These motions were finalized in March 2013 and MP Richardson subsequently tabled them in Parliament on April 17th and 18th, 2013 during the Budget debates of that year.
The motions, which were titled "Beach Access", "National Heritage", "Fort Amsterdam Sint Maarten" and "Mullet Pond", listed time frames for the Council of Ministers regarding the taking of suitable measures towards meeting the objectives of the resolutions as stipulated in the different motions.
Allow me to provide a number of examples in order to remind your readership of the content and purpose of the motions. In the motion titled "Beach Access", which as the title suggests was aimed at ensuring unobstructed beach access, parliament resolved: "To charge the Council of Ministers with the task of drafting and implementing a Beach Protection Ordinance, within one hundred and twenty days of the passing of this motion. This Beach Protection Ordinance should include ... ... ... regulations aimed at protecting the recreational, ecological and natural values of Sint Maarten's beaches and securing unrestricted and unobstructed public access and ample parking spaces";

The motion on Mullet Pond charged the Council of Ministers, specifically the Minister of VROMI, with the task of taking the necessary measures towards establishing the entire Mullet Pond as a Nature Park and required the zoning of the Mullet Pond for conservation purposes.

In the motion titled National Heritage Parliament specifically charged the Minister of Culture and Education with; "Including National Heritage Education in the mandatory school curricula". This motion furthermore charged the "Council Of Ministers with Strengthening Monument protection and national heritage conservation legislation".
A year and four months have come and gone since the passing or approval of these "Natural and Cultural heritage motions" and not one Minister has reported back to parliament or to the general public regarding progress made in carrying-out the resolutions as specified in the motions. A few months ago I submitted a letter to the President of Parliament requesting details on Government's execution of the resolutions of the motions. I was informed that my letter was forwarded to the Council of Ministers for further handling. I am still awaiting a detailed response but I am confident that none of parliament's resolutions were actually carried out.
In my modest opinion this unwillingness to take much needed measures to protect our heritage is a prime example of the fact that the term sustainable development, although often used by our decision makers is nothing but a catchphrase to them.
Bearing in mind that the durability of our tourism based economy is largely reliant on the proper management of our Natural and Cultural resources and that proper management of resources is a core component of sustainable development it is beyond my understanding why Government does not take the matter more seriously.
As an environmentalist and advocate for the sound management of natural and cultural heritage, the abovementioned motions are amongst the causes I will continue to champion when elected to Parliament.
Please consider visiting and liking my page at www.facebook.com/thompsonsxm where I will be regularly posting my thoughts on where St. Maarten should be headed.

Best regards,

Rueben J. Thompson
Environmentalist
Candidate number four (4)
United Sint Maarten Party

Dear Editor,

After the publication of my first article on "Open Government" the topic has caused many responses. Please allow me to continue on the platform of Open Government, and I ask the public to be open minded and decide who they would put their trust in on Friday, August 29th 2014.
Webster dictionary defines being accountable as "subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable" or, "capable of being explained; explicable; explainable."
There are many people saying "hold us accountable after you vote us into office" and "we stand for integrity." I am asking, how can the people hold elected officials accountable, when they aren't provided with a proper report of business in this country? Where are the control mechanisms that Parliament enacted in this first parliamentary term of Country St. Maarten that empowered our people to indeed hold Government accountable? I say again, the people deserve to know!

How is our tax money being spent by Government? Which companies win the public tenders, which companies have contracts with government? How many technical assistants do we have and how much are they paid? How many times have a minister or parliamentarian traveled, what was paid for these travels and why? What was the purpose of those travels? Are they relevant to their ministry? What is in the contracts for government purchases that Government keeps losing cases? What did the government legal experts advise?
We all see a budget claiming what Government is going to do with our tax money. However, where is the annual report stating what they actually did with the money? Does this spending also reflect what promises were made during elections? This also counts for Government owned companies. Where are the annual reports of the BTP, TELEM, GEBE, PJIA and not forgetting the Harbor Group of Companies? What lands, buildings or services were bought and from who? And for how much? Is it market value? Or another deal made? Without knowing these hidden facts, you cannot hold your elected officials accountable. You the people, have a right to know.
Ask yourself the question, who would not want this information to be made public?
I can assure you, that I, Gerard Richardson, will champion this cause as it is something I truly believe in. Open Government reduces corruption, and the illusion of power that elected officials wield over the population. There will be no more politicians telling you, "I will take care of it." There will be no more asking for services that you are entitled to. Government must publish their policies in order for you, the people, to know what is required of you for any service they provide. Open Government means less money is being wasted on scrupulous matters with no return on investment, but better wages, vacation pay and periodic raises for our hardworking, deserving teachers, civil servants, law enforcement etc. Open Government means more accurate pricing for projects, which in turn will result in less taxes on the people of this country, meaning more money in your pockets.

Ask yourself St. Maarten, who really wants to give you, the people, the tools in order to hold us accountable? I ask you, to take a stand with me. Take action today, for a better tomorrow. On August 29th 2014, vote for transparency, vote for Open Government, vote for you, the people, to have more control in how your country is being managed. Vote for Gerard Richardson into parliament, your number 10 candidate on the Democratic Party slate.

Gerard M.C. Richardson

Reliable information reaching our movement, clearly indicates that there is a growing concern within the UP-party of Theo Heyliger about a number of issues.
One being that there are some candidates on the UP-list, who are increasingly feeling very uncomfortable being associated with some of their fellow candidates on the list, especially those close to the bottom of the list.
A number of these concerned candidates seem to have been complaining privately, that it is becoming particularly difficult to defend their number 22 candidate, against whom a number of very serious accusations are being leveled by his brother Cimmaron Marlin on various radio-stations.
The fact that a brother of one of the UP-candidates is coming out so publicly accusing his brother of being a very untrustworthy and greedy person, is making many wonder, if this person should ever get in Government.
According to Cimmaron Marlin, this episode with his brother was re-activated a few weeks ago.
His brother, UP number 22 candidate, approached him with the request to 'smooth out' his reputation and to have the court-verdict against him retracted, so that he could have a 'clean slate' and can be successful in the upcoming election.
According to Cimmaron, his brother promised him, that in return, he would make sure he would not have to endure any more pressure operating his project at the Border-point.
The controversy between Cimmaron and his brother Julian Rollocks has been a very bitter one for years and many in the public never understood, why such a very wealthy businessman would make the life of his brother so difficult and still want to postulate himself on a political list, where trust is the key to be elected.
Our sources have shared with us, that it should not be ruled out that some of these UP-candidates, might put pressure on the leader of the party, Theo Heyliger, to either see to it that the candidate in question, urgently comes to a settlement with his brother Cimmaron, or that he be removed from the list.
All in all, this is not a situation that any party would want the public to focus on so close to the election and Theo Heyliger therefore has to prove now whether he is in charge of the leadership of UP, or Julian Rollocks.
Already there seems to be a slogan in the make that 'A vote for the UP, is a vote for Rollocks' , since they feel that that is the way Rollocks will interpret such.
In addition, it seems that internally, also the party is very un-easy as to the outcome of the 'vote-buy court-case against the leader of the party, in which a verdict is expected just before the election.
The public should follow these developments very closely, because they can have a very surprising impact on the outcome of the election.

drs. Leopold JAMES
Founder and president of the St. Martin Nation Building Foundation (SNBF) and the AssociationL'Esprit de Concordia

Dear Editor,

Over the years I have seen our leaders propose several solutions to help alleviate traffic congestion. Some of the solutions include stop lights, round-a-bouts, bridges, a moratorium on bringing in cars and tunnels. Several of them were carried out costing tax payers millions of dollars but traffic congestion still remains an issue. In this letter I propose a solution which is a bit different. Instead of just changing our road network, I believe the solution lies in reliable public transportation. This stems from the belief that people buy vehicles because they cannot rely on our current transportation system and if it is improved the population would naturally make use of it and as a result less cars would be on the road.
Currently, St. Maarten has over 300 buses that make up part of our public transportation system. This information was obtained from the Ministry of TEATT and I was a bit surprised that so many buses service a 16 square mile island with two routes to the French side. These licenses were given out over several decades and anyone who uses the public transportation system can tell you this system is unreliable. Buses come at unpredictable times and most people spend too much time waiting on the road in the hot sun for a bus. To improve this system I propose nationalizing the bus system. If the bus system on St. Maarten was nationalized it would allow:

• bigger and safer buses
• more routes being traveled (this helps combat the gypsy taxi issue)
• drivers can be screened and qualified drivers will be allowed to drive buses
• drivers have fixed hours (no drivers working 24/7)
• no reckless driving by bus drivers competing for passengers
• government collects more money through issuing bus passes
• timed reliable public transportation (e.g. a bus passes every 30 minutes)
• effective use of bus stops (no stopping all over the place)
• less traffic, due to some of my previous points
• fixed fares (some drivers overcharge)
• bus license owners would not be able to rent their bus license while having another job (no passive income)
• bus drivers would be paid by government (no false declarations to evade taxes)
• more efficiency and productivity for the general public

These are some of the benefits I was able to think of and I am sure there are more. However, this would be a drastic change in our public transportation system and it requires preparation. Two questions come to mind. (1) What will happen to the bus drivers we already have? (2) Can our current road network accommodate such a system? To answer the first question I would say we need to integrate current bus drivers into this system. The bus system could be managed through a government owned company and current bus drivers would get first preference at jobs at this company. This is easier said than done as some bus drivers may not want to cooperate, however in the long run this system benefits them too because they wouldn't have any overhead cost, in our current system bus drivers have to buy/rent and maintain their own vehicle. The answer to the second question is no, our current system cannot accommodate such a system in its current state. All routes would need to have bus stops and some routes do not (e.g. Sucker Garden). The lack of bus stops is a big issue on St. Maarten. Main roads don't have enough bus stops and some routes are not covered by buses. There are no buses to Point Blanche or Sucker Garden for example and this allows for gypsy taxis to service these routes.
I am aware that this seems like a lot of work and a big change, all stakeholders would have to be consulted before this can be realized. But the benefits are definitely worth it. The population would get a transportation system that is more affordable and safer and job opportunities through driving, maintaining and cleaning the buses. They would also save time and be less frustrated/stressed out by not having to wait too long on buses or in traffic jams. For the Government of St. Maarten this would be a great way to gain revenues through a bus pass system, enforce regulations on this sector of public transportation and several of the issues plaguing our transportation system would be resolved. It is also important to note that this solution is much more affordable than some of the solutions that have already been executed by our leaders.

Ramzan Juman

Dear Editor,

On July 17, 2014 Mr. Gerard Richardson responded to my opinion letter about edu-tourism. I appreciate his step to respond in an open manner to an average citizen via the media. In return, please allow me to respond to the opinion letter published in your newspaper on July 24, 2010: "Open government" by Gerard Richardson.
Wikipedia gives the following definition of open government: "Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight." In his letter Mr. Richardson is going a step further than just having access to documents. He is using terms like "informing the people" and "withholding nothing". I would like to go another step further: We need to train and educate government's staff (civil servants) to such a level that it doesn't make a difference who you talk to, because the staff being so well prepared and knowledgeable about their duty and the laws and proceedings that come with it that everybody is streamlined to the goal of costumer (resident) satisfaction.
When it comes to "informing the people" and "withholding nothing" it should not be limited to the media and residents asking questions, but there should be a proactive approach on informing the people. Disseminate information also when people don't ask for it. The combination of a high level performing civil servant apparatus and an informed people will reduce not only the mentioned frustration and aggravation, but also the level of transparency.
Wikipedia further reads: "Transparency in government is often credited with generating government accountability. Transparency often allows citizens of a democracy to control their government, reducing government corruption, bribery and other malfeasance. Some commentators contend that an open, transparent government allows for the dissemination of information, which in turn helps produce greater knowledge and societal progress." This statement is supporting my position on a more proactive approach. I would like the candidates that are participating in the upcoming elections to be more outspoken about the accessibility to government, the simplifying of procedures and equal treatment. This will all add up to a more transparent government, one that can easier be held accountable by the people.
Editor, in closing I want to emphasize once again that I don't want to hear about who is paying who to wear a shirt for ten dollars or putting on a clowns act with a broom and dustpan. I have addressed several points over the past weeks that have my interest and I am still not convinced who I should choose to represent me.

Andrew Smith

Dear Student,

It is back to school time again. For some of you, this means, sadly, the end of your vacation, while for others it is the start of a new journey through our educational system.
Some of you would be looking forward to meeting old and new friends, as well as teachers. Some will be starting completely new material and getting acquainted with new surroundings, while others will be continuing the next phase of their education. All of these form part of what we can call an annual back to school ritual.
I wish you the very best as you commence this important period in your lives. Be reassured, however, that you are not alone and that you have a support system that will be there for you if you make use of it.
I am referring, of course to your teachers, who have your interests at heart; your parents who continue to make the sacrifices necessary for you to get a proper and meaningful education; your friends and family, who are there for you; and the community at large, who expect you to do well in school.
Whether you're in elementary or secondary school or studying at USM or NIPA, here are some tips that could help to make this school year less stressful and more enjoyable for you:

Tips

• Organize and prepare your things from the night before.
• Get plenty of rest at night because your body and your brains will need it during the day.
• Can't fall asleep? Video games keep you awake? Discover a good book (or Kindle) instead.
• Take good notes in class when the teacher is explaining a subject.
• Review your notes every day after class; this will make studying for a test much easier.
• After a test, write down the areas you did not understand.
• Ask your teacher or instructor to explain the material you didn't understand.
• Don't be afraid to ask your friends or classmates who may be better in a subject for help.
• Talk to your parents or other family members about your day (or evening) at school.
• Don't bully other students, and don't allow yourself to be bullied. Bullying is NOT cool.
• Respect yourself, your teachers and all school employees, and fellow school mates.

I am sure there are other things you could do to make this school year a very exciting and successful one. As a student, cultivate the habit of asking questions. It is the only way to acquire knowledge. And as they say, reading is FUN-damental: read as much as you can. This does not mean that you should not find time for recreation. Involve yourself with cultural activities. Make time to practice the sports you like regularly. Studies have shown that students who do that perform better in class.
Our whole island is depending on you, and we are all confident that you will do yourself and your family proud.
God bless you and your family. God bless St. Martin.

Yours truly,

Dr. Rhoda Arrindell,
Former Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs

Dear Editor,

Earlier this week I carried out one of my regular tours through the different neighborhoods on Sint Maarten to review and measure the extent of the environmental challenges the island faces. When I make these, often twice monthly, visits I usually run into interesting situations. This week was no different as while I was walking along the Great Salt Pond in the Sucker Garden area, across from the landfill, I stumbled upon a gentleman happily fishing for Tilapia in the Pond right next to a gutter filled with sewage and garbage.
During our brief conversation the gentleman informed me that he caught tilapia in the pond to cook for and feed his family of five with on a weekly basis. He did not seem at all alarmed when I pointed out that the waters of the pond are polluted and fishing in it for consumption purposes was likely not a very good idea. In fact, his response, before hurrying off with his Tilapia, was that if the pond was indeed polluted Government would have long done something to solve the problem. I am hoping the gentleman in question reads this brief article and changes his mind about eating fish, or anything else from the Great Salt Pond.
The management of solid-waste on Sint Maarten has been a topic of concern and discussion for decades. Land-filling, our current form of waste disposal is not only unsightly and bad for the environment; it is a very serious and often neglected health concern for the island's residents and many visitors.
Allow me to take landfill fires as an example. Although the frequency and size of landfill fires may have somewhat decreased over the past few years, fact is that they are still too prevalent and have long-lasting consequences. Landfill fires, big or small, release fine ash containing substances with cancer causing abilities and as such pose both immediate and long-term health risks to people exposed to the smoke, gases and toxic fumes. The situation regarding Sint Maarten's landfill is further exasperated by the potential leakage of pollutants from the landfill into the Great Salt Pond, connecting waterways and ultimately the ocean.
Landfill fires often result in the emission of dioxins; these types of emissions are of particularly serious concern because of their toxic characteristics and potential to surface as organic pollutants in the food chain. Dioxins do not biodegrade and can have adverse affects on various vital organs.
International research has shown that dioxins and other substances often released during landfill fires accumulate in the tissues of animals such as fish and bio-accumulate in the food chain. Bioaccumulation is the increase in concentration of a substance along the food chain; a toxic substance is emitted from a source (the land-fill) and is deposited in (in this case) the Great Salt Pond, algae and other tiny organisms absorb the toxins and are then eaten by small fish which are in turn preyed upon by larger fish. As the toxin is transferred up the food chain its concentration can be enlarged through bioaccumulation by thousands of times. The larger fish are eventually caught and eaten by other animals or by humans, potentially exposing them to large amounts of toxins which will accumulate in their bodies as well. This does not necessarily lead to immediate ill health but will very likely have health effects in the long-term.
The aforementioned is just one example of how the state of the environment affects the well-being of Sint Maarten's Citizens. Years of disregard for environmental issues by successive governments has given rise to a considerable amount of very serious human health hazards.
Current decision makers have over the years repeatedly used public funds to finance a wide-range of extensive studies into ways of resolving Sint Maarten waste-management challenges, yet none of these projects have been carried-out.
Resolving Sint Maarten's waste management challenges and thereby addressing serious human health concerns is amongst the causes I will continue to champion if elected to Parliament on August 29th, 2014.
Please consider visiting and liking my page at www.facebook.com/thompsonsxm where I will be regularly posting my thoughts on where St. Maarten should be headed.
Moving forward positively,

Rueben J. Thompson
Environmentalist
Candidate # (4)
United Sint Maarten Party

OPEN LETTER TO ALL POLITICIANS

Although, they are not (yet) openly admitting such, an increasing number of politicians in all parties and on both sides of the island are recognizing the importance to define, recognize and create special provisions for native, indigenous St. Martiners, to prevent their extinction as a people.
Like most St. Martin native people, they are realizing that the 'window of opportunities' to save St. Martiners from certain extinction as a people, based on 'genocide by substitution' - is rapidly closing.
The original, St. Martin Grassroots People Movement for many years, has dedicated itself completely to developing nation building and unification concepts- and strategies for this island, which simply is a must.
This does NOT automatically imply going into independence necessarily.
It is about making sure that native, indigenous St. Martiners are THE key-players in ALL forms of developmental processes, in which stability and sustainability are required.
In our concept of nation building, the recognition, preservation, protection of the native, indigenous St. Martiners, is the foremost important and morally acceptable foundation for inclusion of all other people with an added value to the process.
In this entire process, the first and most important step is to recognize the native, indigenous St. Martiner form a HERITAGE point of view.
To that end, since a number of years, we have developed the St. Martin (cultural/heritage-) ID card.
Also, we are very proud to have among our ID-card bearers, a number of politicians.
For instance, Senator Louis-Constant Fleming, (former-) Senator Marcel Gumbs.
In addition, even Mrs. Leona Marlin-Romeo, a highly intelligent and qualified St. Martin technocrat on the list of the US is a card-holder.
Her party-leader, Mr. Frans Richardson, a number of years ago, showed a lot of interest in the card himself as well as in our efforts to unify the island - bottom-up that is.
Also, Chief-minister of Anguilla, Mr. Hubert-Hughes, based on his St. Martin roots, is also a recipient of our ID-card.
The card will allow its bearers not only to proudly display their St. Martin heritage and their mutual bond as a people, but is also intended to provide them with special benefits and services, justifiably deserved as a native of this country.
Even Theo Heyliger, leader of the UP-party, at the Governor's New Year ceremony a few years ago, asked me for his ID-card.
Whether he was joking, or not, his request will certainly be considered if indeed presented.
The concept of the ID-card is NOT to take away any rights from anyone with a French-, and/or a Dutch nationality – we can NOT and will not even try that.
Our card is to make sure that we, native St. Martiners find a way to survive in the country, ourr ancestors paid for with their blood, sweat and tears !
Any politician, who REFUSES to contribute towards the preservation of native, indigenous St. Martiners, will have to give an account why the betrayal and will have to bear the consequences.
However, our St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, which is official registered on both sides of the island, hereby - ONCE MORE invites ALL and EVERY St. Martin political party to delegate a representative to our movement, who will be given the opportunity to participate in the application process for our St. Martin ID-card.
Eventually, both Governments, North- and South, will be allowed to be represented in a committee of our movement to do such.
We will be closely following to see, IF there are any REALLY proud St. Martiners in politics, willing to stand up against the genocide of their own people, or if they are all simply cowards and traitors.
The clock is ticking.

Leopold JAMES
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement

Dear Editor,

Some weeks ago I wrote an opinion letter about edu-tourism and why I think that it is something that St. Maarten should engage in. Medical tourism has many similarities with edu-tourism. To mention a few: it attracts foreign currency, it keeps money circulating in our economy, it creates high paying jobs and it increases the service to the people of St. Maarten.
Many years ago we voted to become an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On October 10, 2010 this became a reality, but another reality that became painfully clear is that the necessary infrastructure to run St. Maarten efficiently and effectively was lacking. Instead of rushing things for political mileage I think that we should develop a vision for St. Maarten and that we should build towards that vision.
When we are talking about a more diverse economy, more jobs, sustainable development, reducing the cost of living and much more, we should think about the "how". How are we going to ensure a long term income for this country? How can we guarantee long term services to the citizens of this country? As you know by now, I think that edu-tourism would greatly attribute to answering those questions. Besides edu-tourism there is another form of tourism that can be of an added to value to our economy and to the (medical) service level provided to the citizens of St. Maarten and to those that visit our shores: medical tourism.
Different parties are referring to our medical center/hospital in their campaigns. Some want to invest in a couple of extra rooms, others want to build a state of the art hospital and others again want to focus on bringing better qualified and more specialists to the country. How nice each of these plans may sound, there needs to be a vision behind it. A vision that clearly generates a year-round income, added specialties to our existing ones and a stable amount of employment opportunities added to our current labor market.
In closing I would like to, once again, emphasize that the level of campaigning needs to increase or at least the topics that are brought forward for political mileage need to be those that are showing a vision for St. Maarten. Candidates must have a vision for my sweet St. Maarten land, they must be able to explain that vision and they must be able to explain why I should support that vision. The candidate of my choice would also be a competent one, one that has proven himself or herself in either the private or the public sector. Dear editor, via you I would like to ask the candidates to be more outspoken about how our future tertiary care should look like. I am paying tax, I am a law abiding citizen and I am tired of the poor output of our parliament over the last four years. Convince me why I should vote for you.

Andrew Smith

We expect good governance and transparency from the Dutch. But Stolte, Isabella and now the secret appointment of a very senior civil servant for the RCN in Bonaire have ruined that perception. In a country where spying and lying go hand in hand, Plasterk should now face serious questions about the importance of integrity at home if only to promote a reputation for good governance abroad. He should also worry about the lessons his administration is giving to the rest of the Dutch Civil Service when it comes to equality of opportunity - which he has suppressed.
Cronyism is widely defined as the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications. For example, Stolte as Kingdom Representative was a CDA appointment made by a CDA Minister. We all know how unfortunate that became for the BES islands. In a written parliamentary question to Plasterk, members Fritsma and Wilders asked the Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations about the role of the new Kingdom Representative: "Is this post only available for failed councilors, given that the previous was also totally inept and wasting tax money?"

Similarly, Isabella is a PvdA appointment made by a PvdA Minister. Much has been said about the unsuitability of Isabella so no need for me to repeat the claims here. But I will add further fuel to the bonfire of good governance. Out of sixty candidates many of which had excellent skills and talents, the well-paid bingo prize of EUR 9,000 salary per month went to a 'failed politician'.

Why and how?

He was a close friend of Plasterk. They had known each other for a long time and had even canvassed together for elections in Utrecht. Compared to other candidates, his knowledge of the Caribbean is microscopic but his rewards (salary, perks, and emoluments) will be macroeconomic. Isabella did not complete his college studies in pedagogy yet as Kingdom Representative, he will now be responsible for shaping educational policy in the BES islands.

And what about the committee that chose him? There was Plasterk (PvdA), Gerdi Verbeet (PvdA colleague), Frits Goedgedrag (former employee of Ministry) and Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst (D66), a yes man with royal connections. Such is the power of Plasterk's position. Patronage and privilege make for easy bedfellows. George Orwell epitomized the public mechanics of human greed so perfectly in his famous book Animal Farm: "Man serves the interests of no creature except himself."

If there is one thing Plasterk has learned about the realities of political life it is that good governance is only an ideal and one that has no role in the political exercise of responsibility. In the modern world, it seems that lies and spies are the real forces that dictate public policy.

That is why Plasterk recently lied to the Dutch Parliament by saying that the NSA was responsible for the interception of 1.8 million illegal mobile phone taps and text messages on its citizens. The following month, leaked documents surfaced to reveal that the Dutch intelligence agencies were actually collecting the data. So much for Plasterk's integrity in creed and deed...

More jobs for the boys

And that brings us to the latest Caribbean scandal in the world of Dutch administration. When Isabella takes up his job in Bonaire (has he ever been there?) he will have a new director – a right hand man. Unlike Isabella's appointment, the vacancy for the new top civil service RCN job was never advertised. And the appointment that was made many months ago has never been officially announced.
Once again, it was all handled conveniently by the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations – the Ministry that actually lays down the code for civil servants for all the Ministries. "Quality is the common denominator" is how the Dutch Civil Service was once presented by the same Ministry a few years ago at an international conference. Its code of conduct specifically states: "all organizations in the central government sector must post all their job vacancies where they are accessible to all employees."
So once again, what could and should have been an open-handed and transparent process was handled in an apparently underhanded way. It is almost as if Plasterk is aiming to fuse the secret service with the civil service?

Fortunately we live in the age of social networking and the new director's wife who works in a personnel management function (and should know better) could hardly keep the news to herself. By blurting the news out on FACEBOOK, she has also seriously damaged the credibility of the communications department of the RCN and exposed Plasterk to some more searching questions in the Dutch Lower House about how the civil service works in private or in public.

Readers of this communiqué should not be overly shocked by this display of desperate cronyism and absence of integrity. It has a history in the Netherlands. In 1781, Dutch Patriots conducted a revolution against corruption, cronyism and other abuses. It was all blamed on William V, the arrogant 'Stadholder' of the time.

William eventually had to flee and my advice to Plasterk is to be more open and do the right thing. In Europe and especially in the Caribbean, we are getting tired of political stooges (many of whom are not directly elected but chosen in the name of the party) who do not behave in the best interests or the will of the people.

IJmir

When on the campaign trail or even outside of campaigning time, you always hear how arrogant William Marlin is. His so-called arrogance is the loudest rallying cry of the other political parties. Now no man is perfect but most of us that know William, know that he is no more arrogant than anyone else. In fact, in my opinion he would have been better served is his leadership style was more authoritarian.

However, after reading the legal document posing as a press release from the UPP on July 28, I must say that all supporters that don't like arrogance in their leader need to run far away from the UPP. The document published by the UPP basically telling all of us that as long as it is not in the law, any agreement or decision by Parliament does not count for MP Theo Heyliger and the UPP.
What MP Heyliger and his legal staff forgot to mention was the fact that on April 18th the members of Parliament, including the representatives of the UPP, unanimously voted for several electoral reforms including but not limited to promising not to buy votes, promise not to accept money, promise not to place campaign material close to polling stations, not to allow anyone to enter polling station wearing campaign paraphernalia, promise to remove all campaign material from the road 48 hours prior to election day and promise not to allow cellular, cameras or video cameras in voting booth. Since Parliament is the highest legal authority on the island, one would think that any motion passed in Parliament, especially one that was passed unanimously by no less than 6 Members supporting the UPP would have everyone's support.
This motion deals solely with the placing of campaign paraphernalia and the harassing of voters on Election Day, the Minister of Justice should simply execute this motion and not have to hold any consultations. Consultations that MP Heyliger conveniently did not attend, so it seems that MP Heyliger's opinion is more valid that those of 14 other Members of Parliament.
It is clear that the UPP and their leader MP Theo Heyliger are more concerned about placing billboards, jingles, flash mobs and parties than bringing their vision to the people of St. Maarten. The UPP seem afraid that if the people make a decision based on clarity that the UPP may lose significant support. The placing of nice pictures with projects but with no plan as to how to finance these projects. We must all remember that a major contributor to the high cost of living right now is the Causeway (Costway) Bridge. Will the leader of the UPP use another Government owned company to finance his promise and again send more people over the poverty line?
In conclusion, the people of St. Maarten can now see with full clarity which party leader is truly arrogant. The true basis of arrogance is one who believes that rules do not pertain to him.

Kendall Dupersoy
#SXMFIRST

To Management SMN NEWS

Ref: Rebuttal "news" piece of July 29, 2014

July 29, 2014,

Dear Sir/Madame,

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has taken note of a blog entry on your blog site regarding outstanding payments to stakeholders. There are some blatant falsehoods in your blog entry that we feel requires a response.

First, this is not the first time your blog has claimed to have reached out to the SCDF and have gotten no response. This is a blatant lie. Whenever any news outlet reaches out to us, we reply. It is also quite evident that you and your so-called source have a personal issue with the President of the SCDF, trying to paint the picture as if he is a one man show. To clarify, outside of small items, major decisions taken are taken by the board of the SCDF as an entity, not by the President alone.

Stakeholders

This will be about the fifth time (radio and newsprint) that SCDF has told the general public that certain stakeholders will have to wait longer than usual due to the various subsidy cuts and private sector cuts (not due to fault of SCDF) that the foundation had to endure in the months leading up to Carnival 2014. It is no secret that SCDF had to endure a total loss of approximately US $160,000 when the aforementioned cuts were imposed. As such, some payments are delayed.

Simpsonbay

Your assertion that SCDF President decided to give a donation to the Simpson Bay community council using government subsidy funding is not only unfounded, it's yet another vicious lie. The impression is that SCDF is ONLY funded by government. The majority of our funding is derived from our own efforts which we, a private foundation, has to secure via private funding. The donation to the Simpsonbay Community Council to go towards upgrading of their Community Center was US $500 derived from SCDF, not government subsidy. We also clarified this to the Prime Minister. Lastly, these decisions are taken by the board of the SCDF, not the President.

SCDF Board stipends

This assertion in your blog entry is totally and completely untrue and we rebuke such slander. You need to get new sources.

Audit

Another incorrect statement. Government requires audited financials before releasing funds. If we did not conduct said audits since 2012, how did we get monies for Carnival 2014? Perhaps your "source" should have also indicated that the current board of the SCDF is STILL paying outstanding bills from 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Vehicle

Yet another incorrect statement. The SCDF vehicle was not donated, it was purchased under great terms from a great sponsor. How it is utilized and by whom has the blessing of the board of the SCDF.

We look forward to you publishing this response as is!

The Board of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation

Editors Note: To the board of SCDF, SMN News reporter called Michael Granger four times on Tuesday but as usual this arrogant President who thinks he is untouchable and feels he does not have to answer to anyone.

Michael Granger needs to tell me why several stakeholders, info video productions, sound and lights, Sherifff Security and several others including cleaners were not paid. If anyone is a LIAR its Michael Granger. Saying you have severe illness so you could get your way will not work with SMN News. You said SMN News wrote lies. Mr. Granger may I remind you of the blatant lies you wrote on behalf of Maria Buncamper when she was caught with the selling the economic rights of government lease land. Does SMN News have to pull those articles written by you and publish them because it will help Mrs. Buncamper's political agenda right now. You stated in your letter that the vehicle was bought on lease... post the least agreemenrt here for us to see and if that is so, why do you have rights over the vehicle as if its your personal property? Not to mention you said the accounts of 2013 and 2014 were audited make the reports available that is supposed to be PUBLIC DOCUMENTS...SCDF is a public foundation not owned by you Granger.

Dear Editor,

It is my humble opinion that facilitating St. Maarten's citizens' basic needs, including, but not limited to, access to: quality education, employment opportunities, affordable utilities, reasonably priced housing, basic healthcare (insurance), affordable groceries and a healthy environment must be the core mission of all Government legislation, policies, programs and initiatives. As a Natural and Cultural Heritage activist I must point out that preservation of and access to natural and cultural heritage promotes the general well-being of the population and is indeed also part of society's basic needs.
In meeting the needs of today's society, we must take note of St. Maarten's size, as well as its limited natural resources and we cannot afford to undermine our ability to meet our own needs tomorrow, nor the possibilities for future generations to meet their needs. In other words, we must develop sustainably or we will risk losing the very resources which sustain us.
Some forty to fifty years ago, Sint Maarten's decision makers opted to pursue tourism as a means to generate revenue in order to provide for peoples' basic needs. The subsequent relative economic boom of these last decades has undoubtedly brought many improvements to island life, fostered numerous socio-cultural changes and has permanently transformed Sint Maarten's natural environment.
International organizations have identified tourism, if properly managed, as a valuable tool in sustainable development. The question at hand is: Has the scope and rate of tourism and the associated development on St. Maarten over the past forty years, or even just the past five to ten years, been properly managed? Has this "development" really benefited all of society?

A straightforward answer to these questions is no, development on St. Maarten has not been sustainable and clearly has not benefited all of society. Case in point; although it often goes unnoticed, and is perhaps not entirely recognized as such by international standards, poverty is a growing reality on St. Maarten. One of every five participants in a recent government commissioned survey indicated that their household was dependent on an income of eight hundred and thirty three dollars ($833,-) or less per month. Assuming these figures are correct and provide a reflection of income distribution among the entire population, one could conclude that an estimated 20% (perhaps more) of Sint Maarten's households are reliant on the equivalent of under twenty-eight dollars ($28,-) a day! With this limited income, people are expected to cover the costs of rent, electricity, water, groceries and other necessary expenses.

Putting statistics aside, a walk through many of our districts makes the presence of poverty and social exclusion hard to deny. Many people are in survival mode, constantly focused on paying today's and tomorrow's bills. They cannot afford to spend time worrying about what happens in their neighborhood or about playing an active role in society. Many are too caught up with life's daily struggles to be the role models they would like to be for their children. United Nations studies have concluded that the well-being of societies and the long-term success of (economic) development strategies largely rely on the level of social inclusion and participation.

Numerous experts agree that poverty and increasing crime rates are interlinked. Fact is that depending on social circumstances, some people (far from all) will resort to committing crimes, such as robberies and break-ins, if the perceived benefits of the crime out-weigh the potential consequences of committing the crime. Crime affects the business climate and in the long-run may lead to business closures which in-turn leads to unemployment and economic instability, a vicious circle. Substantial income inequality among small population groups and the social exclusion this results in, therefore ultimately affects the entire population's quality of life.

In summary, I reiterate that it is my belief that development gains of previous years are diminishing or are threatened at best. Increasing socio-economic inequality, rising crime rates and social disintegration especially amongst the younger generation are serious reasons for concern. If we intend to continue living healthy lives on Sint Maarten, if we truly aim to improve every citizen's quality of life and if we wish to maintain our tourism based economy, we will have to make real changes. Sint Maarten cannot continue to make the same mistakes which have been made over the past forty years. We cannot allow ourselves to be led by those same leaders who are responsible for the island's uncertain state of affairs.
Please consider visiting and liking my page at www.facebook.com/thompsonsxm where I will be regularly posting my thoughts on where St. Maarten should be headed.
Moving forward positively,

Rueben J. Thompson
Environmentalist
Candidate # (4)
United Sint Maarten Party

Dear Editor,
In this opinion letter I would like to touch on the "care" part of medical health care. We can divide medical health care in two categories: cure and care. The cure part is when you need treatment and/or medicine to get better. The care part is when there is no outlook for cure, but that persons still need treatment and/or medicine to prevent from their situation worsening or to simply increase their quality of life by creating an environment or using tools that eliminates the impact of their physical incapability or illness as much as possible.
The "care" in our medical health care is covered by the AVBZ. The AVBZ is regulated via several National Ordinances and the AVBZ fund is being managed by the SZV as well as the execution of several AVBZ related activities. The AVBZ is covering the medical care that regular insurance companies don't cover. I have an opinion about our health care system and the execution thereof when it comes to cure (not so much on the coverage, but on the system). I will elaborate on that in another opinion letter.
During this election time I hardly heard anything about the care of our elderly, the financing of our mental health institutions and additional legislation needed in that sector, accessibility to buildings and other infrastructure for our disabled persons, education and care for our disabled children or mentally challenged children, etc. Do the parties and candidates realize how many lives are touched daily by this topic? Parents suffering from Alzheimer's, the inaccessibility of buildings and roads for our disabled (no elevators in buildings for people that are less mobile on foot, no ramps for wheelchairs, no proper sidewalks accessible for wheelchairs or our visual handicapped, family members or neighbors suffering from mental illness (or as we saw in recent incidents: any member of society). I can go on and on.
I would like to hear from candidates how they are planning to address the legislation and financing surrounding the AVBZ and what they are planning to do with our current infrastructure (they can surely start with making our government offices more accessible). I will not even begin with a list where there is room for improvement. I would like the parties and candidates to get away from the rhetoric and hollow phrases. Tell me what you are going to do in this area that touches so many of us. I told you. The candidates need to work hard to get my vote and I want them to work even harder when they are getting "in there".

Andrew Smith

'Help promote boxing sport for the youth'.

Over the weekend, a group of St. Martiners were chilling out, while having nice discussions on a number of situations on the island. When I joined them, they were just talking about how during political campaigns, many candidates try to outdo each other in proving how they care for the youth of the country.
As usual, once in office, of course they forget about the youth until the next election cycle. One of the persons present during the chat, was my good friend and former St. Martin boxing champion, Albert Adams, better known by his boxing name 'Jesse Torres'. When Jesse explained to us, what he has been doing, 'prodeo' for the youth for years, it really touched all of us. Jesse, with very limited means, along with Marcia Cook, of Marcia's Mega Gym in Simpson-bay, dedicates so much of his time, energy and limited personal funds to train young people the art of boxing.
Marcia continues to make significant contribution as well by making a boxing ring and a youth program available to youngsters. However, many more young people would participate if their parents were financially able to do so. Nevertheless, Jesse with the great help of Marcia continues helping young people to achieve a career in boxing and in the process also helps to keep them off the streets, very disciplined and out of trouble. Over the years, Jesse has trained a number of young men to become successful boxers. One of them is a cousin of mine Sydney Maccow. Sydney thus-far, has had a very impressive career, during which he also won a championship in Barbados and participated in the Golden Gloves Tournament in the USA. Recently he turned pro.
While, he now resides in the USA, he is expected to have his first professional fight,right here on St. Maarten on Saturday, August 2, at the Auditorium in Great-Bay. Needless to say that this fight could generate a lot of international attention and could draw and inspire many young St. Maarteners as well to the sport and to sports in general.
I would like to call upon the community in general and on all politicians vying for political office in particular, to put their money, where their mouths are, and to make use of this opportunity to come to the assistance of Jesse. They should provide Jesse and Marciawith every possible and needed equipment really do something special for those young boys and girls, interested in the sports of boxing and boxing related aspects as well.
To me, it is a shame that not only is Jesse putting lots of time in training and disciplining his pupils, he uses his old car to transport them as well, without any compensation.
With so many car-dealers on the island, making lots of money, there is no reason in the world, one of them could not provide a mini-bus for transportation, put your advertisement on it, nothing wrong with that.
And, why again for our children, wouldn't a fuel company, not donate a monthly amount of gasoline for this vehicle? With the publicity the upcoming boxing event will generate, this is the perfect opportunity for our Government, politicians, business people to show the world, that they care for our young people.
I hope also, that the talkshow-hosts will invite Jesse and Marcia, for more information on what he has been doing for our young people and to find out how the community can assist.
Marcia's Mega Gym is located in Simpson-bay above in the building, where Tri-Sports is also situated.
Be assured that I will keep the public up to date, especially as far as the interest shown by the political parties, spending millions on bill-boards, banners, expensive commercials etc. – only to get your vote.

Leopold James

Dear editor,

The perception of the "power of the politician" in St. Maarten stems from the notion to "grant" privileges and benefits to preferred voters and vice versa. For that reason, many believe that politicians are not in favor of transparency. As a youngster, involved with many different youth organizations, I was always told the importance of transparency. For this reason I have decided to champion the cause "Open Government".

At some point, most of you have read or heard via the media by many candidates that they stand for "integrity"; but do they really understand the meaning of the word integrity? By definition integrity means: "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles". The expectation of the voters of St. Maarten when electing a political party to power is based on the principle that the elected will serve its country and all its people with respect and courteousness (integrity); as well as an "Open Government", one that is transparent.

By having an "Open Government" that is transparent to the community, allows opportunity for all its citizens to become involved in helping with the development as they too should have a say of the country. As a "motto", I always believed that "the people deserve to know". By informing the people, we eliminate the illusion of "political power" that is believed to be miss-used by elected officials to blind or keep voters in the dark.

With an "Open Government" the citizens will have the right to access certain documents and proceedings of the Government which allow for effective public oversight. As public officials we have a responsibility to ensure that Government regulations, policies and procedures are as clear as possible to its constituents, withholding nothing.

There are often complaints and criticism regarding the process/procedures of handling certain government affairs: for example the acquiring of a government land, building permit, business license, work permit etc. The concerns are the lack of information available to the public, which leads to frustration. I myself is no exception of the frustration that is caused by the lack of information and more so the back and forth from one department to the next and still did not receive the assistance needed.

As a champion for "Open Government", if elected, I will do my utmost to ensure that there is transparency within the new governing party.

Gerard M.C. Richardson
DP candidate # 10

Dear Editor,

Lately, the terms economic diversification and sustainable development seem to have become catchphrases amongst current and aspiring decision makers. These terms are often used, but their implementation is sadly seldom truly pursued.
In order to really develop sustainably and successfully diversify St. Maarten's economy we need to accept a few facts; St. Maarten is only sixteen square miles, there is a limit to the extent of physical growth, a carrying capacity (in the sense of construction); Not every square meter of concrete poured or vegetation cleared is a sign of progress; A limit to physical growth, due to our relatively small landmass, does not at all mean a limit to economic growth nor does it restrict us to a one pillar economy. Having said that, St. Maarten's economy will to a large extent, continue to be dependent on tourism, all the more reason to care for our natural resources wisely.
With foresight, innovation and proper management of our (natural and manmade) resources St. Maarten can diversify its economy in a wide range of sustainable ways.
Allow me to offer a brief example of economic diversification which will create long-term jobs and at the same time address environmental issues. St. Maarten's garbage management challenges, for instance, offer a wealth of possibilities. Dozens of trucks dump what our society has cast away as garbage in the middle of the Great Salt Pond every day. The definition of garbage is in essence; a product, an object which no longer functions properly or has been drained of its content and has therefore lost its usefulness and its (economic) value. The truth is that, thanks to modern day technology, what is regularly seen as "garbage" is for the most part no longer useless and therefore not garbage, but rather a resource, a product in itself, which can be reused for other purposes or to produce new products.
Case in point, tens of thousands of glass bottles are imported to Sint Maarten on a monthly basis, many of these could be locally collected, prepared for reuse, shipped back to the bottling company they originated from, crushed for reuse in construction or to make other glass products.
Another example is Electronic waste, "E-waste" which basically refers to used mobile phones, tablets, laptops, computers, televisions, fridges, and all other electronic material which is deemed to be "garbage" and thus thrown away. As it now stands most of the E-waste generated on St. Maarten ends up on the landfill. This type of garbage, however, often contains copper, lead, precious metals such as silver, gold and other valuable material which can be almost continuously reused if handled correctly. It is mind-boggling that the life cycle of so many products which are constantly reused in other countries simply stops on St. Maarten. Reprocessing and reuse of these discarded resources would obviously require certain facilities to be put in place thus allowing for the opening of associated businesses and as such would generate a significant number of permanent jobs. Interestingly enough international studies have concluded that reuse and recycling programs create an average of ten (10) times more jobs per ton of "waste" than land-filling or incineration does.
I believe that the primary responsibility for stimulating sustainable action, in this case the management of the waste-stream, lies with government. Government must implement and enforce legislation setting criteria for the import, sale, re-collection and export of products which if left unmanaged could become a burden to St. Maarten's waste management infrastructure after usage. Aside from legal requirements, incentives must be put in place to encourage businesses to implement sustainable management practices, reuse material and care for the environment.
As a longtime sustainable development advocate, above mentioned initiatives and associated legislation are amongst the causes I will continue to champion if elected to Parliament on August 29th, 2014.
Please consider visiting and liking my page at www.facebook.com/thompsonsxm where I will be regularly posting my thoughts on where St. Maarten should be headed.

Moving forward positively,

Rueben J. Thompson
Environmentalist
Candidate number four (4)
United Sint Maarten Party

Dear Editor,

Thanks once again for using this medium to express myself. I think that I am one of many people on St. Maarten who has been greatly disappointed in the overall functioning of our Parliament. The cases in which incompetence and disrespect to the electorate and amongst colleagues (both domestic and internationally) have been displayed are too numerous to mention. Many times I've been shaking my head while reading news articles or while following some parliamentary meeting via radio or TV.
My question is: how long are we going to tolerate incompetency in our Parliament? Elections are around the corner to hold those accountable who simply didn't perform to the desired standard. I will not mention names, but there are too many of the current parliamentarians who should never be allowed to set a foot in the Parliament building again.
When choosing a candidate, we should first determine what the different parties stand for. That is hard enough as it is, because all of them talk but nothing much has actually been done (in my opinion). So we need to look at what a party has delivered (unless it is a new party on the block, then it is like throwing the dice). Then we need to find out what they say that they are going to do. When we have chosen the party that we think that is the best fit to our wishes and demands, we need to examine which individual should get our vote.
The chosen individual is as important as the chosen party. We should not take this lightly. It is not a popularity contest in the sense of which parliamentarian you like to hang around with. Also in the case of choosing a candidate for a position in Parliament, we need to look at what that person has done so far as a politician and in his or her professional life. A great family (wo)man is not necessarily a great parliamentarian. Then we should listen to what they want to accomplish in which areas and see if those areas match with the areas of their expertise.
The only way that the level of the overall functioning of our Parliament can go up is when we choose the right competent and qualified people to represent us. I am looking forward to hear from our candidates what they have achieved in their political and or professional life, what their plans are for St. Maarten and how they intend to achieve this. I will not judge based on your smile or hollow words, but on your track record and on your vision. This time you need to work hard to get my vote and you need to show me that you are competent and qualified enough for the job.

Andrew Smith

Dear Editor,

I have read the article of Mr. Andrew Smith which was published in the Today newspaper of Monday July 14, 2014 with regard to his view on "Edu-Tourism", and have taken great interest.

As a candidate on the Democratic Party slate (DP), contesting the upcoming Parliamentary elections, scheduled for August 29th, 2014, I felt obliged to accept the challenge of Mr. Andrew Smith on his article concerning "Edu-Tourism".

While further familiarizing myself with the topic, I discovered that, an Edu-Tourist can travel for various purposes: formal or informal while learning in a unique local environment. The result
is a socially and economically sustainable tourism product that benefits both the region and its visitors. Edu-tourism creates mutual partnerships, through which all parties learn and contribute their respective resources, expertise, and skills. In answering one of Mr. Smith's questions, yes
I fully agree and am in total favor of Edu-Tourism for St. Maarten. I also agree that St. Maarten as a country, dependent on Tourism should start looking into various avenues that will help develop its only GDP, which is tourism.

Edu-Tourism is definitely an option to exploit. Mr. Smith asked the question: How can Edu-Tourism become a reality? Of course, there is also the question - is Edu-Tourism achievable
for St. Maarten at this present moment? I am of the opinion that, despite our current economic and social challenges, with the right mind set and proper resources anything can be achieved.

In May of this year, the Social Economic Council (SER), organized a symposium on "Inclusive Development". The keynote speaker was the former Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr. Owen Arthur. He gave examples of ways that a community can be included in helping the growth of its country. Mr. Arthur further stated that "for St. Maarten to have a five star tourism sector,
it must have a five star society, and that the "state" has to provide a five star infrastructure and education system".

Hence, as mentioned by Mr. Smith in his article, in order to achieve an Edu-Toursim society,
a feasibility study should be done before delving into the possibilities and benefits of an Edu-Tourism society. I as a young politician and other politicians as well as the Government of St. Maarten need to start looking at different techniques to develop our level of thinking, better our infrastructure and illustrate transparency throughout the community. I do believe, that a community that is included with the happenings of its country will do their utmost to help it grow.
The popularity and prominence of (academic) education in providing quality human capital capable of contributing to the (world) economy is on the rise, with Edu Tourism providing the platform for knowledge transfers. The Edu- tourist profile is a person who is better educated, more concerned about the environment and culture and more curious and academically-minded. Thus, this new Edu-tourist will search for quality, considering the ranking of the institution, accreditation of its programs and faculties, competence, qualification and expertise
of the academic staff, marketability and recognition of the degree awarded, student's safety
and security. This is something that I think our present and future Government should take
into consideration or definitely explore the options.

It is my opinion and also part of my political platform that our Government needs to invest more in education in order to make the above mentioned a reality and in addition combat the current brain drain. We should start with our own University of St. Martin, there is always room for improvement, while on the other hand our Government needs to be willing and able to accommodate the needs of that institution. Upgrade our University in stages with similar or comparable facilities as the DeVry institute/Caribbean medical school. Which in turn will have
its benefits for our students and Edu-Tourism on St. Maarten. In closing I would like to thank
Mr. Smith for laying down this challenge to the candidates.

Gerard M.C. Richardson
DP candidate #10

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank you for allowing me to use this space in your opinion section. As a long time voter who voted for the different main parties in the past, I am once again at the political cross roads: Who to vote for? Which party to vote for? All candidates are talking about creating jobs, upgrading our educational system and other popular political topics. But what are our politicians actually going to do and how do they intend to do this?
My intention is to use any medium available to me in the next coming weeks to start a discussion or to simply give my opinion on a topic. In this opinion letter I would like to address "edu-tourism".
I am all for diversifying our economy (very popular phrase being tossed around by our politicians), but how are we going to make this happen? Which pillar will be added to our economy or how will we diversify our tourism product? In my humble opinion "edu-tourism" is one of the possibilities that is still there to explore and exploit.
We have so many of our young adults leaving the island, not to return (brain drain), parents send money abroad to support their child while studying (capital leaving our economy) and there is a lack of educational programs that are available on our island (that match our labor market). These are three topics each by itself that warrant a feasibility study on "edu-tourism".
Looking at the DeVry institute and the amount of money that is involved with that institute, it makes me wonder why Sint Maarten never created such institute or upgraded our own university. Thousands of students came to Sint Maarten and contributed in different ways to this island (by paying rent, participating in charity events, shopping, etc.).
I think that Sint Maarten can kill two birds with one stone when engaging in/expanding "edu-tourism": we can keep our young bright minds on the island while offering them a decent education and we might be able to give our economy another boost. I would like to hear from the candidates where they stand on this topic. What is there view on "edu-tourism"? If they are in favor, how would they make this a reality? I'm looking forward to the (re)actions from candidates relating to this topic. The level of discussions and the pragmatic approach on certain issues will determine how I will cast my vote.

Andrew Smith

An explanation

Dear Editor,
Over the past few days there has been much speculation regarding the Citizens for Positive Change Party's (CPC) decision not to contest the 2014 Parliamentary elections. CPC's decision was made public in the afternoon of Thursday July, 10th 2014 and was immediately met with a wide range of reactions varying from utter disappointment to understanding and appreciation for the CPC's decision.
As the founding President, Political leader and CPC's intended primary candidate I am hereby offering your readership, the electorate in general and the CPC members and supporters in particular an explanation.
Dissatisfaction with the direction Sint Maarten is headed in; ongoing social disintegration, mismanagement of the island's financial, natural and cultural resources lead to the coming together of a group of like minded individuals to discuss the possibilities of establishing a new political party in February of 2014. The CPC was subsequently registered and established under my leadership on March 20th, 2014. Over the past 4 months the CPC has voiced its opinion on a number of important topics and the party's membership and supporters have increased significantly.
Allow me to provide a short overview of the occurrences of the past week and a half:
The CPC's executive board consisting of myself as President, Paul Dijkhoffz as Secretary and Paul Henriquez as Treasurer held a productive board meeting on July 2nd, which was followed by an equally fruitful, although somewhat peculiar meeting of the CPC's general membership on July 7th.
I refer to this meeting of July 7th as peculiar because during this meeting CPC Treasurer Henriquez decided to announce that he would be withdrawing his candidacy for the elections. While this announcement came as a surprise to myself as President and to many of the CPC members present, it did not overshadow the Party's first board elections and the presentation of a handful of potential CPC candidates to the membership. I spoke to several CPC members privately after this membership meeting and the general reaction was positive. The board election resulted in the appointment of four dedicated and opinionated CPC members to the board as regular board members, things seemed to be moving along as nicely as one could expect from such a young organization.
On Tuesday July 8th, a day after our general meeting and three days before postulation, CPC Treasurer Henriquez announced by email that he would not be supporting the CPC's participation in the 2014 election as he was of the opinion that the CPC was not ready. The Party's Treasurer moved to present a motion which was summarized as follows "to opt to take a step back, re-group, keep building membership and run in the following Parliamentary elections (after the upcoming 2014 Parliamentary elections)". This motion was soon afterwards seconded by the Party's Secretary Paul Dijkhoffz. As the Party's newly elected board members had not yet been legally registered the board therefore legally consisted of three persons (Dijkhoffz, Henriquez, Thompson) and based on the democratic principles CPC is governed by, the tabling of the motion followed by Dijkhoffz support thereof constituted a majority decision.
As President of the CPC I took some forty-eight hours to investigate and reflect on CPC's options for moving forward. A significant fraction of the newly elected board and the majority of our membership indicated a willingness to continue as planned and to participate in the upcoming elections. I agreed with these members and if at all possible would have wholeheartedly supported CPC's participation in the elections, even with a list of just two or three candidates.

However, the reality of the matter is that without the support of the executive CPC board members, who are registered at the Electoral Council and other relevant organizations as the legal representatives of the party, it would have been impossible for CPC to participate in the 2014 elections.

After two sleepless nights and much consultation with party members I came to the conclusion that I had been left with no choice other than to support the motion as presented by Paul Henriquez and formulated by Paul Dijkhoffz to: "Not contest the 2014 Parliamentary elections, regroup and contest the next following Parliamentary elections (after the 2014 Parliamentary elections)".

Although much of the circumstances were beyond my control, as President of the CPC I took responsibility for the state of the Party's affairs. After much contemplation, with a heavy heart and profound regret, I therefore offered my immediate resignation as President and member of the Citizens for Positive Change (CPC) on Thursday July 10th, 2014.

My personal feelings are that the decision on whether or not the CPC was ready to serve the population in Parliament should have been left up to the electorate on August 29th, 2014 and no one else!

When it had become clear that CPC would not participate in the 2014 elections, I realized that I could not sit by idly for four years while the majority of Sint Maarten's leaders continue to mismanage the island's finances, undermine the viability of our economy and allow for the further disintegration of our society. As an advocate for implementation of Sustainable Development practices I could not stand by as Sint Maarten's decision makers continue to destroy our natural and cultural resources. I therefore started to pursue possibilities for CPC's overall mission, goals and core principles, which are equivalent to my own, to still be reflected in the August 29th, 2014 elections.

As part of this process I contacted the leader of the United Sint Maarten Party MP Frans Richardson and his team. I informed Mr. Richardson of the CPC's intention not to participate in the elections and inquired if there was any possibility for a discussion regarding the unification and integration of his party's vision and objectives with my principles and goals as the founding, by this time former, President of the CPC. After some intense discussion we found common ground.

And so even though the CPC itself will not be participating in the elections of 2014, as one of the party's main founders I will be participating in the elections as a candidate and team member on the list of the United Sint Maarten Party. I will continue to advocate for and champion the principles of Transparency, Accountability, Democracy, Equality, Participation, Respect for Natural and Cultural Heritage, Sustainable Development and Dignity.

I thank my family, friends and advisors for their support and encouragement during this past week. My sincere appreciation also goes out to those of the CPC members who have stood by me and everyone who has contacted me to indicate support and wish me well.

I am still by all means a Sint Maarten citizen for positive change.

Respectfully,

Rueben J. Thompson

Dear Editor,

Please allow us some space to express our deep disappointment in what has been happening in the political sphere on St. Maarten over the last few days. For some two months there has been, what many of us in the community, thought was a breath of fresh air in St. Maarten politics: a group of dedicated young professionals headed by what we thought was a driven environmental activist. We all rallied behind the Citizens for Positive Change because we thought that it would be exactly that, a group of citizens that would change St. Maarten in a positive way. On Friday we were disappointed to learn that because of the inability to form a political list, the CPC would not contest the elections. We were disappointed but hopeful; indeed, as the article stated it was the hope that the CPC would ensure organic growth that it would focus on the issues that affect this island resulting in solutions.
That is why we were so very disappointed to find out that we were manipulated by the founder and president of CPC, that we were given false hope and information, that the party was just established as a platform for the benefit of another party, a party whose leader has illegally filled in hundreds of meters of the Great Salt Pond for a 'race track' and a 'cricket stadium'. How can a self-styled environmentalist someone who we all thought would bring positive change and who it is not obvious just complained for complaining state condone a political party that has filled in our heritage and our nature. How can we have been so mislead, with Facebook messages and assurances that 'rumors of CPC joining another party are false' and then going on a slate? One Facebook post even said to beware of campaign trinkets and propaganda while the leader, founder, president of CPC was dancing in the street with his own campaign propaganda and motorcycles revving asking for support to fill in the Great Salt Pond for a race track. It is sad that once again there is jumping ship, but this time the ship was jumped even before the elections, before anyone even reached in parliament. The ship was left to sink by the very captain who the crew believed in. There is no greater disappointment than that. At least with the other political parties what you see is what you get.
We are very, very disappointed in this political maneuvering, playing politics and acting as politicians while we were assured by the leadership of CPC that this would not have been the case.
He will not get our vote. We continue to hope for positive change and not for getting into power by manipulation and lies.
Beware St. Maarten of wolves in sheep clothing, or as some have said about this issue, of lions with the hearts of a mouse.

John C. Fredericks
On Behalf of former believers in the Citizens for Political Change

Dear Editor,

Around the millennium several Island Council members had the wonderful idea of building a Government Administration Building on Pond Island. In essence a good idea from a financial standpoint.
Their reasoning given at the time: this new Government Administration Building was going to "save" taxpayers millions in annual rent costs being paid to house various Government departments in several locations in the Philipsburg area. The original building price as contractually agreed to stood at $ 16.2 million. It now turns out that the total price tag affixed to the building of the "new" Government Administration Building (sitting empty since 2007) has cost the taxpayer a whopping $ 38.7 million! To make matters worse, the Prime Minister states that this same building has been appraised at roughly $ 25 million. To put this in perspective: the taxpayer has bought a house that is worth almost half of its purchase price.
All sitting political parties are to blame for this mind-boggling fiasco as the matter has dragged on for so many years that DP, UP and NA had chances to solve this debacle when they were in Government.
CPC has taken note of the fact that the ad hoc planning committee for the construction of a new Parliament Building (!) held its first meeting recently. Apparently, the lease contract for the current Parliament building (another case of highway robbery at a whopping $ 96.000 per month in rental costs) runs out in 2017 and Parliament seems not to have learned from the Pond Island fiasco. Or they are completely out of touch with reality. CPC believes it's a combination of both.
CPC will not endorse the construction of a new Parliament building as successive Governments, of which all sitting parties have been members of, have proven not being able to execute such a project successfully (e.g. building completed within the set deadline and to the agreed to costs etc) and as such CPC will not support any future squandering of taxpayer's money. There are other locations that appear more cost effective and can be outfitted to house Parliament, for instance the former Government Administration Building on Clem Labega Square (once Government finally moves to the Pond Island location). Other existing locations should be considered as well.
CPC endorses a cost efficient Government, one which firstly looks at how to save taxpayer's money instead of (over)spending it and leaving it up to the next generations to foot the bill. More on Government spending can be read here: www.positivechangesxm.com (under the "More" tab).

Citizens for Positive Change
www.facebook.com/positivechangesxm

Dear Editor,

Sint Maarten Pride Foundation has been following the process to draft and establish Zoning Plans for Sint Maarten closely since the project was initiated in 2011/2012. The Foundation has a number of questions and concerns regarding progress made with the aforementioned process.

Perhaps the journalists of your well read publication could assist Pride in obtaining answers and easing the Foundation's concerns. According to the Ministry of Environmental Affairs' (VROMI) website the Zoning or Development plans serve the following purposes:

• "Legal framework for possible future development;
• To designate and/or reserve land for desired use;
• To prevent undesired development;
• To offer legal security to residents about future development."

The Ministry's website also informs the reader that: "The first two rounds of public meetings for the preparation of the development plans were finalized in 2013.""In 2014 the St. Maarten zoning project will continue with the public hearings of the preliminary draft development plans followed by a 30 day period of public review of the draft development plans, as prescribed by the National Ordinance on Spatial development Planning."

Sint Maarten Pride Foundation's questions and concerns arise from the following;

Also according to VROMI's website the second public meeting in preparation of the zoning plan for Simpson Bay took place in September 2012. The preliminary draft zoning/development plan for the Simpson Bay area was subsequently officially presented to the public at a public hearing held on February 25th, 2014. Aside from the Public Hearing for Simpson Bay no other meetings regarding the zoning plans have been held since December 2013! In clarification of the aforementioned, please note that the round of second public meetings in preparation of the Zoning Plans already took place in 2013 in almost every district, (there is some unclarity about Point Blanche). Yet there have, however, not been any public hearings other than the one held in Simpson Bay. Leaving Pride to wonder what the holdup is.

Why has the process to establish zoning plans been stagnated? You may recall that the Public Hearing in Simpson Bay did not fare well for the Ministry of Environmental Affairs (VROMI) and Minister Maurice Lake as the Simpson Bay Community and many other stakeholders made it abundantly clear that they are not in favor of the Draft Simpson Bay Zoning/ Development Plan. Has the Minister purposefully put a stop to the process to establish zoning plans in order to avoid bad publicity during an election year? Is this delay not akin to holding the process to establish zoning plans hostage?

Hoping that your publication can assist in providing some clarity,

Sincerely,

Sint Maarten Pride Foundation

Dear editor,

I have heard and read many commentaries on the allegations of abuses against our children, and as a parent, educator and citizen I ask your indulgence to express my thoughts on the matter via this medium.
Child abuse comes in many forms and should never be taken lightly, regardless of whom the perpetrator may be. In my twenty odd years in education I have seen and heard a lot, walked with parents and victims through the process and seen most decide against action.
For many years many types of abuse against especially women and children has been pushed aside, hidden or not fully dealt with due to lack of sensitivity, fear of stigmatization, lack of personnel, policies and facilities or foster homes to remove the abused, and not enough professionals to assist victims and their families with the aftermath. Safe Haven must be commended for meeting this need for many years and more facilities will be needed to deal with the many unreported cases out there if our culture of silence is finally broken.
We can only properly prepare and meet the needs we assume are out there when we know the truth and when we have accurate numbers.
This injustice against the weak and vulnerable by predators who scar them for life can no longer be tolerated!
Silence breeds consent, so please speak out to save your child, someone else's child, yourself or a friend from this scourge against humanity.
Teach your child to respect him/herself and what/where the no touch zones are. Teach them that it's ok to tell, that they must tell even when the perpetrator is a family member or a trusted friend and promise always to protect and support them. Many children fear that no one will believe them, are threatened with their lives or their loved ones, or have no idea who to trust.
St. Maarten can only deal with this problem if we know what, who and how many (victims & perps) we are dealing with.
I speak to all types of abuses - it really does take a village of caring and loving persons to help victims through this ordeal.
Too many cases go unsolved for lack of proof. A witness is not someone who has heard from so and so (so please stop the melee - as it hurts victims too); a witness is someone who has seen the act or experienced it (the victim); any person whom the victim tells can report the abuse.
So if you know about it - then report it!!!!
Stop being the victim, take away the power of all abusers, expose them - Not on FB or in the blogs - but at the Prosecutor's office or Court of Guardianship offices at the Vineyard building. Right must prevail, this is not a melee issue! Let's deal with it in a responsible manner, respecting the rights and privacy of all, especially the victims who have suffered enough.

Silveria Jacobs

Dear Editor,

Electoral reform has made the news once again, however, not surprisingly; it has become obvious that residents should not expect any Electoral Reform to occur before the upcoming elections.
Instead of going into the specifics of the new regulations to establish a new political party, the funding and financial accounts, the pictures of ballots and the debate on whether or not to remove the black curtains, CPC would like to hereby address the issue of obtaining a Parliamentary seat on the 'coattails' of party leaders or other party members.
Quite a few of Sint Maarten's current Parliamentarians obtained their seats riding on the high number of votes their party leaders received. There are persons in Parliament right now who received fewer votes than other politicians who participated in the elections of 2010 but did not get into Parliament because they were not 'lucky enough' to have party leaders who secured more than enough votes for one seat. CPC thinks this democratic deficit needs to be addressed once and for all.
CPC would like to propose a solution that would be simple to implement and would give all the options back to the voters:
Instead of giving every voter one vote to cast: CPC proposes to give each voter fifteen votes to select all fifteen members of Parliament. Let every voter decide on who exactly they would like to elect to Parliament. Those voters who wish to see one particular party represented, can opt to only cast their votes for members of that particular party. Those who only want to vote for one person can do so, but only once per person as you will not be allowed to vote for the same person fifteen times. One ballot will be used but instead of filling-in one circle, voters get the option of filling-in fifteen circles across party-lines.
This way, all fifteen Parliamentarians will actually have been elected by preferential vote which will eliminate "coat-tailing" and thus put the right to decide exactly who holds a parliamentary seat firmly in the hands of the electorate. Should a member of parliament be appointed to a Ministerial position, the next highest vote-getter would obtain the vacant parliamentary seat regardless of party affiliations. This would eliminate the prevalent perception that some parliamentarians are mere benchwarmers for Ministers or their party's political leaders!
It may perhaps take a bit longer to tally the votes but CPC considers this a small price to pay for reducing the democratic deficit.
Visit website: www.positivechangesxm.com for more details.

Citizens for Positive Change (CPC)
www.facebook.com/positivechangesxm

Dear Editor,

Legal immigration and illegal immigration result in a number of challenges which need to be addressed structurally and through clear and transparent policy and legislation. These topics are very current and difficult to address due to the fact that proper structure has been absent for far too long.
There are people who have been on Sint Maarten illegally for a longtime (over 10 years) who could by reason of the amount of time spent on the island actually qualify for naturalization. There are young adults here who because they have come of age are all of a sudden stateless.
There are many complex aspects to this subject matter, as such, Citizen's for Positive Change advocates the following:
The compilation and implementation of a policy aimed at addressing immigration from here onward. A policy that is fair and reasonable, takes family relations into account and provides reference for those applying as to what can be expected. This policy will prescribe which requirements an applicant would have to meet in order to qualify for a (resident, work) permit. Such requirements will include, proof of employment prospects, prearranged housing, minimum income requirements as well as the requirement to have proper health care insurance. Before the application is approved, it will have to be determined who the applicant's proposed employer is and what guarantee they will provide. The policy will also provide guidelines as to the requirements applicants would have to meet to qualify for possible "naturalization" in the long-term.
This type of system is complex and will need constant control, which is an essential component of implementing any new policy. No immigration system in the world is perfect, however a new policy must be open and transparent; a clear improvement compared to the current system. CPC believes admittance must be regulated by laws and policies rather than by arbitrary decisions by government entities.
Loopholes and abuse of the system must be dealt with quickly, effectively and humanely. Proper and regular controls will be needed to enforce the new policy. This is a job for the relevant authorities; police, immigration, customs, coast guard etc. The community in general must also heed its responsibilities. In order for Sint Maarten to successfully reduce illegal immigration, the hiring of undocumented immigrants must be discouraged and penalized. Naturally, illegal immigration concerns cannot be resolved without cooperation between the Dutch and French side authorities.
As for dealing with the "old" issues, Citizen's for Positive Change recommends the setting up of a committee of experts to deal with these on a case by case basis. This committee can then take special circumstances into account and decide whether a particular case validates residency or expulsion.
From a business point of view: once a clear and transparent policy is implemented, businesses should be able to get work and residence permits processed in a quicker turnaround time and with much less hassle. Part of the process, especially for permit extensions, should be done on-line to avoid wasting time standing in long lines and unnecessary bureaucracy.
Authorities, relevant Government entities need to gain insight into who is coming into St Maarten and where they are staying, how they are arriving etc. The situation can only be effectively brought under control through the implementation of measures to halt the further increase of undocumented residents.
The key to a solution is to separate past and future policy. When elected to Parliament CPC will implement immigration policies which complement each other rather than to compile one extensive policy aimed at addressing every possible contingency or rectifying every past error.
On our website (positivechangesxm.com) we have outlined our thoughts on a number of issues and how we intend to address them if given the mandate by the electorate.

CPC encourages citizens to contribute to the process by submitting their ideas so that those can be incorporated in a National Plan on a road towards creating Positive Change on St. Maarten. Like us on Facebook, inbox or email us, we would love to hear from you.

Citizens for Positive Change (CPC)

Dear Editor,

The Citizens for Positive Change Party (CPC), a newly formed political party contesting the 2014 Parliamentary Elections, is of the firm opinion that the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not meet the internationally accepted criteria for Sustainable Development from an Economic perspective, Social perspective or from an Environmental perspective.
In our first 2 articles, published earlier this week, CPC outlined why the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not make sense from an Economic and Environmental perspective, this final article will focus on the Social aspects.
When a development plan is proposed, it is crucial that the pros and cons for all stakeholders are addressed.
Several issues regarding the proposals as presented in the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan need to be clarified;

Airport Expansion

• What is the extent of the increase in noise pollution for the Simpson Bay, Beacon Hill and Maho areas based on the projected increase in aircraft movements in the next 10 years?
• What will be the extent of the biodiversity loss incurred as a result of the additional filling of the Simpson Bay Lagoon?
• How do the benefits of additional jet parking space compare to the loss or damage to the natural environment?
• Would it not make more sense to invest in upgrading existing infrastructure, sports facilities and neighborhood parks?

Mega-yacht- cruise pier and marina plans

• How will the further destruction of the Simpson Bay Lagoon and the Simpson Bay Beach affect the overall quality of life of Sint Maarten's residents?
• Do we want more yachts and jets in the lagoon? Or do we prefer a cleaner healthier lagoon environment year round?
• Do we want to look at a nice cruise facility through a fence or would we prefer beach access with parking and basic facilities, which everyone can use (tourists and residents)?
• Are we going to diversify and make our economy stronger and more robust by providing opportunity for new business types, or do we want to see more people employed by government owned companies in sectors that are stressed for a short period and underperforming the vast majority of the time?

Additional proposals

• What are the environmental consequences of the proposed boardwalk along the lagoon and the construction of link 8 (another road over the lagoon in the vicinity of Budget Marine connecting Welfare Road and Orange Grove Road)?
• What are the consequences of the construction of the wastewater treatment plant in the proposed areas?

With regards to the airport expansion and pier construction, a so-called Social Cost Benefit Analysis and Social Impact Analysis must be carried out before any permits are considered. These studies would need to determine the social consequence of the proposal, what the social return on investment must be and whether or not the proposed expansion will lead to the desired effects. This can only be carried out by measuring the consequences of proposed developments against other alternatives such as the results of not making any changes at all.
Research into the consequences of airport expansions has been carried out in many countries. A leading Dutch research institution, CE Delft, has published several reports on proposed airport expansions (UK, France, the Netherlands). CE Delft (www.cedelft.eu)
In the CE Delft report, "The economics of Airport Expansion" dated March 2013, CE Delft presents a 'Social Cost Benefit Analysis' and states: "A social cost benefit analysis (SCBA) is the most appropriate way to evaluate airport investment plans. It provides an overview of current and future pros and cons of a particular project for society as a whole (public, private sector and government) as objectively as possible. SCBA therefore differs fundamentally from a financial analysis or business case, which identifies the costs and benefits solely for a particular party".
"SCBA's should take into account any risks and uncertainties that might occur. A major source of uncertainty in airport projects is the forecast of future demand for aviation. Past experience has shown that these forecasts have been systematically too high, their use consequently leading to overestimation
of the main benefits of aviation (transport efficiency and time savings)". (The economics of Airport Expansion CE Delft)

CPC believes that any and all development on Sint Maarten must take place according to the principles of Sustainable Development, CPC therefore calls for a Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA) and Social Impact Assessment to be carried before any proposed large scale development projects commence in St. Maarten. Only then will we have a comprehensive view of all implications (pros and cons) for all stakeholders.

Upon CPC's election to parliament, CPC will provide all residents and businesses with the opportunity to provide input into a comprehensive plan for the future direction of St. Maarten. Parliament is the entity available to all citizens to have everyone's concerns addressed and decided upon. Parliament is where the people should be represented. Sint Maarten should be an open and transparent society where no one person or entity has the power to one-sidedly decide how St Maarten will be developed. In a couple of months you will be presented with a choice on how you want to move forward. CPC urges you to use it wisely.

Citizens for Positive Change
www.positivechangesxm.com

Dear Editor,

The Citizens for Positive Change Party (CPC), a newly formed political party contesting the 2014 Parliamentary Elections, is of the firm opinion that the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not meet the internationally accepted criteria for Sustainable Development from an Economic perspective, Social perspective or from an Environmental perspective.
CPC will summarize why the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not meet said criteria in a series of three articles. Our first article, published earlier this week, focused on why the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not make sense from an Economic perspective, this second article will focus on the Environmental aspects.
CPC has carefully reviewed the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan and concludes that the draft plan does not sufficiently facilitate the proper management of the Simpson Bay Lagoon's natural features and functions. The plan also gives rise to serious concerns regarding the future of the Simpson Bay area, the beach and the historic village of Simpson Bay.

The Simpson Bay Lagoon has historically served as a nursery for many, often commercially significant, species of marine life. A number of reef and even some deep-sea fish species are dependent on the mangroves in the Simpson Bay Lagoon for much of their early growth. Over the past four decades much of the Lagoon's shoreline has been cleared of mangroves, hundreds of square meters of sea grass beds have been dredged out or covered with sand and soil to facilitate land reclamation projects.

Credible estimates state that if the present pace of filling-in were allowed to continue the Dutch side of the Simpson Bay Lagoon will have lost upwards of 50% of its original surface area by the ending of 2016.

Despite the development pressures the Lagoon has been faced with, pockets of mangrove stands can still be found along portions of its shores, sea grass beds are also still present and both play a significant role within the Lagoon ecosystem. In its current format the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan does not provide for sufficient protection of these important ecosystems, nor does the plan take into account the recreational function of the Bay and Lagoon for residents and visitors.

Regional and local studies have concluded that mangrove stands in the Caribbean contribute the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars per square kilometers per year in ecosystem services such as sustaining fisheries, providing shoreline protection, supplying sources of food, medicine and scientific research to island communities.

Rather than facilitating the protection and much needed restoration of the very few remaining mangroves and sea grass beds, the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan offers proposals for having these areas designated for commercial (marinas) or infrastructure (expansion of road network) related usage.

The plan refers to "the desired development of the Boardwalk along the Lagoon, and the new pier near the Lejuez drawbridge". Having attended the zoning plan meetings in Simpson Bay, CPC is left to wonder who exactly "desires" the proposed boardwalk and new cruise pier, as the Simpson Bay Community Council has made it very clear that they are not in favor of these developments.

The proposal to facilitate or allow for the construction of a cruise or mega-yacht pier opens up the door to a wide range of environmental concerns. Without going into too much detail, some of the main concerns are as follows;

Associated dredging activities during construction, not to mention regular maintenance dredging will have serious consequences for water-circulation (current speed and direction), natural sand movement, beach replenishment and the breaking of waves, this will likely alter the shape and size of the beach and increase flooding of particularly the homes and alleys bordering to the beach during heavy swells. Dredging will undoubtedly lead to the removal of sea grass beds and other marine life.

A cruise or mega-yacht pier at the proposed location would very likely also affect the tranquil residential character of in particular the old Simpson Bay Road and other parts of the Simpson Bay village.

CPC believes that in order to ensure the long-term viability of Sint Maarten's economy, we must implement and enforce ways to encourage and stimulate economic growth while protecting the natural environment, improving the overall quality of life of residents and enhancing the on island experience of Sint Maarten's many visitors.

Based on the aforementioned, CPC will not support any additional destruction of fragile Simpson Bay and Simpson Bay Lagoon ecosystems whether through land-reclamation, dredging or other activities.

It must be clearly noted that the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan does not reflect the wishes of the majority of the citizens who attended and participated in the Simpson Bay Zoning plan meetings held in March and September of 2012 as well as the Public Hearing held in Simpson Bay in February 2014. The CPC therefore urges all concerned citizens to make use of the opportunity to review and if deemed necessary file official objections to the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan at the relevant Government departments on or before June 3rd, 2014.
In a couple of months you will be presented with a choice on how you want to move forward. CPC urges you to use it wisely.

Citizens for Positive Change Party

Dear Editor,

The Citizens for Positive Change Party (CPC), a newly formed political party contesting the 2014 Parliamentary Elections, is of the firm opinion that the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not meet the internationally accepted criteria for Sustainable Development from an Economic perspective, Social perspective or from an Environmental perspective.
CPC will summarize why the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not meet said criteria in a series of 3 articles. This first one will focus on why the draft Simpson Bay Development Plan does not make sense from an economic perspective. The CPC encourages stakeholders and residents to file objections letter before the deadline of June 3, 2014.
Regarding the Airport expansion:
Q1 - Does our airport need expanding from a regulation standpoint?
Just look at Gibraltar or Honduras airports to name a few airports with surrounding challenges. Obviously international standards will tolerate a lot. PJIA has hosted Concords and even an Antonov flying in GEBE generators, so what changed except maybe regulations? According to information presented during the Public Hearing on the Draft Simpson Bay Development Plan the proposed Airport expansion is not an international requirement but rather a desire of the Airport.
Q2 - Does the airport need expanding from a business perspective?
Except for a couple of hours a day for a limited amount of days per year, our airport can hardly be termed to be bursting at the seams. It is safe to say that the majority of the time, there is hardly any activity at all. So if it is about capacity, the first move needs to be towards maximum use of what is there. For instance: increase early morning and evening activity. Increase low season activity by more actively pursuing markets other than the North American market where most of our tourists originate from. There is no reason why the current size of the airport cannot accommodate more arrivals. From the above perspective an expansion is not warranted.
Q3 - Is additional parking for private jets really needed?
Perhaps additional space is necessary for a few days per year. Does Sint Maarten really need to sacrifice another portion of what remains of the Simpson Bay Lagoon for space which will only be used for a very short period (several days) each year? Sint Maarten has already sacrificed large parts of the lagoon to land reclamation projects to facilitate residential and commercial development. Has the airport considered the negative consequences that further deterioration of the Simpson Bay Lagoon will have on the (marine) tourism industry?
Regarding the Marine Developments:
Q4 - Do the people of Simpson Bay and by extension the rest of Sint Maarten need a cruise terminal in Simpson Bay?
It is now the month of May and the cruise terminal at the harbor can hardly be termed busy. Before an expansion is warranted, the maximum capacity of the current facility needs to be met. There are enough buses and taxis to arrange trips to Simpson Bay if cruise passengers want to visit that area. Furthermore, will the proposed cruise terminal in Simpson Bay be like the one in Pointe Blanche, where the taxpayer who owns it, cannot make reasonable use of it?
Q5 - Is a boardwalk along the lagoon a good idea?
Some people will benefit, some will lose what they have now. There is little consideration for parking. CPC envisions that when the existing proposal is carried out, it will lead to even more traffic congestion in an already congested area. While the Philipsburg boardwalk has been great for the cruise passengers, it has hardly contributed to any increased night-time business centered around residents and stay-over visitors. Grand Case is a good example of the fact that there is no need for a boardwalk to do brisk business. The boardwalk proposal is furthermore unrealistic because much of the land at the proposed locations is already occupied by marinas, stores and other commercial facilities. At this stage a boardwalk would result in further filling-in and encroachment on the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
There is too little space set aside in the Simpson Bay Development Plan for recreation: to the contrary much of the areas currently used for recreation purposes will be zoned for commercial use as per the current draft. The airport expansion plans are expensive so operational costs will go up which will most likely be passed on to the users of the airport: airlines having to pay more in landing fees (to the detriment of our competitive position in the region) and travelers having to pay more in departure/service fees (both residents and tourists).
Based on the above, we can safely state that the Simpson Bay Development Plan is not scoring high from a sustainability perspective.
These proposals in the Draft Simpson Bay Development plan are supposedly intended to stimulate economic growth, often expressed in the form of employment. In this case, the majority of the employment opportunities are during the construction period, after which Sint Maarten still has to deal with the seasonality of tourism arrivals. The same short-term contracts etc. Not everybody can work at the airport, certainly not when there are no planes arriving.
Alternative Employment:
If funding can be found for boardwalks, piers and airports, then surely funding can be made available for establishing and operating parks, green areas, playgrounds and outdoor facilities in general. The objective would be that these would have a low threshold access for everyone: residents and visitors.
Since the Airport can afford to purchase waterfront properties for the proposed airport expansion (e.g. Turtle Pier Restaurant etc), why not consider investing in the protection and maintenance of Natural and Cultural resources instead? Would it not be desirable to purchase beachfront property to increase public access to our beaches? Sint Maarten can invest in establishing a center for visual and performing arts, a national parks system, create nature trails and expand the museum just to name a few examples.
Sint Maarten must secure means to decrease the seasonality of the Tourism based economy. The Airport should facilitate this by launching or improving marketing efforts in countries where people tend to go on vacation during the period Sint Maarten experiences its low season. Currently, Sint Maarten experiences its high (tourism) season during the winter months of the Northern Hemisphere. The larger portion of Sint Maarten's marketing resources are spent or aimed at the North American market. For years private sector representatives, tourism consultants and others have advocated that more substantial attention should be paid to increasing marketing in the South American Market. Such marketing strategies have however never been made a consistent priority.
In addition to the aforementioned with the implementation of the right incentives, Sint Maarten can create additional opportunities for services which complement existing components of the tourism based economy, such as for example: boatbuilding/ repair. Currently there are a number of individuals on the island following boatbuilding classes. Sint Maarten has large marine industry resources which sit idle in the low season. Boatbuilding and an additional focus on vessel repairs would create employment in the off-season when it is most needed.
Sint Maarten can choose to maintain the Simpson bay lagoon, a part of the island's natural heritage upon which the Tourism based economy relies, or chose to destroy the lagoon for privately owned jets which will only be here for a short period per year. In essence, it is a choice between protecting our economic resources, in this case the Simpson Bay Lagoon, and building a parking lot for jets which would sit empty for months at a time. In the end it is about what we collectively decide to do. It should in any case be a democratic decision. In a couple of months, you will presented with a choice on how you want to move forward. Citizens for Positive Change (CPC) urges you to use it wisely.

Citizens for Positive Change
www.positivechangesxm.com

The word integrity is defined as "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness." Ethics is defined as "moral principles that govern a person's or group's behaviour." But can such noble words be achievable in the world today? Before one can even attempt to answer such a question one must first ask who or what determines honesty, moral principles, and uprightness? In other words who determines what is right or wrong and where can these rights or wrongs be found in written documentation for all to read? Taking this into context and reflecting on the age old saying "what is good for the goose is good for the gander" still leaves a lot to be answered. Because again, we can ask what is good and who determines what is good?
My research and findings led me to conclude the following: in today's monetary system once there is a breakdown of community where fragmentation, competition, income inequality, power and wealth consolidation, dilution of the local population through migration, overpopulation, labour abuse, social stratification and a number of other fragmenting causing terms becoming the norm, integrity and ethics become a façade, a chasing after the wind. This in turn leads to greed and corruption.

The word greed is defined as an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. The word corruption is often defined as moral perversion or dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. Taking the conclusion from above into context and relating it to the five basic human needs framework of Abraham Maslow, one can further conclude that greed and corruption are the very foundation that drives our so called free-enterprise capitalist system. Today, people see money as the means to survival as oppose to seeing it for what it was created for - a tool to help improve the cumbersomeness of barter trade. Therefore, according to Jacques Rueff, "Money will decide the fate of mankind." And since money is not controlled by the community but by private institutions with private interests who thus in turn determine the fate of economies, integrity and Ethics become unachievable. "What's in it for ME", is the way people think as oppose to "What's in it for US - the community and environment."

Emilio Kalmera

Democracy is a beautiful thing, and any election is an opportunity to express one's choice, but it is also an opportunity to make one's voice heard.
Saturday, May 24th is the date of the European elections. Our vote must therefore be oriented primarily (if not exclusively) in favor of St. Martin's own interests of in its relations with Europe.
Today, our territory remains an Outermost Region (UPT) of Europe, even if it is absolutely atypical, and even if the French authorities continue to keep us in the fold of the outermost region of Guadeloupe.
We are an absolutely atypical UPT, and this:

• not just because we are the only UPT to share an island with an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT; Sint - Maarten) with also a symbolic and fictitious border,
• not just because we are the only UPT to not be an integral part of the European customs territory,
• not just as well, because we are the European territory the most westerly situated in the Atlantic,
• not just even, because we are the only one to have a multi-currency economy: (Euro and Dollar at the time),
• etc...

but rather because:
-We are the only one of all the outermost regions of Europe to which its home country (France) denies the legitimate right to have its own specific and full-fledged Operational Program (PO) for the funding period 2014-2020 with a level of funds corresponding to its genuine needs in light of the importance of its setbacks, handicaps and infrastructural deficit based on the evaluation criteria of the European Union,
-We remain the only one for whom its home country (France) refuses to make the request and initiate the steps that would lead up to it obtaining its own NUTS-2 code (NUTS code (nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) is a territorial division to facilitate comparisons and assessments between territories; this code also permits the evaluation of the volume of European development funds which each territory could claim).
The refusal of France to grant to St-Martin its own 2014-2020 full-fledged Operational Program is totally unjustified and unjustifiable. The same goes for the refusal since our status change (from a Commune to an Autonomous Territory) in 2007, to request a NUTS code for St-Martin, whereas all the other home countries of the E.U. have done it for their dependencies that are much smaller than us (Spain for its enclaves of Ceuta and Melila; Finland for the Åland Islands).
While our territory is being heavily penalized by the application of regulations and many European norms and standards, a real political will on the behalf of France to present, argue and defend at the level of the European authorities, our reality, our "habits and customs", our particularities and the heavy handicaps that a blind application of all these regulations create, would have allowed us to obtain the necessary adjustments, adaptations and facilities.
It is clear therefore that vis-a-vis of Europe, our difficulties and lack of financial support at the level of what we could legitimately claim, have for sole causes the negligence and the sacrifice of St. Martin by France in favor of other French outermost regions that have greater lobbying power and that represent more political and electoral weight. France in so many areas continues to sacrifice St. Martin in its rights and opportunities within Europe.
As long as we remain integrated in Europe, we have no other choice but to continue our battle for Europe to hear more and better our voice.
Given this reality, the European elections of May 24th are one of the rare opportunities for St-Martin to attract the attention of the European institutions, to make its voice heard and to assert its own interests. For this it is essential to change our way of thinking and to move away completely from the classic Franco-French political games and mimics and to release the strings attached through memberships and affiliations to national political parties (PS, UMP, FN, etc...). St. Martin has not gained anything in the past and has nothing to expect by simply being a follower and accepting to be simply a reservoir of extra votes.
Conscious, that these kind of elections do not mobilize nor really interest the St-Martin electorate, conscious as well that both in France and in Europe, blank votes are now officially recognized and are counted as a means of expression and a civic act, this tool (the blank vote) represents a way for St-Martin to make its voice heard and to draw attention to its problems. The blank vote may therefore be a way to sound the alarm.
It would therefore be wise for St-Martin voters who decide to go to the polls this Saturday, May 24th to use this new tool and means of expression that is the BLANK VOTE. To actually use this tool of civic expression but with long political reach, just deposit in the ballot box either the empty voting envelop or the voting envelop in which you would have slipped in a white bulletin (white paper).
For our territory the status of outermost region (RUP) must only be a passage or a stage, because our interests and sustainable development (based on the attractiveness and competitiveness of our territory) are not secured remaining an outermost region of Europe. But pending this change, we must work to make sure the voice of St-Martin is well heard, by casting a BLANK VOTE on Saturday May 24th.

Alain Richardson
Former President of the Collectivité of St-Martin

As of the 1st April, pensioners are now being charged USD45 to view their favorite television programs supplied by Statia Cable TV. For the last few years, this provider has maintained fees at USD30 for local residents over the age of 65. But such a spike in the cost of viewing has not been welcomed by the Island's increasing number of senior citizens.
I am one such pensioner who thinks that the television cable provider has gone too far. It is pure profiteering. The cable company thinks it has a monopoly like Winair to jack-up fees when it wants for its customers. My pension has only risen by three percent this year but the new owners of the cable company have hiked up their charges by 50 per cent. So much for their community spirit! They put profit before pensioners. They are cashing-in by exploiting those who are often the poorest and most vulnerable members of our island society.
But for many of these retired people, television is often the main source of enjoyment. This move for money is not only greedy but also amounts to age discrimination. Typically, the elderly do not have the skills to switch over to internet based alternatives. Statia Cable TV has not taken into account the law of diminishing returns. When I complained about the new charge at the TV cable office, I was greeted with dismissive arrogance and loud rudeness. This is how they reward long standing and thus loyal customers.
Switch-off and switch-over
I understand that Eutel is planning to launch an alternative and cheaper television service next year. If that is the case, many households including pensioners will switch-off and switch-over. You can use your television remote control to choose the channel but common sense controls where you shop for your signal. Many television screens on Statia will go out as the poorest section of the Island's society dumps the costly fable cable. From now on, I shall refuse to pay the TV fee and I will use my PC for news and views.
Owners of the cable company are Saba Communications N.V. However, viewers on Saba are only charged USD 30. Nevertheless, the cable provider is 'shooting itself in the foot'.
Consumers on Saba are also not satisfied with the same cable company on that island. Many households have replaced their local cable provider through the purchase of a dish and decoder. The general consensus is that the cable service leaves much to be desired. To date there seems to have been no significant change: blocks still pop-up on the screen asking for the consumer to pay his or her bill, while the consumer is paid up!
Many folks on the island of Saba have been criticizing the cable TV management and rightly so. The service is less than acceptable and immediate improvement is required or many more will turn their back on the local cable service provider. They will seek an alternative to view their favorite programs and to remain up-to-date with world and regional news!
Searching questions about the cable TV and their concession are expected to be asked at the next open public Central Committee Meeting on St. Eustatius.

James Russell

Dear Editor,

The timing of the 26 March UNESCO CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 2014 third earthquake/tsunami exercise was held a week before Chile's 8.2 earthquake that triggered a six foot tsunami. 24 hours later a 7.6 magnitude earthquake was reported. The first earthquake/tsunami left six people dead, destroyed 2,600 houses and led to mass evacuations of coastal areas. Nearly one million people were evacuated across Chile after a tsunami warning was issued.

In 1960 an area of Chile was hit by a 9.5 magnitude quake which caused over 1600 deaths and a tsunami that traveled across the Pacific Ocean all the way to Hawaii and Japan.

Country Sint Maarten is also at risk for a tsunami caused by an earthquake or underwater volcanic eruption, and hence, the country should be prepared for such an eventuality including the continuity of governance in such a natural disaster event which could even be worse than the 1995 hurricane Luis.

Training exercises are very important and at the same time, preparing the nation for such an eventuality. Today's thinking is not when it will happen, it's how prepared are we? Are we planning for such an eventuality?

The level of participation in the tsunami warning exercise on March 26 in the Caribbean was unprecedented compared with similar exercises in 2011 and 2013. It reflects the commitment of the countries concerned and a growing awareness of the tsunami threat in the region.

A total of 31 Member States (UNESCO) and 16 of the territories in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions participated. In addition, 230,000 people participated in the test, a 75 per cent increase compared to 2011 and 300 per cent more than in 2013.

Two scenarios were developed for the exercise this year. The first simulated a tsunami generated by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 on the Richter scale originating 270 km in the South West of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. This scenario was modeled after an actual earthquake and tsunami that occurred on 1 November 1755. This tsunami devastated Lisbon, Portugal and also affected the coasts of Spain, North Africa, and the Caribbean. It took nine hours for the tsunami to reach the Caribbean (Antigua).

The second scenario simulated a tsunami generated by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 which triggered a submarine landslide in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to UNCESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, the success of this year's tsunami warning exercise demonstrates the maturity of the Tsunami Early Warning System implemented in the region in 2005, adding that cooperation between States and specialized institutions, and the preparation of local populations is crucial, to address tsunami-related risks, mitigate their impact and save lives.

The goal of CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 2014 third earthquake/tsunami exercise was to test the readiness of the countries in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions to respond to a distant tsunami. Over the last 500 years, 75 tsunamis have occurred in the Caribbean and this figure represents about 10 per cent of the entire number of oceanic tsunamis in the world during that period. More than 3,500 people were killed in the region since the mid-19th century.

Contingency planning is a component of a much broader emergency preparedness process that includes items such as business practices, operational continuity, and disaster recovery planning. Preparing for such an event often involves implementing policies and processes at an organizational level and may require numerous plans to properly prepare for, respond to, recover from, and continue activities if impacted by an event.

As part of a comprehensive risk management approach, contingency planning would identify potential vulnerabilities and threats and then implement approaches to deal with the potential impact. Contingency plans must also be maintained as living documents requiring regular updates to reflect changes based on socio-economic-national development factors.

The existence and sustainability of the country is at stake and every resident and business has a stake in the aforementioned, hence why country contingency planning is so important.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG) Ban Ki-moon recently visited Greenland where he got first-hand opportunity to see the impacts of climate change, where the melting of ice sheets is accelerating and expressed deep concern at fast-moving glaciers which can raise sea levels, affecting the entire international community of nation's environmental systems.

He further added, "It's not only Greenland's people – it's the people of the whole world (who) are threatened because of this rapidly changing climate change." The people of the world also include the people of Sint Maarten/St. Martin.

As a country, we have to take on this issue, especially when we talk about sustainable development, and the National Development Plan (NDP).

The UN SG adds I quote: "There may be still many studies to make, the nature and the impact of the climate change, but (there is) one, simple plain fact: climate change is happening much, much faster than we might think."

Country Sint Maarten has two opportunities at hand to elevate this issue to the Kingdom level and at the highest political level.

The Kingdom Conference in Aruba that starts on April 2nd would have been the opportune time for the countries within the Kingdom to address the climate change issue. It would have also been an opportunity for country Sint Maarten to bring forward the issue as an agenda point.

I commend Aruba for taking the initiative for adding an additional point to the agenda of the Kingdom Conference, SIDS (Small Island Developing States) issues. Small countries face big challenges that restrict sustainable development of the islands. One of the key issues for country Sint Maarten today is sustainable development, and we must use our position as a country in the Kingdom to capitalize on the matter and the opportunities that exist that will also benefit our socio-economic development in the mid to long-term.

The second opportunity is the planned parliamentary tri-partite meeting that will take place from April 7 to 9 involving representatives from the parliaments of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.

Climate change touches upon the very issues that will be discussed at the Kingdom Conference starting on Wednesday and these include children's rights; economic cooperation within the Kingdom; and reports from four workgroups in the areas of cooperation, practical bottlenecks and differences in interpretation in the Kingdom, dispute resolution, and the movement of persons and goods between countries in the Kingdom.

Caribbean countries are forging a united front according to St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, chairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) where he says that the promises of money by the biggest polluters in the world for small island developing states like his to adapt to climate change are mostly a mirage. Dr. Gonsalves said the region will be playing a leading role in getting the Caribbean Basin to coordinate a united front on climate finance.

According to the latest report entitled, "Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability," and just released, the effects of climate change are already occurring in all continents and across the oceans, and the world, for the most part, is ill-prepared for the risks.

Sint Maarten needs to decide because climate change poses the biggest threat to our livelihoods and our sustainability as a country. Green planning is the future and the way to move forward where country Sint Maarten becomes climate-resilient. The UN SG concludes: "We cannot negotiate with nature. A lot of disasters, natural disasters, have happened."

"We have to take action now. The time is now,..." and the same can be said for country SInt Maarten. Building a climate resilient country entails opportunity and sustainable development for the society that we have today and for generations to come. What is started today will continue by generations to come, but at least today's generation recognized the importance of taking action now.

Roddy Heyliger

Winair's decision to increase its airfares for a round trip to Statia literally flies in the face of sound business practice. It is a work of fiction and fantasy. This government owned company could have chosen a better day than April 1st to announce their hike. Still, the people of Statia are being fooled by this not so 'dependable airline'. Economy airfares to and from the Island will genuinely increase by USD 6.66 as per 15th April.
Companies throughout the world know that a decrease in demand for a product can be turned around by dropping the price. This holds true for bread, chocolate, Coca Cola and air tickets. It explains why airlines like Spirit and Jet Blue have carved out a profitable business for themselves by offering cheap tickets to put bums on seats. But not Winair. This fly-by-night enterprise has decided to turn demand theory on its head and parachute its ignorance into the wallets of hard-pressed consumers on Statia.

MONOPOLY
How can they do this? They can because Winair operates a virtual monopoly. Jet fuel prices are not rocketing but the airline thinks it can get away with hiking public transportation costs. Major shareholders are the St. Maarten as well as the Dutch kingdom Governments. Their overpaid politicians could not care a moment for a local island that is dependent on a sole airlift supplier. Their snouts are far too busy sniffing out the next business deal or offshore commission account. Nobody uses a Quill anymore to vote!
But instead of spreading their costs over all Winair routes, the company knows that it can get away with slamming the traveling public on its bread and butter route to Statia. It does so even in the knowledge that air ticket prices are on the decline throughout the world.
Other means of transport such as the Waterman ferry or swimming are either not predictable or not safe. But statements from the airline and airport sharks are more worrisome.
Let us examine some of the truths and lies behind these statements.
The company says that traffic plummeted by 3,567 passengers in 2013 compared to 2012. This is absolutely true. 50 years of safe flying has resulted in a crashing of passenger numbers over the last eight years. Since 2006, the airlift has lost about a third of its traffic. But as we have seen, loss of demand should lead to a drop in prices, not a hike.
So what is happening? The total cost of an air ticket has been made unaffordable. That is why passenger numbers have been plummeting. The flight from SXM to EUX must be the shortest yet most expensive flight in the Caribbean. Even compared to other Winair routes, the cost of this eighteen minute hop is out of this world. Also out of this world are the airport taxes that have increased above the rate of inflation over the last eight years. Last year and despite a budget surplus, Commissioner Sneek slapped a 50 per cent increase on airport tax for Statia's EUX. This was not helpful.
But the most horrendous tax hikes have come from Regina LaBega and her airport chums. As of 15th April, a single flight to the Historical Gem will cost USD 125. A third of this price is made up of St Maarten Airport below-the-belt screening fee (USD 10.91), over-the-top departure tax (USD 22) and laughable improvement fee (USD 5). It is nonsense that passengers to Statia are forced to pay more a less the same fees as those passengers boarding a large Jumbo Jet to Amsterdam or to wherever.
LaBega was a political appointee and has earned a reputation for fiddling with outrageous figures. Her latest figures include monstrous and costly USD 3 million pelican sculptures and multicolored flags. In addition to signing the right checks for the right marketing and construction companies, she has presided over a mass desertion of executive private jets to more friendly neighboring islands and a jet fuel shortage that was predictable but not unavoidable. Her expensive annual report is full of blah-blah and airport receipts from supposedly tax-free retail outlets have dwindled. Her improvement fee is a farce as witnessed by the Disneyland flight monitors that have born no resemblance to actual Winair flight arrival and departure times for the last three years. Even Colombus had more vision and direction.
How the airport managed to obtain a development bond for USD 120 million from the Central Bank for what and for whom, is anybody's guess. But I am sure Theo Heyliger has the answer. He appointed her...

ISOLATION
It is therefore extremely ironical that Winair that was originally set up specifically to relieve the isolation of Saba and Statia has now achieved the opposite. Their airline community spirit was demonstrated a few years ago by dumping the airlift between Saba and Statia. That lengthy round trip via the SXM hub will now cost more than a cheap return from SXM to JFK.
Claiming that the population of the islands has become more overweight, Winair has reduced the maximum passenger capacity of its aircraft. But then the oversized label applies to Winair itself too. With five de Haviland twin otters, one state of the art ATR aircraft, a long list of failed routes and a CEO who earns a high-flying annual salary of USD 290,000, perhaps it is time for downsizing. Why not start at the top?
Winair has clearly not won me over. The airline assures us that it had communicated beforehand with Carlyle Tearr, the Island's commissioner for airport and transportation affairs. It will be remembered that Carlyle Tearr was also appointed. He has a budget but was not elected.
His leadership skills were only illustrated recently after discussions with a representative from Eutel on the subject of the Saba Statia Cable Company. Both companies are 100 percent government owned. Both companies have failed persistently to publish annual accounts as required by law (very much like Winair!) Furthermore, millions of dollars of public money have disappeared from this cable company now registered from a beach hotel bedroom in Bonaire. "Not for public consumption" said Tearr referring to the content of his discussions with Eutel.
I guess not but if it is not for public consumption by a public company, the suspicion lingers that it was for private enrichment...
So any solution in terms of an alternative airlift or routing from Tearr will therefore be as elusive as the whereabouts of flight MH370.
I know it is easier to voice criticism and to whine than propose positive solutions. However, the situation now demands public action to advance practical and decisive alternatives. However, inaction from Tearr will result in only further price hikes later and disappointed voters sooner. Winair is clearly in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. The Dutch Government must also respond decisively. But will it?

James Russell

Dear Mr. Editor,

You brilliantly made up not one, but TWO April Fools' Day stories in your April 1st, 2014 edition.

1. The front page story about Tintamarre being sold and
2. The page 4 story of the UP being concerned about election fraud reports.

Both stories are very credibly written. BRAVO!
Surprisingly enough the editors of the TODAY for their April Fools' Day prank concocted ‎almost verbatim the same story regarding the election fraud!
I take it "Great Editors think alike"?!

Michael J. Ferrier

In a Letter to the Editor, published June 12th 2003 in the Daily Herald, I presented "A Basic Idea".
Here again is that Basic Idea, amended to our current Parliament.

My suggestion is that the members of Parliament should be elected based on preferential votes, but not based on party affiliations. By that I mean, the top 15 vote-getters, across the board, should be the ones elected to Parliament.
This, I base on the fact that there is no party ideology.
The main question is: do we want to be represented by someone who has no voter support but who was lucky enough to be on a particular list or by someone who actually has voter support?
These 'piggy-back selected persons' are more committed to the one(s) on whose back(s) they got selected than they are to the country.
Giving an individual an amount of votes, valid for 3 seats, must never mean that he/she can bring two 'selected persons' on board with him/her.

The highest vote-getter is then given the task to form a government with an 8 – 7 majority, but preferably a
9 – 6 majority. This means that he/she can very well take persons from another party or other parties to form a government. This would give us a broad-based government and that should mean better representation.
If he/she cannot get a government formed in the allotted time, then the second highest vote-getter would be assigned the task.

The possibility must exist for any other elected person to put a majority together to form a government and present that information to the Governor to speed up the process.
There will always be a possibility that the highest vote-getter(s) can be in the opposition benches. One Parliamentary seat must never be more important than another.

I hear two parties demanding a clear cut victory of 8 seats or more.
While I am no big supporter of coalition governments, as we know them now, they must respect the choice of the electorate. The electorate in its 'infinite wisdom' chooses 15 Members of Parliaments and those elected have an obligation/responsibility to represent the country.
The problem is that our elected officials don't seem to know what their responsibilities are and to whom.

The elected persons, who accept ministerial positions, will have to resign their seats in Parliament to the next highest vote-getter in their respective parties. Provisions must be made for them to regain their seats in Parliament, should they resign from their ministerial positions. Professionals could also become Ministers if they are presented by, at least, 3 Members of Parliament and approved by Parliamentary majority. The Members who present these professionals must explain to Parliament why they make the presentation and Parliament must be able to question the presenters and the candidates.

The Council of Ministers could present a plan of action and Parliament could approve/amend/disapprove that plan. Parliament could also "order" the Council of Ministers or an individual minister to carry out a task with specific guidelines and timeframe.
The Council of Ministers must report to Parliament on a monthly basis and present a progress report on what is being worked on.

I believe that each minister must go to Parliament to present his/her budget. That is where Parliament provides guidance to each ministry. Ministers must be limited to what commitments they can make on behalf of the country without approval by Parliament.

The role of the Finance Minister is only to control expenditures that have been approved by parliament.
If the Minister of Finance believes that a ministry is not performing within its budget, he has an obligation to notify that ministry and Parliament.

Government owned companies must also present their budgets and business plans to Parliament for perusal/approval. Parliament can make suggestions to the boards of these companies.

The possibility for a change of direction must always exist. If that means a shift in political vision/direction, then it must be debated in Parliament in an open session. In the case of a Minister being removed, this too must be clearly debated in Parliament. If Parliament no longer has confidence in a Minister, the reason(s) must be brought to Parliament in an open session and the Minister must be given ample opportunity to defend him/herself.

This is a basic idea. Now, the technocrats will have to formalize it.

Clifton R. Wilson

Dear Editor,

A trickle of suspects has started to depart the national prison facility in Pointe Blanche. The Prosecution Service announced last Friday that two suspects were sent home because of overcrowding. Due to the rebuilding of parts of the prison, there are 30 fewer detention places.

The suspects were detained for fire-arm possession and one suspected of human smuggling. The suspects are now allowed to await the remainder of the investigation into their cases at home. Three prisoners, who had nearly completed their sentences, were released in order to create space in the national prison. In addition, as a result of detention space, the Prosecution Service chose not to take into pre-trial detention two persons suspected of money laundering.

An urgent meeting has taken place between the Head Prosecutor, Chief of Police and Prison Director with respect to finding a solution and drafting an advice for the Minister of Justice.

Crime is one of the great challenges for democratic governance. The lack of prison space and detention holding areas is not only a Sint Maarten challenge, but also a regional one. Caribbean prison services have met to discuss this and many other issues related to the prison system. Prison reform is seen as essential in order to meet the challenges of corrections now and in the future.

Some regional countries are promoting the use of new and emerging technological advances in corrective services. The Bahamas for example has introduced an Electronic Monitoring Programme to reduce the prison population.

According to the report, "Prison: problems and challenges for the Americas," commissioned by the Organization of American States (OAS), the incarceration of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean is a major security problem that manifest itself into prison overcrowding among many other challenges including social rehabilitation and reintegration to prepare inmates to re-enter civilian life. The United States of America prison population is the largest in the world.

Prison overpopulation and overcrowding are problems that few countries manage to avoid. The next Parliament of country Sint Maarten will have to delve into the matter of our prison system and look at ways and means to fight crime and how our prison system will look 10 to 20-years from now.

The aforementioned report says the prison systems in Latin America and the Caribbean are in a profound crisis. The obvious deterioration of our prisons the report says is not just the fault of prison authorities; instead it is a function of the low priority attached to this issue in the public policies that states pursue.

"In almost every country of the hemisphere, prison problems are invisible to the public eye, mainly because the citizenry – and therefore policies – have focused more on punishing those who commit crime than on rehabilitating them. Where policies on crime are concerned, many factors and combinations of factors have conspired to cause this crisis."

The Cayman Islands in order to meet international prison and detention human rights standards is investing into building a modular custody/jail prefabricated facility to house persons. The structures are portable and have a life span of 20+years. The facility is semi-permanent and can be relocated to another site at minimal expense. The facility is custom designed and can withstand 150 mile per hour wind speeds – category 5 hurricane. The company that can supply these structures is Eagle Modular which has created similar structures for locations in Canada and the United States.

The aforementioned could be a temporary solution to current prison and detention housing challenges as well as having juvenile prisoners housed separately.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Country Sint Maarten is a dynamic country which has enjoyed economic growth for more than four decades. It has been said at the international level, that the level of overall health achieved is an indication of the success of a country.

A healthy nation is a productive nation. Good health allows people to enjoy a productive and meaningful life – quality of life. Good health contributes to the prosperity of the nation – health is wealth.

Prime Minister of Grenada Hon. Tillman Thomas once said, "The Caribbean is the Region of the Americas worst affected by the epidemic of chronic disease. The human and economic cost burden of these conditions is not sustainable and could undermine the development of these small, fragile countries."

The prime minister is indeed correct; Non-communicable Chronic Diseases (NCDs) are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. The risk factors coming out of these are raised blood sugar; raised blood pressure; overweight/obesity; and abnormal lung function.

The common risk factors are an unhealthy diet, tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity, air pollution and heredity (family history of a particular disease).

In 2002, the 26th Pan American Sanitary Conference recognized NCDs as the greatest cause of premature death and morbidity in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Caribbean countries are at a critical juncture, and the evidence is clear and the time has come for comprehensive and integrated action to reverse this deadly epidemic.

According to PAHO chronic diseases have not received the priority in public health policies and programs commensurate with their disease burden in this Region. There are clear evidence and cost-effective interventions available to prevent premature deaths from chronic disease. The PAHO says it is time to act to prevent the further loss of millions of lives and damage to economies.

The economics of a country goes hand-in-hand with public health. Social inequalities such as unemployment, social isolation, poverty, low self-esteem, feeling powerlessness for women can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease according to the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death for both women and men throughout the world. Infectious diseases is what killed our ancestors, chronic non-communicable diseases are mainly behaviour related or lifestyle.

Every country needs a "Country Health Plan." Such a plan would include health services delivery, governance and financing, health awareness and healthy lifestyle and empowerment of the individual and community to be responsible for own health.

Efforts are underway to make country Sint Maarten's national health system responsive and providing quality health care, and ensuring universal coverage for health care needs of the people. Talks have been held about the expansion of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) which should start some time in 2014 along with further improvement in the quality of care.

As a country, our human resources is an asset, however health is a national asset and must be given the highest priority at all times. A healthy nation is not only the responsibility of the Government and the business community, health is a personal responsibility of every citizen. Addressing the challenges of becoming a healthier nation lies with citizens and Government. Government cannot do it alone. Progress in dealing with public health concerns is only possible if everyone commits to the same goals.

Small island nations like ours are facing major decisions on how to finance public health in the future based on the worrying trends. In order to finance the public health needs of a country, a strategic plan would be necessary. Such a plan should also take into consideration medical tourism and what benefits that would bring for the population of an island.

An analysis of our health care system would show strengths and weaknesses; it would show a growing epidemic in NDCs and the burden on health services; shifting needs, demands and expectations among the population; along with rising healthcare costs.

Country Sint Maarten will need to think outside of the box and explore new strategies for further improving the performance of the health system in order to ensure that the new challenges and demands of the population are met.

A pioneering feature is the involvement of all sectors in improving health care and a commitment for developing broad partnerships within and outside the health sector in order to truly address the health and well-being of the people of the nation.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

The Cayman Islands Medical Tourism Facility known as "Health City Cayman Islands" officially opened on February 25. The opening of the $80 million dollar facility with 140-beds has been described as the most significant event in Cayman Islands business history since the first law firm was established 50-years ago leading to the island becoming a well-known international financial center.

The opening of the medical tourism facility is seen as the birth of a third pillar of the Cayman economy and a new model for global healthcare supplementing tourism and financial services. It has been said Cayman will be at the forefront of a technological revolution in healthcare.

The new facility complements the islands existing healthcare system which comprises of two other hospitals, namely Cayman Islands Hospital (124-bed principal healthcare facility of the island) and the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital (18-bed private facility offering personalized high quality health care). Both facilities have visiting specialists coming in on a regular basis similar to our St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). The co-existence of the current facilities and the medical tourism hospital in the Cayman Islands is not seen as a threat in any form or fashion but as a positive development, and complements each other in overall healthcare for the people of the islands.

The Cayman Islands has a total population of over 53.000 (est. July 2013) and receives annually over 1.7 million tourists (cruise passengers 1,375,872 and stay over 345,387 in 2013). In comparison to country Sint Maarten, both islands are similar in many ways. Country Sint Maarten has a population of over 55,000 (est. 2011) and received over 2.2 million tourists in 2013 (cruise and stay-over visitors).

Health City Cayman Islands is a partnership between Dr. Devi Shetty's India-based Narayana Hrudalaya (in Bangalore) and Ascension Health Alliance, the latter, the largest private non-profit health network in the United States of America.

The first patients are expected to come from the Caribbean as of March 10 and the facility expects to be cash flow positive within six months.

Now that this part of the project has been completed, work will start later this year on a hotel and residences for patients of the 140-bed medical tourism facility. Once again opportunities are being created for the construction sector later this year and when the aforementioned have been built additional employment positions will become available.

A 300-bed unit as part of the medical tourism facility will expand the hospital's specialties into neurology and oncology, and work is to begin in late 2015 or a year later once the hotel and residences have been completed.

Health City plans to offer world-class healthcare at lower prices based on the use of technology. 17 doctors from the India facility will initially lead the Health City medical team and consultant specialists and nurses from India will be available around the clock to patients in Cayman via remote technology – every bed will have an iPad creating an almost paperless facility, the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

The process of bringing medical tourism to the Cayman Islands dates back to September 2009 when Dr. Devi Shetty visited the islands for the first time and met with government officials to discuss the possibility. In October of that same year a memorandum of understanding was signed between the government and Dr. Shetty. Overall the project took almost four and a half years from the interests shown to the opening of the facility just a few days ago.

A 2009 Grant Thornton economic impact study estimated indirect impact revenue to be in the tens of millions after just a few years.

Country Sint Maarten's move into the medical tourism field would lead to an economic impulse and opportunities. Why not a ground breaking of a "Health City Sint Maarten" medical tourism facility in 2014?

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

The board of the Sint Maarten Pride Foundation is certain that you will recall the serious concerns Pride Foundation expressed in the printed media on December 21st, 2013 regarding the most recent filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon for the Airport expansion project. The Foundation is equally certain that you and your devoted readers will clearly recall that the Minister of Environmental Affairs Mr. Maurice Lake verbally attacked Sint Maarten Pride Foundation and chastised the organization for its expression of concerns regarding the Lagoon.

In order to refresh your memory please allow us to remind you that in your publication of the aforementioned date last year Minister Lake made the following statements about the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon:

"All was planned and "done by the book" in cooperation with relevant stake holders such as the Nature Foundation". "I have given written permission and all have followed proper procedures and regulations". (Minister Maurice Lake, December 2013)

So the Minister claimed on December 21st, 2013 that the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon had been properly executed and that written permission (permits) had been issued. Sint Maarten Pride Foundation found these statements by Minister Lake to be questionable at best, considering that there had been no public notices or press releases issued regarding the filling-in of the Lagoon by the Minister's Office or by the Ministry of VROMI before the start of the works in early to mid December 2013. The Foundation therefore carried out some research into the matter and on January 8th and 9th 2014 Pride filed formal requests for copies of the permits and related documents issued to the Airport for the filling-in of the Lagoon at the offices of the relevant authorities.

The Foundation was supplied with copies of the requested information by the Ministry of VROMI a few weeks later and discovered some interesting facts. Contrary to Minister Lake's claim in December 2013 that the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon was "done by the book" and that "written permission" had been granted, a permit for the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon was actually not issued until January, 8th, 2014! The Minister's claim that proper procedures had been followed was therefore absolutely false.

It is perhaps interesting to point out that the permit for the filling-in of the Lagoon was issued on the same day that Pride requested copies of the permit. Was the permit only issued because Pride Foundation requested a copy of it?

To add severe insult to injury frequent location visits by Sint Maarten Pride Foundation board members and volunteers have exposed that none of the regulations stipulated in the permit issued by the Ministry of VROMI or the recommendations as listed in the Environmental Impact Assessment are being adhered to. These regulations which are intended to reduce the environmental impacts of the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon are being completely ignored.

Another point of interest is that the permit request for the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon as submitted by the Airport, requests permission for the filling-in of some 60.000 square meters of surface area yet the permit as issued by VROMI grants permission for quote "unknown square meters"!

The above mentioned facts give rise to the following questions;

• Why did Minister Lake so blatantly misinform the general public about the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon?
• Why was the filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon allowed to take place for weeks before any permits were issued?
• Why is it that the regulations of the permit finally issued on January 8th, 2014 are not being adhered to? Why is the Ministry of VROMI not enforcing the regulations as stipulated in the permit of January 8th, 2014?
• Does the well-being of the Simpson Bay Lagoon ecosystem and the well-being of the Greater Simpson Bay area not interest the Minister?

In closing, please allow us to once again remind the general public of the importance of attending and actively participating in the Town Hall meetings organized by the Ministry of VROMI in preparation of the zoning plans for Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten Pride Foundation representatives will be present at the Town Hall meeting at the A. Halley Center in Simpson Bay on Tuesday February 25th, 2014 and the Foundation looks forward to seeing residents of the Simpson Bay Area as well as other interested persons there.

The Board of the Sint Maarten Pride Foundation

Dear Editor,

The year 2013 was among the top ten warmest years since modern records began in 1850, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Thirteen of the 14 warmest years on record have all occurred in the 21st century. The warmest years on record are 2010 and 2005.

According to the WMO, the global temperature for the year 2013 is consistent with the long term warming trend, and the rate of warming is not uniform but the underlying trend is undeniable. The WMO further adds that given the record amounts of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, global temperatures will continue to rise for generations to come.

More than 90 per cent of the excess heat being caused by human activities is being absorbed by the ocean. The current pace of our action or inaction to curb heat-trapping gases according to the WMO will shape the state of our planet for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

2014 is an election year, and voters should pay keen attention to the party program/manifesto that political parties should present to the voters prior to the elections. Climate change should be one of the top issues that the parliament and government should plan to tackle once sworn in to office.

Various countries and island-nations are taking a long-term approach to planning and protection in order to be able to support the sustainable development of their nation under climate change circumstances. This is the wise way to move, having a vision and planning ahead by introducing changes today in the way we do things as a community.

For example, a warmer climate could lead to greater use of air-conditioners and increase demand for energy. NV GEBE, our utility company will have to plan for this by investing in additional capacity which could be via renewable energy or the current generators that they already utilize, but there are also other ways to plan as well, by reducing the impact on energy demand, by encouraging environmentally friendly building designs (cooler and energy efficient) and increasing green cover to help cool surroundings.

A much warmer climate will create a very different world and one possibly less hospitable to human life. Higher temperatures – the 4th IPCC Assessment Report says, global average surface temperatures could rise by between 1.1 Celsius and 6.4 Celsius by the end of the 21st century – will result in a higher sea level of between 18 to 59 cm by the end of the century.

Besides the aforementioned, there will also be possible effects varying in severity for water resources due to changes in rainfall and snowfall patterns; more frequent and severe weather events like heavy rainfall and dry spells; loss of biodiversity and natural ecosystems; increased risk of seawater inundation and erosion in coastal areas; greater pressure on infrastructure such as water supply, drainage systems and coastal protection; as well as impact on public health, such as increased heat stress and spread of some infectious diseases.

The European Union (EU) is supporting Caribbean islands in their efforts to adapt and mitigate climate change at regional as well as national levels. The EU says failure to incorporate environmental planning as an integral part of national development will have disastrous consequences for countries and will increase the chances for climate-related disasters.

The future that we plan today is the legacy that will be left behind for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sint Maarten needs to decide because climate change poses the biggest threat to our livelihoods and our sustainability as a country. Green planning is the future and the way to move forward where country Sint Maarten becomes climate-resilient.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Political association is everyone's right. But let it be known, so that people reading articles (in this case editorial commentary) know from which bias the writer comes. The article "Sustainable Development" on the Opinion and Commentary pages of the TODAY of Saturday, February 15th, is nothing more and nothing less than a UPP propaganda piece written by the Editorial Staff of that newspaper. On page 4 of the TODAY Vol 15, No 39 we read that on the Editorial Staff is at least one person with very close family ties to the Green party, DP's Coalition partner for the second time in less than 4 years. So attacking the DP (Claude Wathey's Pride and Joy for 40+ years) is not only not appropriate, but also very wrong on many levels. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams' record on sustainable development is clear and can withstand scrutiny. Note that we understand Sustainable Development to be the as-perfect-as-possible balance between:

1. Economic Development
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Social Development
4. Governance

If you want to put in context what the DP did or did not do for "Sustainable Development" and insist on blaming the DP and our PM for all that is not right on St. Maarten today, then you must also give the DP credit for all that is GOOD on the island and the reason why so many persons from other countries have flocked to our shores. Based on above mentioned "balance", if you want to say that the DP focused more on Economic Development, sometimes to the detriment of the Environment pillar, we say "Mea Culpa", but in the same breath we say: St. Maarten is what it is today BECAUSE of the DP approach, led by Claude Wathey for 40 years and subsequently by Sarah for 20 years and counting.

The DP heading for the "history books" may be the wish of some, but the truth is that PM Sarah Wescot-Williams has proven to be a giant amongst the boys and because of her management skills, was able to hold together ALL governments we have had since 10/10/10. Sarah and the Democratic Party are the ONLY consistent components in what up to now has been a turbulent political environment for young, fledgling Country St. Maarten.

Q: If. DP Leader Sarah Wescot-Williams is so bad, why has she been Prime Minister in St. Maarten's Government 1, Government 2, Government 3 and poised to become Prime Minister in Government 4?

A: Because she represents the Red Thread that for 60 years now has held St. Maarten together!

Michael J. Ferrier
President of the Democratic Party of St. Maarten

Dear Editor,

Country Sint Maarten has to be innovative where it concerns its development strategies. Creative and thinking outside of the box is a must in moving the country forward in 2014 and beyond. The country no longer receives development aid from the Netherlands and therefore we have to rely on looking at ways and means to financing our own national development. Funds from other sources are still there like the European Union (Development Fund) and its recent approval to finance Dutch Quarter district improvements.

The Board of Financial Supervision CFT recently said that the country's reserves have decreased significantly, and with the 2014 national budget approved in January, Government can start working on improving its liquidity position, but also increasing the reserve position. In the first half of 2012 the country's reserves were reportedly around Naf. 65-70 million and by mid-June 2013, the country's reserves had dangerously dwindled down to a reportedly approximate Naf. 17 million.

The reserves of a country must be used wisely that will benefit the people of the country in the long-term, and in the event of a national crisis, and the latter one is not able to forecast. A Government must at all times have funds at its disposal to deal with an emergency.

Every effort should be made in the coming five years to build a "Sint Maarten Sovereign Growth Fund." Our pension and health funds have been able to invest part of the funds they collect, but we must move a step further with the creation of another fund which would be a plus for the long-term sustainable development of country Sint Maarten and its people.

Norway, a North European country with an estimated population of 4.7 million has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, estimated to be worth US$1 trillion by 2020 and US$3.3 trillion by 2030. The fund was established in 1990. Norway borders Sweden, Finland and Russia. The country is slightly larger than the United States of America (over 300 million people) state New Mexico (one of the 50 states that make up the USA).

Norway has invested its income from its oil and gas reserves wisely. Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund holds on average one per cent of the world's equity market shares and owns more than two per cent of all listed companies making it the largest stock owner in Europe.

In order to learn from country's who have been very successful in building up growth and wealth funds resulting in the improvement in the quality of life for their people, country Sint Maarten should explore the possibilities and Norway would be a good start. Diplomatic efforts from the Sint Maarten House in The Hague by the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary should be made to the Norwegian Embassy in the form of exploratory talks.

Norway could also be invited to explore possible investments in the country as well, so besides seeking technical advice on building a "Sint Maarten Sovereign Growth Fund," let's also consider investment opportunities.

There is so much to be done which also includes moving our richest assets, our human resources upward; taking the segment of our population out of poverty and further improving the quality of life; continuous improvements in education, health care, care of our seniors and young people, are in my opinion the cornerstones of every society.

Health, education and people are the three pillars of country Sint Maarten's 21st century development. By having a healthy population, you are able to be more productive; in order to be more productive and develop the areas of our economy that would ensure further growth, high level employment opportunities and better salaries for our people, you need an educated work force – lifelong learning; and people are at the centre of country Sint Maarten's 21st century growth strategy.

As a country we have to synchronize, consolidate and plan wisely to capture the opportunities. We have the institutions of a country; let's use them wisely to the peoples and country's advantage. Much has been achieved, and there is still so much more to come.

Going forward, the country has to re-think in order to continue to move upward where it concerns strategies of growth for the people. The creation of a Sint Maarten Sovereign Growth Fund for the people would be further ensuring our country's national sustainable development.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Last month, the CFT gave a press conference and basically said that when they approve the budget, the Government of St. Maarten can borrow from the World Bank to invest in St. Maarten. The CFT did not mention the interest rate but is important to note that St. Maarten will receive one of the lowest interest rates which is about 2.5% for a 20 year government bond due to the Netherlands economy. The CFT also stated that this investment should be strategic, in order to lower government expenditures or increase revenues. The two suggestions given by the CFT were to finish the new Government Administration Building and invest in the expansion of St. Maarten Medical Center. These are two very good ideas because Government will spend less money renting buildings and have to send less people abroad for medical care.
However, my proposal is a bit different, in addition to investing in infrastructure why not improve current infrastructure? St. Maarten is sunny all year round and solar panel prices have seen a sharp decrease in recent years. Why not invest in solar energy? By investing in solar panels government would be setting a good example for its citizens and the private sector, reduce its carbon footprint, reduce their operational costs on a long term basis, and provide jobs to locals on a contractual basis to install and maintain this investment.
The roofs of several government buildings, schools, and government owned companies can be retrofitted with solar panels. For example, the Princess Juliana Airport has a very large roof that can be retrofitted with many solar panels. Some can even be added in the grass along the runway, similar to how it was done in St. Thomas. Already the Philipsburg Jubilee Library has seen their electricity bill per month reduced by more than 1/3 since they installed solar panels last year.
Last year, a few politicians were talking about how much LED lights would save the government in electricity costs for streetlights. Why not have solar powered street lights that have no electricity costs? The bulk of money goes into buying and installing them but after that it's just yearly maintenance. GEBE also stands to benefit from government using solar panels because some of the burden will be alleviated from GEBE as the sole electricity provider on the Dutch side.
I know at the end of the day those of you reading this might think it's expensive but the price of installing has decreased sharply in recent years and it's nothing compared to the long-term savings. Everyone can benefit from installing solar panels not just government. If every household took advantage of solar panels, people would spend less money on electricity and have more for other expenses. Take a look at your light bill and imagine if it was 40% lower every month, imagine the annual savings. Imagine the annual electricity cost for government and imagine if 40% of that cost was gone. I believe that in less than 5 years government could see a return on investment (ROI) if they invest in solar energy. After all, it's just a matter of improving current infrastructure.

Ramzan Juman

Dear Editor,

A country cannot afford to sit still or stand by and look on. You have to be a part of the development process for the advancement of your own society and creating opportunities for generations to come. On an annual basis the country has challenges in balancing its budget, and the necessary investments needed in the public sector cannot take place or has to take place over a longer period of time, therefore the time is ripe for economic transformation.

Cruise and stay-over tourism are the current pillars of our single-based economy. As a country we need to develop other economic sectors based on several principles: sustainable development; lowering our environmental footprint; creating employment and business opportunities for Sint Maarteners; leads to high paying jobs and further improves the quality of life.

Such a vision improves the long-term sustainability of country Sint Maarten.

The development of a "Sint Maarten E-Business Enterprise Center" (SEBEC) would cater to knowledge-based industries (Internet & Technology sector; Media Marketing & Film, Biotech Industry, Commodities & Derivatives; Academia) and become the technology hub of the North Eastern Caribbean. The Port of St. Maarten as well as our SXM Airport serves as hubs.

We have nothing to lose but more to gain by allowing international companies to have offices with staff on the ground here and generating active business income in Sint Maarten. SEBEC would operate and comply with Organization of Economic Cooperation Development and World Bank guidelines.

This would have spin-off affects for all sectors of our country's economy.

The Cayman Islands have established their own Enterprise City – special economic zone - which has attracted 93 companies and approximately 72 has moved to the Caymans. Vice President of Promotion and Marketing with Grenada Industrial Development Corporation Ronald Theodore reportedly said: "The establishment and operation of a technology based Special Economic Zone focused on knowledge industries is visionary and will undoubtedly position our region for investments in that sector."

The Sint Maarten House in The Hague, the Netherlands as well as the Dutch embassy network throughout the world, could be used to promote SEBEC and country "Sint Maarten E-Business Enterprise Center" could become an important driver of foreign direct investment.

The dynamics of country Sint Maarten should not dear us to dream. We have done it before, but we need to continue.

2014 and beyond requires 21st century thinking.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

At this point in our development, as a country we need to look at areas of possible economic transformation. Such a vision would incorporate and be part and parcel of continuing to improve the quality of life of people and that of the country.

The areas identified for sustainable development would not increase our foot print as a society on our fragile environment, but would only enhance our country's wealth which in turn can be re-invested for future generations.

As part of the vision, why can't we develop the "Sint Maarten Shipping Registry" and achieve recognition from the global market as a top jurisdiction for vessel registration and a popular flag of choice. Yes we can, we have achieved as a destination where our Port of St. Maarten is one of the top cruise ports in the Caribbean. Yes, we can, and yes we have achieved in cruise tourism, so we can also become one of the top Shipping Registry destinations of the world. And besides a shipping registry, let us not stop there but also develop our own "Sint Maarten Aircraft Registry."

The Cayman Islands (a British dependency) has developed this sector and they see the enormous opportunity for growth and development of the shipping industry, which has been considered so significant as a third pillar of the Cayman economy in the long-run. The registry has 1,900 vessels carrying the Cayman Islands flag and over 800 are mega/super-yachts which we see every season docked in Great Bay, Simpson Bay or in the Simpson Bay Lagoon. Besides the Cayman's being a top jurisdiction for vessel registration, the additional benefits in this area still to be explored and developed by the Cayman Islands are environmental studies, maritime law, naval architecture and servicing commercial and leisure traffic.

As part of the vision, why not develop the "Sint Maarten Stock Exchange" (SSX). The SSX can be a supporting element of a shipping registry, and is considered as a cost-effective alternative to listing on larger exchanges in North America or Europe, and would provide benefits to ship owners and managers.

Why not envision the development of the "Sint Maarten International Business & Financial Center" that encompasses asset protection, wealthy management, insurance and banking services. This area has successfully been developed in other parts of the Caribbean and has contributed to the wealth of those countries.

The Cayman Islands for example in this sector employs 12,600 people or 36 per cent of total employment, out of a total population of 57,000. In December 2010, Barbados had 45 offshore banks, 242 captive insurance companies, 3.065 international business companies and 408 international societies with restricted liability.

In Bermuda (British dependency), the international business & financial sector contributes 24.2 per cent of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), so one quarter of their economy is based on this sector, and provides 3,867 direct jobs. The British Virgin Islands (British dependency) gets 45 per cent of its GDP from this sector and has 750,000 offshore companies registered.

These sectors are all high paying jobs. All these new areas of opportunities for country Sint Maarten will have a spill-over affect into other areas of our national economy if we as a country were to facilitate economic transformation. It will besides creating opportunities for our educated people and those studying abroad first and foremost, it will also result in a better quality of life for all.

The trickle down affect will be felt throughout society; better services (education, health, senior citizens, youth care and development); better infrastructure; more public housing; and helping to create and build wealth for every member of society.

Again, do not let it become an excuse that because other islands already have these sectors that I mentioned, that we as a people cannot venture out and facilitate their development, because 25+ other islands in the region today are in the cruise and stay-over tourism business as well, and that never stopped us from developing both. We have succeeded in doing it the Sint Maarten way; by being visionary, innovative, and pro-active; the hospitality and friendliness of our people both North and South; and the natural beauty of our country, are some of the feats and assets that have kept us ahead and up-front.

Key to economic transformation and development is a stable political, social and economic environment. The country has experienced some turbulent times within its first three years and two-months of country status.

The dynamics of country Sint Maarten should not dear us to dream. We have done it before, but we need to continue. The region and the world are not static. What is an advantage today is a disadvantage tomorrow.

2014 and beyond will require 21st century thinking.

Roddy Heyliger

Political observers have been left scratching their heads over the display of political amateurism by Dr. Richardson. Many had seen him as someone motivated by higher principles than grubby politics. They must be disappointed in him now. His rambling, incoherent press release left readers searching for clues as to his real motives, because they were hard to discern in his piece. It was long on empty platitudes and choc-full of contradictions. The good doctor declared he wanted to promote stable government and avoid the unstable government inherent in coalition politics, then promptly turned around and declared himself an independent Member of Parliament, creating another faction, thereby adding to the unstable government he claims to be against. The doctor thus contradicts himself. People voted for the doctor precisely because they thought he was a man of principle, but by jumping ship without stating a principled reason for doing so he has left himself open to the charge that he is motivated by selfish ambition. After all, if one is intent on promoting stable government, there are many other better ways and means of doing so than jumping ship which, if anything, promotes unstable government. He must regret issuing that press release. It should promptly be replaced with something more honest, or at least, more coherent. The move makes him look fickle at best, a hypocrite at worst. Politically savvy it most certainly is not. It reeks of rank political opportunism. This move damages the good doctor's credibility, because in people's minds, ship jumpers, are associated with political crooks and traitors; unreliable and untrustworthy characters. A good many voted for him precisely because as a doctor, he had gained their trust. Now he has decided to follow in the foot- steps of Romain Laville.
He obviously wants to play the game, and no one begrudges him that, but one must at least be aware of the fundamentals if one doesn't wish to be taken to the cleaners.

The first rule:
By making his move now, the doctor has placed himself at the mercy of Theo Heyliger. He violated the first rule of politics: Always negotiate from strength! Theo must be rubbing his hands with glee at the blunder the doctor has committed. Theo has to offer him nothing in return for his declaration of love. Theo's UPP/DP coalition already enjoys a comfortable majority in Parliament so the doctor is a fifth wheel. He has nothing of value to offer. He has no leverage and nowhere to go. If Theo were to reject him, he would be left in the political wilderness. He may not know it yet, but he has become a political beggar, one step away from a political prostitute. Theo can now play him like a violin. He has nowhere to go. He surely cannot return to the National Alliance and after declaring himself openly for the UPP he will only look foolish if he attempts to join some other party. He does not have the political wherewithal to form his own party. The doctor negotiated with an extremely weak hand. Now that he has played his hand so poorly the question is: will he be able to convince his voters to jump ship along with him? His clumsy foray into political gamesmanship has badly damaged his credibility. He will now have to dig deep into his doctor's satchel to find the medicine to cure himself of a bad case of political amateuritis.

The example of Gracita and Frans Richardson
A look at the (still) unfolding careers of Gracita and Frans is instructive. Both are operating from positions of strength. It was because Gracita had a full-fledged political party behind her that she was able to negotiate the number two position on the UPP list. She had leverage and bargaining power. Frans, likewise, operates from a position of strength. As the former number two vote getter and deputy leader of the National Alliance, he has the votes, and therefore the clout, to start his own party. The doctor has none of these attributes. He will have to beg and grovel for a place on the UPP list. Theo knows better than to dare place him ahead of the party faithful who will certainly not take kindly to a carpet bagger leap frogging them on the long list of sycophants at the beggars' banquet.

Name Withheld Upon Author's Request

Dear Editor,

How many times have I spoken with Minister Maurice Lake of VROMI who has only promised to do something about Union Road in Cole Bay where, as I predicted, would become overly congested now that the causeway is open, we now have 2 major traffic jams to deal with all day and all in Cole Bay. The residents of Cole Bay simply can not wait any longer, we need to get the water from constantly running and settling on the roads and pave the roads. Children go to school there and have to get out of and in buses and cars in a pool of water in front their school for so many years now. I my self had to install a simple drainage system with a pump which I am paying for to keep sewage water from constantly flowing in front of our property, government is non-existent. No relief at all. The patch work that has been recently carried on the road was done so sloppy that you constantly find yourself being jolted up and down, up ,and down in your vehicle so imaging what your car is going through. Is government really paying for this worthless work? A total humiliating way of wasting the tax payer's money and everyone in government is to blame for this waste not only Mr. Lake but most of all the Minister of Finance who signs the payment orders. Government is totally out-of-control with no brakes and no insurance. Look what was done to Welfare Road where the drainage was put on the wrong side of the road and the road in Middle Region which was done with the purpose of wrecking ones vehicles, a total waste of time and money. Please do the right thing for Union Road. We also need to get in and out of our drive ways on Union Road, nobody giving you a chance, u know! By the way, take a drive on Well Road and witness the wonderful job that was done there too. Where the hell is government?

Norman Chester Wathey

During the inauguration ceremony on Saturday, January 25 for the Simpson Bay Causeway, nearly every speaker spoke about a vision. A vision is a view of what goals one would like to achieve for the future. It identifies what one would like to accomplish. A vision is being able to see and anticipate the long-term needs of the people of Sint Maarten, and taking the necessary steps to ensure that the quality of life of people and that of the country continues to grow.

An economic analyst once said: "All economic development starts with the desire of the people to improve their economic conditions." Country Sint Maarten has leaped forward in its development to a service-based economy that we have today. Cruise and stay-over visitors are the bread and butter of the nation. We have reached a point in our national development where we need to continue to "think outside of the box," in order to ensure that the quality of life that the people have today will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.

There are also those within our society whose quality of life is at a lower level. We have heard about people living in poverty. This can also be found in some of the richest countries in the world. As a country with much wealth, the people who live in poverty or on the border line of poverty, must be assisted and helped to make a leap forward where their quality of life reaches the levels of others in society. As a nation we have much to be thankful for and we must stay the course by all working together.

The buzz words today are sustainable development and economic transformation. Our country has reached a point where our natural environment has to become a number one priority. We now have to build smart as a community because our landmass as a country is only 16 square miles. We need to retain our hilltops and other hillside areas for generations to come and for current and future generations to enjoy. Our foot print on our environment must be taken into consideration, and we must move in the direction of protecting what we have left.

The House of Parliament also has a role to play where Vision for 21st Century Sint Maarten, 2014 and beyond is concerned. The honourable House is the country's cornerstone of our democracy and belongs to the people: Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth – Abraham Lincoln.

Parliament's role is not only debating issues, presenting motions, approving laws and listening to the concerns, interests and plans of different groups, but also being part and parcel of the visionary process for the country. The country has laws that date back to the near beginnings of the industrial revolution. These laws need to be updated to meet the 21st century needs of the Sint Maarten people. Parliament's role is also to continue the trend set to be the pacesetter of sustainable national development in this part of the region and the Caribbean overall.

The honourable House first (1st) parliamentary setting of four years after the September 2010 elections for the country's first parliament will come to an end later this year when elections are constitutionally due. The second (2nd) four year parliamentary setting of the House will start later this year after the people have had the opportunity to go to the polls. There will be much anticipation for the second parliament of the country.

One of the key points is to see the honourable House employ a core of legal minds who can prepare legislation for members of parliament. These legal minds will also be able to give advice on which laws are outdated and need to be renewed; what the legal trends are in laws based on the changes that have been brought forward by the developments in technology.

As a country our laws need to be up to speed with international developments, because within legal trends there are also opportunities for the people of this country. For example, if you would like to develop an international and financial services sector; an aircraft and ship registry; trade and logistics; information technology; healthcare and life sciences research; sports tourism; or a film industry sector, certain laws need to be in place that would entice investors to invest and want to be a part of these economic transformative areas of our economy.

In turn employment opportunities are created for our people; opportunities are created for those studying abroad to come back home to be a part of building the country; opportunities are created for those living in poverty and on the borderline of poverty; and from these opportunities the quality of life for the people of the country continues to grow and get better for all the people.

As they say, it all starts with a Vision for 21st Century Sint Maarten, 2014 and beyond.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

We, founders of Facebook page 'Unfair KLM ticket prices SXM – AMS' (www.facebook.com/unfairklmticketprices), were not quite sure who to address this letter to. We know there is something really wrong, but we are not quite sure where to find the hitch. So what is the hitch?

KLM passengers with destination Sint Maarten pay roughly 150 - 200 dollars per person more than their fellow passengers who deplane in Curacao. Same goes for passengers departing from these 2 islands. This is a structural issue, regardless the time of booking, the time of flying and the amount of seats booked. To make things worse for the residents of both French and Dutch Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten is never part of the wonderful KLM World Deal Weeks. KLM Dutch Caribbean offers these great deals only from Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba. Why is Sint Maarten NEVER included? We couldn't really wrap our heads around it, it is one plane that arrives on our beautiful island first, to stop and refuel in Curacao before it goes back to the cold in Amsterdam. Your first hunch would be that KLM is to blame, wouldn't it?

We thought so too, and still think so to be honest. KLM comes with the same general explanation, price differentiation, flexibility (??), demand and offer etc etc. A lot of words that basically say, more people go to Curacao. Ok, we get that, but not more people go to Bonaire or Aruba, and if more people go to our other Dutch Islands, aren't the high fares for Sint Maarten the cause, and not the consequence of a smaller demand? Kind of like the egg and chicken, which one was first? And then again, it does not in any way shape or form explain why Sint Maarten is excluded from any deals period. Even not so popular products on the supermarket shelves go on sale sooner or later.

But maybe it's not (just) KLM. We tried to obtain the airport fees. Sint Maartens fees are well hidden we can tell you that! We only found fees from 2008. Comparing SXM fees with the other Dutch Caribbean airport fees really blew us away like the 747 jet blast at Maho. We all know how much damage that can do. It costs around US$ 11.000 (2008 prices) to land and depart a Boeing 747 on Sint Maarten. So are our airport fees the cause? Or is KLM not dividing these costs between all passengers in this Boeing 747 equally? We all landed here, we can at least share it all. 50 people do not need a 747 after all.

Maybe our lack of marketing is the cause. We do not have any insight in this. We did hear the lack of funds budgeted for Tourism, but aren't we biting ourselves in the behind by this? Tourism is practically our only source of income, we need to cherish it! We feel KLM is profiting from us, simply because they can. They do not have any competition. Airfrance is the only other company flying to Sint Maarten from Amsterdam and we all know KLM and Airfrance are partners. Their prices are basically the same, a US$ 25 difference here and there. As far as we know, price fixing is illegal.

Straighten up KLM, reduce the airport fee, and/or promote Sint Maarten at other airlines. Price reductions have been promised to the public since 2012 and again in summer 2013. We did not see any difference and we are in 2014 already. What happened during these last meetings between the involved parties, honourable Minister of Economic Affairs, KLM and Princess Juliana International Airport?

We are confused, please help us out. We don't want to sound like whining school children, but we do believe we - the residents and visitors of Sint Maarten - deserve a decent explanation. How many of you have children studying in Holland and hardly see them? How many of you are missing family members? How many visitors did we miss out on these last years, simply because they rather save money and go to Curacao, Bonaire or Aruba instead? Especially if you have kids you can easily save US$ 1000,- on tickets alone, just by deplaning on the next island. Our Facebook page received 2500 likes in 2 days, so we are not standing alone in this matter.

Perhaps honourable minister of Economic Affairs Mr. Richardson can make a difference, or perhaps the director of Princess Juliana Airport, or is it simply KLM that needs to make a change? For all clarity, this letter wasn't written to point fingers, this letter was written to solve problems. If you have any information that might help us, you can also send us an email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Especially the Ministry, Airport and KLM invited to share their inside information with us. Join us in our quest for decent answers and moreover our quest for fairer airfares, like us on www.facebook.com/unfairklmticketprices.

Best regards,

Team Unfair KLM Ticket Prices

Dear Editor,

It's really getting more and more inconvenient and extremely costly for the motoring public to continuously have to bear with the deplorable conditions of and loss-of-time congestion on our deteriorating roads here in "touristic" St. Maarten/Saint-Martin. Our patched-up "governments" have resorted to patching potholes as more and more become existent due to the constant amount of all types of water running on them with no end in sight. Many may tend to say, ooh it's like that all over the world so St. Maarten/Saint-Martin is not immune from the problems and then again since there's no one in government who is really listening or give a darn about what people must endure, I rest my case!

Norman Chester Wathey
Road Dependent

Dear Editor,

Please allow me to correct some facts recently misstated by Mr. Ruben Thompson regarding Rain Forest Adventures and the eco tourism park in Dominica. RFA commissioned the park in 2003 with the help of the Development Bank of Dominica and a tax holiday from government. It appeared that the project would succeed on the Nature Island with this assistance and RFA did all in its power to make it so. Government changed and the World Bank pressured Dominica until a 15% VAT was put in place in 2007. The negative effects of the unexpected 15% tax and associated reduction of cruise ship visitation caused us to run at a loss consistently over the 9 years of operation. We continued to support the operation and kept trying to enhance the tram with new experiences including the commissioning of a new spectacular zipline in 2011. The sulfurous environment (from the Boiling Lake) was always a challenge. The exterior of the towers were well maintained but I worried about the inside so we purchased a special inspection camera and dropped it down into the towers to have a look. It was no longer safe to operate the tram and running it at a loss, we could not justify replacing the high cost tram. The Development Bank and Government decided it was in their best interest to take over the assets of RFA in Dominica with the intent of rebuilding and capitalizing on some promising geothermal exploration on the property so they became the owners during the settling of accounts.
Mr. Thompsons chides the editor of the Daily Herald for not doing his research and then makes the statement that RFA "closed its doors from one day to the next" which is true – we do not compromise on safety. And "the foreign managers the company flies in to manage its amusement parks at all its destinations simply moved on to another site". Not true, the employees were 100% Dominican trained on site, including the general manager. Again "carts and other materials were left to rust and rot away in the forest of Dominica for months on end by Rain Forest Adventures". Not true, we had a plan to remove the material but the Development Bank and Government acquired the assets intending to use them. Mr. Thompson has my email and could have easily asked me what happened in Dominica as part of his 'research' rather than make false claims and once again accuse RFA of deception. We were very sorry to close the operation in Dominica where we won many awards including 'the best environmental land excursion' and took thousands of Dominican students for free to educate them on the importance of saving rainforests, not to mention the loss to all of our dedicated employees.
Regarding RFA in St Maarten and the issuance of a monument permit, Mr. Thompson states that the permit is illegal and correctly quotes that government shall "consult the Monument Council whenever a "monument permit" has been requested for the demolition or alteration of a monument." Prior to issuance of the permit I attended a meeting with the relevant ministers who acknowledged that the project was based on reconstructing the original monument with additional enhancements and not demolition or alteration of the original monument in which case consulting the non-existent Monument Council was not required.
"In closing, the EWEF kindly reminds the Editor that Editorials should be based on objective reasoning and impartial evaluation rather than on unsubstantiated, clearly subjective opinions and political favoritism." Mr. Thompson – that sounds to me like the pot calling the kettle black!

Sincerely,

John Dalton
Chief Engineer
Rain Forest Adventures

The Cayman Islands Medical Tourism Facility known as "Health City Cayman Islands" will officially open on February 25, 2014, a little over one-month from now. The $80 million dollar facility with 140-beds will cater to its first customers a week later after the opening, March 3rd.

Over 100 job opportunities are being filled by those seeking employment. Sprawling across two full newspaper pages, employment opportunities were listed for 113 positions ranging from bus driver to clinical pharmacologist, and from plumber to Information Technology technician, in addition to doctors and nurses. For Caymanians, this was opportunities abound. The advertised annual salaries range from $19,167 to $375,000.

The benefits from the 113 jobs created will spill over into other businesses in the community and the island's overall economy. Still to be added are the patients and their family members who will require transportation, accommodations, etc. The 140-bed medical tourism hospital is forecasted to attract annually over 85,000 stay-over medical tourists per year according Government officials back in 2010.

One can see how enormous the benefits will be to the economy, but not only in terms of monetary contributions, the key benefit will be the medical care, expertise and technology for the people of the Cayman Islands.

Health City Cayman Islands is a partnership between Dr. Devi Shetty's India-based Narayana Hrudalaya and Ascension Health Alliance, the latter, the largest private non-profit health network in the United States of America.

The Cayman Islands Health City is to grow up to a 2000 bed facility over 15-years, an investment of sum two billion US Dollars. It would be the third-largest hospital in the U.S. attracting more than one million stay-over medical tourists per year. Work on the next phase is set to begin in March 2014.

With the 2014 national budget behind us after the House of Parliament gave its formal approval on January 16, Government will now focus on reducing cost, increasing revenue and compliance. The Minister of Finance described the country budget as a skeleton budget with not much flexibility.

Hence where new private sector investments are needed into our economy and facilitated by Government.

The country's move into the medical tourism field would lead to an economic impetus and opportunities. Let every effort be made to see a ground breaking of a "Health City Sint Maarten" medical tourism facility in 2014.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Please allow us to draw some attention to an ever growing problem on this beautiful island: pollution of our environment. We will be very brief and this opinion letter will be short, because one doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to understand the consequences of a polluted environment.
Lately there has been an increased amount of people infected by the dengue virus as well as by the chikungunya virus. Mosquito's, other insects and rodents are having a field day in environments where there is lots of littering and no maintenance of that specific area. Besides creating health hazards, the stench is sometimes hard to deal with and a polluted environment is simply not nice to the eyes. Who would rather watch a pile of garbage then a well maintained area? On top of that: it's simply not good for our brand name St. Maarten.
Lots of calls on residents have been made lately by our government to fight the breeding of mosquitoes in and around their houses. We would like to take it a step further: we would like to encourage everyone to participate in neighborhood clean-ups. Take one or two days in 2014 to go into your neighborhood with your fellow residents and clean your neighborhood. If everyone does their part it will make a significant difference to this island and to your own life. A clean environment is also an added value to the quality of your life. #sxmmovement

SOUALIGA SOCIAL MOVEMENT

Dear Editor,

Two months ago Soualiga Social Movement wrote an opinion letter pertaining the ever increasing salaries of our ministers. We therefore welcome and applaud the Council of Minister's initiative to decrease the salaries of ministers with an average of some 12%. This is what we call: leading by example. When we look at the budget for 2014, we see that many areas received a cut. But, look and behold, the budgeted expenses for Parliament have increased! Four years ago we walked into a voting booth and placed some red marks (or not) for everything we are about. Collectively all of us that live here, are responsible. While we are on some third ministers, we have practically the same parliament.
Besides the budget, on the parliamentary website there is also the report 2012-2013 for parliament which we recommend you to read. One of the first things mentioned is that they underspent their budget. They "only" spent 7 million guilders. This is what was produced by our 15 elected officials "for the people" for that 7 million guilders: Questions to ministers in writing more than doubled; motions submitted up slightly, motions passed up a lot. Not putting a value statement on the content, these are the only 2 categories where they produced "more".
Some other less positive facts are: There were less meetings than in any previous year; there were 0 amendments presented; there were less draft laws presented than in any other year; the committee on the country's expenditures only met once (see how careful they are spending taxpayer money), the committee on health care social development and labor met only once; the petition committee only met once; the committee on culture and education only met twice; the committee on environment and planning only met twice; the committee on kingdom relations met a whole bunch of times? And last but not least: the griffier did much more answering of letters than last year, parliament not so much (Soualiga Social Movement never received a response to its letters). While incoming correspondence almost doubled, parliament answered about half as much as they did last year. About one in five.

Here a summarization of what 7 million guilders provided: Answers to letters; 344 questions to ministers in writing; 81 meetings; 17 motions presented; 6 draft laws presented; 4 draft laws passed. And the 4 draft laws are (in Dutch): 1. Zittingsjaar 2011-2012-023 Landsverordening tot wijziging van de Legesverordening 1994 en enige andere landsverordeningen in verband met de invoe¬ring van nieuwe identiteitskaarten en rijbewijzen; 2. Zittingsjaar 2011-2012-021 (Statennummer 3513) Landsverordening houdende wijziging van de landsverordening op de weerkorpsen 1997; 3. Zittingsjaar 2012-2013-030 Landsverordening tot aanpassing van verschillende landsverordeningen vanwege de troonopvolging; 4. Zittingsjaar 2012-2013-031 Landsverordening tot vaststelling van de Begroting van het Land Sint Maarten voor het dienstjaar 2013.

How's that for performance? 7 Million guilders: how many roads can you fix? How many kids can be provided breakfast? How many tourists can you market to? How many schools can you build? How many parks can be made? We do need a Parliament, but come on! Some of these parliamentarians have simply not delivered, but the costs for Parliament are budgeted higher! Most of these individuals will be asking for your vote this year. Use it wisely. #sxmmovement

Soualiga Social Movement

Dear Editor,

Board members and volunteers of the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) read the editorial in the Daily Herald of Friday January 10th, 2014 with a great sense of disappointment and astonishment. The Editor's poorly researched analysis of events surrounding the Emilio Wilson Estate offer an incorrect view of proposals to develop the Estate and of the local environmental organizations' efforts to establish the Estate as a National Park for the people of Sint Maarten.

In the Editor's analysis the Editor appears to lament the fact that Government made commitments to purchase and protect the Emilio Wilson Estate while a previous governing coalition had already issued a permit to Rain Forest Adventures to build and operate an amusement park at the Estate. The Editor, however, fails to mention that in issuing this controversial permit the UP-DP coalition did not follow proper procedures as outlined in the Monument Decree ("Landsbesluit, houdende algemene maatregelen, ter uitvoering van de Monumentenlandsverordening" / "Monumentenbesluit").

The Monument Decree requires the Minister of Culture and Education to consult the Monument Council whenever a "monument permit" has been requested for the demolition or alteration of a monument, the decree also requires permits issued to be placed on public review. The Monument Council had not yet been reestablished at the time the permits in question were issued and thus could not have been consulted regarding a "monument permit" for the proposed amusement park at the Emilio Wilson Estate. In addition the "monument permit" for this amusement park was not placed on public review making the permit issued at that time illegal and questionable at best.

The Editorial goes on to boast that Rain Forest Adventures, the company bidding to build an amusement park at the Wilson Estate, operates similar facilities at protected areas in St. Lucia, Dominica, Costa Rica and Jamaica. The Editor apparently fails to realize that each of these countries is much larger than Sint Maarten and in most cases have numerous land based protected areas, while Sint Maarten has none! Jamaica for instance covers a surface area of some 4240 square miles while the Dutch side of St. Maarten covers only 16 square miles. In addition Jamaica has several large protected areas which cover hundreds of square miles. The negative effects on natural resources as a consequence of establishing a Rain Forest Adventures or similar Amusement Park in Jamaica are therefore comparatively much smaller than what they would be for Sint Maarten, a much smaller country with no land-based protected areas.

If the Editor had chosen to keep his analyses closer to home he may have come across the fact that Sint Maarten is the only island within the Dutch Caribbean that does not have a land-based protected area. Apparently the Editor did not pause to reflect on why Rain Forest Adventures or a similar company is not established on any of our sister islands. One is left to wonder if the Editor even attempted to investigate whether the management of the Christoffel Park in the Editor's native Curacao or the management of Arikok National Park in Aruba would welcome the establishment of a Rain Forest Adventures Amusement park in their protected areas.

Had the Editor done any research at all he would have learnt that Rain Forest Adventures/ Trams in Dominica closed its doors from one day to the next in June of 2012. This left many Dominicans without a job while the foreign managers the company flies in to manage its amusement parks at all its destinations simply moved on to another site. According to reports received by the EWEF, infrastructure, carts and other material was left to rust and rot away in the forest of Dominica for months on end by Rain Forest Adventures a company which would like us all to believe protecting the environment is their priority.

The Editor mentions that Rain Forest Adventures "promised a low-impact development with sustainable construction practices". It seems as though the Editor advocates that everyone just takes this company at their word. It should be noted that Rain Forest Adventures made no effort to have independent Environmental and Social-Cultural Impact Assessments carried out to analyze the effects of their proposed projects.

The Rain Forest Adventures plans included the construction of associated infrastructure and facilities on the hillside, top and along the ridges of Sentry Hill and upon completion would lead to undesirably high visitor traffic. The plans included the alteration of the natural rock formation, a unique aspect of St. Maarten's Natural Heritage, at the top of the Emilio Wilson Estate for the placement of platforms, lifts and other infrastructure.

Rain Forest Adventures' plans included permanent structures above the Sentry Hill's 200 meter altitude line. These plans were therefore in violation of Sint Maarten's hillside policy which states that "no building should occur on hill tops, ridges, and above the 200 meter altitude line". As is the case with many of the Hills in the Cul de Sac valley, the area above 200 meters is the most ecologically significant area of the Sentry Hill/ Emilio Wilson Estate. The proposed Rain Forest Adventures Amusement Park and related activities would have a permanent and undesirable impact on the Flora and Fauna of the area both during and after construction. Perhaps the Editor would care to explain how such devastating plans could possibly be considered "low impact" and "sustainable".

The Editor ends his analysis with the statement that matters surrounding the Emilio Wilson Estate have come to "full circle". The Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation disagrees as in our opinion matters surrounding the Emilio Wilson Estate will only have come to "full circle" once Sint Maarten's heritage is protected and the Estate is established as the island's first land-based protected area and National Park.

In closing the EWEF kindly reminds the Editor that Editorials should be based on objective reasoning and impartial evaluation rather than on unsubstantiated, clearly subjective opinions and political favoritism.

On behalf of the board of the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation,

Rueben J. Thompson
President
Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation

Dear Editor,

Please allow some space in your well read newspaper to complain about the practices of the regional airline Insel Air.
Members of the St. Maarten public including myself booked reservations on Insel Air a few months ago to go to Aruba to celebrate 60th anniversary of Carnival. At that time you would get a reservations confirmation via email. The attendant on the phone told you verbally the date when you had to come in to pay for your reservation. Unfortunately that date when you have to pay is not included in your email.
It's a new year and 2014 came and customers including myself called Insel offices to confirm their reservations and their payment date and lo and behold "sorry your reservation has been cancelled". The response from Insel Air is that their policy has changed and we do not have to notify our customers of such changes.
You can understand the total disappointment Aruba Carnival lovers now have as they have no way of obtaining their reservations to fly to Aruba as Insel Air has replaced these with new customer bookings.
This is customer abuse to the highest when a company like Insel Air has the monopoly ( no DAE) and can do whatever it wants to their customers.
The public of St. Maarten deserve way better service than this.

Very Disappointed Insel Air Customer

Dear Editor,

It isn't a secret that TELEM is a government owned company and government has on several occasions blocked other telecommunication companies (Scarlet and UTS) from expanding to protect TELEM. The purpose of governments owning any type of company is usually to control cost and quality. Governments try to prevent any privately owned monopoly from driving up costs for any particular service that may be vital to a country's operations. However, with St. Maarten it seems to be quite the opposite. While growing up I was a customer of both TELEM and UTS at different intervals. These companies provided mediocre services overall and have not improved much over the years. As a matter of fact, recently TELEM's mobile phone service has been hampered by interference issues with other neighboring islands, on the French side they have low or no signal and data services.

Currently, TELEM offers a minimum of 2Mbps of internet download speed and 768Kbps upload speed for US49.95. The maximum offer is 10+Mbps of internet download speed and 768Kbps upload speed for US299.95. These services are offered through ADSL, a dedicated connection through your phone line. This information was taken from TELEM's website.

The main reasons for the high cost in internet and phone service is due to TELEM being a government owned company and government protecting TELEM by preventing more telecommunication companies from entering the market on St. Maarten. As it stands, TELEM (government) has to invest in upgrading the infrastructure of TELEM every couple years, pay for repairs after natural disasters, pay employees and their benefits, and cover operational costs.

If TELEM was sold and the market was open there would be several ISP's all competing to provide the best service at a low cost. The population would benefit from low cost reliable service from various ISPs and more job opportunities. While government would just have to make sure regulations are being followed (already being done by BTP SXM), collect taxes, and manage the running of telephone wires through a government owned company. Managing the running of telephone wires is mainly to prevent conflict of interest situations and this could help government make money if a low monthly fee is charged for using the lines. An added benefit to multiple ISPs would be redundancy, several fiber optic connections to St. Maarten means that if one gets damaged service won't be gone for too long.

The end result of this scenario can already be seen on the French side. Dauphin Telecom offers 20Mbps, more than what is offered by any ISP on the Dutch side, for 47 euros. This is a very simple solution and something I am sure others have thought about, I just felt the need to put it in writing and put it out there.
With elections right around the corner, this is one way to provide jobs, lower operational costs for businesses (including government), lower cost of living, and improve critical services.

Ramzan Juman

Le 31 décembre 2014 vers 00h20, deux établissements de la marina royale de Marigot sont successivement victimes de vols à main armée, au moment de leur fermeture. Les faits ont été commis par deux jeunes individus, dont le visage était dissimulé. Les précisions données par les victimes sur le signalement des malfaiteurs permettent d'orienter le dispositif de recherche mis en place vers deux individus qui déambulaient rue de Hollande.
A 01h05, ces deux individus prennent la fuite alors qu'une patrouille de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile de St MIHIEL cherche à les contrôler ; une second patrouille du PSIG de St MARTIN parvient cependant à intercepter l'un d'entre eux, qui est trouvé porteur d'objets caractéristiques provenant des vols qui viennent d'être commis.
Cet individu, âgé de 20 ans et résidant à Sint-Maarten, est actuellement placé en garde à vue. L'enquête est confiée à la brigade de recherches de la gendarmerie de St Martin.

Un important dispositif de gendarmerie, composé de 38 militaires, sera déployé lors des festivités du nouvel an à St Martin. Plusieurs patrouilles auront pour objet de sécuriser les abords des lieux de festivités afin de prévenir les troubles à l'ordre public, tandis que des postes de contrôle seront mis en place en plusieurs points du territoires afin de réprimer les comportements dangereux aux volant et de rechercher des armes ainsi que des produits stupéfiants.
La gendarmerie rappelle que 23 accidents corporels et 6 accidents mortels ont eu lieu depuis le début de l'année à St Martin. La présence d'alcool ou de stupéfiants a été détectée dans un tiers de ces accidents ; tandis que les équipements de sécurité n'étaient pas portés dans la moitié des cas.

Mardi 23 décembre vers 23h00, la gendarmerie intervient au sein d'une résidence à Quartier d'Orléans, après avoir été alertée du décès d'un homme âgé de 31 ans. Les investigations réalisées par les enquêteurs de la brigade de recherches tendent à établir que deux hommes, partageant le même domicile, se sont disputés pour un motif futile. Le travail des enquêteurs permet de supposer qu'au cours de cette dispute, les deux hommes ont échangé des coups de machette, puis l'un semble avoir tiré dans le dos l'autre avec un pistolet de détresse, avant de lui porter un coup de couteau fatal au niveau de l'abdomen.
L'auteur des coups mortels, présent sur les lieux lors de l'arrivée des gendarmes, a immédiatement été placé en garde à vue. Il a été présenté jeudi 25 décembre devant le parquet de Pointe-à-Pitre, puis a été placé en détention provisoire dans le cadre de la mise en examen dont il fait l'objet.

APPEL À TÉMOIN
Les investigations se poursuivent dans le cadre dans le cadre d'une commission rogatoire ouverte pour meurtre. Toute personne qui a été témoin des faits est priée de prendre contact avec les enquêteurs de la brigade de recherches de la gendarmerie de St Martin :

• en téléphonant au « 17 » (numéro gratuit depuis la partie française) ou au « +590 590 52 30 10 »
• ou en se présentant à la caserne de gendarmerie de la Savane.

L'identité des témoins souhaitant conserver l'anonymat sera préservée.

Une opération conjointe de contrôle en mer a été réalisée par la brigade des gardes côtes des douanes et la gendarmerie, le 22 décembre à St Barthélemy et le 23 décembre à St Martin.
Douze embarcations de tous types, et 45 personnes ont été contrôlées au cours de cette opération. Bien que les équipes cynophiles du PSIG de St Martin et de la brigade de St Barthélemy aient été engagées sur ces opérations, aucun produit stupéfiant n'a été découvert. 2 infractions douanières ont cependant été relevées.
Il s'agit de la troisième opération réalisée conjointement par la brigade des gardes côtes des douanes et la compagnie de St Martin et St Barthélemy en 2014.
Cette démarche s'inscrit dans le cadre du plan de mobilisation renforcé contre la délinquance adressé aux services de l'État par M. le Préfet de St Barthélemy et de St Martin, visant notamment à accroître les actions partenariales.

Le 24 septembre 2014 vers 19h30, un couple de touristes américains circulant en voiture dans le
quartier de Sandy-Ground a une altercation avec le conducteur d'un deux roues ; au cours de cette
altercation, le conducteur de la motocyclette sort un revolver de son pantalon et tire dans le véhicule
conduit par les touristes. Ceux-ci regagnent immédiatement leur hôtel, situé à Sint-Maarten, et alertent
la gendarmerie, via le réceptionniste.
Les investigations réalisées permettent après plusieurs semaines, de mettre en cause un homme de 27
ans qui a été placé en garde à vue le 19 décembre 2014. Il devra répondre de son geste le 19 mars 2015
devant le tribunal de St Martin.

Samedi 20 décembre vers 19h45, une dispute éclate entre deux hommes, âgés de 58 ans et de 41 ans, employés au sein d'une supérette à Sandy-Ground. L'homme âgé de 58 ans porte un coup de couteau dans l'abdomen de l'autre, et blesse légèrement une tierce personne ; il prend ensuite la fuite à pieds en direction de Marigot. L'homme blessé à l'abdomen est rapidement pris en charge par les sapeurs pompiers, mais décède lors de son transport à l'hôpital.
Immédiatement après l'alerte transmise à la gendarmerie dispositif de recherches mis en place par cinq patrouilles de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile de Saint-Mihel et du PSIG de St Martin. Ce dispositif aboutie à l'interpellation de l'auteur présumé des faits à 22h50, alors qu'il déambulait dans les rues de Marigot.
La brigade de recherches de St Martin est chargée de l'enquête, avec le concours des enquêteurs de la communauté de brigades.

La gendarmerie nationale reconduit l'opération tranquillité vacances à l'occasion des fêtes d'année. Cette opération consiste pour les particuliers ou pour les établissements à signaler aux forces de l'ordre un départ en vacances de façon à ce que les patrouilles qui surveillent le territoire effectuent des passages réguliers aux abords des habitations ou des locaux inoccupés. Il s'agit ainsi de permettre à la gendarmerie nationale de cibler d'avantage leur action dans leur lutte quotidienne contre les cambriolages.
Les particuliers ou responsables d'établissements qui souhaiteraient bénéficier de ce service entièrement gratuit sont invités à se présenter et à remplir un formulaire de signalement:

• soit à la brigade de gendarmerie de Marigot-Spring du lundi au samedi de 08h00 à 12h00 et de 14h00 à 18h00 ; le dimanche de 09h00 à 12h00 et de 15h00 à 18h00.
• soit à la brigade de gendarmerie de quartier d'Orléans le lundi et le vendredi de 08h00 à 12h00 et de 14h00 à 18h00 ; ou le mercredi de 14h00 à 18h00.
• soit à la gendarmerie de la Savane, du lundi au samedi de 08h00 à 12h00 et de 14h00 à 18h00.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance, ciblant en particulier les détentions, usages, transports et trafics de produits stupéfiants, ainsi que les actes d'incivilités et de délinquance de voie publique, était menée le mardi 09 décembre 2014 de 21h00 à 00h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par le peloton de surveillance et d'intervention de la gendarmerie (P.S.I.G) et la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin, ainsi que l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 12/7 de Saint-Mihiel, l'opération mobilisait au total 27 militaires de la gendarmerie, dont deux équipes cynophiles spécialisées dans la recherche de produits stupéfiants. Le dispositif se déployait dans un premier temps dans le quartier de Grand Case, puis dans un deuxième temps dans celui de Sandy Ground.

Au total, une quarantaine de personnes et une dizaine de véhicules ont été contrôlés sur la voie publique, permettant de constater les infractions et de procéder aux découvertes et saisies suivantes :

• un véhicule faussement immatriculé et plaqué, susceptible d'être volé ;
• 12,0 grammes d'herbe de cannabis, 8,5 et 5,0 grammes de cocaïne et 2,5 grammes de crack ;
• 2 sabres d'abatis et un couteau papillon ;
• 4 téléphones portables abandonnés sur le voie publique.

Le Colonel, commandant en second la gendarmerie d'outre-mer, ainsi que Monsieur le Préfet délégué auprès du Représentant de l'État dans les Collectivités d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy et Saint-Martin, étaient présents aux côtés des forces de l'ordre lors de cette opération de lutte contre la délinquance.

Les militaires de la brigade de gendarmerie de Saint-Barthélémy se sont une nouvelle fois investis et engagés dans l'édition 2014 du Téléthon au cours du week-end des 06 et 07 décembre.
Initiée il y a trois ans par les sapeurs-pompiers de Saint-Barthélémy, les militaires de la brigade s'associent depuis maintenant deux ans à cette opération. Le chalenge est simple : collecter des dons en relevant le défi consistant à pédaler - sur des vélos d'appartement - 24 heures durant, avec la présence constante et simultanée sur les cycles d'au moins un sapeur-pompier et un gendarme.

Le Président de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy, monsieur Bruno MAGRAS, était présent lors du lancement de l'opération.

Les dons collectés s'élèvent à 2.116 €, soit 600 € de mieux que lors de l'édition précédente.

Le capitaine Laurent LUNA, commandant la brigade de gendarmerie de Saint-Barthélémy, a tenu à remercier ceux qui, parmi ses subordonnés, se sont investis au côté des sapeurs-pompiers dans l'organisation de cet évènement, ainsi que ceux qui ont participé à ce challenge, au prix d'efforts musculaires prolongés et soutenus.

Le rendez-vous est d'ores et déjà fixé pour l'édition 2015 du Téléthon.

Le mercredi 26 novembre 2014, la compagnie de gendarmerie de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy a fait procéder à la destruction de 20 deux-roues motorisés non conformes, appelés localement « squelettes » ou « cabris », et pour lesquels une procédure de retrait de la circulation avait été initiée.

Du 07 au 18 avril 2014, L'Agence Nationale des FRéquences (A.N.FR) programmait une mission de localisation et de saisie des téléphones sans fil de type DECT 6.0 d'origine Nord-Américaine sur les Collectivités d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy et de Saint-Martin.
Cette mission faisait suite à plusieurs actions déjà menées sur ces deux Collectivités en 2013 : des actions de prévention avec la diffusion à deux reprises dans les médias d'un communiqué de presse transmis via la Préfecture de Saint-Barthélémy et de Saint-Martin, ainsi que plusieurs actions de répression (émission d'une vingtaine de taxes de brouillage).
Néanmoins, l'opérateur « Orange » en particulier était toujours fortement perturbé et la qualité de service de son réseau de troisième génération très dégradée. Ceci était dû principalement à la présence importante de téléphones provenant des États-Unis, de type DECT 6.0, qui utilisent la même bande de fréquence que celle employée par cet opérateur (1920 à 1930 MHz), alors que ce dernier détient une autorisation d'usage délivrée par l'Autorité de Régulation des Communications
Électroniques et des Postes (A.R.C.E.P). En conséquence, l'A.N.F.R avait souhaité lancer une nouvelle action à partir de son antenne Antilles-Guyane avec le renfort d'un agent provenant de la métropole.
En vue d'effectuer les actes d'enquête judiciaire et notamment de saisie, la présence d'un Officier de Police judiciaire était indispensable. C'est pourquoi la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin-Saint-Barthélémy, à la demande de l'A.N.F.R, relayée par M. le Vice-Procureur de la République de Saint-Martin, participait à cette opération. Au total, 60 infractions avaient été relevées, dont 07 à Saint-Barthélémy et 53 à Saint-Martin, pour perturbations ou complicité de perturbations d'émission hertzienne d'un service autorisé par l'utilisation non autorisée d'une fréquence ou d'une installation radioélectrique. 60 convocations en justice avaient également été délivrées. Enfin, la Justice a dernièrement ordonné la destruction des 77 téléphones DECT 6.0 qui avaient été
saisis lors de l'opération. L'A.N.F.R, en partenariat avec la gendarmerie nationale, envisage de renouveler l'opération dans le
courant de l'année 2015.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière, ciblant en particulier les personnes conduisant sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, était menée le samedi 15 novembre 2014 de 20h00 à 23h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par la brigade motorisée et la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin, ainsi que l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 12/7 de Saint-Mihiel, l'opération mobilisait au total 8 militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés au niveau du carrefour giratoire de Hope Estate/Cul de Sac.

Une trentaine de conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :

1. 04 délits pour conduite sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux délictuel, > ou égal à 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,62 - 0,59 - 0,57 - 0,55) ;
2. 02 contraventions pour conduite sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux contraventionnel (contravention de 4ème classe), compris entre 0,25 et 0,39 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,37 - 0,29) ;
3. 01 délit pour conduite sous l'influence de substances ou plantes classées comme stupéfiants ;
4. 02 délits pour conduite d'un véhicule à moteur sans être titulaire du permis de conduire (défaut de permis) ;
5. 01 contraventions (4ème classe) pour non port du casque ;
6. 01 contravention (4ème classe) pour conduite d'un véhicule à moteur avec un permis de conduire non prorogé.

Communiqué de presse de la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de St-Martin et St-Barthélémy

Pour cette 27ème édition de la course « Around-the-Island Relay Race », en ce 11 novembre 2014, désormais
traditionnelle épreuve de course-relais organisée à l'occasion des festivités du Sint-Maarten/Saint-Martin's Day, la
Gendarmerie était présente en nombre puisque ce sont pas moins de trois équipes de dix coureurs qui prenaient le départ
de la compétition, dont deux équipes du Club Sportif et de Loisirs de la Gendarmerie (C.S.L.G) de Saint-Martin et une
équipe du Peloton de Surveillance et d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie (P.S.I.G) de Saint-Martin.
En constante progression depuis 2009, année où la Gendarmerie s'était classée à la 15ème place, puis en passant par les
11ème, 7ème et 4ème places entre 2010 et 2013, cette année, l'équipe « première » du C.S.L.G monte sur la 3ème marche du
podium, en parcourant les 31,63 km en 02 heure et 08 min, soit seulement 10 « petites » minutes derrière l'équipe
« Gymfit – SXM Tri Académie » qui remporte l'édition 2014 de cette belle épreuve. La 2nde équipe du C.S.L.G se classe
à la 25ème place, et celle du P.S.I.G à la 14ème.
Les

L'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin organise son cross le dimanche 16 Novembre 2014 à Bellevue (terrain de rugby) à partir de 8 heures.
Ce cross rentre dans le cadre des activités du club pour la saison 2014-2015.
Les enfants de l'école d'athlétisme, jusqu'à la catégorie junior, sont concernés et peuvent participer à ce cross. Cette compétition est ouverte aux licenciés et aux non licenciés, munis d'un certificat médical de non contre indication à la pratique de l'athlétisme et d'une pièce d'identité. Les jeunes athlètes seront engagés sur des distances allant du 800m au 3000m selon la catégorie d'âge.
Les athlètes qui souhaitent prendre une licence pourront le faire à cette occasion.
Pour tout contact : Patrick Trival au 0690 75 16 85.

Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin organizes its cross on Sunday, November 16th, 2013 in Bellevue ( rugby field) from 8 am.
This cross is part of the activities of the club for the season 2014-2015.
The children from the school of athletics, until the junior category, are concerned and can participate in this cross. This competition is opened to the license-holders and to those who are not. A medical certificate of not contraindication in the practice of the athletics and an ID card are requested. The young athletes will be engaged on races from 800m to 3000m.
The athletes who wish to take a license can make it for this occasion.
For any contact: Patrick Trival 0690 75 16 85.

Entre course sur route et « trail urbain », ils étaient 58 coureurs, ce dimanche 02 novembre 2014, à 07h00, à prendre la départ des "Hauts de Marigot" à Saint-Martin. Une toute nouvelle course organisée par le Club Sportif et de Loisirs de la Gendarmerie (C.S.L.G) de Saint-Martin, qui comprenait trois belles difficultés,conduisant notamment les compétiteurs au sommet de deux belvédères surplombant la ville de Marigot, avant de rejoindre, après 8 km d'efforts et 240 mètres de dénivelé, le majestueux Fort Louis où été jugée l'arrivée.
En catégorie senior-homme, c'est Fabrice ARNAUD qui l'emporte, en 35'35, établissant au passage le 1er record et donc le temps de référence pour cette nouvelle course désormais inscrite au calendrier des épreuves sportives à Saint-Martin. Il devance Morgan SCOTNEY (37'42) et Alexandre GUERRE (38'11).
Chez les vétérans-homme, c'est Claudius COLLE qui monte sur la 1ère marche du podium, en 36'10, suivi deAlain BOUCAUD (37'35) et de Paul BETAILLE (37'39). À noter que tous trois se classent respectivement aux 2ème, 3ème et 4ème places du classement général. Chez les femmes, c'est Cathy GUERRARD (vétéran-femme) qui l'emporte, en 45'01 (21ème au classement général), devant la senior Sandra GALAND (46'35) et enfin la vétéran Muriel RAREG (47'18), suivies de prèspar la senior Emmanuelle DEHU (47'29) et la vétéran Sylvie BARRE (49'40).Le C.S.L.G tient à féliciter tous les participants et remercie les généreux donateurs et autres contributeurs : la
Compagnie de Îles du Nord (C.I.C), l'entreprise A.T.C, les enseignes Super U et Discount Center, les boutiques Trisport, Sportech et Quicksilver, l'hôtel Mercure, les restaurants Copélia, La Main à la Pâte, Le Spinaker et Les Papilles des Îles, l'école de kite-surf B.52 et celle de pirogue hawaïenne OC4-Island.
Le C.S.L.G remercie également toutes celles et ceux qui ont contribué à l'organisation et au bon dér

SILENCE CA TOURNE !

Saint-Martin va être le décor du tournage du pilote d'une série policière écrite par Franck Mirre de Caribproduction.

L'Office de Tourisme de Saint-Martin, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin, SXM ARTISTS et Caribproduction s'associent autour de ce projet de grande envergure. Lors de son passage au salon TOP RESA en 2013, la Présidente de l'Office de Tourisme Mme Jeanne Rogers-Vanterpool a rencontré Franck Mirre (auteur et comédien principal de la série SNIPE). En novembre 2013, M. Mirre et Nicolas Dollander (réalisateur) rencontrent l'Office de Tourisme et SXM ARTISTS et visitent l'île pour déterminer la faisabilité du tournage. Séduit par notre environnement paradisiaque et la diversité de ses décors, M. Mirre propose de tourner deux saisons de la série policière SNIPE à Saint-Martin.

L'équipe de tournage sera sur l'île ce mois-ci afin de filmer le teaser (épisode pilote) de la série. Luc Besson (réalisateur, producteur et scénariste français de renommée mondiale) a fait part de son enthousiasme pour ce projet en évoquant la possibilité de produire la série.

La volonté l'Office de Tourisme et de la Collectivité de St Martin est de positionner l'île de St Martin comme destination de tournages et par conséquent de structurer ce secteur. L'Office de Tourisme compte créer un bureau d'accueil des tournages dont la mission principale sera le développement de la filière. Il devra faciliter les tournages sur l'île et assister les équipes de production. Il se veut être le premier contact et devra évaluer la faisabilité des propositions dans l'intérêt de la destination.

En parallèle du tournage de la série, la Collectivité de St Martin et SXM ARTISTS envisagent de créer une école de formation en audiovisuelle pour les jeunes et à toutes personnes intéressées par ce secteur. Cette école aux personnes en formation de passer de la théorie à la pratique Il est important de noter qu'il leur sera possible de passer très rapidement de la théorie à la pratique car les plateaux de tournage de la série seront également leurs terrains de stage. Les formations envisagées sont : comédien, cadreur, ingénieur du son, maquillage plateau, coiffure, pilote de drone etc...

3 procédures pour exercice illégal du transport public routier de personnes ont été diligentées au cours du mois de novembre 2014 par la brigade motorisée de la gendarmerie de St Martin à l'occasion d'opérations de contrôle. Un de ces transporteurs, ne possédant pas le permis de conduire, a eu son véhicule saisi.
Les 3 personnes entendues pour ces faits ont été convoquées au tribunal de St Martin aux audiences du 8 et du 22 janvier 2015. Elles encourent un an d'emprisonnement, 15000€ d'amende et la confiscation du véhicule utilisé.
16 procédures pour exercice illégal du transport public routier de personnes ont été réalisées à Saint-Martin par la brigade motorisée depuis le début de l'année 2014. 13 procédures de cette nature avaient été réalisées en 2013.

Samedi 8 novembre 2014 de 9h à 15h se tiendra la journée Portes ouvertes annuelle à Motorworld Galisbay en face de Howell center.
C'est l'occasion rêvée d'acquérir un nouveau véhicule à un prix promotionnel et dans une ambiance festive avec en plus la possibilité offerte de rencontrer sur place les conseillers de la banque des antilles françaises (BDAF).
La gamme des véhicules qui sera présentée lors de ce salon auto est très large : de la petite citadine jusqu'au SUV familiale. Vous pourrez découvrir aussi de nouveaux modèles tout à fait surprenants tels que la grand I10 en berline.
Pour tout achat d'un véhicule, vous recevrez au choix soit une télévision écran plat soit un laptop soit un Ipad. Venez donc nombreux demander un devis car une copie sera déposée dans une boîte pour un tirage au sort qui aura lieu à 14h. Le prix : un voyage pour 2 avec hôtel à Orlando Florida.

Motorworld Galisbay
223 rue de Hollande
Tél :0590 52 88 01

St-Barth accueille des chefs prestigieux venus des Etats-Unis, du Japon, de France, de Suède et du Brésil !

Durant cinq jours, du 30 octobre au 03 novembre 2014, l'île de St-Barthélemy accueillera sept chefs au talent exceptionnel : Jean-Georges Vongerichten venu spécialement des Etats-Unis, Hideaki Matsuo venu du Japon, Thomas Troisgros venu du Brésil, Daniel Berlin venu de Suède ainsi que Jérôme Nutile, Jean-Jacques Noguier et Amandine Chaignot, tous trois venus de France.

Taste of St St Barth Gourmet Festival se réjouit d'accueillir pour la première fois à St-Barthélemy un événement gastronomique avec un plateau de chefs prestigieux :

• • quatre des sept chefs invités cumulent un total de neuf étoiles au guide Michelin,
• • et les trois autres chefs, également hautement qualifiés, ont maintes fois été récompensés dans leurs pays respectifs.

Ces sept cuisiniers extraordinaires seront accueillis dans les plus beaux établissements de l'île où ils cuisineront en duo avec les chefs résidents de St-Barth.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, parrain de Taste of St Barth Gourmet Festival 2014 :
Jean-Georges Vongerichten (3 étoiles Michelin, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, élu meilleur restaurant des Etats-Unis en 2009 par la fondation James Beard, Restaurant Jean-Georges, New-York/Etats-Unis) est l'un des chefs les plus célébrés au monde. Arrivé aux Etats-Unis en 1986 après avoir passé cinq ans en Asie, cet Alsacien d'origine a conquis le Nouveau monde en développant une cuisine fine, légère, entre Europe et Asie, aux saveurs intenses de fruits et de plantes. Outre son emblématique restaurant éponyme de New-York, Chef Jean-Georges dirige une quinzaine de restaurants dans le monde.
Chef Jean-Georges animera les dîners de chefs de l'Eden Rock, - dont il signe déjà la carte des restaurants depuis 2011 -, pour l'événement Taste of St Barth Gourmet Festival. Site Internet : www.edenrockhotel.com
Chef Jean-Georges parraine cette 1ère édition du festival et présidera également le jury du St Barth Chef Challenge by Taittinger.

Matsuo Hideaki (3 étoiles Michelin, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, restaurant Kashiwaya, Osaka/Japon) : Dès son plus jeune âge, Chef Matsuo Hideaki baigne dans l'univers de la cuisine japonaise traditionnelle, grâce à son père notamment qui a fondé l'actuel restaurant dont il a repris les rênes aujourd'hui. Dès 1986, après des études scientifiques, Chef Hideaki explore sa passion pour la cuisine en intégrant le restaurant Shofukuro (fondé en 1868), considéré comme une véritable institution des arts et traditions culinaires japonaises. Chef Matsuo Hideaki a succédé à son père à la tête du Kashiwaya depuis 1992. Il s'est vu récompensé de trois étoiles Michelin en 2011 et a été sacré Grand Chef Relais & Château en 2012. La table du chef Hideaki est l'une des plus réputées du Japon ; sa cuisine traditionnelle japonaise est mâtinée de techniques et d'ingrédients occidentaux.
Chef Hideaki Matsuo sera accueilli au Toiny, Relais & Châteaux, où il officiera aux côtés de leur nouveau chef exécutif, Jean-Christophe Gille. Site Internet : www.letoiny.com

Thomas Troisgros (meilleur chef de l'année 2009, restaurant L'Olympe, Rio de Janeiro/Brésil) : Quatrième génération de cuisiniers de la famille Troisgros, Thomas est né au Brésil. Il baigne dans l'univers de la gastronomie française depuis sa naissance et est initié à la cuisine dès son plus jeune âge auprès de son grand-père Pierre Troisgros, amoureux de la cuisine de terroir, et ensuite par son père Claude Troisgros qui a révolutionné la cuisine brésilienne. Diplômé de la Culinary Institute of America (2005), Thomas fait ses armes aux Etats-Unis auprès du célèbre chef Daniel Boulud puis en Espagne auprès de chefs trois étoiles. Il a repris les rênes des cuisines du restaurant familial L'Olympe à Rio de Janeiro depuis 2011. Il poursuit parallèlement son exploration de la cuisine brésilienne dont la richesse et les ingrédients sont une source permanente d'inspiration.
Chef Thomas Troisgros sera accueilli au Sereno où il officiera aux côtés du chef Laurent Cantineaux. Site Internet : www.lesereno.com

Daniel Berlin (« Young Chef of the Year Award » , San Pellegrino Cooking Cup 2011 ; élu meilleur restaurant de Suède 2012 ; restaurant Krog, Tranås/Suède) : C'est à Tranås en Scanie, région caractérisée par ses traditions culinaires originales à l'extrême Sud de la Suède, que vit et travaille le chef Daniel Berlin. Considéré comme l'un des jeunes chefs suédois les plus créatifs du moment, Daniel dirige, en famille, son propre restaurant où il utilise essentiellement des produits de cueillette et de pêche. Daniel Berlin affectionne une cuisine authentique sublimée par une touche personnelle innovante.
Chef Daniel Berlin sera accueilli au Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France où il officiera aux côtés du chef exécutif Yann Vinsot. Site Internet : stbarthisledefrance.chevalblanc.com

Jérôme Nutile (2 étoiles Michelin, Meilleur ouvrier de France 2011, Maître Cuisinier de France, Nîmes/France)
Sous-Chef de Georges Blanc, chef triplement étoilé, à Vonnas, au cœur de la Bresse, Jérôme Nutile approfondit ses connaissances techniques et acquiert l'amour du beau produit et de l'excellence. En 2004, il retourne dans le Gard et gagne 2 étoiles Michelin à Collias : une première en 2006, suivie d'une seconde en 2009. Deux ans plus tard, soit en 2011, le Chef obtient le titre de Meilleur Ouvrier de France, une consécration qui vient couronner des années de discipline, de travail et de perfectionnement.
Jérôme Nutile se lance désormais dans une nouvelle aventure : il ouvrira sa propre maison fin 2014 à Nîmes (Gard).
Chef Jérôme Nutile est accueilli au Guanahani & Spa et officiera aux côtes de leur chef exécutif Philippe Masseglia. Site Internet : leguanahani.com

Jean-Jacques Noguier (1 étoile Michelin, Maître Cuisinier de France, Restaurant La Ferme de l'Hospital, Bossey/France) : Le Guide Michelin le consacre chaque année depuis 15 ans, date à laquelle il a obtenu sa première étoile. Ce chef généreux ne travaille que de beaux produits sur des bases traditionnelles et livre une cuisine gourmande et plein de finesse. Du Michelin au Gault & Millau, les honneurs qui sont rendus à sa cuisine sont légion. Il n'est pas rare de croiser à sa table de Bossey des stars internationales de la chanson ou du cinéma qui viennent régulièrement lui rendre visite. Jean-Jacques Noguier prend également part chaque année à des festivals de la gastronomie à travers le monde.
Chef Jean-Jacques Noguier sera accueilli au restaurant La Plage du Tom Beach aux côtés de leur chef exécutif Paul Coste. Site Internet www.tombeach.com

Amandine Chaignot (Bocuse de Bronze 2012, Paris/France) : À 35 ans, Amandine Chaignot est considérée comme l'étoile montante de la gastronomie française. Son parcours sans faute ressemble à celui d'une élève brillante qui a choisi l'excellence comme maître mot. Elle abandonne ses études de Pharmacie et s'inscrit à l'Institut Ferrandi. Son chemin est tracé ! D'heureuses rencontres vont lui permettre de passer par les plus belles maisons : la Maison Prunier, le Plaza Athénée, le Bristol, le Ritz de Londres, le Meurice, le Crillon et l'Hôtel Raphaël. Amandine Chaignot a côtoyé les plus grands chefs, de Bernard Leprince à Alain Ducasse ou Eric Fréchon. À leurs côtés, en s'inspirant de leurs gestes et de leurs techniques, Amandine a trouvé sa propre identité culinaire, en proposant une cuisine contemporaine, raffinée et toute en légèreté.
Chef Amandine Chaignot sera accueillie au Christopher aux côtés de leur nouveau chef exécutif Arnaud Davin. Site Internet : www.hotelchristopher.com

Les temps forts du festival : 2 concours professionnel et 2 concours amateurs

        Concours de cuisine « St Barth Chef Challenge » by Taittinger (ouvert aux professionnels uniquement) :

1. Ce challenge est ouvert aux cuisiniers qualifiés qui seront sélectionnés sur dossier. Les cinq finalistes s'affronteront le dimanche 2 novembre lors de la réalisation d'un plat (chaud ou froid). Le vainqueur sera désigné par le jury des chefs invités, présidé par Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Remise des prix sur le quai d'honneur à Gustavia.
2.  Concours de galettes et de gâteaux traditionnels St-Barth : ouvert aux amateurs et qui désignera la meilleure galette et le meilleur gâteau St Barth ;
3.  Concours des Petites toques : désignera la meilleure pâtisserie réalisée par « une petite toque » amateur.
4. Concours de barman : création d'un « Cocktail Taste of St Barth » (ouvert aux professionnels uniquement).
5. Ce concours sera présidé par le chef barman Stéphane Ginouvès (Fouquet's, Paris), Meilleur ouvrier de France 2011. Cette épreuve est ouverte aux barmen qualifiés. Les candidats devront créer une recette originale de cocktail pour le Taste of St Barth Gourmet Festival 2014.

Établissements accueillant les dîners gastronomiques des chefs invités 2014
Les établissements suivants sont partenaires des dîners des chefs de Taste of St Barth 2014 et accueilleront les gourmets, du 30 octobre au 03 novembre 2014 :
Eden Rock-St Barths - Hôtel Le Toiny, Relais & Châteaux –Cheval Blanc St Barth Isle de France - Hôtel Guanahani & Spa - Hôtel Le Christopher, villas & spa - Le Sereno hotel & villas -La Plage, Tom Beach Hôtel
Les réservations pour les dîners gastronomiques sont ouvertes auprès des établissements ci-dessus.

Sponsor principal: Air France. Co-Sponsor: Winair - G'Vine - Taittinger - Badoit - Evian - Château Barbeyrolles - Domaine Pascal Jolivet - La Cave du Port Franc - Wimco - Segeco - Nespresso - Grands Vins de France – Rougié – Budget – Bragard – Pascal Jolivet – Elle & Vire Professionnels – Lavazza – Cacao Barry – Jet Blue – AMC St Barth – Chef's Market – Foodland - St Barth French West Indies – Casa del Mar – French Wine Indies – JCM Distribution – Bonito – Do Brazil – Nikki Beach – Napkin Service – LKJ Distribution – RMP Caraïbes – Le Ti St-Barth – La Plage, Tom Beach Hôtel – Nikki Beach. Partenaires: Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy – St Barthélemy Hotels and Villas Association– St-Barthélemy Restaurant Association- St Barth Bartender & Waiter Service. Presse & medias locaux partenaires: Le Journal de Saint-Barth - Tropik FM - Caribin TV – Radio St-Barth – Le Pélican

Le présent communiqué de presse peut être téléchargé sur le site www.saintbarth-tourisme.com

Taste of St Barth Festival est un événement organisé par Le Comité territorial du tourisme de St-Barthélemy (CTTSB) - Contact presse : Inès Bouchaut-Choisy + (0)5 90 27 87 27 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - www.saintbarth-tourisme.com - Partenariats & sponsoring : B.I.P.- Reine-May Vigoulette + (0)590 (0)690 711 070 & + 33 (0)613 751 606 – Skype : buzz-in-progress – Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Le mercredi 22 octobre 2014, vers 10h40, trois individus armés pénètrent dans la bijouterie « Golfinger » située rue de la République à
Marigot à St-Martin. Ils menacent avec des armes de poing le propriétaire des lieux et dérobent des bijoux, dont de nombreuses montres
en or de luxe.
Le centre opérationnel de la gendarmerie (C.O.G) de St-Martin est alors immédiatement avisé par une employée. Une patrouille du
peloton de surveillance et d'intervention (P.S.I.G) de la compagnie de gendarmerie de St-Martin et St-Barthélémy et une patrouille du
détachement de surveillance et d'intervention (D.S.I) de Marigot, appartenant à l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile (E.G.M) 23/7 de
Sélestat en mission à St-Martin, arrivent rapidement sur les lieux alors que les malfaiteurs se trouvent encore dans la bijouterie.
La première patrouille de gendarmerie qui arrive sur place est composée de quatre militaires du P.S.I.G de St-Martin. Pensant que les
malfaiteurs ont déjà quitté les lieux, deux militaires pénètrent en sûreté par le sas, en étant appuyés par deux autres postés à l'extérieur du
commerce. À l'ouverture de la porte automatique, les gendarmes se trouvent nez-à-nez avec trois malfaiteurs qui ouvrent aussitôt le feu à
trois reprises en direction des forces de l'ordre. À cette occasion, les deux gendarmes se trouvant à l'extérieur sont légèrement blessés par
des éclats de verre.
Face à cette situation, les quatre militaires du P.S.I.G se replient et s'abritent en protection derrière leur véhicule.
Ils sont alors rejoints par une deuxième patrouille du D.S.I de Marigot. Tandis que la première patrouille du D.S.I a pris position avec le
P.S.I.G à l'avant du commerce, la seconde va se positionner à l'arrière de la bijouterie.
Les trois malfaiteurs quittent ensuite le commerce en prenant en otage le manager de la bijouterie qu'ils tiennent en joue avec une arme à
feu. Ils tirent à nouveau à trois reprises en direction des gendarmes qui ne ripostent pas compte tenu de la présence de l'otage. Les
malfaiteurs prennent la fuite à pied, puis braquent le conducteur d'un véhicule et s'en emparent, en laissant sur place l'otage et le
conducteur.
Bloqués peu après par la seconde patrouille du D.S.I initialement positionnée à l'arrière de la bijouterie, les trois malfaiteurs sortent du
véhicule. L'un d'entre eux menace les gendarmes avec son arme alors qu'un deuxième transporte le sac contenant leur butin. Ils longent
alors la Marina royale à hauteur du restaurant le « Yacht club ». Malgré les sommations d'usage, un des malfaiteurs tire à nouveau ; son
projectile pénètre dans l'habitacle du véhicule de la gendarmerie par la lunette arrière.
Un premier gendarme mobile de la patrouille riposte à une seule reprise. Les trois malfaiteurs poursuivent leur fuite en abandonnant le
butin. Ils tirent à nouveau à deux reprises. Le premier gendarme mobile riposte trois fois, et un de ses camarades tire une seule fois.
Les malfaiteurs en fuite se retrouvent alors face à une patrouille composée de trois gendarmes départementaux de la communauté de
brigades de St-Martin venue en renfort. À sa vue, deux malfaiteurs se rendent et le troisième parvient à s'enfuir. Ce dernier est activement
recherché.
Au total 14 tirs d'arme à feu ont eu lieu : 09 de la part des malfaiteurs et 05 de la part des forces de l'ordre.
Les deux auteurs présumés sont interpellés et placés en garde à vue à 10h50.
Les premiers éléments recueillis par les enquêteurs permettent d'établir que les auteurs présumés, de nationalité vénézuelienne, sont
arrivés, en provenance de Caracas, le 06 octobre pour celui qui est en fuite et le 17 octobre 2014 pour les deux individus interpellés, à
l'aéroport international Princess Juliana de Sint-Maarten.
Les trois malfaiteurs étaient porteurs de deux armes de poing :
- un pistolet type semi-automatique en calibre 40 modèle « Baby Desert Eagle », avec lequel ils ont ouvert le feu sur les forces
de l'ordre. L'arme a été saisie, chargeur vide ;
- un revolver chromé porté par l'individu en fuite. Ce revolver n'a, semble-t-il, jamais été utilisé à l'encontre des forces de l'ordre.
Les mis en cause justifient leur reddition par le fait que le chargeur de leur arme de poing était vide et qu'ils se trouvaient ainsi dépourvus
de munitions.
Le butin, retrouvé par les gendarmes lors des interpellations, était composé de 115 montres de luxe dont la plupart d'une valeur unitaire
comprise entre 10.000 et 30.000 euros l'unité.
En accord avec les magistrats des Parquets respectifs de St-Martin et de Sint-Maarten, une coopération policière et judiciaire efficace et
rapide a pu être mise en place, dans l'urgence, entre les services d'enquête de Sint-Maarten et la brigade de recherches de la gendarmerie
de St-Martin, afin d'effectuer des perquisitions dans l'hôtel où étaient « descendus » les malfaiteurs.
Le 24 octobre 2014, dans la matinée, les deux individus mis en cause ont été présentés devant les magistrats du Parquet de Pointe-à-Pitre
(pôle criminel), mis en examen, et incarcérés au centre pénitentiaire de Baie-Mahault.
Au cours de cet événement et dans les 48 heures qui ont suivi, la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-
Barthélémy, renforcée de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 23/7 de Sélestat, a mobilisé plus qu'une cinquantaine de militaires et de
considérables moyens d'intervention, d'identification criminelle et d'investigation judiciaire. Le service de la police aux frontières ainsi
que la police territoriale de Saint-Martin ont également participé au quadrillage du terrain dans les heures qui ont suivi l'événement.
La brigade de recherches de la gendarmerie de Saint-Martin demeure saisie de l'enquête, placée à présent sous la direction d'un juge
d'instruction de Pointe-à-Pitre dans le cadre de l'ouverture d'information décidée par les magistrats.
Le commandement de la gendarmerie a tenu à souligner le professionnalisme et le sang-froid dont ont fait preuve les forces de l'ordre
lors de cette intervention qui aurait pu connaître une issue dramatique.
Une partie du butin emporté par les malfaiteurs... Pistolet

L'UPESM section Iles du Nord s'associe à la décision du chef d'établissement et de l'ensemble des intervenants pour que l'établissement reste fermé demain vendredi 17 octobre 2014 pour des raisons de sécurité et d'hygiène suite au passage de l'ouragan GONZALO.

Nous souhaiterions également que les élèves qui auraient perdu leur matériel scolaire se fassent connaître en nous adressant un mail à l'adresse (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Cette collecte d'informations sera retransmise au Lycée.

Nous remercions d'ores et déjà tous ceux (personnels, dirigeants, enseignants, collectivité) qui depuis deux jours ont contribué au nettoyage du lycée. Beaucoup reste à faire.

Nous comptons sur la compréhension et la collaboration des parents pour œuvrer à la remise en état du lycée pour une reprise effective des cours dans de bonnes conditions à la rentrée des vacances.

Le dimanche 19 octobre 2014 prochain, de 06 h 30 à 15 h 00, Le Conseil de Quartier N° 5, l'association SXM FONDATIONS et BOYS AND THE YARD invitent les organismes, les entreprises et tous les habitants à participer à une opération de ''GRAND NETTOYAGE'' de l'ensemble du quartier N° 5.

Ce grand mouvement collectif de nettoyage se tiendra suite au passage de la tempête Gonzalo (transformée en ouragan de classe 1) qui a laissé des traces et qui a causé de nombreux dégâts. Cette opération ''GRAND NETTOYAGE permettra et contribuera à faire de Saint-Martin un territoire attrayant, propre, bel, agréable et accueillant à quelques jours du démarrage de la toute nouvelle et prochaine saison touristique.

Cette manifestation est une belle opportunité pour chacun de faire la différence, de démontrer son sens de la solidarité et de l'entraide et enfin, de passer à l'action.

Des gants et des sacs à ordure seront fournis. Les bénévoles devront apporter râteaux, pic, balais et tout autre instrument jugé utile.

Une fois l'Opération Grand Nettoyage terminée, les participants seront invités à partager un repas offert par le Conseil de Quartier N° 5.

Cette importante et très belle opération de nettoyage et d'embellissement du quartier est le fruit de la mobilisation de tous les acteurs concernés et des habitants du quartier eux-mêmes sans qui rien ne serait possible.

Inscription non requise
Les petits comme les grands sont invités à former des équipes de bénévoles et à se joindre à nous.
Renseignez-vous au : 0690 884 680 // 0690 618 100 // 0590 668 439
E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VENEZ PARTICIPER EN NOMBRE !

Le représentant du Conseil de Quartier N° 5

Paul WHIT

Les autorités des îles de Saint-Barthélémy et Saint-Martin, balayées par le cyclone Gonzalo, sont "sans nouvelle" de seize personnes, s'ajoutant à trois disparus, a indiqué mardi la préfecture déléguée de ces deux îles.
Trois personnes sont portées disparues en mer après le passage du cyclone Gonzalo à Saint-Barthélémy et de Saint-Martin, qui a également provoqué des dégâts matériels, a indiqué mardi la préfecture déléguée de ces deux îles.
En outre, les autorités sont toujours sans nouvelles mardi de 16 personnes dont les bateaux ont été emportés lundi soir par Gonzalo, mais "aucune victime n'est à déplorer sur terre", selon le communiqué de la préfecture déléguée auprès des collectivités d'outre-mer (COM) de Saint-Barthélémy et Saint-Martin.
S'agissant des 16 personnes dont on est sans nouvelles, "des renforts en moyens aériens ont été sollicités auprès du ministère de l'Intérieur et de le zone de défense afin de retrouver les navires à la dérive".
Un peu plu tôt, la ministre des Outre-mer George Pau-Langevin avait fait état de trois disparus et de quatorze personnes, parmi lesquelles quatre "dont on est absolument sans nouvelles", qui faisaient "l'objet d'opérations de secours" en mer.

Arès avoir quitté Saint-Barthélémy, au-dessus de laquelle l'oeil du cyclone est passé, et Saint-Martin, Gonzalo "poursuit sa route vers le nord-ouest à la vitesse de 20 km/h et devrait encore se renforcer dans les prochaines heures pour atteindre le stade d'ouragan de catégorie 3 dans les 36 heures", a informé Météo-France. "On a mesuré à Saint-Barthélémy des vents moyens de 130 km/h et des rafales supérieures à 200 km/h" sur son passage, précisent les météorologues.

En attendant l'arrivée d'un hélicoptère, venu de Pointe-à-Pitre ou de Fort-de-France (respectivement à 250 et 500 km au sud) permettant le survol des deux collectivités d'Outre-mer et une première évaluation des dégâts, les écoles doivent rester fermées mardi et la consigne de confinement maintenue jusqu'à 6h00 locales et le lever du jour, a annoncé la préfecture déléguée des deux îles. Selon Emmanuel Effantin, directeur de cabinet du préfet-délégué, "deux 　personnes sont assurément portées disparues, un homme tombé de son bateau à Saint-Martin et deux personnes qui tentaient de rejoindre un bateau à Saint-Barthélémy. Les recherches ont été impossibles" compte-tenu des conditions cycloniques. Selon M. Effantin, "aucune victime terrestre" n'est à déplorer. Malgré l'apaisement des éléments durant la deuxième partie de la nuit à Saint-Barthélémy et Saint-Martin, où ne règnent plus qu'un temps de tempête finissante, aucune évaluation des dégâts matériels provoqués par Gonzalo n'était disponible aux premières heures de mardi.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière, ciblant en particulier les personnes conduisant sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, était menée le samedi 04 octobre 2014 de 20h00 à 23h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par la brigade motorisée et la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin, ainsi que l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 23/7 de Sélestat, l'opération mobilisait au total 7 militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés au niveau du carrefour giratoire de Cul de Sac.

Une cinquantaine de conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :

• 02 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux délictuel, > ou égal à 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,52 - 0,47) ;
• 01 délit pour conduite sous l'influence de substances ou plantes classées comme stupéfiants, ainsi que usage de stupéfiants (herbe de cannabis) - Conducteur ayant par ailleurs été contrôlé en défaut de permis ;
• 02 délits pour conduite d'un véhicule à moteur sans être titulaire du permis de conduire (défaut de permis) ;
• 01 délit pour défaut d'assurance ;
• 02 contraventions (4ème classe) pour non port de la ceinture de sécurité ;
• 01 contravention (4ème classe) pour pneumatiques lisses ou défectueux ;
• 02 contraventions (4ème classe) pour conduite d'un véhicule à moteur avec un permis de conduire non prorogé.

sécurité (casque) et les personnes conduisant sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, étaient menées les samedi 27 et dimanche 28 septembre 2014, de 10h00 à 12h00 et de 03h00 à 06h00, par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisées par la brigade motorisée, avec le renfort de la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin et de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 23/7 de Sélestat pour l'opération de dimanche matin, ces deux contrôles mobilisaient au total une douzaine de militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés dans le secteur de Quartier d'Orléans pour la première opération, et au niveau du carrefour giratoire de Bellevue à Marigot pour la seconde.

Une cinquantaine de conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :

1. 02 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux délictuel, > ou égal à 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,59 - 0,46) ;
2.  06 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux contraventionnel (contravention de 4ème classe), compris entre 0,25 et 0,39 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,39 - 0,38 - 0,35 - 0,35 - 0,34 - 0,30) ;
3.  01 délit pour refus de se soumettre aux vérifications d'alcoolémie (personne mise en cause convoquée dans les locaux de la brigade motorisée en vue d'être entendue sur les faits) ;
4.  02 délit pour défaut de permis de conduire ;
5.  01 délit pour défaut d'assurance ;
6. 02 infractions pour non respect du port du casque ;
7.  01 infraction pour usage d'un téléphone tenu en main par le conducteur d'un véhicule en circulation.

Bonjour à tous,
Vous trouverez ci-dessous, la déclaration de Daniel GIBBS après le vote des sénatoriales.
Restant à votre disposition,
Bonne journée
Jéno

Déclaration de M. Daniel GIBBS,
Député de Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin
Président de l'Union pour la Démocratie

Mesdames et Messieurs,

En tant que député de Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin, permettez-moi en premier lieu, d'adresser mes félicitations à Monsieur Michel Magras, réélu sénateur de Saint-Barthélemy.

Mes félicitations vont également à Monsieur Guillaume ARNELL, qui succède à Monsieur Louis-Constant FLEMING, au poste de sénateur de Saint-Martin.

Un poste visiblement très convoité, puisqu'il aura mobilisé quelque sept candidatures, dont trois issues directement de la majorité RRR au Conseil territorial.

Je refuse d'entrer dans la polémique en me risquant à un périlleux exercice d'analyse post-scrutin: chacun tirera de ce vote les leçons qu'il voudra en tirer.

Cependant, je ne fais qu'un seul constat : aujourd'hui il n'y a plus de gouvernance! Comment peut-on encore parler de "majorité" ou de "rassemblement" quand nous sommes témoins d'une telle violence ? Ce dimanche 28 septembre nous avons assisté à un spectacle de haine et de déchirement au sein de la dite majorité. Il ne s'agit pas là de polémiquer, encore une fois, il s'agit d'un fait politique simple et limpide. Que personne ne se voile la face: il ne s'agissait pas de « primaires » mais bien d'une élection nationale pour laquelle la majorité s'est divisée. Et lorsqu'au deuxième tour nous voyons deux camps clairement se dessiner, ne parlons pas de rassemblement. L'explosion de la majorité est donc à l'ordre du jour, au lendemain de ces élections sénatoriales.

Pour autant, l'heure est au travail: la politique de la main tendue que je mets un point d'honneur à pratiquer au sein de notre Assemblée, je veux la poursuivre auprès des instances parisiennes, au delà des clivages partisans qui ont malheureusement souvent trop court sur le terrain local, avec le nouveau parlementaire de Saint-Martin.

Nous aurons besoin d'un sénateur d'autant plus impliqué et combattif, qu'il siègera à la gauche d'un hémicycle qui vient de basculer à droite.

Saint-Martin ne saurait donc se passer d'un tandem parlementaire qui veut et sait travailler de concert.

En tant que Président de l'Union pour la Démocratie, les « analystes » se poseront sans doute la question du maintien de Madame Dominique AUBERT à ce second tour des sénatoriales ou de ces deux voix UD qui se sont reportées sur d'autres candidats que celle choisie pourtant unanimement par notre groupe.

Là encore, la pluralité des sensibilités politiques, qui a toujours fait et qui continuera à faire la solidité de notre jeune parti, a sans doute joué. Aux militants et aux sympathisants de l'Union pour la Démocratie, je veux dire que notre union n'est en rien menacée par ces aléas de notre vie politique interne, et qu'encore une fois avant toute chose, l'heure est au travail.

A Madame Dominique Aubert enfin, je veux adresser mes plus vifs remerciements pour avoir bien voulu faire entendre et porter haut les convictions de l'Union pour la Démocratie à l'occasion de ces élections difficiles.

Daniel GIBBS

J'en appelle à votre raison, et si vous ne pouvez plus raisonner dans l'intérêt de notre pays, laissez-nous vous conseiller. Le mal, qui ronge votre auguste assemblée en pleine et totale implosion, a atteint les proportions d'une épidémie, dans son aspect le plus insidieux, la contagion. Chacun pense qu'il résout le problème en se posant comme candidat ou suppléant à cette élection sénatoriale. Ce n'est qu'une illusion.

Ceux qui ont été dans la politique avant vous savent parfaitement ce dont vous souffrez. Mais quand on est malade, on doit se faire soigner. Les candidats élus sont incapables de résoudre le problème ou de ramener la situation à une certaine normalité, comme ils le prétendent. Vous avez tous perdus le point essentiel de votre raison d'être élu. Votre mission est de servir Saint-Martin et sa population, qui a besoin de tant d'attention.

Il faut vous l'avouer, - et le grand public le sait maintenant - vous réglez des comptes entre vous, et c'est visible. Vous ne pouvez plus rien cacher. Alors......... laissez-nous vous guider. Les seuls membres du conseil territorial qui peuvent sauver la situation, ce sont ceux qui ne sont pas candidats. Nous demandons à ceux qui règlent leur compte d'arrêter. Les Saint-Martinois ont honte de ce spectacle: les jeunes, les vieux, les moins jeunes. Ils ont enfin tout compris. Vous ne gérez rien. Vous n'avez que des titres et une ambition démesurée, hors du commun. Du jamais vu dans notre pays ! Incroyable mais vrai !

Voilà la seule solution honorable pour vous et pour nous qui vous regardons, avant le suicide politique généralisé du 28 septembre 2014. Il n'y a qu'un seul candidat qui n'est pas impliqué dans cette démarche de "règlement de comptes, personnel ou partisan"; un seul candidat qui est professionnellement apte et qualifié à exécuter le travail de législateur. Il n'y a qu'un seul candidat qui ne voit que Saint Martin dans son horizon. Il n'y a qu'un seul candidat qui n'est pas politique au sens politicien du terme, qui ne participe pas aux magouilles et qui ne magouillera pas à Paris dans un parti ou un autre ; un seul candidat qui n'a pour seule ambition que de défendre les intérêts de son île et de son peuple qu'il connaît dans sa chair et dans ses tripes ; un seul candidat qui a été « testé » successivement par des institutions de droit américain et français ; le seul candidat qui saura choisir le groupe de travail capable de prendre en compte la réalité spécifique de notre île. Enfin et essentiellement, il n'y a qu'un seul candidat qui fera preuve d'honnêteté, d'intégrité et de compétence au sein du Sénat et qui communiquera à la population 'sans ambages' les obstacles qui surgiront sur son parcours. Vous ne devez pas hésiter à voter pour un tel candidat. Tout ne sera pas parfait. Mais mieux vaut cela que la continuation du désastre politicien.

Ensuite, vous réglerez le problème de l'implosion de la majorité du conseil territorial. Là aussi, il n'y a qu'une solution honorable ...... mais c'est une autre page.

Daniella JEFFRY
Conseillère de la Minorité au dernier Conseil Municipal
Ex-Présidente et co-fondatrice du United Saint-Martin Movement (U.S.M.)

Une fois de plus, le Conseil Territorial de SAINT-MARTIN est appelé à choisir la personne qui droit représenter la Collectivité de SAINT-MARTIN devant le parlement en qualité de sénateur.

Ce messager de la voix de SAINT-MARTIN interviendra dans les commissions, auprès des autorités étatiques et auprès de toutes autorités et responsables en France et Europe, voire international. Il serait possible, nécessaire d'intervenir devant en toute instance afin de défendre la société Saint Martinoise.

Et c'est vrai la beauté, la paix, le bonheur à Saint-Martin ne m'avaient pas donné envie de la quitter. Toutefois, étant qu'enfant courant sur la plage, déjà la curiosité m'a poussée de soulever la question de savoir qu'est-ce qui existait, qu'est-ce qu'il y avait entre la mer et le ciel ?

Ensuite et surtout, les anciens, ma grand-mère les sages m'ont tous dits, « ...allez, partez, partez, allez faire vos études, allez et puis retournez chez nous retournez et faites ce qui est nécessaire... »

Plus de 35 à 40 ans d'études, de travail, d'expérience pratiques, de professionnalisme en droit et de défense en qualité d'avocat, de juriste, de conseil dans les domaines divers et vastes du droit anglo-saxonne et du droit français.

Mais vous avez déjà mon curriculum vitae et ma déclaration de foi de 2008 et vous savez que dans ces neuf pages les sujets traités sont, malheureusement, toujours de l'actualité brûlante aujourd'hui à Saint-Martin. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., si vous n'avait pas reçu une copie).

Cependant, l'ambiance de cette élection m'oblige à traiter les sujets suivants :

1.  ENCORE DES MENSONGES POLITIQUES OU A-T-IL UN PARFUM DE FRAUDE ET DE TRAHISON ?

Oui, j'ai suivi les mots de sagesse et avec mes diplômes en mains et ma fidélité à SAINT-MARTIN je me suis présentée en 2008 en sollicitant d'être votre sénateur, d'être un peu un de vos sages malgré mes imperfections politiques et encore... J'étais obligée même à cette époque de dénoncer les agissements manipulatifs des jeux de certains élus et des prétendus sages.

Oui, je suis née dans une petite case avec du papier brun pour boucher les trous dans le bois, mais comment j'avais raison à m'exprimer parce que pendant plus de neuf mois maintenant nous nous sommes trouvés sans représentant, sans sénateur au parlement.

Aujourd'hui encore il y a ceux qui prétendent qu'ils iront plaider pour les intérêts de SAINT-MARTIN. Toutefois, le vent, les nuages dans le ciel, les tambours et même le coq m'informent et me font ressentir, une fois de plus, une manipulation du peuple Saint-Martinois.

Pire ! Il semble que l'on ne cherche pas seulement à manipuler mon pays, ni même pas à voler l'âme de mon pays, aujourd'hui ils conspirent avec l'intention de simplement donner mon pays à autrui...Jesus, Jésus, Jésus veuillez m'entendre. Ceci contre une Saint-Martinoise de souche de plus de 300 ans ! Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu, devant cette horreur, devant cette réalité un mot résonne dans ma tête TRAITRE, TRAITRE, TRAITRE.

Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu ? Dans quelles autres mers étrangères remplies de barracudas et de requins devais-je encore plonger ? Sur quels champs de batailles devais-je encore lutter pour protéger les droits humanitaires et mes peuples? Devant quelle armée plus qu'étrangère avec des chars et des soldats aux yeux bleus et un fusil dans leurs mains devais-je encore manifester ?

Quand est-ce que ces personnes, magouilleuses, corrompues, trafiquantes de privilèges, manipulatrices vont se regarder dans le miroir et s'aimer ? Quand est-ce que les Saint-Martinois vont s'aimer ? Et aimer leur propre peuple ?

Vous n'allez pas leur laisser donner mon pays à autrui. Ni pour une journée, ni même pour 30 secondes ! Vous n'avez pas ni le droit ni le devoir, légal ou moral, de donner mon pays à qui que ce soit sauf à nous le peuple Saint-Martinois. Stop ! Nous vous l'interdisons. Le peuple Saint-Martinois a déjà démontré qu'il est réveillé, qu'il ne dort plus et Dieu ne dort jamais. Dieu et le peuple distribueront leurs sanctions.

Cependant, qu'est-ce que nos enfants, vos enfants doivent faire pour être acceptés, respectés pour pouvoir travailler dans leur propres pays ?

Je suis loin d'être parfaite mais quelle motivation est nécessaire pour vous faire comprendre mon sérieux, ma fidélité et ma passion sans faille pour mon pays ainsi que ma compétence pour prendre en main la tâche de défendre les intérêts de SAINT-MARTIN.

Votre ambassadrice qui plaidera la cause de la veuve et l'orphelin et défendra les indéfendables n'oubliera jamais de plaider pour SAINT-MARTIN : ses démunis, ses entreprises, ses salariés, ses fonctionnaires ; son histoire, sa culture, son environnement mais surtout son droit d'être libéré de l'esclavage moderne aussi déshumanisant et d'atteindre le niveau d'autonomie et d'indépendance ainsi éradiquant autant que possible vestiges de colonialisme, néocolonialisme et même colonialisme et génocide par substitution.

II. LA LOI ORGANIQUE

Reconnaissant bien nos priorités, outre nos problèmes économiques de création, de maintenance et de travail, l'attention au rôle de la jeunesse dans notre société et les aspects sociaux et de sécurité continuellement à traiter, nous ne pouvons pas ignorer qu'il y a aujourd'hui à SAINT-MARTIN l'évidence des lacunes en ce qui concerne la loi organique actuellement en vigueur.
Il est reconnu que les rédacteurs de cette loi ainsi que ceux qui l'ont approuvée et qui vivent les conséquences quotidiennes crient qu'il faudrait utiliser le pouvoir législatif afin de la faire modifier, au minimum et le faire exécuter en l'adaptant mieux, pour assurer un meilleur fonctionnement de la Collectivité de SAINT-MARTIN.

Les observations au cours des années nous ont même emmenés à nous poser la question : « Et si les élus de l'époque l'avaient lu ? ». En tout cas, s'ils l'ont lu, nous nous demandons pourquoi ils n'ont pas fait le nécessaire en la complétant de manière à répondre à la situation spécifique de notre île, comme c'était suggéré à l'époque, même par moi. Or, certains de ces mêmes élus qui se sont montrés si légers et si négligents avec le travail de fond exigé, osent me concurrencer aujourd'hui pour faire un travail encore plus lourd et chargé des éléments de droit.

A mon avis pour un meilleur futur, il est impensable d'améliorer la gouvernance de notre Collectivité sans réunir ses organes et récolter les propositions de chaque personne voulant contribuer, afin de revoir les dispositions et la refondre si nécessaire. Le travail qui a été commencé ne doit pas être laissé dans un tiroir mais pourrait servir comme une base sur laquelle nous pouvons construite une vraie gouvernance d'autonomie.

Que ce soit sur les caractéristiques, devoirs et obligations des organes intervenant et leurs vies relationnelles, intra-relationnelles ou sur les relations inter-régionales, internationales ; des oublies ; des compétences plus étendues et voir comment il va falloir les exercer ; d'obtenir des deniers compensatoires dus et pourquoi pas les deniers additionnels dus, du fait d'être mal guidé par l'Etat négligeant et du fait d'avoir failli à sa mission d'assistance à l'implémentation des différents structures et contrôles ainsi que l'inexécution de leurs engagements contractuels, surtout de résultat.

III. BILINGUISME

Je m'engage, dans la cadre de notre loi organique et tout ce qu'on peut changer afin d'améliorer la situation de notre langue historique, anglais, de ne jamais l'oublier et de promouvoir toute législation et action afin que notre langue puisse être reconnue pas seulement dans le cadre de l'enseignement bilingue et utilisation quotidienne mais comme une langue régionale avec toutes les conséquences et avantages que celle-là impliquent, donc utiliser partout librement et afficher avec fierté et dignité.

IV. SECURITE : AMELIORATION DE L'ECONOMIE PEUT-ETRE DES EMPLOIS

La délinquance a augmenté et continu à augmenter. Notre peuple ne se sent pas compris ni protégé. Nous renforçons le rez-de-chaussée contre les intrus mais ils cassent les fenêtres et ils viennent au premier étage. Et ensuite, au cours de la nuit ou le petit matin nous les entendons car ils montent sur les balcons. Ils entrent pour prendre des hors d'ouvres et faire de la lèche vitrine en préparant à revenir pour faire du shopping gratuit plus tard.

Nous sommes violés et violentés en sans repris : toujours des bruits sonores aux décibels intolérables, des motos et de plus des tirs de pistolets, même à l'église, trois tirs, ils osent montrer le pistolet aux pieux priants en les demandant « ...Tu en veux ? You want some ?». Ensuite, neuf tirs de pistolets au cimetière. Ils retournent plus tard pour chercher leurs douilles des balcons des victimes résidents terrorisés.

Qu'est-ce que c'est l'ordre public ? Où étaient les gendarmes ? Où est l'ordre public ? Où est notre commissariat de police ?

Qui rassure ma ville ? Qui me rassure ? Qui rassure SAINT-MARTIN ?

Où est la manifestation des responsables pour traiter les conséquences psychologiques des victimes terrorisées qui souffrent et pour poursuivre les auteurs qui se rassurent entre eux qu'ils ont gagné par leurs actes de terrorisme plus que bien planifiés ?

Qui voudrait vivre ainsi leur quotidien ; quel touriste, observateur, investisseur...... résident ?

Quel environnement et même le Pole d'Environnement ne souhaite pas s'occuper des ordures, des bouteilles et cannetes de whisky, vin, rhum bières, boites, qu'ils trainent devant nos maisons, dans nos jardins, sous mon balcon. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a de privé dans tout cela ?

Et j'entends que le silence de la part des responsables de l'ordre publique.

Il faudrait au minimum construire et opérer des centres éducatifs et structures physiques pour traiter la délinquance des jeunes, une maison d'arrêt conforme pour les condamnés adultes et des structures et centres pour protéger les femmes et les enfants contre les violences.

Ai-je vraiment besoin de vous soulever les plaintes de nos entreprises et les entrepreneurs jeunes et pas trop jeunes ; de nos entrepreneurs qui ne cessent de crier qu'ils exigent qu'ils soient respectés et accordés des marchés des travaux sur leur île avant surtout que d'autres entreprises profiteuses/exploiteuses qui viennent d'ailleurs et ramènent leur rémunération/butin chez eux ne continuent de spoiler, d'étouffer l'économie de île ?

Ai-je vraiment besoin de vous soulever les plaintes des Saint-Martinois et même de la Collectivité en ce qui concerne leurs taxes et fonds versées qui vont aux allocateurs, certains étant trop souvent des abuseurs et profiteurs qui reçoivent les allocations et les détournent des bénéficiaires en les envoyant toute de suite à l'étranger ou les déboursent en COUNTRY SINT MAARTEN.

V. JUDICIAIRE : AMELIORATION ET COOPERATION

Oui, c'est vrai des choses se sont évolués à Saint-Martin depuis le cyclone LUIS. Les voyages à la Guadeloupe sont moins fréquents car il y a des juridictions qui se transportent maintenant ici.

Il faudrait quand même revoir la situation de Saint-Martin au niveau du tribunal de première instance. Une conception qui ne semble plus ce que nous aurons voulu qu'elle soit. La France prétend aujourd'hui plutôt tourné vers une justice dite « de proximité ». Mais étant donné notre spécificité est-ce-que ceci est vraiment pour nous ou est-ce-que d'autres modèles ne sont concevables ?

Car, trop souvent, les Saint-Martinois doivent voyager à Basse-Terre pour traiter des dossiers devant le tribunal administratif de sécurité sociale, le tribunal de commerce, le conseil de prud'hommes, le juge d'instruction, la Cour d'Appel et encore. Et souvent ces frais de voyage et séjours sont toujours prohibitifs aux parties et les empêchent trop souvent de poursuivre une affaire et même de faire un recours en appel, malgré le fait que la décision puisse lui être plus favorable, 550€-650 €.

Les Saint-Martinois ont aussi besoins des suivants :

•  d'un Palais de Justice plus grand ;
•  outre que ma diffusion à la radio, information organisée de la Collectivité et de l'état concernant l'existence d'aide judiciaire ;
•  un bureau d'aide judiciaire ou un annexe à Saint-Martin, consultations gratuits, SOS avocat
• une maison d'arrêt : pour aussi des raisons humanitaires, les familles doivent pouvoir visiter leurs prochains incarcérés

Malheureusement, nous sommes toujours en besoin d'harmonisation des législations entre les pays de la région et de permettre d'exécuter des jugements dans tous les domaines. Les échanges plus ouverts sont à entreprendre avec COUNTRY SINT MAARTEN sur le Traité de Concordia et la quotidienne de la vie ainsi qu'en transportant entre les frontières.

VI. 50 PAS GEOMETRIQUES

En ce qui concerne la réalité de résolution des problèmes autour des 50 pas géométriques nous sommes toujours dans l'obscurité.

Oui, après plus de six ans nous avons récemment reçu la nouvelle que la réponse à que la question des 50 pas géométriques est de dire aux pauvres gens que maintenant la Collectivité va traiter les dossiers en cours en premier. Ensuite, après elle va traiter les autres dossiers. J'ai un dossier chez moi depuis plus de huit ans, attendant que le titre soit validé.

VII. CONCLUSIONS : SOLUTIONS SPECIFIQUES IMPERATIVES ET URGENTES

Je me répète mais nous avons besoin à Saint-Martin de faire tout ce qui est humainement possible pour arriver aux solutions spécifiques :

Sur le plan économique entre COUNTRY SINT MAARTEN et la Collectivité de SAINT-MARTIN, une coopération afin d'échanger, d'utiliser certains biens structurels qui permettront aux deux pays de profiter plus avantageusement de la vie économique mais aussi quotidienne en ce qui concerne :

•  L'infrastructure des eaux, d'électricité, ramassage et traitement des ordures, transport et les routes, etc.
• Protection de l'environnement
•  Protection des eaux territoriales: la pêche,
•  L'élevage et la consommation de produits de la mer (crevettes, lambis, ouassous, poisson) et d'autres formes de la vie marine
•  L'affermage, des fruits des bananes des pêches des oranges et des légumes
•  La plantation aux fins d'embellissement des deux côtés de l'île, le traitement des plages.
•  L'agriculture: l'élevage des porcs, des vaches, des cabris, des poules,
•  Immigration/installation et développement des moyens pour éviter le choc culturel (gendarmes, étrangers...) et la violence
•  Travail, des étrangers, des jeunes
•  Force de l'ordre : une maison d'arrêt conforme pour les condamnés adultes, centres éducatifs et structures physiques pour traiter la délinquance des jeunes, et des structures et centres pour protèges les femmes et les enfants contre les violences
•  Judicaire : Palais de justice de taille et bien équipé, information sur l'Aide Judicaire, un bureau d'aide judiciaire et des consultations gratuites, relations plus poussées avec le Barreau des Avocats de la Guadeloupe ou création de notre propre barreau.

La survie de notre communauté en dépend et il ne saurait y avoir de redressement de la situation des Saint-Martinois avec une Collectivité qui n'aurait pas rompu de façon radicale et définitive avec les mauvaises et dangereuses habitudes d'un certain passé.

Elue comme représentante de la Collectivité, le sénateur veillera donc avec l'ensemble des institutions qui en ont déjà la charge au strict respect de la loi dans toutes les activités.

La tâche est immense et le travail toujours à poursuivre.

J'ai la volonté et la détermination pour l'accomplir et le courage pour affronter tous les obstacles qui ne manqueront pas de se trouver sur le chemin de la renaissance de la société Saint- Martinoise.

Encore et toujours, aujourd'hui l'urgence appelle ; l'heure est venue de saisir l'avenir. Les opportunités ratées ne se présenteront plus. Il ne faut pas qu'il y ait des conséquences indéfectibles pour l'avenir, un avenir qui pour nous est déjà gravement hypothéqué par les erreurs et les errances du passé.

Mes chers compatriotes électeurs, c'est pour l'ensemble de ces raisons que je me présente à cette élection afin qu'enfin éclate la voix de ceux qui trop longtemps n'ont pas eu de voix soient entendus et que Saint-Martin connaisse une autre destinée !

PATRICIA CHANCE-DUZANT, Esquire

L'Union des Parents d'Elèves de Saint Martin (UPESM) souhaite une bonne rentrée scolaire aux élèves, aux chefs d'établissement, aux enseignants, personnels administratifs, agents des établissements ainsi qu'aux parents.
Que cette année 2014/2015 soit une réussite sur tous les points (scolaire, relationnelle, professionnelle ...).

L' UPESM convie les parents désireux s'inscrire sur la liste des représentants des parents d'élèves à se faire connaître le plus rapidement possible. Les élections auront lieu le 10/10/2014
Date limite d'inscription sur les listes le 29 septembre 2014
Date limite de dépôt de liste aux établissements scolaires le 1er octobre 2014

Chers parents, la réussite de la scolarité de votre enfant dépend largement de votre implication dans son parcours scolaire et du dialogue que vous établirez avec l'équipe pédagogique.

Les principales missions de l'UPESM : Vous informer, vous écouter, vous accompagner, vous représenter.

Nous comptons sur vous pour renforcer nos équipes, les étendre à l'ensemble des établissements scolaires de l'île. Votre adhésion à l'UPESM en plus grand nombre est importante, pour une meilleure représentation des parents.

Pour tout contact : envoyez nous un mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), connectez-vous sur notre compte : https://www.facebook.com/parents.sxm

Bonne rentrée 2014-2015

HMF et L'équipe de création du spectacle Forget the Popcorn organisaient dimanche dernier des auditions.
Avec à la Direction artistique du futur spectacle les deux artistes membres de HeadMade Factory, Peggy OULERICH chorégraphe et Hans MINNAERT metteur en scène, ainsi que deux associés à la scènographie : Stephen Winkel conception décors et Eric Fayon conception lumières et vidéo, HeadMade Factory proposera un show inédit à St Martin où danse, arts visuels, musique et arts vivants s'entremêleront.
Dans ce cadre, la journée d'auditions avait but de sélectionner les jeunes talents de l'île.
12 jeunes danseurs des deux cotés de l'île ont répondu à l'appel, tous issus de formations et d'écoles diverses et notamment du National Institute of Art, de Temps Danses Académie et autodidactes pour certains.
Le Jury a été enthousiasmé par l'entrain et le talents des participants, et le choix n'a pas été facile. Au final, seulement 4 jeunes danseurs ont été présélectionnés : Lian Borsje, Lucie orbinien, Marine Caillet et Zoe Van Zaldelhof.
Deux danseurs confirmés et déjà habitués des scènes saint martinoises ont également étés retenus : Melvin Leblanc et Clifford Henry.
Les répetitions commencent et nous vous feront partager les étapes de création du spectale.
Patience mais en attendant : Forget the popcorn.

Co-Production Headmade Factory & Hm

Dirigée par Peggy Oulerich and Hans Minnaert

DIMANCHE 7 SEPTEMBRE DE 10H A 13H

Lieu: Temps Danse Académie St. Martin
Place du village à Orient Bay
Anciennement La Chapelle
Age: 16 ans et plus
Exceptions éventuelles en dessous de 16 ans, veuillez contacter les organisateurs

MARIGOT:--- Vous êtes danseur ou danseuse avec un bon niveau en contemporain, à la recherche de nouvelles expériences pour assouvir votre passion? Vous voulez évoluez sur scène aux côtés de professionnels?

Vous aimez travailler en équipe, vous avez l'esprit ouvert et la volonté d'apprendre? Alors peut etre que vous avez une place à prendre dans notre prochain spectacle !

Pendant 3 mois vous travaillerez avec des professionnels, chorégraphes, metteurs en scène et danseurs. Vous serez ensuite sur scène pour 10 représentations en novembre et décembre 2014.

Inscrivez vous en envoyant un mail à: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Relevez le défi et ...... FORGET THE POPCORN!

Equipe de création: Peggy Oulerich,Hans Minnaert, Stephen Winkel, Eric Fayon. Florence Poirier Nkpa, Audrey Duputié.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière, ciblant en particulier les personnes conduisant sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, était menée le dimanche 24 août 2014 de 03h00 à 06h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par la brigade motorisée et la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin, ainsi que l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 23/7 de Sélestat, l'opération mobilisait au total dix militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés au niveau du carrefour giratoire de Bellevue à Marigot.

Une quarantaine de conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :
- 07 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux délictuel, > ou égal à 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (1,08 - 0,72 - 0,74 - 0,66 - 0,65 - 0,52 - 0,47) ;
- 06 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux contraventionnel (contravention de 4ème classe), compris entre 0,25 et 0,39 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,33 - 0,32 - 0,29 - 0,28 - 0,27 - 0,27) ;
- 01 délit pour refus de se soumettre aux vérifications d'alcoolémie (personne mise en cause convoquée dans les locaux de la brigade motorisée en vue d'être entendue sur les faits) ;
- 02 délit pour défaut de permis de conduire.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière, ciblant en particulier les conduites addictives et le port des équipements de sécurité par les conducteurs de roues, était menée le mardi 19 août 2014, de 15h00 à 18h00, par la brigade motorisée de Saint-Martin.

Réalisée dans le cadre du plan de police route du mois d'août 2014 défini par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, l'opération mobilisait l'ensemble des effectifs de la brigade motorisée, engagés au niveau du carrefour giratoire de Cul de Sac-Hope Estate à Saint-Martin.

20 conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés ; aucun n'a été dépisté positif au contrôle de l'alcoolémie. En revanche, les infractions suivantes ont été constatées :

• 02 défaut de permis de conduire ;
• 01 défaut d'assurance ;
• 01 défaut de contrôle technique ;
• 02 infractions pour non port de la ceinture de sécurité ;
• 01 infraction pour non port du casque par un conducteur de deux-roues motorisé ;
• 01 utilisation de téléphone en conduisant ;
• 01 infraction pour pneumatiques lisses.

demandes d'autorisation administrative préalable de placement en chômage partiel. Les dispositions relatives à la procédure sous forme dématérialisée, qui devaient s'appliquer au plus tard le 1er juillet 2014, ne le seront finalement qu'au 1er octobre 2014, conformément au décret (n°2014-740) du 30 juin 2014. C'est l'article 16 de la loi pour la sécurisation de l'emploi qui a réformé les conditions de mise en place de l'activité partielle en entreprise, dans le cadre du maintien et de la sauvegarde de l'emploi, afin :

• d'unifier le dispositif (fusion des allocations existantes ― activité

partielle et activité partielle de longue durée ― en une seule

allocation),

• de simplifier les règles de calcul des heures à indemniser,

• de définir les contreparties plus souples et plus adaptées, modulées en fonction de l'importance du recours à l'activité partielle, • de différencier le niveau d'indemnisation du salarié selon que des actions de formation sont ou non mises en oeuvre pendant la période de sous-activité. Le décret (n°2013-551) du 26 juin 2013 a consacré l'application des
articles L5122-1 et suivants du Code du travail, relatifs à l'aide aux salariés placés en activité partielle. Les dispositions qu'il prévoit s'appliquent aux demandes d'autorisation administrative préalable de placement en chômage partiel déposées depuis le 1er juillet 2013. Quant aux dispositions relatives à la procédure sous forme dématérialisée,
elles s'appliqueront à compter du 1er octobre 2014.Ce décret est complété par une circulaire (n°2013-12) du 12 juillet 2013 et par un simulateur permettant aux entreprises de connaître immédiatement les montants estimatifs d'indemnisation qu'elles peuvent escompter en cas de recours à l'activité partielle dont une estimation du montant qui reste à
leur charge

Contenu de la demande préalable d'autorisation d'activité partielle

L'employeur doit adresser au préfet du département où est implanté l'établissement concerné une demande préalable d'autorisation d'activité partielle, qui précise :
• les motifs justifiant le recours à l'activité partielle ;
• la période prévisible de sous-activité ;
• le nombre de salariés concernés.
Elle est accompagnée de l'avis préalable du comité d'entreprise ou, en l'absence de comité d'entreprise, de l'avis préalable des délégués du personnel, exige l'article L5122-2 du Code du travail. Lorsque la demande s'effectue alors que l'employeur a déjà placé ses salariés en activité partielle au cours des 36 mois précédant la date de dépôt de la demande d'autorisation, elle mentionne les engagements que l'employeur propose de souscrire. La demande d'autorisation est adressée par voie dématérialisée. La décision d'autorisation ou de refus est notifiée à l'employeur dans un délai de 15 jours à compter de la date de réception de la demande d'autorisation, par voie dématérialisée. L'absence de décision du préfet
dans un délai de 15 jours vaut acceptation implicite de la demande. L'employeur informe le comité d'entreprise ou, en l'absence de comité d'entreprise, les délégués du personnel de la décision du préfet.
Contenu de la demande d'indemnisation au titre de l'allocation d'activité partielle

En cas de décision d'autorisation expresse ou tacite prévue ci-dessus, l'employeur peut adresser à l'Agence de services et de paiement une
demande d'indemnisation au titre de l'allocation d'activité partielle. Cette demande comporte :

• des informations relatives à l'identité de l'employeur

• la liste nominative des salariés concernés ainsi que le numérod'inscription au répertoire national d'identification des personnes
physiques ;
• les états nominatifs précisant notamment le nombre d'heures chômées par salarié.
Pour les établissements appliquant un accord d'aménagement du temps de travail sur une période supérieure à la semaine et inférieure à l'année,
l'employeur y joint, dans le cas où il ne souhaite pas un remboursement à la fin de la période, une demande de remboursement mensuel. La
demande est adressée par voie dématérialisée. Conditions exigées pour l'employeur Selon l'article R5122-8 du Code du travail, ne peuvent bénéficier de
l'allocation et de l'indemnité d'activité partielle :

• les employeurs et leurs salariés quand la réduction ou la suspension de l'activité est provoquée par un différend collectif de travail
intéressant l'établissement dans lequel ces salariés sont employés. Toutefois, dans le cas d'une fermeture de l'entreprise ou
d'un service décidée par l'employeur suite à une grève, le versement des allocations et des indemnités peut être autorisé par
décision du ministre chargé de l'emploi, si la fermeture se prolonge plus de 3 jours ;
• en cas de réduction de l'horaire de travail habituellement pratiqué dans l'établissement, les salariés dont la durée du travail est fixée par
forfait en heures ou en jours sur l'année. Toutefois, ces salariés en bénéficient en cas de fermeture totale de l'établissement ou
d'une partie de l'établissement dont ils relèvent. Durée de l'autorisation et modalités de renouvellement L'autorisation d'activité partielle peut être accordée pour une durée
maximum de 6 mois. Elle peut être renouvelée dans les conditions suivantes, prévues à l'article R5122-9 du Code du travail. Lorsque l'employeur a, préalablement à sa demande, déjà placé ses salariés en activité partielle au cours des 36 mois précédant la date de dépôt de la demande d'autorisation, celle-ci mentionne les engagements souscrits par l'employeur. Ces engagements peuvent notamment porter sur :

• le maintien dans l'emploi des salariés pendant une durée pouvant
atteindre le double de la période d'autorisation ;
• des actions spécifiques de formation pour les salariés placés en
activité partielle ;
• des actions en matière de gestion prévisionnelle des emplois et des
compétences ;
• des actions visant à rétablir la situation économique de l'entreprise.
L'autorité administrative fixe ces engagements en tenant compte de la situation de l'entreprise, d'un éventuel accord collectif sur les conditions
du recours à l'activité partielle ou, à défaut, des propositions figurant dans la demande d'autorisation ainsi que de la récurrence du recours à
l'activité partielle dans l'établissement. Les engagements sont notifiés dans la décision d'autorisation. L'autorité administrative s'assure du
respect des engagements souscrits par l'employeur. Règles de calcul de l'allocation Les heures non travaillées au titre de l'activité partielle font l'objet du
versement de l'allocation dans la limite de la durée légale ou, lorsqu'elle est inférieure, la durée collective du travail ou la durée
stipulée au contrat sur la période considérée. Au-delà de la durée légale ou, lorsqu'elle est inférieure, la durée collective du travail ou la durée stipulée au contrat sur la période en
question, les heures non travaillées au titre de l'activité partielle sont considérées comme chômées mais n'ouvrent pas droit au versement par
l'Etat à l'employeur de l'allocation d'activité partielle et au versement par l'employeur au salarié de l'indemnité d'activité partielle. La totalité des heures chômées est prise en compte pour le calcul de l'acquisition des droits à congés payés. Elle est également prise en compte pour la répartition de la participation et de l'intéressement
lorsque cette répartition est proportionnelle à la durée de présence du salarié. Lorsque cette répartition est proportionnelle au salaire, les salaires à prendre en compte sont ceux qu'aurait perçus le salarié s'il n'avait pas été placé en activité partielle. Le taux horaire de l'allocation d'activité partielle est de :
• 7,74 euros / heure chômée pour les entreprises de 1 à 250 salariés ;
• 7,23 euros / heure chômée pour les entreprises de plus de 250 salariés. Si le salarié perçoit une rémunération déterminée en pourcentage du
salaire interprofessionnel de croissance et qu'une convention collectiv ou qu'un accord de branche ou d'entreprise ne s'applique pas, le taux
horaire de l'allocation d'activité partielle est plafonné à la rémunération horaire brute du salarié.
Le salarié placé en activité partielle reçoit une indemnité horaire, versée par son employeur, correspondant à 70% de sa rémunération brute, et
100% du salaire net horaire en cas d'actions de formation pendant les heures chômées. Le nombre d'heures pouvant justifier de l'attribution de l'allocation
d'activité partielle correspond à la différence entre la durée légale du travail sur la période considérée ou, lorsqu'elle est inférieure, la durée collective du travail ou la durée stipulée au contrat, et le nombre d'heures travaillées sur ladite période. Lorsque la durée du travail du salarié est fixée par forfait en heures ou en jours sur l'année, est prise en compte la durée légale correspondant aux jours de fermeture de l'établissement. Lorsque le salarié est employé dans le cadre d'un régime L'exonération de cotisations salariales et patronales
de sécurité sociale Le dispositif s'accompagne du versement par l'employeur aux salariés placés en activité partielle, d'une indemnité correspondant à 70% due leur salaire horaire brut par heure chômée et 100% de leur salaire net horaire s'ils suivent une formation pendant les heures chômées.  L'Urssaf précise que cette indemnité n'est pas assujettie aux
cotisations salariales et patronales de Sécurité sociale (sauf Alsace-Moselle), mais se trouve assujettie à la CSG au taux 6,20% et à la CRDS au taux de 0,50%. Ces deux contributions sont calculées sur la base de 98,25% de l'indemnité versée (application d'un abattement de1,75% pour frais professionnels).Les employeurs en difficultés qui recours à l'activité partielle doiventdéclarer la CSG et la CRDS dues sur l'indemnité d'activité partielle qu'ilverse à l'aide des codes types de personnel (soit le code 279 : CSG régime général chômage, soit le code 289 : CRDS régime général chômage).Les salariés ayant de faibles revenus, peuvent bénéficier d'une
exonération de la CSG et de la CRDS ou d'un taux réduit de CSG fixé à 3,80%. Dans ce cas, c'est le code type 942 (CSG Rev. rempl.
chômage) qu'il convient de réutiliser. Dans tous les cas, les retenues de CSG et de CRDS opérées sur l'indemnité d'activité partielle ne doivent
pas avoir pour effet de réduire la rémunération à un montant inférieur au Smic brut :La hausse du SMIC au 1er janvier 2014 se limite à 1,1%, pour atteindre
près de 1.130 euros net (contre 1.121 euros en 2013), ce qui reste une faible augmentation. Cela équivaut à 9,53 euros de l'heure.

SMIC brut SMIC NET (environ*)
Horaire / 9,53 euros 7,45 euros
Pour 35 H / 1.445,38 euros 1.130 euros
39 H maj 10% 1.627,09 euros
39 H maj 25 % 1.651.87 euros
-
17.345 euro

A compter du 1er juillet 2014, plusieurs réformes impactent directement les professionnels du bâtiment et de la construction:

• Travaux de rénovation énergétique : label RGE
• Travaux pouvant affecter les réseaux et canalisations
• Professionnel spécialisé dans l'entretien des chaudières X
• Accompagnement des entreprises en difficultés
• Professionnel du désamiantage

Afin de renforcer le niveau d'exigence et de sécurité dans le secteur de la construction et la rénovation, l'Etat a prévu l'entrée en vigueur de plusieurs réformes
au 1er juillet 2014. Travaux de rénovation énergétique : label RGE L'obligation faite aux professionnels d'être "certifié RGE" en cas de travaux de rénovation énergétique pour permettre à leurs clients de bénéficier de l'éco-prêt à taux zéro, a été repoussée du 1er juillet au 1er septembre 2014, par la première loi de Finances rectificative pour 2014. Les pro bénéficient donc d'un délai supplémentaire pour obtenir le fameux label
"Reconnu garant de l'environnement", indispensable pour emporter des marchés de rénovation auprès de leur clientèle.Travaux pouvant affecter les réseaux et canalisations. Depuis le 1er juillet 2014 les particuliers, maîtres d'ouvrages et exécutants de travaux réalisés à proximité des réseaux aériens, enterrés ou subaquatiques de toutes catégories (notamment les réseaux électriques, de gaz, de communications
électroniques, d'eau potable, d'assainissement, de matières dangereuses, de chaleur, ferroviaires ou guidés) doivent utiliser les nouveaux formulaires CERFA liés à l'encadrement réglementaire de la préparation et de l'exécution des travaux effectués à proximité des réseaux. L'objectif reste de préserver l'intégrité des réseaux existants et de tracer les interventions réalisées à proximité de l'un d'entre eux.
Il suffit de se rendre sur le télé service "réseaux et canalisations » pour y avoir accès.

La présidente du Comité de suivi des retraites, Madame Yannick MOREAU, a remis aujourd'hui au Premier ministre le premier avis, annuel, du Comité, conformément à la loi du 20 janvier 2014.

Cet avis souligne notamment que « la situation et les perspectives du système de retraites ne s'éloignent pas de façon significative des objectifs définis par la loi. » Il ne formule donc pas de recommandations de redressement pour l'année en cours.

Le gouvernement se félicite de cette conclusion, qui atteste du caractère solidaire de notre système de retraites. Il démontre aussi les effets positifs et responsables à court et long termes de la réforme des retraites conduite en 2013.

Dans ce même avis, le comité estime que :

• Les taux de remplacement (rapport entre les derniers salaires et les pensions) sont conformes aux objectifs définis par la loi. Il note également que cette situation devrait se maintenir au cours des dix prochaines années.
• Le niveau de vie des retraités est en moyenne satisfaisant, et que ces derniers sont moins concernés par la pauvreté que les actifs.
• Enfin, le système de retraites demeure confronté au défi de la croissance économique.

Le Premier ministre a remercié la présidente pour la qualité et la clarté de cet avis qui joue un rôle important dans le nouveau dispositif de pilotage du système de retraite, visant à suivre à échéances plus rapprochées ses grands objectifs.

Manuel VALLS, Premier ministre, a appris avec une très grande tristesse la mort, hier, en opération, au nord du Mali, d'un sous-officier du 1er régiment étranger de génie de Laudun (Gard).

En fin d'après-midi, un détachement français engagé dans une opération de contrôle de zone au nord de Gao a été attaqué. Sept militaires ont été blessés. Grièvement atteint, l'adjudant-chef Dejvid NIKOLIC a malheureusement succombé à ses blessures dans la soirée.

Le Premier ministre présente ses sincères condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches. Il s'associe à la douleur de ses compagnons d'armes. Ses pensées vont également aux six militaires blessés auxquels il exprime tout son soutien et toute sa reconnaissance.

Manuel VALLS tient une nouvelle fois à rendre un hommage appuyé aux soldats français qui, avec courage, sont engagés au Mali pour lutter contre les groupes terroristes et assurer la stabilité et la sécurité de cette région.

Lundi 14 juillet 2014, l'Avenir Sportif de Saint-Martin organise en collaboration avec la Collectivité de Saint-Martin la 14ème édition des Foulées du 14 juillet. C'est sur un parcours de 6km dans Marigot que les runners de l'île, de la catégorie benjamins aux vétérans, s'affronteront et tenteront de décrocher les premières places, récompensées cette année encore par des médailles et des primes en espèces.
La participation sera de 5€, et les inscriptions auront lieu de 15h à 17h00 sur la place de Marigot dans le kiosque. Le départ sera donné à 17h30 et le parcours sera le suivant :

• Départ devant le kiosque Place de Marigot/Boulevard de France – Marina Fort Louis – Rond point d'Agrément – Rue de Hollande – Rue de la République – Boulevard de France – Rond Point du cimetière – Rond point de l'Office du Tourisme – Rue du Président Kennedy – Rue de Low Town – Rond Point de Bellevue – Rue de Hollande – Rue de la République - Arrivée devant le kiosque Place de Marigot /Boulevard de France.

La période estivale s'annonce chargée pour Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin, avec de nombreux rendez-vous sportifs qui commenceront dès la semaine prochaine par un délacement en France afin de participer aux championnats de France Cadets-Juniors à Valence du 18 au 20 juillet, sur le 400m. Dans la foulée, elle a été sélectionnée par la Fédération d'Athlétisme Française pour prendre part au relais 4x400m de la 15e édition des championnats du monde juniors d'athlétisme qui se dérouleront du 22 au 27 juillet 2014 à Eugene, aux États-Unis, dans le stade Hayward Field.
Autant de challenges pour la championne saint-martinoise, avant de remettre en jeu son titre de championne du 400m aux Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse à Nankin en Chine au mois d'août 2014.

Dans le cadre de lutte contre les cambriolages, la compagnie de Gendarmerie de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, associée aux Polices Territoriales des ces deux Collectivités d'Outre-Mer, renouvellent, pendant toutes les vacances scolaires estivales, la campagne « opération tranquillité vacances ».
Durant votre absence, les gendarmes et policiers territoriaux peuvent, sur demande, surveiller votre domicile ou votre commerce ou entreprise au cours de leurs patrouilles et rondes quotidiennes.
Pour bénéficier de ce service, inscrivez-vous au plus tard trois jours avant votre départ auprès d'une des trois brigades de Gendarmerie de Marigot-Concordia, Quartier d'Orléans ou Saint-Barthélémy, ainsi qu'à l'accueil du public situé à la Caserne de Gendarmerie de La Savane ou encore au poste de la Police Territoriale de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Martin situé à Marigot.
Des conseils sur la sécurisation des lieux vous seront aussi prodigués.
En cas de retour inopiné ou de modification de la date et/ou de la durée de vos congés, n'oubliez pas de prévenir.
Renseignements au :

• 0 590 52 21 90 (Accueil du public - brigade de Gendarmerie de Marigot-Concordia) ;
• 0 590 52 36 07 (Accueil du public - brigade de Gendarmerie de Quartier d'Orléans) ;
• 0 590 27 11 70 (Accueil du public - brigade de Gendarmerie de Saint-Barthélémy) ;
• 0 590 52 30 00 (Accueil du public - caserne de Gendarmerie de La Savane) ;
• 0 590 87 88 33 (Poste de la Police Territoriale de la C.O.M de St-Martin, à Marigot).

Une opération de contrôle dans le domaine de la police de la route, ciblant en particulier les chauffeurs de taxis clandestins, communément appelé "gypsy", ainsi que les conducteurs de transports urbains, était menée le jeudi 19 juin 2014 de 06h30 à 10h30 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

L'opération était réalisée par la brigade motorisée de Saint-Martin, dont l'intégralité des effectifs était engagée en différents points et carrefours de la route nationale entre Marigot et Hope Estate.

20 conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été ciblés, permettant en particulier de contrôler 03 conducteurs de taxi exerçant illégalement la profession. Ces derniers se sont vus relever les infractions d'exercice de l'activité de transporteur public routier de personnes sans inscription au registre des transporteurs (Natinf 11991), d'exécution d'un travail dissimulé (Natinf 1508) et de transport public routier de personnes sans convention avec l'autorité compétente (Natinf 21616). Sur décision de l'autorité judiciaire, ils devront s'acquitter d'une amende de composition pénale d'un montant de 1.000 euros.

En outre, l'opération a permis de relever les infractions suivantes :

• 02 infractions pour non prorogation de permis de conduire professionnel ;
• 01 infraction pour conduite sans permis (conducteur de taxis clandestin) ;
• 02 infractions pour défaut de contrôle technique ;
• 03 infractions pour usage d'un téléphone tenu en main par le conducteur d'un véhicule en circulation ;
• 03 infractions pour franchissement de ligne continue ;
• 01 infraction pour non respect de l'arrêt au stop.

C'est ce dimanche 15 juin que ce sont tenus les championnats de la Guadeloupe benjamins et minimes à Baie-Mahault, et que Lisa Coquilles de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin a obtenu le titre de championne de Guadeloupe du 2000m marche, catégorie minime en 13'12"2. Déjà championne l'an dernier sur la même distance en catégorie benjamine, c'est en grande favorite qu'elle a pris le départ de l'épreuve, distançant ses concurrentes dès les premiers tours. Un grand bravo à la championne qui après une belle performance en Guyane lors du match interligues Guadeloupe-Martinique-Guyane, confirme qu'elle reste la meilleure sur le 2000m marché.

De nombreuses personnes résidant à Saint-Martin sont victimes depuis le début de la semaine de retraits frauduleux sur leurs comptes bancaires. Une enquêtes a été ouverte par la gendarmerie de St-Martin sur cette série de faits.
Les premières investigations tendent à démontrer que ces retraits frauduleux ont été réalisés selon la technique du « skimming » : les malfaiteurs manipulent des automates ou terminaux de paiement (distributeurs de billets, terminaux de paiement dans les commerces, les stations-service, la restauration, etc...) avec un équipement technique disposé sur les automates ou à proximité, destiné à copier les données contenues sur la piste magnétique de la carte bancaire ainsi que le code.

Face à ce phénomène la gendarmerie adresse les recommandations suivantes :

• Assurez-vous que le distributeur automatique de paiement que vous utilisez n'a pas fait l'objet de modifications (clavier, lecteur de carte, écran) ;
• Masquez le clavier avec une main lorsque vous composez votre code sur le clavier du distributeur (ce code est parfois copié par le biais d'une caméra miniature disposée à proximité de l'automate) ;
• Vérifiez régulièrement vos relevés bancaires afin de déterminer si des transactions suspectes y figurent.

Dans l'éventualité d'un usage ou retrait frauduleux, les victimes sont invitées à se présenter à la brigade de gendarmerie pour signaler les faits, en se munissant si possible d'une copie d'un relevé bancaire sur lequel figure l'opération frauduleuse.
La brigade de gendarmerie de Marigot-Concordia est ouverte du lundi au vendredi de 08h00 à 18h00, le samedi de 08h à 12h et de 14h à 18h ainsi que le dimanche de 09h00 à 12h00 et de 15h00 à 18h00.
La brigade de gendarmerie de Quartier d'Orléans est ouverte le lundi et le vendredi de 08h00 à 12h00 et de 14h00 à 18h00, ou le mercredi de 14h00 à 18h00.
La brigade de gendarmerie de Saint-Barthélemy est ouverte du lundi au samedi de 08h00 à 12h00 et de 14h00 à 18h00 et le dimanche de 09h00 à 12h00 et de 15h00 à 18h00.

Le député de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin profitait, mardi matin, de la séance publique de Questions Orales Sans Débats à l'Assemblée nationale pour interroger le ministère des finances et des comptes publics sur la légitimité de l'assujettissement des Saint-Martinois à la CSG/CRDS sur leurs revenus du patrimoine.

Daniel GIBBS a ainsi fait valoir que de « nombreux contribuables Saint-Martinois mais aussi de Saint-Barthélemy ont été surpris de recevoir, il y a quelques mois - et après plusieurs années « d'oubli » - une injonction de payer de l'administration fiscale de Basse-Terre un « rattrapage » supposément dû au titre de la contribution pour le remboursement de la dette sociale, et de la contribution sociale généralisée sur leurs revenus du patrimoine ».
Le député a rappelé que les deux Collectivités d'outre-mer bénéficient de la compétence fiscale et que Saint-Martin a conclu une convention fiscale avec la France le 21 décembre 2010. « Saint-Martin est ainsi notamment compétente en matière de prélèvements, tel que le prévoit dans son II, l'article LO 6314-4 de la loi organique du 21 février 2007. Il y a donc lieu de s'interroger sur le bien-fondé de l'assujettissement des résidents fiscaux saint-martinois à la CRDS et à la CSG appliqué aux revenus du patrimoine, dont la nature n'est pas sociale - car je parle bien ici des seuls revenus du patrimoine, et non pas d'autres revenus comme les revenus salariaux - mais bel et bien fiscale ». « L'article L. 136-6 du code de la Sécurité sociale prévoit que ces deux contributions visent les personnes physiques fiscalement domiciliées en France au sens de l'article 4 B du code général des impôts » a précisé Daniel GIBBS avant de rappeler à la ministre qu'il faut cinq années au moins de résidence avant de pouvoir prétendre à la résidence fiscale saint-martinoise et payer ses impôts à Saint-Martin.
« Au regard des compétences transférées par l'État à la COM de Saint-Martin, du fait que les contributions sociales ne figurent pas au nombre des impôts cités dans la convention de double imposition du 21 décembre 2012 entre la France et Saint-Martin en raison de la nature clairement « fiscale » de ces contributions sociales sur les revenus du patrimoine, je doute, madame la ministre, du bien-fondé de l'assujettissement des Saint-Martinois à ces prélèvements et je sollicite votre éclairage sur cette question sensible pour les citoyens de Saint-Martin » a conclu le député de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin.

La secrétaire d'Etat ne répond pas à la question posée...

C'est la secrétaire d'Etat Laurence Rossignol qui s'est fait la voix de Bercy pour répondre à Daniel Gibbs : « L'assujettissement des résidents saint-martinois à ces impositions se justifie par le fait que le code de la Sécurité sociale s'applique sur le territoire de Saint-Martin.
En effet, en tant qu'ancien département d'outre-mer, certaines dispositions applicables antérieurement à la loi lui conférant son statut de collectivité d'outre-mer demeurent en
vigueur. L'assujettissement est donc certain et consiste, pour les Saint-Martinois, à contribuer au financement du régime de protection sociale dont ils bénéficient ». Pour la secrétaire d'Etat les choses sont claires, et il n'y aurait pas lieu de différencier la CRDS/CSG sur les revenus du patrimoine ou sur les revenus salariaux par exemple. « En outre, le fait que la CSG et la CRDS soient de nature fiscale n'obligeait pas leur inclusion dans la convention fiscale dès lors que les parties définissent elles-mêmes le champ de celle-ci dans le cadre de sa négociation. Enfin, le renvoi de l'article L. 136-6 du code de la Sécurité sociale à l'article 4B du code général des impôts pour la détermination de la résidence fiscale est sans incidence sur cet état de droit. Les dispositions issues de la loi organique de 2007 et les stipulations de la convention fiscale fixent en effet des règles particulières qui dérogent aux règles générales. L'article 1 de la convention fiscale de 2010 entre la France et Saint-Martin dispose expressément que la convention s'applique y compris aux personnes qui sont des résidents dans les deux parties contractantes » détaille la ministre, avant de conclure que « Cette convention étant une norme supérieure à la loi, les textes relatifs à Saint-Martin priment sur la loi ordinaire et justifient l'application de la CSG et de la CRDS ». La réponse du gouvernement n'a pas satisfait le député de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin, qui regrette « la confusion délibérément préjudiciable pour les Saint-Martinois » entretenue par Bercy sur la nature même de ces contributions. A la sortie de l'hémicycle, le député a ainsi fait savoir qu'il sensibiliserait Matignon dès cette semaine sur cette question importante pour les Saint-Martinois et les Saint-Barths.

Plusieurs opérations de lutte contre la délinquance et contre la délinquance routière étaient menées sur le territoire de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, les 05 et 06 juin 2014.

Ces opérations mobilisaient au total 14 militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés en différents points de contrôle répartis sur le territoire de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy (gare maritime / entrées et sorties de Gustavia), regroupant en particulier des effectifs de la brigade territoriale autonome de Saint-Barthélémy, de la brigade motorisée de Saint-Martin ainsi que deux équipes cynophiles de recherche de produits stupéfiants, dont celle du P.S.I.G de Saint-Martin.

Au total, l'ensemble des conducteurs et des véhicules qui ont été contrôlés au cours de ces opérations a permis de relever les infractions suivantes :

• 04 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, présentant un taux délictuel, > 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,65 - 0,62 - 0,51 - 0,51), dont deux d'entre-elles associées à des consommations de produits stupéfiants, entraînant quatre rétentions immédiates du permis de conduire et une convocation en justice des intéressés ;
• 03 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, présentant un taux contraventionnel, compris entre 0,25 et 0,39 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,39 - 0,33 - 0,26) ;
• 14 infractions pour défaut de port de la ceinture de sécurité (conducteurs et passagers de véhicules légers) ;
• 07 infractions pour défaut de port de casque (conducteurs et passagers d'engin motorisé à 2-roues) ;
• 07 infractions pour usage d'un téléphone mobile en conduisant ;
• 06 infractions pour défaut de contrôle technique ;
• 03 infractions pour pneumatiques lisses.

Lors de l'opération menée dans la soirée du 05 juin 2014 entre 20h30 et 23h30, les militaires de la brigade territoriale autonome de Saint-Barthélémy contrôlaient un conducteur de cyclomoteur en possession de 40 grammes d'herbe de cannabis ; l'intéressé a fait l'objet d'une convocation en justice.

En outre, en marge de cette même opération, les militaires procédaient à l'interpellation d'un individu activement recherché pour avoir commis le soir même un vol de deux-roues avec violence. Immédiatement placé en garde à vue, l'individu était porteur sur lui d'une importante somme d'argent en liquide et d'une petite quantité d'herbe de cannabis (30 grammes) ; les investigations et perquisitions réalisées à son domicile ou dans les différents lieux qu'il avait récemment fréquentés permettaient par ailleurs la découverte d'un pistolet automatique ainsi qu'un chargeur approvisionné de plusieurs cartouches. L'enquête relative à ces faits, confiée à la brigade territoriale autonome de Saint-Barthélémy, se poursuit.

En déplacement à Bakou en Azerbaidjan pour les "Olympics Trials", compétition de sélection pour l'Europe en vue des Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse, Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin n'a pas démérité ce dimanche 1er juin en finissant sur la plus haute marche du podium lors des finales du 400m en 53''66. Elle se qualifie ainsi pour ces 2ème Jeux qui se tiendront du 16 au 28 août 2014 à Nankin en Chine.
La veille c'est une autre athlète de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin, Lisa Coquillas qui elle aussi atteignait l'or en finissant première du 2000m marche catégorie minines en 13'11''48 lors du match interligues minimes Guadeloupe -Martinique-Guyane, remporté par la Guadeloupe au stade de Baduel en Guyane.
Des performances qui laissent présager de bons résultats pour le club lors des championnats de la Guadeloupe le 15 juin 2014 au stade de Baie-Mahault.

Lundi 26 mai 2014 Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin s'envolera vers Paris rejoindre l'équipe de France, afin de participer aux sélections pour les Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse à Bakou en Azerbaïdjan. Le vendredi 30 mai 2014 Sareena s'alignera sur les séries du 400m, et si elle se qualifie, elle prendra le départ de la finale le lendemain dimanche 1er juin. Elle sera accompagnée dans ce déplacement par son entraîneur Patrick Trival, qui a été chargé par la ligue de la Guadeloupe d'accompagner les athlètes domiens jusqu'à Paris.
Le même weekend une autre athlète de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin portera haut les couleurs du club : Lisa Coquillas championne de Guadeloupe 2013 du 2000 m marche catégorie benjamine a été retenue par la ligue de la Guadeloupe pour participer au match interligues Guadeloupe – Martinique – Guyane qui se tiendra à Cayenne le 1er Juin 2014. Une mise en jambes avant les championnats de la Guadeloupe le 15 juin 2014.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance (lutte contre les vols avec violence et les vols à main armée) était menée durant la soirée du vendredi 23 mai 2014, par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.
Réalisée conjointement par l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 47/3 de Châteauroux et le P.S.I.G de Saint-Martin, l'opération mobilisait au total 18 militaires de la gendarmerie engagés sur l'axe principal reliant Marigot au quartier de Sandy Ground. 29 personnes et 26 véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :

• 02 saisies/destruction de produits stupéfiants (joints d'herbe de cannabis) ;
• 01 défaut d'assurance ;
• 01 défaut de contrôle technique ;
• 02 immobilisations.

L'opération aura par ailleurs permis de contrôler et interpeller un individu activement recherché par les enquêteurs de la brigade de recherches de Saint-Martin en raison de sa participation à quatre vols à main armée commis en juillet et août 2013. L'individu a été immédiatement placé en garde à vue dans les locaux de la B.R.

La démocratie est une belle chose, et toute élection est une occasion d'exprimer son choix mais c'est aussi une opportunité de faire entendre sa voix.
Le samedi 24 Mai est la date des élections européennes. Notre vote doit donc être orienté prioritairement (voir exclusivement) en faveur des intérêts propres de St-Martin dans ses relations avec l'Europe.
A ce jour, notre territoire demeure une Région Ultrapériphérique (RUP) de l'Europe, même si elle est absolument atypique, et même si les autorités françaises continuent à vouloir nous maintenir dans le giron de la RUP Guadeloupe.
Nous sommes une RUP absolument atypique, et cela :

• pas simplement parce que nous sommes la seule à partager une île avec un Pays et Territoire d'Outre-Mer (PTOM ; Sint-Maarten) avec en outre une frontière symbolique et fictive,
• pas simplement parce que nous sommes la seule à ne pas faire partie du territoire douanier Européen,
• pas simplement non plus, parce que nous sommes le territoire européen le plus à l'ouest dans l'atlantique,
• pas simplement aussi, parce que nous sommes la seule à avoir une économie pluri monétaire : (Euro et Dollar à la fois),
• etc ....

mais plutôt parce que :
- nous sommes la seule de toutes les RUP de l'Europe à qui son pays d'attache (la France) dénie le droit légitime à bénéficier d'un Programme Opérationnel (PO) propre et spécifique 2014-2020 doté d'un niveau de fonds correspondant à l'importance des handicaps et du retard structurel à rattraper en fonction des critères européens,
- nous demeurons la seule pour qui son pays d'attache (la France) refuse d'entamer des démarches pour qu'elle obtienne un code NUTS-2 propre, (pour rappel le code NUTS (nomenclature des unités territoriales statistiques) est un découpage territorial destiné à faciliter les comparaisons et les évaluations entre territoires; ce code permet aussi d'apprécier le volume de fonds européens dont chaque territoire pourrait prétendre).
Le refus de la France d'accorder à St-Martin son propre Programme Opérationnel 2014-2020 dans les règles de l'art est totalement injustifié et injustifiable. Il en est de même quant au refus, depuis notre passage en collectivité autonome en 2007, de demander un code NUTS pour St-Martin, et ce d'autant plus que d'autres Etats Européens l'ont fait pour leurs dépendances beaucoup plus petites que nous (l'Espagne pour les enclaves de Ceuta et Melila ; la Finlande pour l'archipel d'Aland).
Alors que notre territoire se trouve être lourdement pénalisé par l'application d'une règlementation et de nombreuses normes européennes, une volonté politique de la France à faire valoir au niveau des instances européennes notre réalité, nos «us et coutumes », nos particularismes et les lourds handicaps que crée et que créerait l'application aveugle de toute la réglementation, aurait permis d'obtenir les adaptations et aménagements nécessaires.
Il est manifeste donc que, vis-à-vis de l'Europe, nos difficultés et notre déficit de soutien financier à la hauteur de ce dont nous pourrions légitimement prétendre n'ont d'autres causes que la négligence et le sacrifice de St-Martin par la France au profit d'autres RUP françaises ayant plus de pouvoir de lobbying et représentant plus de poids politique et électoral. La France comme dans de si nombreux domaines continue de sacrifier St-Martin dans ses droits et opportunités vis-à-vis de l'Europe.
Nous devons donc poursuivre notre bataille pour que l'Europe entende plus et mieux notre voix.
Compte tenu de cette réalité, les élections européennes du 24 Mai sont une des rares opportunités pour St-Martin d'attirer l'attention des institutions européennes, de faire entendre sa voix et de faire valoir ses intérêts propres. Pour cela il est indispensable de changer de logiciel politique en sortant complètement du jeu politique classique franco-français et en se libérant des chaines liées aux appartenances et affiliations aux partis politiques nationaux (PS, UMP, FN, etc...). St-Martin n'a rien gagné dans le passé et n'aura rien à gagner encore à faire du suivisme en acceptant de n'être qu'un simple un territoire d'appoint de votes.
Conscient que ce genre d'élection ne mobilise pas l'électorat et n'intéresse que très peu de personnes ici, la reconnaissance officielle désormais du vote blanc comme acte civique et expression politique tant en France qu'en Europe, représente un moyen pour St-Martin de se singulariser et d'attirer l'attention sur ses problématiques. Le vote blanc peut donc être un moyen de sonner l'alarme.
Il serait donc judicieux que les électeurs de St-Martin qui décideront d'aller aux urnes ce samedi 24 Mai utilisent ce nouvel outil d'expression qu'est le VOTE BLANC. Pour utiliser effectivement cet outil d'expression civique mais à forte portée politique il vous suffit de déposer dans l'urne soit une enveloppe vide soit une enveloppe dans laquelle vous auriez au préalable glissé un bulletin blanc (un papier blanc).
Pour notre territoire le statut de RUP ne peut qu'être transitoire, car nos intérêts propres et un développement pérenne (fondé sur l'attractivité et la compétitivité de notre territoire) ne sont pas sécurisés en restant RUP. Mais, en attendant ce changement, œuvrons au mieux en faisant entendre la voix de St-Martin, par le VOTE BLANC.

Alain Richardson
Ancien Président de la Collectivité

Ce samedi 24 mai, les électeurs de Saint-Martin sont appelés aux urnes pour élire leur représentant au Parlement européen. Je sais combien – plus encore que les Français de l'Hexagone – nous pouvons nous sentir loin de Bruxelles.
Mais Saint-Martinois, nous sommes Français, nous sommes Européens.
Se poser la question légitime du devenir européen de Saint-Martin, souffrir des normes qui handicapent le développement économique de notre territoire, se sentir léser de ne pouvoir bénéficier de notre propre P.O... ne légitiment pas l'abstention.
L'appel au « vote blanc » d'ex-leaders politiques est aussi dangereux qu'irresponsable, en plus d'être sans effet sur le plan politique. Dois-je leur rappeler que les votes blancs - s'ils sont aujourd'hui comptabilisés en dehors des votes nuls - ne sont toujours pas pris en compte dans les suffrages exprimés ? Qu'ils ne restent ainsi qu'une simple indication, comme peut l'être le chiffre de l'abstention, sans conséquence sur le résultat du vote ?
Il serait trop facile de vouloir, encore une fois, mettre au compte de l'Europe ou de l'Etat, le solde de tous nos maux : NOUS sommes les principaux responsables de notre situation et c'est de NOUS que viendra le salut de Saint-Martin. Qu'obtiendront les Saint-Martinois – alors même que l'avenir de l'île a été hypothéqué le 12 décembre 2012 par ceux-là même qui voudraient jouer les « résistants » de pacotilles en bloquant les urnes aujourd'hui ! – en boycottant de la sorte ces élections ? Rien. Cette (im) posture donnerait simplement, une fois de plus, de Saint-Martin l'image d'un territoire qui renonce.
Au moment où la montée des populismes d'extrême-droite n'a jamais été aussi forte, je refuse d'être de ceux qui renoncent et j'appelle au contraire à une forte mobilisation dans les urnes ce samedi, en faveur de Laurent BERNIER, candidat UMP pour notre section Atlantique.
Il faut une nécessaire réorientation de la politique européenne et il faut à Saint-Martin un représentant digne de ce nom qui sache la réalité de notre territoire, ses enjeux et ses difficultés, ses particularismes et les préoccupations de ses concitoyens.
Samedi, tous aux urnes citoyens !

Daniel GIBBS
Député de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin

C'est le samedi 17 mai 2014 que s'est tenue la 13ème édition du Meeting des Jeunes de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin au stade Albéric Richards. La matinée avait commencé par les épreuves du Kids Athlé, dont le concept, labellisé par l'IAAF consiste à apporter aux enfants le plaisir de « jouer à l'athlétisme ». Les épreuves, sous forme d'atelier avaient pour objectif de permettre aux enfants de découvrir les activités courses, sauts, et lancers. Six équipes se sont affrontées, et c'est l'équipe Hillside Christian School de Sint Maarten qui a remporté l'épreuve.
Dans l'après-midi, les plus âgés sont rentrés en piste. Plusieurs équipes et officiels avaient répondu présents à l'appel de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin : Speedy Plus, le Dynamics et LAB Sports de Sint-Maarten, le Gosier Athletic Club et Monster de la Guadeloupe, l'Eclipse de la Martinique, le Diamonds d'Anguille et une équipe de Tortola.
Les épreuves ont démarré à 14h30 sous un soleil de plomb, et il faut retenir entre autres pour l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin les victoires de Sareena Carti sur le 200m -18 ans en 24'', de Teejay Jasaron sur le 100m catégorie minimes en 11''83, et d'Adélio Brooks sur le 1000m minines en 3'04''02. Le Dynamics Club a souvent été sur la première marche du podium avec entre autres, la victoire de Rogers Jervon au 50m poussins, et de Pink Shakeba au 1000 minimes filles. Les licenciés du Gosier Academic Club se sont fait remarquer avec la victoire de Coman Nicolas au 200m hommes -18 ans et e Bourguignon Kaëlle au 100m minimes filles.
Le club donne déjà rendez-vous aux athlètes et au public pour la 14ème édition, et tient à remercier tous les sponsors sans qui cette manifestation n'aurait pas eu lieu : le Crédit Mutuel, Digicel, Getelec, la SEMSAMAR, les Liaisons Dangereuses, Rapido Print, le CUCS, l'Hotel Mercure, le Pélican, Le Service des Sports, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin, le CTOS, le St Martin's Week, Youth Radio, Radio Saint Martin, le CNDS.

MM. Dominique Lefebvre, député et François Auvigne, Inspecteur général des finances, ont remis le 13 mai 2014 au Premier ministre, Manuel Valls le rapport du groupe de travail sur la fiscalité des ménages qu'ils co-présidaient.

Le rapport analyse la progressivité d'ensemble de l'imposition des revenus, les instruments de soutien au pouvoir d'achat et d'incitation à l'activité des travailleurs modestes et les modalités de modernisation du recouvrement de l'impôt.

Le Premier ministre a salué la grande qualité du travail réalisé. Notant que ces travaux pouvaient contribuer à la meilleure connaissance du système socio-fiscal français, il a décidé de rendre public ce rapport ainsi que l'ensemble des annexes reprenant l'ensemble des dossiers documentaires qui ont alimenté les travaux du groupe.

En présentant les conclusions de leur travail, MM. Lefebvre et Auvigne ont, en particulier, souligné le consensus apparu au sein du groupe de travail sur la nécessité, d'une part, de réformer les modalités d'entrée dans l'impôt sur le revenu et, d'autre part, de corriger les conséquences pouvant en résulter sur d'autres impôts et en matière de prestations.

Dans la ligne du Pacte de responsabilité et de solidarité, le Premier ministre a confirmé la détermination du Gouvernement à rendre le système fiscal français plus lisible, dans le cadre général d'une baisse des prélèvements sur les ménages modestes. Il a notamment souligné que le Gouvernement avait décidé de mettre en œuvre, en 2015, l'allégement de cotisations salariales proposé par le rapport pour assurer un soutien simple et efficace au pouvoir d'achat des salariés modestes et inciter à l'activité.

Pour télécharger le rapport cliquez sur le lien suivant :

http://www.gouvernement.fr/premier-ministre/rapport-sur-la-fiscalite-des-menages

C'est avec une profonde tristesse que Manuel VALLS, Premier ministre, a appris le décès tragique de Stéphane ALAIZE.
C'était un homme de caractère, passionné par l'engagement politique. Déjà très jeune, il s'était impliqué auprès de son père Jean-Marie ALAIZE, alors député de l'Ardèche. Cet engagement, il l'a prolongé comme élu.

Maire d'Aubenas, conseiller général, et à son tour député, Stéphane ALAIZE était profondément attaché à son territoire ardéchois, qu'il a défendu avec beaucoup de convictions. Professeur de Lettres, il a toujours eu à cœur de servir la République.

Manuel VALLS adresse à sa femme, à ses enfants et à ses proches ses plus sincères condoléances.

Le Premier ministre, Manuel Valls, a appris avec une grande émotion la mort en opération, la nuit dernière au Mali, d'un sous-officier du 2e régiment étranger de parachutistes de Calvi.

Lors d'une opération dans le Nord-Est du Mali, un véhicule de la force Serval a sauté sur un engin explosif. Grièvement touché, le sergent Marcel Kalafut a succombé à ses blessures ; deux autres militaires ont également été blessés.

Le Premier ministre présente ses plus sincères condoléances à la famille du sous-officier tué et à ses proches. Il s'associe à leur peine ainsi qu'à celle de ses frères d'armes. Ses pensées vont aussi à ses deux compagnons blessés ; il leur exprime tout son soutien et leur adresse ses vœux de prompt rétablissement.

Dans ces circonstances tragiques, le Premier ministre tient à rendre hommage au professionnalisme, à la détermination et au courage de nos militaires engagés au Mali pour lutter contre les groupes armés terroristes.

C'est le samedi 3 mai que s'est tenu le 3ème meeting International de Saint Martin organisé sur le stade côté hollandais par Speedy Plus.
A cette occasion une quinzaine d'athlètes du club Avenir Sportif Club étaient engagés sur les différentes épreuves de la journée, et ils n'ont pas démérité.
Le matin, les moins de 8 ans obtenaient la médaille de bronze lors des épreuves du Kid Athlé.
Dans l'après-midi, les plus âgés se sont distingués avec la première place pour Teejay JASARON au 100m catégorie minime en 12"76. Anthony SEGUIN et Adelio BROOKS terminaient respectivement 2ème et 3ème sur le 1 000 m catégorie minime en 3'01"07 et 3'03"81.
A noter aussi la 3ème place de GUICHET Jérémy sur le 1 000m catégorie poussin et la médaille de bronze pour TAILLEPIERRE Jessy au saut en longueur catégorie Poussin.
Des résultats prometteurs pour le club Avenir Sportif Club qui organise le 17 mai son meeting au stade Albéric Richards de Sandy Ground, et dont plusieurs athlètes seront engagés aux championnats de la Guadeloupe.

PEMBROKE PINES, FL:--- The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) is proud to announce its selection of the Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa as the official hotel for the 2014 Conference & Trade Show, taking place in St. Maarten from October 6-10.

Nestled in a lush hillside and facing Dawn Beach, the Westin will host the Conference & Trade Show's events while providing attendees with beautiful views, beach access and numerous amenities to help balance business and pleasure, such as complimentary high speed Internet access, a business center, a fitness center, spa facilities, a casino and more.

"We are proud to partner with St. Maarten's top hotel," told Michele Paige, FCCA president. "The Westin's comfort, convenience and amenities will help attendees have a productive and enjoyable trip, leading to a successful event for all."

Attendees are urged to reserve rooms as quickly as possible due to the property's limited availability. Bookings with the event's special rates are available directly online (http://goo.gl/2LUAWo), telephone(1-800-937-8461, SET#432544 for property 1770) or by contacting Matt Karam (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The FCCA Conference & Trade Show-the largest cruise conference in the Caribbean-will gather over 1,000 stakeholders from all sectors the cruise tourism industry, along with over 100 FCCA Member Line cruise executives, presidents and CEOs. Attendees will have access to these key decision makers during a four-day series of business sessions and networking opportunities, including one-on-one meetings, workshops and social functions.

To register for and/or learn more about the Conference & Trade Show, please visit https://www.regonline.com/fccastmaarten.

FCCA Press Release

Le mardi 29 avril 2014, une opération de contrôle était conjointement mise en oeuvre par la gendarmerie nationale et la police territoriale, aux divers accès du lycée des îles du Nord et du collège du Mont des Accords, dans le quartier de Concordia.
8 peignes "afro", un ciseau pointu, un tournevis et un couteau multifonctions; objets interdits par les règlements intérieurs des établissements scolaires de St Martin, ont été confisqués et remis aux directions d'établissements. Cette action, ayant pour objet de prévenir les comportements violents, a été réalisée dans le cadre des directives et réquisitions transmises par les autorités administratives et judiciaires de St Martin.
S'inscrivant dans le cadre du plan de lutte contre la délinquance établi par M. le Préfet délégué de St Barthélemy et de St Martin, ce contrôle fait par ailleurs partie des diverses mesures mises en oeuvre par les services de l'État et de la collectivité de St Martin afin de renforcer la sécurité du « Fish Day », le 4 mai prochain.

Manuel VALLS, Premier ministre, a engagé aujourd'hui, en présence de Marylise Lebranchu, ministre de la Décentralisation, de la Réforme de l'État et de la Fonction publique, et André Vallini, secrétaire d'Etat à la Réforme territoriale, une série de rencontres avec les associations d'élus sur la réforme de l'organisation territoriale annoncée lors de sa déclaration de politique générale du 8 avril dernier. Il a reçu ce jour des délégations de l'Assemblée des départements de France (ADF) et de l'Association des régions de France (ARF) et recevra dans les prochains jours les associations représentant les villes et les intercommunalités.

Le Premier ministre leur a rappelé le cadre de cette réforme nécessaire pour la France : regroupements de régions, engagement d'un débat sur l'avenir des conseils départementaux dans la perspective de leur suppression, nouvelle carte des intercommunalités. Il a ainsi rappelé que « nos institutions doivent pouvoir évoluer pour s'adapter à la diversité des territoires et des besoins des populations ».

A l'issue de ces premiers échanges, le Premier ministre a proposé la mise en place immédiate d'un groupe de travail sur l'évolution de la carte des conseils régionaux et départementaux et l'organisation territoriale de l'Etat associant les principales associations d'élus, des représentants du Sénat et de l'Assemblée nationale et le Gouvernement.

Le Premier ministre, entouré de Marisol TOURAINE, ministre des Affaires sociales et de la Santé, François REBSAMEN, ministre du Travail, de l'Emploi et du Dialogue social, Marylise LEBRANCHU, ministre de la Décentralisation, de la Réforme de l'Etat et de la Fonction publique et Stéphane LE FOLL, ministre de l'Agriculture, de l'Agro-alimentaire et de la Forêt a poursuivi, aujourd'hui, ses rencontres avec les organisations syndicales (UNSA, FSU et Solidaires) et les organisations patronales (FNSEA, UNAPL et UDES).

Ces entretiens ont permis de poursuivre les discussions autour de la mise en œuvre du pacte de responsabilité et de solidarité.

Le Premier ministre a rappelé la nécessaire mobilisation de l'ensemble des partenaires sociaux et des pouvoirs publics pour qu'à tous les niveaux, dans les entreprises, les branches et les territoires, s'engage une dynamique de dialogue et de négociation pour soutenir les entreprises, renforcer notre économie et créer de l'emploi. Les échanges, marqués par un esprit de responsabilité et de gravité au regard des efforts qui sont demandés aux français, ont également permis d'engager la préparation de la prochaine Grande conférence sociale, qui se tiendra à l'été.

C'est cette semaine que Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin s'envolera avec la Ligue de la Guadeloupe pour sa 4ème participation aux Carifta Games qui se déroulent en Martinique du 18 au 21 avril 2014. Elle s'alignera sur le 400m, sa distance fétiche, dont elle détient le record de France catégorie cadette, et le titre de championne de France 2013 et 2014. Elle prendra aussi le départ du 4x100m et du 4x400m. Lors de ses participations précédentes aux Carifta Games, Sareena avait obtenu le bronze et une 4ème place. Cette année encore, elle rivalisera avec les meilleures athlètes de la Caraïbe, et vise l'or.

C'est avec une profonde tristesse que Manuel VALLS a appris le décès de Dominique BAUDIS.
Journaliste de terrain, grand reporter, Dominique BAUDIS a couvert au début de sa carrière l'actualité du Proche-Orient, avant d'être dans les années 80, en tant que présentateur du journal télévisé, notamment sur le service public, un visage et une voix appréciés des Français.
Sa connaissance fine du monde des médias l'a conduit à la tête du Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel. Le lancement de la Télévision numérique terrestre a alors été son principal cheval de bataille.
Président de l'Institut du Monde Arabe en 2007, Dominique BAUDIS a toujours conservé pour cette région du monde un regard d'expert et de passionné. Homme de lettres, il y a consacré plusieurs de ses ouvrages.
Dominique BAUDIS s'est également impliqué très jeune dans la vie politique. Maire de Toulouse, ville si chère à son coeur, il s'est aussi investi dans les mandats locaux, en Haute-Garonne et Midi-Pyrénées. Elu et réélu député, européen convaincu, Dominique BAUDIS a également siégé à Bruxelles.
Le 22 juin 2011, Dominique BAUDIS avait démissionné de tous ses mandats pour occuper la fonction nouvellement créée de Défenseur des droits. Très attaché à la laïcité, à l'accès de tous à la justice, il a su faire de cette institution un outil au service de ceux qui souffrent.
Combattant de toutes les discriminations, intègre et courageux, Dominique BAUDIS était un homme de dialogue, ce qui ne l'empêchait pas d'avoir des convictions.
La France perd une voix qui comptait, un défenseur engagé au service de la République. Manuel VALLS tient à adresser à sa femme, à ses enfants et à ses proches ses sincères condoléances.

Le lundi 31 mars 2014, entre 21 heures 15 et 23 heures 00, une opération de lutte contre la délinquance était menée par la Gendarmerie au travers de la mise en place de plusieurs postes de contrôle sur l'axe routier entre Marigot et le quartier de Sandy-Ground.
Au total, 29 véhicules et 35 personnes faisaient l'objet d'un contrôle sur ce dispositif ayant mobilisé 17 militaires de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 12/5 de Sathonay-Camp et du P.S.I.G de Saint-Martin.
Les infractions suivantes étaient relevées :

• 02 saisies de produits stupéfiants (5 grammes et 1,5 grammes d'herbe de cannabis) ;
• 01 refus d'obtempérer ayant nécessité un usage de herse (conducteur en défaut de permis de conduire et détenteur de produits stupéfiants) ;
• 01 défaut de permis de conduire ;
• 01 défaut d'assurance (deux-roues) ;
• 02 immobilisations (dont un deux-roues, retiré de la circulation).

Le Premier ministre, Jean-Marc Ayrault, a appris avec une grande tristesse le décès, hier soir, de Michel Dinet, président du Conseil général de Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Engagé dans la vie politique depuis plus de quarante ans, Michel Dinet était un élu apprécié et reconnu pour ses positions humanistes et son combat pour la justice sociale, tant au niveau local qu'au niveau national. En tant que premier vice-président de l'Assemblée des départements de France et président de l'Observatoire national de l'action sociale décentralisée, il s'était résolument engagé en faveur d'une plus grande solidarité entre les territoires.

Proche des gens, en permanence à leur écoute, Michel Dinet faisait partie de ces élus dont la chaleur humaine qu'il mettait dans son engagement était d'abord le signe de sa volonté de servir les autres et l'intérêt général.

A sa famille, à ses proches et à ses amis, le Premier ministre adresse ses plus sincères condoléances.

Le samedi 29 mars 2014, de 20 heures 30 à 23 heures 30, une opération de lutte contre la délinquance était menée par la Gendarmerie sur le territoire de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Martin. Plusieurs postes de contrôle étaient mis en place, dans le quartier de Grand Case dans un premier temps, puis sur l'axe routier entre Marigot et le quartier de Sandy-Ground dans un deuxième temps.
Au total, 29 véhicules et 35 personnes ont été contrôlés sur ce dispositif, qui a mobilisé 21 militaires de la Gendarmerie (escadron de gendarmerie mobile 12/5 de Sathonay-Camp, communauté de brigades et P.S.I.G de Saint-Martin).
Les infractions suivantes ont été relevées :

• 02 saisies de stupéfiants (35 grammes de cannabis pour la première, 1 gramme de cocaïne et
  5 grammes de cannabis pour la seconde) ;
• 01 refus d'obtempérer ayant nécessité l'usage de la herse ;
• 02 défauts permis de conduire ;
• 01 non présentation d'assurance ;
• 01 immobilisation de véhicule.

Cette opération de contrôle menée par la Gendarmerie, au delà du volet répressif, visait avant tout, dans une logique de prévention, à dissuader la commission de vols avec violence, notamment ceux commis sous la menace d'une arme. En effet, en raison de la recrudescence observée depuis le début de l'année 2014 de ce type de faits, la Gendarmerie, sous l'impulsion de Monsieur le Préfet délégué auprès de la représentante de l'État dans les Collectivités d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy et de Saint-Martin, et aux côtés de ses partenaires en matière de sécurité publique (Police aux Frontière et Police Territoriale), poursuit sa démarche d'appropriation territoriale et d'occupation du terrain.

Le vendredi 28 mars 2014, la compagnie de gendarmerie de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy a fait procéder à la destruction de 31 deux-roues motorisés non conformes, appelés localement ''squelettes'', et pour lesquels une procédure de retrait de la circulation et de mise en fourrière avait été initiée.

Le Premier Ministre, Jean-Marc Ayrault, a appris avec tristesse le décès de Jean-Claude Colliard, un des grands constitutionnalistes français.

Après l'agrégation de droit et de science politique, il entame une brillante carrière universitaire, d'abord à Nantes dont il devient très jeune le doyen de la faculté de droit puis à l'Université de Paris-I dont il est le président de 2009 à 2012, puis, jusqu'à ces derniers jours, à la tête du PRES Hautes Etudes-Sorbonne-Arts et Métiers.

Cette carrière universitaire accomplie s'accompagne d'engagements politiques et citoyens forts qui lui valent des responsabilités de très haut niveau : directeur de cabinet du Président de la République François Mitterrand puis du Président de l'Assemblée Nationale Laurent Fabius, membre du Conseil Constitutionnel de 1998 à 2007.

Le Premier Ministre Jean-Marc Ayrault tient à saluer avec émotion, respect et amitié cette grande figure universitaire qui a su mettre ses grandes compétences, notamment dans le domaine du droit constitutionnel, au service de la vie publique. »

Le Premier ministre a signé deux décisions engageant la participation du programme d'investissements d'avenir (PIA), à hauteur de 21M€, dans deux projets significatifs pour la valorisation et la connaissance du milieu marin, tout particulièrement importants pour la Bretagne, réunissant au total près de 40M€ de financements publics et privés.

Sur proposition de Louis Gallois, commissaire général à l'investissement, le Premier ministre mobilise 13M€ pour moderniser le navire océanographique français Marion Dufresne opéré par l'Institut français Paul Emile Victor situé à Brest, et l'équiper notamment des dernières technologies de carottage pour qu'il préserve son leadership scientifique au niveau mondial. Il s'agit d'un des seuls navires au monde capables d'effectuer des campagnes pluridisciplinaires en mer à très grandeur profondeur. Son laboratoire à bord de très haute technologie permet de traiter en temps réel les données recueillies, qui servent à améliorer sans cesse notre connaissance des écosystèmes marins, du climat, des ressources du sous-sol, ou des risques naturels.

Le Premier ministre a par ailleurs décidé l'engagement de 8M€ issus du programme d'investissements d'avenir pour accompagner le développement d'une solution de raccordement électrique pour hydroliennes situées en mer, qui constitue une partie critique du bon fonctionnement de l'installation. La France s'est engagée dans un vaste plan de développement des énergies marines renouvelables, notamment avec des premières fermes-pilotes hydroliennes au large des côtes normandes et bretonnes : ce projet instruit par l'ADEME vise à assurer une maîtrise complète en France de l'ensemble de la chaîne de valeur de l'électricité produite par hydrolienne.

Grâce à l'action du Commissariat général à l'investissement et aux dix établissements publics de l'Etat chargés de l'instruction des projets, le programme d'investissements d'avenir poursuit l'engagement de ses fonds en garantissant un processus rigoureux de sélection de projets au service de la montée en gamme des territoires et des entreprises françaises, et donc de la croissance et de l'emploi.

Le Premier ministre a réuni ce matin, avec Geneviève Fioraso, Fleur Pellerin et Arnaud Montebourg, les vingt membres de la Commission « Innovation 2030 » présidée par Anne Lauvergeon pour dévoiler les 58 premiers projets qu'elle a proposée de retenir dans le cadre du Concours mondial d'innovation.

Lancé en présence du Président de la République le 2 décembre dernier, ce concours entend permettre à des entrepreneurs de transformer leur idée en réalité en accompagnant dans la durée chaque étape de leur développement : la maturation du projet, la phase de levée des risques, l'industrialisation pour mise sur le marché. A chaque étape, une sélection des meilleures projets sera réalisée, et le financement de l'Etat pourra être intensifié jusqu'à 10 fois par rapport à l'étape précédente. 300 M€ ont été réservés à cet effet sur le Programme d'investissements d'avenir, à travers Bpifrance, pour accompagner les projets lauréats.

Anne Lauvergeon a rappelé les sept thématiques dans lesquelles doivent s'inscrire ces projets : le stockage de l'énergie ; le recyclage des métaux rares ; la valorisation des richesses marines ; les protéines végétales et la chimie du végétal ; la médecine individualisée ; la silver économie ou l'innovation au service de la longévité ; la valorisation des données massives (Big Data). Ce sont autant de domaines d'activité correspondant à des attentes sociétales fortes et offrant des opportunités majeures pour l'économie française dans la prochaine décennie.

Le mode opératoire retenu par la Commission est innovant, simple, accessible, dématérialisé et ouvert à tous, y compris aux entrepreneurs internationaux dès lors qu'ils veulent s'implanter en France. Dans cette première vague de sélection, 626 projets avaient été présentés, 134 ont été auditionnés et 58 ont été retenus. Chacun d'eux bénéficiera d'un financement de l'Etat pouvant atteindre 200 000€. Une seconde vague de sélection est ouverte et la date limite de dépôt des dossiers a été portée au 15 mai 2014 pour permettre au plus grand nombre de participer (www.innovation2030.org).

Jean-Marc Ayrault a indiqué : « Créer son entreprise est un processus qui peut être long, soumis à des aléas, supposant une prise de risque importante, mais j'ai souhaité que l'Etat puisse être le partenaire durable de ces inventeurs, stimuler leur énergie créatrice et leur donner la chance de faire aboutir leur projet. »

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, a appris avec une profonde tristesse, ce 17 mars, le décès de Marc Blondel.

Militant syndicaliste depuis 1958, Marc Blondel a exercé les responsabilités de secrétaire général de la CGT-Force Ouvrière de 1989 à 2004.

Grande figure du monde syndical et social français, Marc Blondel a incarné pendant quinze ans la parole de son organisation.

Militant de la laïcité, Marc Blondel a porté de nombreux combats et restera une personnalité marquante de la vie sociale française.

Le Premier ministre a pu, à de très nombreuses reprises, et encore récemment, échanger avec cet homme chaleureux sur l'actualité et constater son attachement constant à défendre ses convictions progressistes et à la défense des droits du monde ouvrier.

A sa famille, à ses proches, aux militants de son organisation, Jean-Marc Ayrault adresse ses plus sincères condoléances.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses plus vives félicitations à Cécile Hernandez-Cervellon pour sa remarquable médaille d'argent à l'épreuve de snowboard cross à Sotchi.

La médaille de Cécile Hernandez-Cervellon représente une belle reconnaissance de son travail depuis sa dernière Coupe du monde. Elle consacre également la qualité de son encadrement technique.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses vœux de succès à l'ensemble des membres de l'équipe de France pour la suite des épreuves des Jeux paralympiques.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses vives félicitations à Vincent Gauthier-Manuel pour sa remarquable médaille d'argent à l'épreuve de slalom en catégorie debout à Sotchi.

Porte-drapeau de la délégation française, Vincent Gauthier-Manuel offre un beau témoignage de courage et de ténacité à notre pays et au sport français. Cette médaille d'argent est aussi une marque de reconnaissance à l'adresse de ses entraîneurs et proches qui le soutiennent.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre forme des vœux de réussite à l'équipe de France pour les prochaines épreuves.

Le mercredi 12 mars 2014 de 20 heures 30 à 23 heures 30, une opération de lutte contre la délinquance est menée sur la collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Martin. Plusieurs postes de contrôles sont mis en place sur les axes menant à Marigot, Sandy-Ground et Baie Nettlé.

Au total, 46 véhicules et 52 personnes sont contrôlés sur ce dispositif qui a mobilisé 23 militaires (EGM 12/5 Sathonay, Compagnie, COB et PSIG de Saint-Martin, le Groupement Tactique Gendarmerie ainsi que 4 fonctionnaires de la PAF de Saint-Martin).

Les infractions suivantes sont relevées :

• Infraction à la législation sur les stupéfiants (1) - détention graines de cannabis 2,5 grammes,
• Défaut de permis de conduire (3),
• Défaut d'assurance ou non présentation assurance (9),
• Défaut de contrôle technique (1),
• Défaut de mutation de carte grise (1),
• Faux et usage de faux (1) - acte de vente d'un véhicule falsifié,
• Refus obtempérer (1),
• Infraction à la législation sur les étrangers (1) – Procédure Police Aux Frontières.

En outre, il est procédé à 10 immobilisations ainsi qu'à la saisie de 2 deux-roues.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses plus vives félicitations à Solène Jambaqué pour sa remarquable médaille d'argent à l'épreuve de Super-G Féminin catégorie debout.

En participant à la réussite du parcours olympique de l'équipe de France paralympique, Solène Jambaqué délivre un message d'espoir et de persévérance au mouvement sportif français et à la nation.

Jean-Marc Ayrault adresse ses vœux de belle continuation à l'ensemble des membres de l'équipe de France paralympique.

Le Premier ministre a appris avec une grande tristesse le décès, ce matin, de Maurice Faure.

Militant de toujours de la cause européenne et ministre de la Quatrième République, il participa à la signature du Traité de Rome en 1957. L'Europe perd avec lui le dernier survivant de ses pères fondateurs.

Parlementaire du Lot pendant près de 40 ans, Garde des Sceaux puis ministre d'Etat de François Mitterrand, membre du Constitutionnel, il laisse à tous le souvenir d'un républicain humaniste et généreux, reconnu pour sa grande culture, son talent d'orateur et la sincérité de son engagement en faveur des valeurs de laïcité et de progrès.

A sa famille et à ses proches, Jean-Marc Ayrault adresse ses plus sincères condoléances.

En réponse à la lettre de saisine du Premier ministre du 19 décembre 2013, Mireille Elbaum, présidente du Haut conseil du financement de la protection sociale sur l'évolution du financement de protection sociale (HCFIPS), a remis au Premier ministre le 5 mars 2014 un point d'étape sur l'évolution du financement de protection sociale.

Conformément à la demande exprimée, le HCFIPS a travaillé à l'identification des différentes voies permettant une meilleure adéquation entre les logiques et le mode de financement des différents risques de protection sociale, ainsi qu'aux modalités de réduction des prélèvements sociaux pesant sur le coût et les revenus du travail.

La note d'étape résume les premières réflexions menées au sein du HCFIPS. Elle est accompagnée de la contribution des membres qui ont souhaité afficher une position ou une préférence sur les schémas envisageables d'évolution du financement.

La note contient également sept fiches d'éclairages sur les questions soulevées par la réforme du financement de la protection sociale.

Le Premier ministre souligne la très grande qualité de ce travail, effectué dans des délais très courts. La diversité des scenarii présentés dans la note et les éclairages sur les contraintes économiques, sociales, techniques et juridiques sont des points de repères précieux pour la réflexion et la décision.

La note d'étape nourrira la démarche engagée par le Président de la République et le gouvernement de préparation du Pacte de Responsabilité et du chantier de remise à plat de la fiscalité.

Le Haut conseil du financement de la protection sociale reprendra ses séances au mois d'avril 2014, en approfondissant certains aspects abordés dans la note d'étape.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, a présidé le Comité interministériel de la jeunesse ce mardi 4 mars 2014, en présence de 18 ministres et 9 autres représentés.

Le Premier ministre a souhaité ainsi souligner à nouveau le caractère prioritaire de la jeunesse dans la politique du Gouvernement.

Ce Comité interministériel a pris connaissance du premier « État annuel de la jeunesse » dont le principe avait été retenu au CIJ 2013. Ce tableau rassemble notamment nombre d'indicateurs sociaux, économiques et culturels visant à mesurer l'efficacité des engagements gouvernementaux au regard de l'objectif que la jeunesse française vive mieux en 2017 qu'en 2012. Ce document a été élaboré par l'INJEP et a fait l'objet d'un travail de concertation approfondi avec les 19 organisations de jeunes regroupées dans le Forum français de la jeunesse.

Le Comité interministériel a par ailleurs pris acte de l'état d'avancement des 47 mesures prises lors du CIJ 2013. 27 d'entre elles peuvent être considérées comme mises en œuvre. Le CIJ a exprimé la volonté de poursuivre cette progression en 2014. Il a également décidé de nouvelles mesures pour 2014 dont plusieurs découlent des propositions des organisations de jeunes, notamment la « clause impact jeunesse » dans les textes législatifs et réglementaires dont le principe a été arrêté.

Le Comité interministériel de la jeunesse 2014 aura été ainsi marqué par un effort de dialogue sans précédent avec les mouvements de jeunesse, confirmant l'objectif du Premier ministre et du Gouvernement de construire une politique non seulement pour la jeunesse mais avec la jeunesse.

Téléchargez le rapport au Comité interministériel de la jeunesse : http://www.gouvernement.fr/presse/comite-interministeriel-de-la-jeunesse-0

Le Premier ministre a signé plusieurs décisions engageant la participation du Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir (PIA) à hauteur de 275M€, dans des projets innovants portés par des entreprises et des territoires. Il a également validé quatre nouveaux projets de déploiement du Très Haut Débit.

Grâce à 150M€ de soutien de l'Etat via le PIA, qui intervient dans les zones non denses et se situe en moyenne à 35% du financement total, des projets portés par les départements du Loiret, des Yvelines, de la Seine-et-Marne et de la Seine Maritime concernant près de 370 000 foyers et 11 000 bâtiments prioritaires ou maisons isolées bénéficieront d'un accès au Très Haut Débit, principalement grâce au déploiement de la fibre, mais également d'autres technologies (satellites par exemple). De plus, plus de 70 000 foyers verront rapidement leur débit sensiblement accru, avant le déploiement complet Très Haut Débit auprès de l'ensemble de la population. L'ensemble des projets en zone non dense actuellement validés dans le cadre du déploiement du Très Haut Débit porte actuellement sur 2,2 millions de foyers et un engagement financier de l'Etat d'environ 1Md€.

125M€ ont par ailleurs été engagés pour participer, notamment, au financement :

• de l'Académie Jules Verne (centre de formation en alternance qui accueillera 500 alternants et 1500 étudiants, dédié aux spécialités des métiers de l'aéronautique et du naval à Bouguenais en Loire-Atlantique),
• de l'aménagement de plateau de Saclay (futurs locaux de l'Ecole Centrale de Paris et réseau numérique unique de l'Université),
• de la ferme pilote Coriolis pour tester en conditions réelles l'éolienne off-shore Haliade 150,
• de technologies de stockage d'énergies développées par Areva en partenariat avec des PME,
• de techniques de propulsion maritime au GNL innovantes et sensiblement moins polluantes développées par STX, et
• d'une plateforme Ecotox de tests éco-toxicologiques très performants portée par le Conseil général de la Drôme

Le Premier ministre a enfin confirmé aux 21 collectivités locales participant au programme « Eco-Cité » (projets d'aménagement urbain exemplaires en matière de développement durable) l'élargissement de ce programme aux projets de rénovation thermique et l'engagement d'une seconde phase d'appels à projets. Une aide de 400 000€ a été accordée à chaque collectivité pour l'aider à concevoir de nouveaux projets pour cette seconde phase.

Grâce à l'action du Commissariat général à l'investissement et aux dix établissements publics de l'Etat chargés de l'instruction des projets, le programme d'investissements d'avenir poursuit l'engagement de ses fonds en garantissant un processus rigoureux de sélection de projets au service de la montée en gamme des territoires et des entreprises françaises, et donc de la croissance et de l'emploi. Environ 3Md€ seront ainsi décaissés cette année.

Sareena Carti de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin, s'est fait remarquer ce week end lors du match opposant la France à l'Allemagne et à l'Italie en battant le record de France du 400m catégorie cadette en 54''02.
Un résultat de bon augure à la veille des championnats de France Cadets-Juniors en salle qui se tiendront à Val de Rueil le 8 et le 9 mars 2014, durant lesquels Sareena défendra son titre de championne de France 2013.

Le 1er mars 2014 à 16h50 à Belle-Plaine, une moto-cross circulant à vive allure sur la roue arrière percute l'arrière d'une voiture circulant dans l'autre sens, et qui venait de tourner à gauche. Le pilote et le passager de la moto-cross, non-porteurs du casque de sécurité sont éjectés. Le pilote, grièvement touché, décède de ses blessures quelques instants après l'accident, malgré l'intervention rapide des pompiers et son transport à l'hôpital.
Il s'agit du troisième accident mortel de la circulation enregistré depuis le début de l'année 2014 à St Martin. Ces trois accidents impliquaient des deux roues circulant à vice allure, dont les conducteurs ne portaient pas réglementairement le casque de sécurité. Deux de ces trois accidents impliquaient des moto-cross non-homologuées pour circuler sur la voie publique, que les conducteurs utilisaient pour réaliser des « wheeling ».
La gendarmerie nationale rappelle que :

• Le fait de circuler sur la roue arrière constitue une contravention de 2ème classe punissable de 150 € d'amende et de l'immobilisation du véhicule. En outre, cette pratique dangereuse, en privant les conducteurs de la visibilité nécessaire pour  conduire en sécurité, et ne leur permet pas une maîtrise suffisante de leurs engins pour éviter l'accident. Les conducteurs se mettent ainsi en danger et mettent également en danger les autres usagers de la route.
• Le fait de circuler avec un engin non-homologué pour circuler sur la voie publique constitue une contravention de 5ème classe punissable de 1500 € d'amende et de la confiscation du véhicule. Il est rappelé, d'une part que les engins non-homologués ne présentent pas l'ensemble des dispositifs de sécurité nécessaires pour assurer la sécurité du conducteur de l'engin ou celle des autres usagers de la route ; et d'autre part que les assurances ne garantissent pas les dommages causés par des engins non-homologués, lorsque ceux-ci circulent sur la voie publique.
• Le fait de circuler sur un deux roues sans porter réglementairement un casque homologué constitue une contravention de la 4ème classe, punissable de 750 € d'amende et de l'immobilisation du véhicule. Cette peine est applicable en cas de non port du casque par le pilote comme pour le passager. Il est rappelé que tout choc sur la tête, même à faible vitesse, peut être une cause de décès ou d'infirmité permanente que seul le port d'un casque de sécurité homologué peut permettre d'éviter.

Dans le cadre du cycle d'échanges « les nouveaux entrepreneurs ont rendez-vous à Matignon » inauguré en juillet 2013, le Premier ministre a reçu ce matin des acteurs de l'économie collaborative, en présence de Fleur Pellerin, ministre déléguée chargée des Petites et moyennes entreprises, de l'Innovation et de l'Economie numérique, et de Benoît Hamon, ministre délégué chargé de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire et de la Consommation.

L'économie collaborative est un secteur à forte croissance et la France se distingue dans ce domaine par une adoption rapide de nouvelles pratiques par ses citoyens et par l'existence de jeunes champions nationaux. Le renouvellement des dynamiques d'innovation, la levée de nouvelles capacités de financement, mais aussi les nombreux investissements d'entrepreneurs sociaux, ont permis l'ouverture de ce champ d'activité.

L'économie collaborative inclut trois catégories qui ont été représentées lors de cette rencontre. D'abord, le financement participatif ou crowdfunding, dont le cadre vient d'être fortement assoupli et qui permet à chaque Français de contribuer au financement de projets, était représenté ce matin par Babyloan.org, FinanceUtile et Ulule. Autre secteur, la production contributive, permettant par exemple le prototypage d'objets dans des ateliers de fabrication numérique (FabLabs), était représentée par l'agence nod-A, le FacLab de Université de Cergy-Pontoise, l'espace de travail IciMontreuil, et l'entreprise BureauxàPartager. Enfin, la consommation collaborative, s'appuyant sur le partage et l'usage plus que sur la propriété (covoiturage, location de matériel entre particuliers...), était représentée par LaRucheQuiDitOui, Zilok, BedyCasa, Videdressing et le collectif OuiShare.

Jean-Marc Ayrault a rappelé que le gouvernement souhaite encourager la croissance de ce secteur en France en lui offrant un cadre favorable à l'innovation, y compris l'innovation sociale, et au développement de services.

Les échanges qui ont eu lieu ce matin ont ainsi vocation à nourrir la préparation du projet de loi numérique prévu cette année : la concertation qui sera organisée par le Conseil National du Numérique à ce sujet contiendra un chapitre dédié à l'économie collaborative. A l'issue de cette rencontre, le Premier ministre a également demandé à Fleur Pellerin de lui proposer, d'ici à l'été, un plan d'actions pour renforcer sur l'ensemble du territoire la dynamique collaborative des FabLabs. Enfin, le projet de loi pour le développement de l'économie sociale et solidaire qui sera examiné en première lecture à l'Assemblée Nationale au printemps, fournira des moyens pour pérenniser la croissance des entreprises sociales.

Le Premier ministre, en présence de plusieurs ministres, a conclu ce matin la concertation visant à redéfinir les modalités de mise en œuvre du volet accessibilité de la loi du 11 février 2005. Celle-ci avait été annoncée par le Premier ministre lors du comité interministériel du handicap du 25 septembre 2013, face au retard accumulé et au constat partagé que l'échéance du 1er janvier 2015 devenait un objectif irréaliste pour de nombreux acteurs publics et privés.

Présidée par Claire-Lise Campion, sénatrice de l'Essonne, et animée par la déléguée ministérielle à l'accessibilité, cette concertation inédite a réuni pendant plus de trois mois les associations de personnes handicapées, les associations d'élus, les représentants du secteur des transports, les acteurs du logement et de la construction, les représentants du commerce, de l'hôtellerie, de la restauration et les professions libérales.

En présence des représentants de ces différents secteurs, le Premier ministre a annoncé les décisions prises par le gouvernement pour maintenir et renforcer dès 2014 l'objectif de mise en accessibilité de la société.

Sur la base des conclusions de la concertation, il a ainsi confirmé :

• La mise en place d'Agendas d'Accessibilité Programmée (Ad'AP) qui permettront aux acteurs publics et privés, qui ne seront pas en conformité avec l'ensemble des règles d'accessibilité au 1er janvier 2015, de s'engager sur un calendrier précis et resserré de travaux d'accessibilité. Les acteurs concernés devront avoir marqué leur engagement dans la démarche avant la fin de l'année 2014. En contrepartie, le risque pénal prévu par la loi de 2005 pour défaut d'accessibilité sera suspendu pendant le déroulement des Ad'AP. En cas de non-respect de l'Ad'AP, son signataire s'exposera à de nouvelles sanctions. Pour les Etablissements Recevant du Public de 5ème catégorie, qui représentent 80% du cadre bâti, ces agendas pourront atteindre 3 ans. Pour les patrimoines plus importants et/ou plus complexes, cette durée pourra aller jusqu'à 6, voire 9 ans. Les possibilités de dérogation initialement prévues par la loi de 2005 sont par ailleurs confortées.
• L'évolution d'un certain nombre de normes relatives à l'accessibilité pour permettre à la fois de simplifier et d'actualiser de nombreuses normes et dispositions règlementaires, et de les compléter pour mieux prendre en compte l'ensemble des formes de handicap.

La loi du 11 février 2005 pour l'Egalité des droits et des chances, la participation et la citoyenneté des personnes handicapées sera complétée pour y introduire le dispositif des Agendas d'Accessibilité Programmée. Dans ce sens, un projet de loi d'habilitation à légiférer par ordonnance sera présenté au mois d'avril en Conseil des ministres pour une ordonnance précisant le régime juridique des Ad'AP publiée à l'été. Les textes règlementaires réajustant les normes d'accessibilité seront préparés en parallèle.

Le Premier ministre a par ailleurs rappelé les autres mesures du comité interministériel du handicap en faveur de l'accessibilité :

• 1000 ambassadeurs de l'accessibilité seront recrutés à partir de 2014 dans le cadre du service civique pour orienter les acteurs dans leur démarche d'accessibilité ;
• La Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations et Bpifrance accompagneront les collectivités locales et les entreprises dans le financement de leurs travaux via des outils financiers adaptés ;
• Une campagne de communication sera engagée par le gouvernement dans les prochaines semaines pour sensibiliser aux enjeux de l'accessibilité et expliquer le nouveau dispositif.

Ce chantier s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un plan d'actions plus large pour permettre la citoyenneté et l'autonomie des personnes handicapées dans leur vie de tous les jours : lancement d'une expérimentation pour l'accessibilité téléphonique des personnes sourdes, amélioration des dispositifs de chiens guides pour les personnes aveugles, développement de l'accès aux livres, au cinéma et à la culture, renforcement de l'accès à l'information pour les personnes handicapées mentales, développement de l'accessibilité des campagnes électorales, etc.

Le Premier ministre a salué l'engagement et le sens des responsabilités de l'ensemble des parties prenantes de la concertation qui a permis de concevoir ce dispositif équilibré entre les attentes et les contraintes des acteurs. Il a confirmé la forte volonté du gouvernement d'accompagner les acteurs publics et privés dans leur démarche d'accessibilité et sa « détermination à engager un processus irréversible pour permettre la concrétisation de l'accessibilité universelle ».

http://www.gouvernement.fr/premier-ministre/conclusion-de-la-concertation-sur-l-accessibilite

Lutte contre les vols avec violence

En raison de la recrudescence observée depuis le début de l'année 2014 des vols avec violence, notamment ceux commis sous la menace d'une arme, en particulier autour du quartier de Sandy Ground, une opération de lutte contre la délinquance était menée le dimanche 23 février 2014 en soirée, en périphérie de ce quartier, à l'initiative de la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy, renforcée pour l'occasion par des effectifs du service de la police aux frontières de Saint-Martin.
Réalisée conjointement par le peloton de surveillance et d'intervention de la gendarmerie (P.S.I.G), l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile de Sathonay-Camp et le groupe de voie publique de la P.A.F, l'opération mobilisait au total dix-huit militaires de la gendarmerie et six fonctionnaires de police.
Une soixantaine de personnes et de véhicules ont été contrôlés par les forces de l'ordre. Au cours de l'opération, un conducteur était interpellé après avoir commis un refus d'obtempérer sur l'un des points de contrôle. Soumis au dépistage de l'alcoolémie, ce dernier circulait avec un taux délictuel de 0,62 milligrammes d'alcool par litre d'air expiré. Un conducteur de deux roues a par ailleurs été contrôlé porteur d'une petite quantité d'herbe de cannabis ; ce dernier a également immédiatement été interpellé et entendu sur les faits de détention de produits stupéfiants. En outre, un individu en situation irrégulière sur le territoire a été contrôlé par les fonctionnaires de la P.A.F. Enfin, deux délits pour défaut de permis de conduire ont été constatés et deux conducteurs ont vu leur véhicule immobilisé.
Au delà du volet répressif, l'opération visait aussi, dans une logique de prévention, à dissuader la commission de faits nouveaux, dans une démarche d'appropriation territoriale et d'occupation du terrain par les forces de l'ordre.
Ce type d'opération de contrôle, permettant de lutter efficacement contre le sentiment d'insécurité, a vocation à être renouvelé, dans ce quartier de l'île comme dans d'autres.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses vives félicitations à la skieuse française Marie Martinod, médaillée d'argent lors de l'épreuve de ski half-pipe féminin, première fois discipline olympique lors de ces Jeux de Sotchi.

Marie Martinod offre à la France une médaille d'argent qui vient confirmer le succès de l'équipe de France dans les nouvelles disciplines olympiques.

A la faveur de cette belle performance, le Premier ministre forme le vœu de belles réussites aux athlètes français pour les épreuves à venir.

Monsieur le Président,
Monsieur le Ministre,
Mes chers Collègues,

En cette fin d'après-midi, nous sommes ici pour examiner la troisième proposition de loi proposée par le groupe UMP dans le cadre de sa journée d'initiative.
A l'heure où notre pays entame le début des commémorations du centenaire de la Grande Guerre, notre groupe a souhaité redonner à la Voie Sacrée, monument de notre mémoire collective, le caractère de route nationale qui lui fut conféré par nos prédécesseurs en 1923 et qui lui a été retiré, à la suite de la loi de 2004 qui a vu le transfert aux départements de la gestion de certaines routes nationales.
La Voie Sacrée n'est évidemment pas une route nationale au sens « routier » et « gestion de l'équipement » du terme et cela personne ne le conteste ! C'est bien autre chose, et je pense que nous en avons tous conscience.
La Voie Sacrée c'est notre Histoire ! Celle dans laquelle nous nous retrouvons tous, au-delà de nos divergences et nos clivages.
Intiment liée à la bataille de Verdun dont elle est l'artère logistique, elle symbolise l'ingéniosité, le courage et l'efficacité française dans sa résistance à l'ennemi.
La bataille de Verdun et donc la Voie Sacrée font partie intégrante des grandes dates qui ont construit la France et fait d'elle ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui !
C'est bien de cela dont il s'agit et rien d'autre.
Notre Collègue rapporteur, Philippe GOSSELIN a fort bien expliqué et décrit les objectifs de cette proposition de loi, je n'y reviendrais donc pas.
Il a rappelé que l'objectif premier de cette proposition est de remédier à l'inapplication de l'arrêté ministériel de 2007 qui faisait suite, dois-je le rappeler, à une mission d'inspection diligentée par plusieurs ministères (Transports, Culture et Ecologie) et qui était parvenue à une solution de compromis acceptable et juste.
Un tel sujet ne devrait pas susciter de polémiques, or, j'entends avec regret les opposants à cette proposition de loi co-signée par plus de 70 parlementaires des groupes UMP et UDI, parler de « mascarade et de boycott » !
Est-il utile de le préciser : les 70 signataires de cette proposition de loi ne maîtrisent rien des querelles locales qui agitent les élus autour de cette question depuis une décennie !
Il est impensable d'avancer qu'ils auraient co-signé le texte de notre collègue Philippe GOSSELIN pour faire plaisir à un maire de telle ou telle sensibilité !
Penser cela dévalorise le Parlement et le rôle des parlementaires !
C'est apparemment plus facile pour le groupe SRC de se mettre d'accord pour rejeter une proposition de loi émanant de l'UMP qui cherche justement à régler des querelles locales indignes de ce haut lieu de mémoire que de se mettre d'accord sur leurs propres textes !
Si l'on a les combats qu'on peut, je regrette sincèrement la position du groupe majoritaire sur un sujet de mémoire qui devrait nous réunir.
Cette proposition de loi vise essentiellement à rendre à la Voie sacrée, haut lieu de notre mémoire collective, son caractère national. Elle n'appelle ni polémiques ni leçons de mémoire.
Elle appelle à la cohésion nationale et à l'hommage unanime à tous ceux qui ont combattu et sont tombés pour la France.
Je vous remercie.

Daniel GIBBS
Député de St Barthélémy et St Martin

Le Président du SMFA, Fabrice BALY, présente aux dirigeants, éducateurs, joueurs, parents et amis du football un appareil d'intervention d'urgence.

Il explique que "Le conseil d'Administration fait l'effort de s'équiper d'un outil aussi important, voir complémentaire à la visite médicale, et est très fier de l'investissement malgré que ce n'est pas notre responsabilité mais celle de la COM".

Ce dispositif a pour vocation de répondre à toutes situations qui l'imposent dans le but de sauver des vies.
Il faut rappeler que, selon les réglementations en vigueur, l'ensemble des stades et des gymnases doivent être équipés de cet appareil.

Une présentation et sensibilisation à l'utilisation de l'outil destiné aux éducateurs s'est déroulée le Jeudi 13 Février 2014.Ce sont le Dr. Noubou et Madame Aline CHAUVIN (Confort Médical) qui ont dispensé cette petite session de formation.

Malheureusement, nous regrettons l'absence d'un certain nombre de personnes qui seront amenées elles aussi à faire usage de cet appareil.

Do not wait until something happens for you to be interested.
"Be ready to save a life"

Conscient de l'importance des gestes salvatrices, le SMFA envisage la mise en place d'un second défibrillateur prochainement.

Monsieur Sinius:
"Une bonne initiative, le SMFA fait des efforts mais il faut que la COM soit plus réactif pour le football."

Mme Chauvin :
"Au nom de Confort Médical je remercie le SMFA pour la confiance témoignée, nous sommes sensibles à toutes les activités pour la jeunesse".

La gendarmerie nationale reconduit, en partenariat avec la police territoriale de Saint-Martin, une campagne de sensibilisation contre les vols à la roulotte (vols d'objets ou d'accessoires dans un véhicule). Des flyers traduits en français et en anglais seront mis à la disposition des touristes sur des lieux de forte affluence (office du tourisme, car rentals, hôtels, ...) et seront également apposés sur les pares brises des véhicules en stationnement dans les endroits à forte attraction touristique ( plages, centre ville...).
Cette action préventive menée à destination de la population par les militaires de la gendarmerie et par les fonctionnaires de la police territoriale vise avant tout par l'assimilation de réflexes et d'actes de prudence à réduire les tentations de passage à l'acte chez les voleurs permettant de lutter plus efficacement contre les nombreux vols à la roulotte constatés chaque année sur l'île.

Jean Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, adresse ses plus vives félicitations aux skieurs français Steve Missillier, médaille d'argent, ainsi qu'à Alexis Pinturault, médaille de bronze, à l'épreuve de slalom géant aux JO de Sotchi.

En se hissant sur le podium lors d'une épreuve très disputée, Steve Missillier et Alexis Pinturault offrent à la France ses premières médailles olympiques en ski alpin français à Sotchi.

A la faveur de ces belles performances, le Premier Ministre forme des vœux de réussite à l'équipe de France olympique de ski alpin pour les prochaines épreuves.

A l'occasion de la publication des résultats annuels du groupe, Philippe Varin, président du directoire de PSA Peugeot Citroën présente ce matin une étape structurante de la stratégie engagée pour renforcer la performance opérationnelle du groupe et accélérer le développement de son activité à l'international.

Cette stratégie repose notamment sur l'engagement d'un partenariat stratégique majeur avec le constructeur automobile chinois DongFeng, qui permettra à PSA Peugeot Citroën d'intensifier son développement industriel et commercial en Asie.

Elle repose également sur le renforcement de la structure financière du groupe : de nouveaux capitaux permettront de soutenir un niveau d'investissement élevé et de donner à PSA Peugeot Citroën les moyens d'un développement industriel ambitieux ; Banque PSA Finance s'appuiera par ailleurs sur la banque espagnole Santander pour sa production future de crédits.

Le Gouvernement a répondu favorablement à la demande du groupe pour investir, aux côtés de DongFeng et d'autres actionnaires, au capital de PSA Peugeot Citroën et lui donner ainsi les moyens de son développement, en lui apportant de nouveaux capitaux, en devenant l'un de ses premiers actionnaires et en participant directement à sa gouvernance. Cette opération doit être soumise à la prochaine Assemblée générale des actionnaires de PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Traduisant les orientations du Conseil des ministres du 15 janvier dernier, l'Etat confirme ainsi, à travers l'action de Pierre Moscovici, ministre de l'économie et des finances, et d'Arnaud Montebourg, ministre du redressement productif, sa capacité à agir en investisseur, actionnaire et partenaire de référence, pour accompagner le développement de grandes entreprises françaises.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, a déclaré : « C'est une opération stratégique majeure pour le développement du groupe PSA Peugeot Citroën, à laquelle l'Etat s'associe comme partenaire de long terme. C'est aussi un acte de responsabilité de l'Etat vis-à-vis d'une des principales filières industrielles du pays. Il appelle naturellement une exemplarité du groupe au bénéfice de l'activité et de l'emploi en France. »

Le Premier ministre a reçu, en présence de Marylise Lebranchu, ministre de la réforme de l'Etat, de la décentralisation et de la fonction publique, et d'Anne-Marie Escoffier, ministre déléguée chargée de la décentralisation, une délégation de l'Association des régions de France (ARF) dans le cadre de la concertation sur le projet de loi de décentralisation.

A cette occasion, il a rappelé que la deuxième loi de décentralisation aura pour objectif d'aller plus loin dans la clarification des compétences des différents niveaux de collectivités. Dans ce cadre, les régions disposeront de nouvelles compétences pour renforcer leurs capacités d'action au service du développement économique et de l'emploi. Les régions auront vocation à accompagner la croissance des entreprises et à renforcer leur capacité à innover et à exporter ; elles seront ainsi clairement positionnées comme le niveau en charge de la compétence de développement économique.

Leur capacité de planification en matière d'aménagement et de développement des territoires sera renforcée. Le schéma régional d'aménagement et de développement du territoire deviendra ainsi un document de planification essentiel qui aura une valeur prescriptive. En outre, davantage de marge de manœuvre sera conférée aux régions pour qu'elles puissent adapter les règles aux spécificités des territoires.

Cette deuxième loi de décentralisation s'inscrit dans l'objectif du Gouvernement de renforcer l'efficacité des politiques publiques, de simplifier les organisations et les procédures administratives et de dégager des économies dans la dépense publique.

Après deux médailles d'or aux épreuves du 12.5 km poursuite et 20 km individuel, en biathlon, Martin Fourcade marque l'histoire du biathlon français en remportant une troisième médaille, argent, à l'épreuve de mass-start.

Martin Fourcade offre ainsi au sport français une magnifique illustration de la ténacité qui est celle de tous les grands sportifs.

Le Premier ministre, Jean-Marc Ayrault, adresse ses plus vives félicitations à Martin Fourcade pour cette belle médaille d'argent et pour son extraordinaire parcours olympique.

Tous ses vœux accompagnent Martin Fourcade et l'équipe de France pour les prochaines épreuves de relais.

Le Premier ministre Jean-Marc Ayrault a décidé de faire de l'Engagement associatif la Grande Cause Nationale pour 2014.

Ce label permettra au Mouvement associatif d'obtenir des diffusions gratuites sur les radios et les télévisions publiques lorsqu'ils souhaiteront organiser des campagnes faisant appel à la générosité publique.

Le Premier ministre a voulu ainsi valoriser et promouvoir le rôle des associations et de l'engagement bénévole dans notre société.

La France compte en effet 16 millions de bénévoles associatifs, auxquels s'ajoutent 1,8 millions de salariés d'une association, soit 8 % du nombre total de salariés.

A un moment où les associations prennent de plus en plus de responsabilités dans tous les domaines - social, éducatif, sportif ou encore culturel - le Gouvernement a souhaité s'engager à leurs côtés.

Cette décision constitue une nouvelle étape dans la politique mise en œuvre pour soutenir le mouvement associatif, faciliter le bénévolat et favoriser l'emploi au sein de l'économie sociale et solidaire.

Elle permettra notamment de sensibiliser les Français aux enjeux de cet engagement au service des autres, qui, depuis la loi de 1901, constitue une chance pour notre pays et un pilier de notre modèle social et républicain.

C'est le message que porte le Mouvement associatif, aux côtés duquel le Gouvernement a décidé de s'engager.

Le week-end end dernier a été très sportif pour les jeunes athlètes de l'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin. En effet, le samedi 8 février ce ne sont pas moins d'une trentaine d'entre eux, des poussins aux minimes, qui se sont déplacés à Anguille, accompagnés des entraîneurs du club, dont Patrick Trival, et de quelques parents. Ils répondaient ainsi à l'invitation du club Diamond Athletic club d'Anguille. C'est sur une piste tracée dans l'herbe qu'ils ont affronté les jeunes d'Anguille, mais aussi ceux du Dynamics de St Maarten et de Speedy Plus. Les performances étaient au rendez-vous, et on peut noter la 3ème place de Rony Félix sur le 400 m en 57'', de Magda Duggins et Aliya Amancin sur le 400m benjamine, arrivées respectivement 2ème et 3ème en 1'12 et 1'13, et la deuxième place au lancer de poids pour Ayola Dessout avec un jet à 8m30.
Le jour même, ces sont trois autres athlètes du club qui s'envolaient vers la Guadeloupe pour participer à un meeting d'athlétisme, accompagnée de Claudine Désert co-entraîneur du club. Ce concours « Triathlon », ouvert aux benjamins et aux minimes, s'est déroulé au stade de Petit-Bourg le 9 février 2014. Chaque athlète devait, selon sa catégorie et sa spécialité, effectuer un saut, un lancer et une course.
C'est Lisa Coquillas, championne de la Guadeloupe 2013 du 2000m marche catégorie benjamine ; qui a débuté les épreuves par un 2000m marche catégorie minime pour lequel elle a pris la première place en 13'21''64. Elle termine 32ème du concours minimes filles (48 participants) avec 49 points. Teejay Jasaron, avec 71 points, arrive 8ème du concours minimes garçons (49 participants). A noter une performance encourageante sur le 100m minime, où il prend la 2ème place en 12''63. Adelio Brooks, 23ème du concours minimes garçons avec 58 points, termine deuxième de sa série au saut en longueur, avec un saut à 4m57.

Le Premier ministre a appris avec tristesse le décès du sénateur et ancien ministre René Teulade.

René Teulade était un homme de conviction, qui a consacré sa vie au mouvement mutualiste français, dont il présida la Fédération Nationale pendant 13 ans, avant d'être nommé ministre des affaires sociales par François Mitterrand.

Tout au long de ces années, son engagement a été décisif pour le développement des mutuelles dans notre pays et pour l'amélioration de la protection sociale de nos concitoyens.

Le Premier ministre souhaite présenter à sa famille, ainsi qu'à ses proches, ses sincères condoléances et leur exprimer toute sa sympathie face à la disparition d'un homme qui, toute sa vie, a porté cet idéal de la solidarité.

C'est avec tristesse que le Premier ministre a appris la disparition de Michel Alliot survenu samedi 8 février.

Michel ALLIOT a en effet été une des personnalités qui a marqué l'histoire récente de l'Université française et dont cette dernière s'honore.

Avant de devenir un brillant universitaire, il fut d'abord, très jeune, très actif dans la Résistance comme chef de réseau au Bureau central de renseignement et d'action (B.C.R.A.). Puis, docteur et professeur agrégé des facultés de droit, il se spécialisa notamment dans l'anthropologie des droits africains et dirigea pendant longtemps l'Institut de psychosomatique de Paris.

Son grand sens du service public l'a également conduit à exercer de hautes responsabilités. Directeur de cabinet du ministre de l'Education nationale Edgar Faure entre 1968 et 1969, il a été l'un des principaux architectes de la loi relative à l'enseignement supérieur de 1968, la première grande loi de l'université moderne susceptible de s'ouvrir à tous. C'est sur cette base que quelques années plus tard, en 1971, il fonde l'Université Paris VII Denis-Diderot qu'il présidera pendant cinq ans.

En 1988, sous l'autorité du ministre de l'Education nationale, Lionel Jospin, il devient recteur de l'académie de Versailles, la plus importante de France, qu'il dirigera pendant trois ans jusqu'à sa retraite en 1991.

Le Premier ministre rend hommage au parcours exceptionnel d'un homme ayant su en permanence concilier son attachement à l'Université comme à l'éducation sous toutes ses formes, avec un remarquable sens du service public et de profonds engagements citoyens.

Il exprime à sa famille et ses proches toute sa sympathie attristée.

Le Gouvernement a adopté aujourd'hui sa feuille de route pour l'égalité républicaine et l'intégration.

Cet engagement avait été pris dès la déclaration de politique générale du 4 juillet 2012, et la volonté du Gouvernement est d'avancer sereinement et de façon apaisée ce sujet essentiel pour nos concitoyens.

Une logique, et une seule, anime cette feuille de route : la République, l'égalité républicaine. Celle des droits et des devoirs.

C'est ce qui a permis à la France d'accueillir au fil des siècles des femmes et des hommes de tous les horizons et d'en faire des citoyens français.

L'objectif de cette feuille de route est de rendre effective cette promesse républicaine d'égalité.

Beaucoup a déjà été fait depuis mai 2012 pour agir contre les inégalités. C'est le sens des plans interministériels contre la pauvreté, pour les droits des femmes, pour la jeunesse ou encore en faveur des personnes handicapées.

Mais certains Français d'origine étrangère, et certains étrangers régulièrement et durablement installés sur notre territoire sont encore trop souvent tenus à l'écart du droit commun.

A travers cette feuille de route, l'objectif du Gouvernement est donc bien de lutter contre les discriminations liées à l'origine, qu'elle soit réelle ou supposée, et de faire en sorte que les politique de réduction des inégalités bénéficient à tous ceux qui doivent y avoir accès.

Deux axes bien distincts la structurent :

• Le 1er axe porte sur l'accueil des nouveaux arrivants. Il faut mieux les accompagner dans leur parcours d'intégration, faire en sorte que l'apprentissage de la langue française, et la transmission du socle républicain de droits et de devoirs soit plus efficace et mieux articulée avec la délivrance du titre de séjour ainsi qu'avec l'accès à la nationalité française.
• Le 2ème axe constitue un plan d'action pour l'égalité des droits et la lutte contre les discriminations. L'accès de tous au droit commun doit être garanti (école, emploi, accès à la fonction publique), et la lutte contre les discriminations doit être prise en compte dans tous les volets de l'action publique.

La mise en œuvre de ces décisions exigera une mobilisation de tous les ministères. Parce qu'elle renouvelle l'approche républicaine des questions d'égalité et d'intégration, le Gouvernement a décidé d'en assurer la coordination au niveau du Premier ministre, par la création d'un délégué interministériel à l'égalité républicaine et à l'intégration.

Le 05 février 2014, une patrouille de la Brigade Motorisée de Saint Martin procède au contrôle d'un véhicule de type « mini-van » transportant 06 passagers.
Les investigations effectuées permettent d'établir que le chauffeur transporte ces passagers à titre onéreux, sans être titulaire des autorisations administratives lui permettant d'exercer la profession de taxi.
Celui-ci est mis en cause pour transport public routier de personnes sans convention avec l'autorité compétente ; exercice de l'activité de transporteur routier de personnes sans inscription au registre des transporteur et exécution d'un travail dissimulé.
A l'issue de son audition dans les locaux de la gendarmerie il est convoqué le 17 avril 2014 devant le tribunal de St Martin et son véhicule est saisi.
Il s'agit de la second procédure diligentée contre un taxi clandestin par la gendarmerie de Saint-Martin depuis le début de l'année 2014.

Ce samedi 1er février 2014, Sareena Carti, du club Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin, a battu le record de la Guadeloupe du 300m cadettes, en 38''55, lors du championnat de la Guadeloupe Intermédiaire qui s'est tenu au stade de Baie-Mahault. L'ancien record était détenu par Sylvanie Morandais depuis 1996 . On se souvient que la semaine dernière, lors du 2ème tour des Intermédiaires, Sareena avait râté de quelques dixièmes le record. Ce n'était que partie remise, et malgré la pluie, ce samedi, c'est décidée à en découdre qu'elle a pris le départ du 300m à Baie-Mahault. Elle n'en est pas en restée là, car outre cette performance sur 300m, Sareena est montée aussi sur la plus haute marche du podium sur le 150 m cadette en 18''36, affichant la deuxième meilleure performance sur cette distance de la compétition, toute catégorie confondue.

Des performances de bonne augure pour les Carifta Games qui se tiendront en Martinique au mois d'avril.

Le Premier ministre a appris avec une grande peine la disparition de François Cavanna, à l'âge de 90 ans.

Cavanna fut le père de l'humour satirique de la deuxième moitié du XXème siècle, inspirateur de la presse satirique moderne. Fondateur de Hara Kiri puis de Charlie Hebdo, son humour râpeux et caustique irrita souvent, enchanta parfois, sans laisser quiconque indifférent, contribuant ainsi, avec verve et justesse, à l'énergie du débat démocratique.

Homme de presse, homme de communication, homme de convictions, Cavanna fut aussi un écrivain reconnu, particulièrement prolixe, un amoureux de l'alchimie des mots destinés à raconter des histoires simples. « Les Ritals », ouvrage d'une profonde humanité, demeure le récit juste d'une intégration à la fois douloureuse et réussie.

A sa famille, à ses amis, à ses admirateurs, Jean-Marc Ayrault adresse ses condoléances attristées.

Le Premier ministre se félicite de la conclusion d'un accord de fin de conflit dans l'usine Goodyear d'Amiens Nord.

Jean-Marc Ayrault avait, en lien avec Arnaud Montebourg et Michel Sapin, demandé au Préfet Jean-François Cordet de conduire une médiation en ce sens.

Celle-ci a été menée depuis dix jours avec une très forte implication des trois parties, la direction de l'entreprise, les représentants des salariés et l'Etat.

Elle a permis d'aboutir à un protocole de fin de conflit conduisant à la fin de l'occupation de l'usine, à des mesures sociales et à des engagements réciproques. Les parties s'engagent en outre par avance à ne pas faire obstacle à l'arrivée de toute entreprise qui viendrait à proposer une reprise du site.

Le Premier ministre souhaite que l'attention collective soit désormais consacrée à l'avenir des salariés, l'avenir du territoire, l'avenir de cette industrie et l'arrivée de nouvelles activités créatrices d'emplois.

MARIGOT:--- Sareena Carti, du club Avenir Sportif Club de Saint-Martin, a reçu ce samedi 18 janvier 2014 à la salle omnisport du Gosier, le Trophée du Sport Guadeloupéen dans la catégorie « Meilleure Jeune Sportive » en athlétisme de l'année 2013. Cette manifestation organisée par le CROSGUA (Comité Régional Olympique de la Guadeloupe) a pour objectif d'encourager les sportifs, qui suite à un vote, se voient remettre leurs trophées lors d'une soirée de gala. Sareena qui a fait le déplacement avec son entraîneur Patrick Trival, a côtoyé lors de cette soirée les meilleurs espoirs de médailles de la saison en cours du sport guadeloupéen.

L'après-midi, Sareena réalisait une belle performance en remportant le 300m cadettes du 2ème tour des intermédiaires en 38.88, et arrivait deuxième du 200m femmes en 24.71. Durant cette compétition qui se tenait au stade des Abymes, Sareena a réalisé les minima pour la qualification du 200m des Carifta Games, et termine à 2 dixièmes du record de la Guadeloupe sur le 300m.

Jeudi 16 janvier 2014, le Préfet délégué auprès de la Représentante de l'Etat dans les collectivités de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin, la 1ère vice-présidente du conseil territorial de Saint-Barthélemy et le délégué territorial de l'ARS ont présidé le comité de gestion contre le chikungunya à Saint-Barthélemy.
A cette occasion, il a été précisé que 9 cas confirmés ont été recensés depuis le début de l'épidémie. Au regard de la situation générale, il a été décidé de mettre en place, un comité de suivi et de coordination, chargé de veiller à la mise en oeuvre du plan d'action anti-dissémination. Toutes les 2 semaines, un point complet sera fait autour de 6 axes : communication spécifique, communication à l'attention des scolaires, gestion des déchets, contrôle des gîtes aériens, accompagnement des populations défavorisées et suivi environnemental.
La prochaine réunion du comité de gestion et du comité de suivi et de coordination est programmée pour le 3 février 2014.
Enfin, il est rappelé que :
- Chacun doit rechercher dans son environnement les lieux humides ou les concentrations d'eaux stagnantes vecteurs de propagation des larves de moustiques et les détruire.
- L'utilisation de répulsifs appliqués sur la peau est efficace et recommandée particulièrement pour les enfants, de même que la pulvérisation d'insecticides autour des portes et fenêtres.
- Le port, dans la mesure du possible, des vêtements couvrant le corps au maximum et notamment les bras et les jambes permet de se prémunir des piqures.
- Les fenêtres et les couchages doivent être équipés de moustiquaires

Les actions de pulvérisation d'insecticides sont toujours en cours et se poursuivront sur l'ensemble de l'île.
Contact : Service de Lutte antivectorielle 0590 27 96 94 ou 0590 27 16 18

« Monsieur le président, je voudrais répondre au président Chassaigne, qui pose une question importante.
Je voudrais essayer de vous convaincre que ce que nous faisons va dans le sens de l'attente parfois angoissée de ceux qui sont au chômage et qui veulent aussi préparer l'avenir de leurs enfants. Je voudrais commencer par un point, pour essayer vraiment de vous convaincre, parce que, pour moi, la gauche, quel que soit son nom, qu'elle soit socialiste, social-démocrate ou qu'elle soit communiste, ce n'est pas toujours plus de dettes et plus de déficits. Je sais que ce n'est pas votre conception non plus. Il vous arrive de gérer, et vous le faites souvent très bien, des collectivités locales, mais vous le faites avec un esprit de responsabilité.
Pourquoi voulons-nous faire reculer les déficits et la dette ? Parce que justement, vous venez d'y faire allusion, je ne veux pas, comme le président de la République, que la France soit dans la main des marchés financiers. Plus nous baisserons les déficits, moins nous emprunterons, et plus les taux d'emprunt seront à un niveau acceptable, le président de la République l'a rappelé hier.
Et cette situation, mesdames et messieurs de l'opposition, vous pouvez à chaque fois vociférer, mais enfin, les 600 milliards d'euros de dettes supplémentaires, ils viennent d'où sinon de votre gestion ? D'où vient cette augmentation de la dépense publique de 4 points de la richesse nationale sinon de votre responsabilité. C'est cela qu'il faut changer. Et pourquoi ? Parce que je veux que notre pays retrouve des marges de manoeuvre pour financer ses priorités. Ce que nous mettons dans le remboursement des intérêts de la dette chaque année, c'est plus que le budget de l'Education nationale, et vous avez raison de dire que notre défi, c'est de préparer l'avenir, c'est de financer nos priorités et, parmi nos priorités, il y a la refondation de l'école.
Ce matin, le ministre de l'Education nationale, Vincent Peillon, présentait un plan contre le décrochage scolaire. Croyez-vous qu'il soit acceptable que 20% des jeunes enfants subissent l'échec scolaire. Echec pour eux, échec pour leur famille, échec pour la France. Eh bien, pour remonter la pente il faut des moyens, il faut des marges de manoeuvre. Eh bien, c'est comme ça que nous allons les trouver.
Alors ne dites pas que nous ne luttons pas contre la finance aveugle. La finance aveugle, c'est celle des subprimes, c'est celle de la spéculation, c'est celle de ces produits financiers toxiques que nous avons voulu corriger par la loi bancaire. C'est nous qui avons engagé ces réformes, c'est nous qui voulons que la finance soit au service de l'investissement et de la dépense publique utile, c'est nous qui avons mis en place la Banque publique d'investissement, c'est nous qui luttons contre la fraude fiscale, c'est nous qui luttons contre les paradis fiscaux.
Alors oui, ensemble, nous pouvons faire un chemin, Monsieur le président Chassaigne. Le chemin est difficile, le chemin est exigeant, mais c'est notre responsabilité. Le pacte de responsabilité proposé aux entreprises comme aux partenaires sociaux n'a pas d'autre but que de donner de l'espoir, donner de la confiance et d'abord donner de l'emploi ».

Le Premier ministre a pris connaissance du rapport d'étape du bureau d'enquêtes sur les accidents de transport terrestre (BEA-TT) concernant le déraillement d'un train intercités à Brétigny-sur-Orge le 12 juillet 2013.

Ce rapport permet de comprendre comment cet accident dramatique est arrivé. Le BEA-TT a également conduit des investigations sur les procédures de surveillance et de maintenance de la SNCF. Sans remettre en cause le travail des agents d'inspection, il met en évidence que la politique de surveillance et de maintenance doit être renforcée.

Jean-Marc Ayrault a demandé à Guillaume Pépy de tirer, sans attendre, toutes les conséquences de ce rapport d'étape, en complément du plan Vigirail, lancé par RFF et la SNCF le 8 octobre dernier, qui consacre 410 millions d'euros sur la période 2014-2017 pour accélérer le renouvellement des aiguillages et moderniser les outils et pratiques de maintenance.

Le Premier ministre rappelle la priorité donnée par le gouvernement au transport du quotidien et à la modernisation des réseaux existants, qui se traduit par la commande de nouveaux trains intercités et l'engagement des négociations sur les contrats de plan 2014 - 2020.

Monsieur le Président
Mesdames et Messieurs les députés,
Monsieur le député Jean-Louis Dumont

Vous rappelez en effet que le 7 novembre dernier le président de la République a donné le coup d'envoi des célébrations du centenaire de la Première Guerre mondiale. C'est donc un rendez-vous que nous avons avec l'histoire, et qui commence depuis le 1er jour de cette année, mais qui a été longuement et minutieusement préparé dès l'année dernière.
Cette histoire, c'est d'abord celle de la mobilisation de tout un pays, de l'unité, de la confiance aussi en lui-même et dans ses Institutions. C'est cette mobilisation qui a permis à la France avec ses alliés de surmonter une épreuve terrible qu'elle n'avait pas voulue, et vous en avez rappelé certains éléments, vous qui êtes député de Verdun. Une épreuve en effet, 8 millions de Français qui ont combattu, 1,4 million qui ont perdu la vie, sans oublier les blessés, les mutilés. Beaucoup d'entre nous ici, quel que soit leur âge, ont effectivement en mémoire cette histoire. Quel est le village qui ne possède pas un monument, un monument aux morts, avec un casque des poilus ?
Oui, mesdames et messieurs les députés, c'est l'occasion d'un vaste rassemblement des Français autour de ce que nous sommes, de nos valeurs, de ce que nous pouvons aussi penser, non seulement à travers l'histoire et la mémoire, en saluant la mémoire de ceux qui ont combattu et donné leur vie pour notre pays, mais en nous projetant dans l'avenir, c'était le message du président de la République le 7 novembre dernier.
Alors, la Mission du bicentenaire, sous la responsabilité du ministre délégué aux Anciens combattants, Kader Arif, va appuyer de nombreux projets. Le Parlement y prendra lui-même sa part. Mais d'ores et déjà, la Mission va apporter son soutien à des centaines et des centenaires de projets. 300 d'entre eux déjà dans 77 départements. C'est au moment où la France est confrontée à de grands défis pour son avenir, qu'elle doit être capable de se rassembler, de se retrouver pour aller à l'essentiel. Hommage à nos soldats, hommage à ceux qui à l'arrière, les femmes et les hommes qui ont permis au pays de tenir, mais hommage aussi après à ceux qui ont voulu construire la paix, alors que la même année nous allons commémorer le 70ème anniversaire de la libération de la France après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, que la paix c'est une mobilisation, une exigence de tous les instants, et que cette exigence, cette mobilisation, elle doit continuer à être la nôtre, que ce soit pour défendre
l'Europe dans tout ce qu'elle a apporté, pour faire vivre concrètement pour l'avenir de nos générations et futures générations, l'amitié franco-allemande, et permettre partout avec une autre organisation, celle des Nations-Unies, la paix, la sécurité, la liberté et la démocratie. C'est la grande leçon de cette commémoration.

Monsieur le Président de la République,
Permettez-moi de vous adresser, en mon nom personnel et au nom de tous les membres du Gouvernement, nos meilleurs voeux pour l'année 2014.
Cette cérémonie est une tradition républicaine, et c'est aussi l'occasion de faire le bilan de l'année écoulée et de tracer les perspectives de celle qui commence, comme vous l'avez fait le 31 décembre dernier à l'occasion de vos voeux aux Français.
2013, chacun le sait, n'aura pas été une année facile pour la France et les Français. Notre pays a traversé, depuis 6 ans, la plus longue crise économique de l'après-guerre, et ce choc s'est traduit par une augmentation du chômage et de la précarité pour beaucoup de Françaises et de Français. Certains territoires ont été particulièrement touchés par les destructions d'emplois, par des souffrances sociales, par de la désespérance et c'est au nom du nécessaire redressement de notre pays que le Gouvernement, sous votre autorité, a choisi d'agir vite, et sur tous les fronts.
Au-delà des mesures d'urgence, c'est un nombre considérable de réformes structurelles qui ont été engagées, et cela dans tous les grands domaines de la vie de nos concitoyens : l'emploi, la compétitivité des entreprises, la modernisation du marché du travail, la sécurité, le logement ou encore la refondation de l'école républicaine.
Plusieurs lois importantes, comme la sécurisation de l'emploi ou la réforme des retraites, ont été acquises grâce à un dialogue social intense et porteur de progrès. Une étape importante sera également franchie avec l'examen prochain par le Parlement de la réforme de la formation professionnelle. Ces réussites, ces réformes montrent que la France est capable de se réformer et qu'elle peut se moderniser tout en préservant son modèle et ses valeurs par le dialogue, la négociation sociale mais aussi grâce à l'appui d'une majorité parlementaire stable.
C'est la feuille de route que vous avez rappelée lors de vos voeux aux Françaises et aux Français et cela passe évidemment par la reprise économique et la bataille pour l'emploi, qui demeure notre priorité absolue.
La France est officiellement sortie de la récession et s'inscrit désormais sur une trajectoire de croissance solide et durable, comme l'ensemble de l'Europe. Les progrès réalisés sous votre impulsion au niveau européen y sont d'ailleurs pour beaucoup. Pour un grand nombre de Français, la situation est encore difficile, mais les efforts demandés sont en train de porter leurs fruits, et chacun doit être conscient que cette reprise, couplée à une politique volontariste de l'emploi, est la meilleure garantie d'un recul durable du chômage et d'une amélioration de la situation des ménages.
Ces chiffres demandent évidemment à être confirmés et amplifiés -et ils le seront. Mais ils prouvent déjà une chose, c'est que la France va s'en sortir et que vos choix économiques sont les bons.
C'est ce cap qu'il nous faudra tenir dans la durée et tout au long de 2014. La baisse de 4 points du coût du travail, en vigueur depuis avant-hier, y aidera puissamment. Beaucoup d'entreprises pourront ainsi retrouver des marges pour investir, innover et embaucher. C'est dans cet esprit que vous avez proposé un pacte de responsabilité aux entreprises, au service de la croissance, de la compétitivité, de l'emploi et du dialogue social. Là encore, vous trouverez le Gouvernement totalement déterminé à le mettre en oeuvre à vos côtés.
D'autres réformes suivront, qui permettront de préparer l'avenir. L'année 2014 sera celle de la transition énergétique, qui constitue un levier fondamental de transformation de notre modèle économique et social. 2014 sera aussi l'année de  l'approfondissement de la décentralisation, avec pour objectif de simplifier la vie de nos administrés, de maîtriser les dépenses publiques et de renforcer le développement économique local. La remise à plat de la fiscalité et des dépenses publiques s'inscrit également dans l'objectif que vous avez fixé d'un Etat plus juste, plus simple, plus économe et plus efficace. Conformément aux engagements pris, nous devrons continuer à réduire le poids de la dépense publique, afin de créer les conditions d'une baisse de la fiscalité dans notre pays, tout en continuant à financer nos priorités et à préserver le modèle français.
Tous ces chantiers seront menés de front, en cohérence avec votre action pour la réorientation de l'Europe, et dans la continuité de ce qui a déjà été entrepris depuis votre élection.
Un travail intense nous attend en 2014, et il commencera dès la reprise des travaux parlementaires. D'ici fin janvier, le Parlement adoptera définitivement la loi relative à la fin du cumul des mandats. Le Gouvernement portera également, en plus des projets que je viens d'évoquer, la loi pour l'avenir de l'agriculture, la loi sur l'artisanat et le commerce, la loi sur la réforme pénale, la réforme du droit d'asile, la loi pour l'égalité hommes-femmes ou encore la loi pour l'adaptation de la société au vieillissement. Et là je ne cite que les projets essentiels : Alain Vidalies, ministre chargé des relations avec le Parlement a donné une liste exhaustive au Conseil des ministres de tout le travail qui attend le Parlement.
Notre action, dans une période aussi cruciale pour le pays, ne peut connaître de répit, et vous trouverez, cette année encore, l'ensemble du gouvernement entièrement dévoué à sa mission et exclusivement mobilisé au service des Français. L'enjeu, c'est l'amélioration de la vie de nos concitoyens dans un pays sûr de son avenir et de sa force.
C'est une France réconciliée avec elle-même, où chacun sait ce qu'il doit aux autres, ou chacun a sa chance et où chacun peut compter sur la force du collectif. Une France qui tient, jour après jour, cette grande promesse qu'est la République. La République, vous l'avez rappelé Monsieur Le Président, ce sont des droits et des devoirs, des règles et des valeurs, qui ne sont pas négociables, mais La République cela doit être aussi un espoir. Un espoir d'émancipation, d'intégration, et de justice pour tous nos concitoyens, qui trop nombreux encore souffrent des inégalités et des discriminations.
C'est la feuille de route du Gouvernement, c'est le cap que vous avez fixé, c'est notre objectif commun, et c'est donc aussi le voeu que nous formulons pour cette année : des voeux de réussite pour vous-même, Monsieur le Président de la République, pour tous vos proches, vos collaborateurs mais surtout des voeux pour la France et pour tous les Français.

Une importante opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière, ciblant en particulier les personnes conduisant sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, était menée durant la nuit de la St-Sylvestre de 20h00 à 06h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.

Réalisée conjointement par la brigade motorisée de Saint-Martin, l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile 47/1 de Dijon ainsi que la communauté de brigades et le peloton de surveillance et d'intervention de Saint-Martin, l'opération mobilisait au total quarante militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés en différents points du territoire de St-Martin (carrefours giratoire de Bellevue, d'Agrément et de l'office de tourisme ; point de passage frontalier d'Oyster-Pond ; route de Belle Plaine à Quartier d'Orléans).

200 conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les infractions suivantes :
- 03 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux délictuel, > 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,74 - 0,49 - 0,46) ;
- 12 conduites sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique présentant un taux contraventionnel, compris entre 0,25 et 0,39 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,39 - 0,39 - 0,39 - 0,39 - 0,38 - 0,37 - 0,37 - 0,35 - 0,34 - 0,30 - 0,26 - 0,26) ;
- 03 délits de défaut de permis de conduire ;
- 03 défauts d'assurance.

En outre, un individu passager d'un véhicule était contrôlé détenteur d'une petite quantité - quelques grammes - d'herbe de cannabis et fera l'objet de poursuites pour détention et usage illicite de produits stupéfiants.

Depuis plusieurs jours, certains sites d'information en ligne, évoquent des conséquences dramatiques en indiquant que le Chikungunya aurait fait deux victimes à Saint-Martin. Aucune forme grave de chickungunya n'a, à ce jour, été recensée et aucun décès n'est à déplorer.
Contacts ARS : Service de Lutte Anti-Vectorielle (05.90.27.96.94 ou 05.90. 27.16.18) et Suivi Epidémiologique (05.90.27.16.17)

Le chômage est en baisse à Saint-Martin : 155 personnes ont retrouvé un travail à Saint-Martin en novembre 2013, soit une baisse de plus de 3 % sur un mois. Cette baisse est due à la reprise des embauches dans les hôtels restaurants mais aussi dans d'autres secteurs : grande distribution, nouvel exploitant de stations services, etc.
Cette baisse saisonnière est plus importante que l'année dernière à la même époque.

Suite à la détection de cas suspects de Chickungunya à Saint-Barthélemy lors du Comité de Gestion du 23 décembre 2013, les données actuellement disponibles font état de 8 cas confirmés.
Comme précédemment indiqué, au regard des épidémies de dengue et de chikungunya qui touchent l'île de Saint-Martin, il demeure impérieux de poursuivre les actions de surveillance épidémiologique et entomologique et de lutte contre le moustique « aedes aegypti », seul vecteur de ces virus.
La Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy et l'Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) mènent actuellement et poursuivront des opérations de sensibilisation et de communication. Des actions de pulvérisation sont, par ailleurs, régulièrement organisées par les services de l'ARS et s'intensifieront dans les jours à venir.
La Délégation Territoriale de l'ARS à Saint-Martin et à Saint-Barthélemy et la Préfecture demeurent à la disposition des entreprises, hôtels, gestionnaires d'immeubles, etc. pour les informer des mesures à prendre pour lutter contre le développement de moustiques.
Aucune forme grave de chickungunya n'a été recensée.
La Préfecture, l'ARS et la collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy et tous les services de l'état sont mobilisés.
Contacts ARS : Service de Lutte Anti-Vectorielle (05.90.27.96.94 ou 05.90. 27.16.18) et Suivi Epidémiologique (05.90.27.16.17)

Rappel des consignes de prévention et de protection contre les virus de la dengue et du chickungunya :
Lutter contre les moustiques : détruire les larves ainsi que les gites potentiels de reproduction des moustiques autour et dans l'habitat : en faisant contrôler vos citernes, en supprimant les soucoupes sous les pots de fleurs et en vidant au moins une fois par semaine tous les récipients contenant de l'eau stagnante : vase, détritus, gouttières....
Se protéger des piqures de moustiques en portant des vêtements longs, en utilisant des répulsifs cutanés (en respectant les précautions d'emploi, en particulier chez l'enfant et la femme enceinte) ainsi que des moustiquaires de berceau chez le nouveau-né et le nourrisson. Protégez-vous à l'intérieur de l'habitat (moustiquaire surtout pour les malades, diffuseurs électriques...)
Evitez de prendre de l'aspirine et consulter votre médecin en cas de fièvre et de douleurs articulaires (le médecin de garde est joignable au 05.90.87.71.54.)

A Saint-Barthélemy, les chiffres du marché du travail de novembre 2013 font apparaître une baisse de 15% du nombre de demandeurs d'emploi par rapport au mois précédent. Cette baisse est très supérieure à celle qui a eu lieu l'année dernière à la même époque ( - 5% ). Les femmes sont les grandes bénéficiaires de cette baisse (80%). C'est principalement le secteur de l'hôtellerie - restauration qui a recruté pour la haute saison touristique qui explique cette baisse.

SUCKER GARDEN:--- St. Maarten recorded its 12th murder early Wednesday morning December 31st, 2014. According to information provided to SMN News, the victim has been identified as Eddy York of Sucker Garden. Based on information SMN News received, the elderly man was found stabbed to death in his bed. SMN News further understands that Eddy York was living with a woman identified as Behulah Pusey of Jamaican decent and her 15 year old daughter. "There was no forced entry in the house and his companion and her daughter were the two only persons in the house when this brutal murder was committed. The woman is claiming that she heard Eddy scream and that is how she woke up. Police took both the woman and her companion to the police station where they were asked to give statements. The ambulance was called to the scene but when they reached there the victim was already dead. Police and their forensic team were seen at the home of Eddy York collecting evidence up to 4 am this morning. The killing appeared to have taken place sometime between 2am to 2:30am.
Chief of Police Peter de Witte confirmed that York was killed and that the detective and forensic department are busy with the investigation. St. Maarten's top cop said that the two persons that were in the home when the killing took place were not arrested or detained by police.

Man found dead in Upper Princess Quarter.

In the early hours of Wednesday December 31st around 2 a.m. a witness reported that a 72-year old man was found wounded in the bedroom of his house in Upper Princess Quarter. Several police officers and paramedics immediately rushed to the scene and started CPR with the victim. Around 4:00 a.m. the man was pronounced dead by the medical doctor.
Employees of the Forensic Department were called to the scene to collect evidence, and detectives started talking to the witnesses that were present in the house at the time.
At this time the investigation is ongoing and for now this is the only information that's available. If anybody has got any information about this case, even if it seems very little, please contact us on 542 2222 and ask for the detective department. You can also come to the police station to talk in person to one of the detectives that's handling this case. If you want to share your information anonymously, you can call our tip line on 9300.

KPSM Police Report

My Fellow Citizens,

This is always a hopeful time as we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. And while 2014 was a challenging year for many St. Maarteners, our resiliency and conquering spirit re-enforces the knowledge that brighter days are ahead of us. Though our challenges in 2015 will be great, I have no doubt that the government and people of St. Maarten will have the fortitude to rise and meet them.
When I proudly accepted the challenge to serve as Prime Minister, I was cognizant of the fact that our people have had to endure a period of such instability that many became disenfranchised with government, distrusting of their representatives and less hopeful in the future and direction of this country.
I also knew however, that our people are patient and understanding if they see their government with a steady focus on priority areas, championing initiatives that improve quality of life and a genuine effort to improve the efficiency and integrity of government. We have also seen for ourselves that there is a need for major re-commitment in handling core public tasks on a firmer basis.
I knew that despite the difficult fiscal conditions we are facing, the people would understand that it is not possible to solve every issue overnight and some tough choices have to be made in order to achieve the right balance.
In this atmosphere I want to assure you that I will tell you what you need to know, not what you want to hear. I will be honest. I will be realistic. The list of priorities is not a short one. Starting with the completion of the budgetary process, it is essential that we are honest with the public about the scale of these challenges.

Good governance/Integrity
It will be one of the priorities of Government to ensure the needs of the masses are constantly met with the utmost of honesty and fairness. Carrying out the integrity program and the majority of the recommendations of all three integrity reports, the PwC report, the report that the Wit-Samson Committee drafted in July this year and the integrity report of St. Maarten's General Audit Chamber, will serve as testimony to how highly regarded "good governance" and integrity will prevail during this governing term.

Economy
Government will be giving priority to measures that contribute to sustainable economic growth and high employment level and stable economic development. The Government will use the budget to lay down the direction of economic policy and for the further growth of our country. The completion of a balanced budget for 2015 and beyond is another priority against of the backdrop of good governance.
The experience and changes over the last few years confirms the need of more and better jobs. It is necessary to implement deliberate and integrated policies like the counterpart policy, employability through training and skill building for youth and adults, strengthening workplace compliance and formalization of the informal economy that compliment economic growth and reduce unemployment in order to create sustainable development.
We will strive to build a strong and diversified economy that will provide jobs, increase productivity and result in more prosperity for all St. Maarteners. We will ensure that our economic recovery, based on sound policy, is being felt in all areas, and by all our people.

Active Citizenship & New Hope
But with a new year comes new hope. We hope to demonstrate to taxpayers that government can work, even in moments of disagreement, if people are willing to work together. We are very encouraged with the great willingness we have experienced thus far to achieving change. This mindset should be encouraged because in order for us to get to where we need to be, we need everyone to play their part and be an active citizen.
New hope requires that we are all pulling in the same direction while doing what we do best on a daily basis. If you are a carpenter, be a good carpenter, if you are a nurse, be a great nurse, if you are a teacher, be an exceptional teacher, if you are a police officer be an even more diligent one and if you are a public servant be an efficient public servant.
An active citizen is a person who uses his or her professional skills and applies them to alleviate a social problem in a sustainable way. In a time of unprecedented challenges locally and globally, citizen engagement is not a choice -- it's a necessity.
Every one of us has a responsibility to identify our skills, apply them in the community, and do our part to make this a better country. That's how we'll come back healthier and stronger than we have ever been before.
As we welcome 2015, the government of St. Maarten recognizes that we must and will do our utmost to regain the trust of the people of St. Maarten. We will strive to set the ship right so that we can continue moving forward to becoming the great nation we all know St. Maarten can be. This country needs tranquility, stability, civility which will lead to prosperity.
My hope for this New Year is that we grow and work together to make this beautiful country, this greatest little country in the world, a better place to live, work and play. As we look ahead to new beginnings and new opportunities in 2015, Myra and I, and all of our family, wish you and your loved ones peace, prosperity, good health and God's guidance.
May God Bless St. Maarten.
Happy New Year.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a section of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, and the Department of Communication (DCOMM), in a collective public service message is urging motorists not to "Drink and Drive," during the change-over into the New Year when many will be out celebrating. The emphasis is on keeping our roads safe.

CPS, is calling on the community to check family and friends before they get in front of the wheel of a car.

Every driver has the opportunity to reduce tragedy on the country's roads. The onus is on the one behind the wheel who has a responsibility when driving a vehicle.

Pay attention while driving by being disciplined and not impatient. Also select a designated driver if you plan to have a couple of drinks with family or friends.

There will be a lot of entertainment activities during the Old to New Year changeover in homes, at bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

In order for every Sint Maarten family and visitors alike to be able to enjoy themselves, those driving on our roads club hopping, need to be their brother's keeper by paying attention to those who may have had a little too much to drink.

Friends don't let friends drive drunk. Let us all have a safe holiday season without having any road tragedies due to driving under the influence.

For our visitors, you also have the option of taking a taxi cab home or to your hotel if you are not able to drive. Don't become a danger to yourself and other road users.

The following appeal is part of CPS's annual Safe Holidays campaign in conjunction with DCOMM.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday December 30th an article was placed in a local newspaper about an incident between the driver of a car and a motorcyclist. The incident happened last weekend in the vicinity of Soprano's Bar in Maho. It was filmed by several bystanders and later posted on Facebook. The St. Maarten Police Force wants the public to know that all the ins and outs of this case will be investigated thoroughly by the police. In a later stage the police will share the outcome of the case with the media and citizens of St. Maarten.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday December 29th, a 47-year old Haitian woman was arrested by the St. Maarten Police Force because she was suspected of stabbing her husband on Christmas Day, December 25th. The woman was placed in custody and detectives of the police force further investigated the case. The suspect made a statement to the detectives in which she declared to have stabbed her husband multiple times during an argument. After the incident took place the victim was transported to the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) where he was treated by medical specialists. The woman's husband later filed an official complaint against his wife with the police officers. Based on this complaint the 47-year old suspect was arrested.

KPSM Police Report

MARIGOT:--- Roy Cotton Jr. the host of a successful seven year-old radio show, Love and Inspiration and a three year show, The Vibes on YR 92.5 FM states, "I would like to thank all listeners and well-wishers for all their support and commitment towards both my radio shows, The Vibes and Love & Inspiration since their premiere in August 2011 to date. It has been my pleasure in presenting to you only top quality radio shows during the past three years." On Sunday December 28th, Roy Cotton Jr., A.K.A. DJ RC hosted the final broadcast of the Love & Inspiration radio show on YR 92.5 FM during which he thanked the management of YR 92.5FM for the great opportunity afforded him to have presented such great radio shows during the past three years.
Both the Vibes and Love & Inspiration radio shows have been receiving great reviews and extensive exposure; with local, regional and international listenership. February 11th 2014, The Love & Inspiration Show celebrated its 7th anniversary since it premiered on February 11th 2007 on the student radio station at University of Hertfordshire in England.
The Love & Inspiration Show aired on Sunday afternoons from 2:00pm-4:00pm. Love & Inspiration focuses on various topics of interest and in particular topics which enable the listener to experience more meaningful relationships in their lives; friendships, family, love and work relationships. Devoted listeners hear music of excellence; are inspired through exclusive interviews with VIP guests; listen to inspiring love & life changing stories; ask questions on relationship matters and more.
The Vibes radio show aired on Saturday afternoons from 2:00pm-3:00pm on Youth Radio 92.5FM. The Vibes radio show covers the coolest music mix; enhances the listener's general knowledge; shares information on what is happening around St. Maarten and abroad; covers exclusive interviews with VIP guests and more!
In addition, Roy Cotton Jr. hosts two new radio shows "Student Vibes" and "Good Business Cents" which premiered on Saturday December 6th, on Pearl 98.1 FM. The program is aired during prime time from 10:00am-11:00am.
Student Vibes focuses on effective learning strategies, internship & career opportunities,
study choices, student & graduate interviews and studying abroad tips which will enhance the listener's general knowledge. The target group for the Student Vibes show is ages 13 to 70, since learning isn't limited to any age.
Good Business Cents airs directly after Student Vibes, from 11:00am-12:00 noon on Saturdays.
Every Saturday, on Pearl 98.1 FM, a verified pool of over 50,000 persons locally and internationally may tune into The Good business Cents radio show.
Good Business Cents focuses on professionalism, good customer service, investment opportunities, business ethics, good budgeting strategies, successful entrepreneurs, effective business leadership; and helps to sharpen business skills of the listeners on a local and international level while profiling businesses locally, regionally and internationally. The demographics include: persons aged 15 to 70 who are entrepreneurial, innovative and serious about investing; those who are curious about entrepreneurship and willing to venture out into business.
Both radio shows have a listenership as far as Russia, the UK and Mauritius. Host Roy Cotton, Jr. states, "My listeners also hail from: Barbados, St. Kitts, USA, India, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Holland, France, and Canada."
Roy Cotton Jr. believes that all four of his radio shows, The Vibes, Love & Inspiration, Student Vibes and Good Business Cents have the capacity to empower, guide and offer inspiration to individuals and increase the visibility of businesses to many potential customers locally, regionally, and internationally whilst giving his committed and new listeners only high quality radio programs.
Therefore Roy Cotton Jr. is all geared up to take all four of his radio shows to another dimension for 2015. "My dedication to quality broadcasting and to my listeners of the Love and Inspiration show will ensure that the show continues on another station. Look out in the papers and media to learn when Love and Inspiration will resume. Thanks once again for your loyalty and support."
Roy Cotton Jr. thanks the partners of his shows, Motorworld/Caribbean Auto, Xtreme Cleaning Services, A & F Catering, I & I Fitness, Island Real Estate Team, Edible Bouquets, Zamar Musical Productions; and extends Season's Greetings and best wishes to his partners, the community of St. Maarten/Saint Martin, and his regional and international listeners, his family, well-wishers and committed listeners, a prosperous, safe, healthy and blessed New Year 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As the calendar year comes to an end, it is only right to give thanks and look forward to a new year. It is for this reason that the board of the Walichi Basketball Association would like to take the time out to thank all who contributed in funds, their valuable time or just in in one way or the other.

We would like to thank all our sponsors, those who sponsored financially, via products or via their time. Our main Platinum Sponsor Motorworld and Jeep, Gold Sponsor Leonard Enterprise NV, Silver Sponsors GEBE NV and Kadaster, Bronze Sponsors such as MGM Consultants, Cash 4 Gold, Computech and Heavenly Water.Other sponsors include Nagico, St. Maarten Harbour Group, Orco Bank, Plaza China, B&C Beverages, Amity Supermarket, Sky Supermarket, Twin Island Tours, Sweet Water NV and Louis Duzanson. Sponsors who assisted in our fun All Star Weekend are Lester de Graff, Hvack Solutions and Zhou Zhesen.

The Ladies Basketball Championship cannot run only on funds but on the tireless efforts of our "staff" and volunteers. From our table officials, referees, concession personnel, photographers, video editors, LBC Commentators such as "good ol faithful" Latoya Lake and Dennisio Duzong among others and of course AVS News family of Ricardo William, Renaldo William and Ms Altagracia. This league is run on the good will and heart of so many who support females and basketball. Thanks goes out to Ms. Marit Gumbs, Board Director and Mr. Elliot Laurence, Founder of the Ladies Basketball championship for also being vital in the running of this beautiful championship.

The league would not be possible without female basketball teams, thanks goes out to the coaches and players of our 5 teams Cash 4 Gold Lava Girls, Thunderz, MGM Lightning, Learning Unlimited School and Bush Tea Remedy in our inaugural season who have decided to support us by signing up and in doing so showcasing their talents.

Thanks to the fans for coming out each weekend on Saturdays at 6-7:30pm and Sundays from 3 -6:30pm at Melford Hazel Sports Complex in Sucker Garden to cheer on their favorite team.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and look forward to everyone's support in the second half of the season which starts on Saturday January 10th, 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- An armed robbery took place this morning (Tuesday) around 11:05am at the main branch of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) which is located at Cannegieter Street. Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte who was at the scene of the crime when SMN News contacted him said based on preliminary information three gunmen entered the bank and jumped over the counter. De Witte said it is not yet known if the robbers managed to escape with cash as the investigation is in its early stages. The top cop said the three gunmen managed to escape the scene on scooters. When asked if any of the employees of RBC was hurt during the daring daylight robbery, De Witte said no one was hurt during the horrific incident.
Bystanders told SMN News that police immobilized the entire area around RBC Bank in an effort to catch the robbers. SMN News will bring you more information on this latest robbery later today.

RBC Bank on the Cannegieter Street robbed.

On Tuesday December 30th, 2014 at approximately 11am, the RBC Bank on the Cannegieter Street was robbed by two unknown armed assailants. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the bank. After committing their deed they fled the bank. Detectives were on the scene are conducting an investigation.

KPSM Police Report

AIRPORT:--- On Monday, December 29th 2014, Customs Officers at Princess Juliana International Airport found 4 kilos of cocaine packed in 2 suitcases after a routine control of the incoming flight from Curacao.

Both suitcases belonged to a male passenger with initials J.Md and a female passenger with the initials B.B. Both were coming from Suriname.

Due to the ongoing investigations, further information cannot be released at this moment.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The management of the Public Service Center Department (PSC) is pleased to inform the general public that the Civil Registry Department (CRD) will be accepting cash for products and services rendered effective January 5, 2015.

Director of the Public Service Center, Emilia Thomas stated that "since the opening of the Civil Registry Department at the Public Service Center in Simpson bay last year, payment for services and products at this location was only possible by means of a debit card (Maestro)". We have been monitoring the needs of our customers and clients for quite some time, which was an indication for management of the CRD to introduce the service of accepting cash especially for the convenience of those customers and clients who are not in the possession of a debit card.

"We are confident that our customers and clients will appreciate this adjustments to our services". "Our aim is to listen to the needs of our customers and clients as much as possible and look at ways to continuously introduce value-added services," Thomas said.

To avoid delays in obtaining services or products from CRD, customers and clients are advised to ensure that they are in possession of all necessary documentation well in advance. Information with regard to requirements and cost of services or products rendered by the CRD, can be obtained by calling our Customer Care & Customer Information representatives at (721)-545-3380, by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit us online at www.sintmaartengov.org or simply drop in at the Simpson bay branch.

The management & staff of the Public Service Center take this opportunity to wish the entire community of St. Maarten, a happy and safe holiday season! We look forward to serving you in 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sailors and boating enthusiasts should mark their calendars and get ready to set sail at the 35th Annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta taking place March 5-8, 2015. To celebrate 35 years of world-famous racing, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta officials have announced a slew of changes to the racing, logistics and safety rules, all which were developed based on feedback from past competitors and spectators.
Race organizers have confirmed that the ever-popular Gill Commodore's Cup will be open to all Regatta participants (except Lottery class). In an effort to make racing more competitive, organizers will also offer an additional sailing event on Sunday for various racing classes (weather permitting). These new events offer sailors the opportunity to race in six races over the course of four days.
To accommodate additional sailors in these races and the 200-plus entries that the main event receives each year, registration will open a day early on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 and run through March 5. This information, including the new opening hours of registration, can be found in the Notice of Race on the Regatta website (www.heinekenregatta.com).
Further, to elevate stress and confusion for participants who take care of crew scheduling, this year, all races will start and finish at Simpson Bay. This change will also mean sailing crews and vessels can remain in Simpson Bay every evening, allowing for easier hotel and berthing arrangements.
Additional changes have also been made to the Official Safety Rules that will be implemented on all racing days. These rules can be found on the registration website at https://app.regattaguru.com/heineken/100083/docs. Race organizers urge all participants to download the new safety rules and review them to make sure all crew members and vessels comply.
The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta is an annual competition that has become a world-wide and one-of-a-kind sailing event with exciting entertainment, musical performances and celebrations that have attracted thousands of sailors and enthusiasts to the island over the years. The actual competition consists of round-the-buoys contests and point-to-point destination races against the backdrop of St. Maarten's breathtaking coastal views.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Inspectorate of Economic Affairs of Ministry Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), would like to inform holders of bus, taxi, tours (T-plates) and unscheduled transportation (G- plates) permits, that the location for the motor vehicle inspection for 2015 license plates has been changed.
Inspections will be now take place at the Sint Maarten Little League Stadium parking lot between 9:00AM and 11:30AM Monday thru Friday instead of at the parking lot behind the new Government Administration Building on Pond Island.
The inspection will check that permit holders meet several key requirements like; third party liability insurance which should be a minimum of Naf. 20,000 in case of death or bodily injury to a person, minimum Naf. 5,000 for third party damage or loss and at least Naf. 55,000 per event.
For passenger liability insurance coverage should be for an amount of at least Naf. 5,000 per person for death or injury. The vehicle should be in good technical and sanitary condition; all seats must be in good working order and permanently attached to the vehicle. All motor vehicle windows must be made of safety-glass, the spare tire and tools must be present in the vehicle and in good condition to allow a change of the tire.
The motor vehicle must have a fully charged fire extinguisher (valid inspection date) and a First Aid kit. The motor vehicle will have to successfully pass the inspection in order for the permit holder to receive a letter of confirmation which will be necessary to pick up the 2015 license plate from the Receiver's Office
The Inspectorate advises all permit holders to contact the office at 542-4509/4511 or stop by our office at Tamarindesteeg #16, (The Yellow Building) to arrange your inspection date and time.

Did Government cancel their contract with Cable TV for Wednesday? Is the media being muzzled?

PHILIPSBURG:--- The newly installed Gumbs cabinet has taken some radical decisions as to how they intend to deal with members of the media in the future. A press release from Gumbs press secretariat states that the Government of St. Maarten is the last county to establish a press secretariat, a department they said all other Caribbean nations such as St. Kitts have.
Having read the press release sent out by the press secretariat makes us wonder if St. Maarten is worse off than third world countries? St. Maarten for years has the department of communications (DCOMM) with competent staff that have been working almost round the clock to get information to the various media houses, apart from that they also compile special programs and even do work for Ministers when it comes to giving presentations. Their presence and role in government stands out most during natural disasters. While this department has been functioning with the little equipment and tools they have, they never had a plan of action or even a policy with specific guidelines simply because no one from government ever made it possible for them to get the necessary training to do an even better job. However, the current head of the department took it upon himself to conduct an investigation in order to have proper guidelines and trainings in place for the staff of DCOMM. It appears as though the work done is now water under the bridge because DCOMM and its staff has been placed on the back burner.
While DCOMM does need some structuring and some training in order for them to do a better job, the Gumbs cabinet chose to push DCOMM aside to do special informative programs, and they hired new staff even though the country cannot balance its budget to create the press secretariat. It is true that this department is needed but why did government put more financial strain on the already meager budget to create jobs for certain political pundits. The personnel cost of government took up most of its budget, while the indemnities government has to pay outgoing Ministers are beyond anyones imagination.
While adding more expenditures to government's budget the press release sent out Sunday evening did not state if the Government of St. Maarten has canceled the 10am to 11am hour they have blocked at Cable TV on Wednesdays for the weekly press briefings. Indeed they said Ministers will call press conferences when they need to and media personnel could go through the press secretariat to get faster reactions from Ministers because they (Ministers) all have busy schedules. It is indeed a nice way of selling the department and introducing the head of the department, but would any media house send their questions to this department or would they rather send it to the Ministers themselves in order to ensure that their questions and queries are preserved and not shared with other media houses?
DCOMM has several staff members who could have been moved to this new department in order to save government from more personnel expenses. Besides the budget issues it is clear that the Heyliger/De Weever/LRM government who said they are about integrity, transparency and democracy has taken a bold step to muzzle the few media persons that question them on behalf of the people of St. Maarten. Hopefully, the Gumbs cabinet will publish the MB that the Council of Ministers took on this issue in the next national gazette, at least that would be transparent because the full document will be made available not only to Members of Parliament but also to the general population.
It is a known fact that the Leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger does not like to deal with the media unless you are in his corner, the Ministers he appointed over the last governing period acted the same way. For example now Member of Parliament Maurice Lake never attended any of the weekly press briefings while in office. The former Minister made several blunders while being a Minister and he was the one that sent out the most press releases but was never available to answer questions.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs in his address to the small gathering said his cabinet will focus on integrity, transparency and democracy. The questions now are how transparent is the Gumbs cabinet and where is the democracy when it comes to voters of St. Maarten if the media is now muzzled and Ministers are not there to give accountability for the decisions they took. Hopefully, the opposition in the Parliament of St. Maarten will see this move as undemocratic and use the time they have to question government in and out of parliament.

DCOMM in existence for two decades --- What is next for DCOMM?

It should be noted that the Department of Communication has been in existence for the past two decades, while the weekly press briefings actually started in 1996. Therefore, the people of St. Maarten that have been getting information twice a week will now hear from a press secretary who did not even pass the first press release by the Prime Minister prior to dissemination. While the title of press secretary is nice one must know that it is also a very heavy load.
Another observation SMN News made with the press release sent out on Sunday by the press secretary came from a Gmail email address while the Government of St. Maarten has it official website and server, if the press secretary is working for the Government of St. Maarten why is it an official email address from government was not used. This brings one to wonder if the press secretary company got a contract from government to serve as press secretariat, all of the above needs clarification. Also in the press release it mentioned Alston Lourens as a social media specialist, for those that don't know Mr. Lourens attended a two day training at Divi Little Bay that was organized by DCOMM, does that make Mr. Lourens a certified social media specialist? Apart from the qualifications on this issue one has to also wonder if Mr. Lourens will be receiving two salaries one for being a political appointee in the Ministry of Education and another for the new position he just recently attained.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The romantic island of St. Maarten/St. Martin (www.VacationStMaarten.com) has been named in the Top 10 of the "Best Romantic Caribbean Island" by USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The full list of winners can be seen here: http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-romantic-caribbean-island/St. Maarten/
"St. Maarten is an island that is as unique as it is beautiful and our selection by USA Today readers as one of the top ten romantic islands in the Caribbean affirms our haven as an idyllic paradise for couples," said Gus Priest, interim director of tourism for the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau.
Couples visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin enjoy a natural, picturesque backdrop of swaying palm trees, turquoise blue water and white-sand beaches. The destination offers countless activities and attractions for romantic outings including sunset catamaran cruises, horseback riding, beach-side couples massages, intimate meals and more.
When romance means wedding bells, those wishing to get married in St. Maarten/St. Martin can engage the services of on-island wedding planners, who can assist with making the necessary arrangements for a ceremony, and caterers who can plan the perfect reception for the couple. Many of the destination's hotels and resorts offer complete wedding packages inclusive of an abundance of special amenities for the big day.
St. Maarten/St. Martin is home to 37 square miles of breathtaking beaches and boasts numerous historical and romance-oriented attractions. During the day, watersport enthusiasts can take full advantage of the island's scuba diving and snorkeling facilities, while the capital of Philipsburg offers duty-free shopping with a lovely city atmosphere, 14 world-class, Vegas-style casinos and many nightclubs that provide endless entertainment.
With the widest variety of dining experiences of any other island in the Caribbean, the Dutch nation of St. Maarten and the French overseas collectivity of St. Martin offer a wide range of cuisines served in 365 restaurants – one for every day of the year.
For more information on St. Maarten, visit the official site of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau at www.VacationStMaarten.com.

  To establish press secretariat

PHILIPSBURG:--- In an effort to streamline, structure and professionalize the relationship with the media of St. Maarten, the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten have decided to work through an in-house Press Secretariat that reports to the Prime Minister, with integral support from the Department of Communications. The move will give government a communication facet long in existence throughout the region and the world.
The government of St. Maarten would be one of the last in Caribbean to establish a professional Press Secretariat. Several neighboring islands including St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Vincent, Dominica, Trinidad and the Bahamas have had Press Secretariats in some form or fashion for decades. The position in the Netherlands is also common-place with Press/Info Officers in place for Parliamentary factions and/or individual MP's and Ministers. In the US the Press Secretary Office is located inside the White House and is the first contact point for media inquiries to the President. Likewise, every Senator and Congressman has their own Press Secretaries.
Through the Press Secretariat on St. Maarten, the media will have more of an open door to the individual Ministers. It gives the general media the opportunity to reach out with their inquiries and, subject permitting, receive replies in a timely manner. The secretariat can also arrange interviews with Ministers and representatives of media houses. Ministers by nature of their schedules are not always reachable in time for media deadlines and seldom have the time to respond to emails from the media in a timely fashion.
Moreover, the volume of work and country priorities that the Gumbs Cabinet has to focus on in 2015 and beyond, made the establishing of a Press Secretariat a necessity in order to maintain open communication with the media. The weekly Council of Ministers Press Briefings will also be amended and at present will not be hosted by DCOMM on a weekly basis, rather on notification by the Prime Minister. Individual Ministers most naturally can host press avails/conferences to address particular issues when necessary.
In the absence of these weekly press briefings, the media can still send any inquiries/questions to the Press Secretariat who will then confer with the relevant Minister. Additionally, the Press

Secretary can host press briefings to relay information from the Ministers to the media when this is necessary.
The Press Secretariat has identified cooperation as the key element that will shape its routines, organization, and responsibilities. Cooperation will characterize the relationship between reporters and the Secretariat and is based on the need each side has for the other. It is a relationship that will be built on tacit understandings of what each side needs in order to accomplish its goals.
Besides being a conduit of information, the Secretariat will support DCOMM with the Prime Minister's plans to bring the people closer to the process via production of informative programs using new approaches and technologies developed by DCOMM. A well-structured social media presence will also be put in place. DCOMM will maintain its role as the main distributor of general government information while the Press Secretariat will handle direct inquiries from the media to the Ministers and from the Ministers to the media.
It is not a new department that requires additional resources. The Press Secretariat will be led by the Press Secretary of the Prime Minister and veteran Journalist Michael Granger and established Communication and Social Media specialist Alston Lourens who functions out of the Ministry of Education.

Press Secretariat of the Government of St. Maarten

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), hereby makes known that all businesses throughout Dutch St. Maarten are allowed to open on January 1st.

The Council of Ministers in their recent meeting of December 23rd decided to give a temporary dispensation to all businesses based on the Shop Closure National Ordinance. Businesses are allowed to open at their own discretion according to their regular opening hours for January 1st.

Employers are also reminded that if they choose to open on January 1st, employees have the right to proper compensation as regulated by law and should be respected.
The exemption for the opening is based on the number of cruise ships that will be in port on January 1st.

Various businesses throughout the country that offer services to our tourism-based economy will have the opportunity to cater to our valued visitors.

PHILIPSBURG:--- All civil servants are expected to report to work on Friday, January 2. The Council of Ministers took a decision last week not to grant government's personnel the extra day off following New Year's day. This day is not a public holiday. However, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs encourages those civil servants who would like an extra day off to enjoy another long weekend, to request and seek approval for a vacation day via their department heads. The PM explained that 2015, from day 1, is a crucial year for St. Maarten and every facet of the public sector, as often that is legally required, is needed to address priority areas. PM Gumbs, on behalf of his cabinet, went on to wish all civil servants a happy, safe and productive New Year.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As the yearly challenge comes around to select the person of year, this year was not as challenging as it was in the past years, simply because the candidate that was selected made the headlines both locally and internationally more than any other person on St. Maarten. While being in politics for half of his life, during the entire time he was in opposition for a mere 18 months.
That person is none other than Theodore Heyliger who had over 18 years to make this sunshine city really shine. In this article we will highlight as much as possible various angles of Heyliger's political life, his achievements and his downfalls.
When the FCCA conference was held on St. Maarten earlier this year, Heyliger who was one of the speakers said he was the youngest person to represent St. Maarten in such a prestigious organization, yet he became a favorite, so much so that the FCCA gave him the credit for developing tourism on St. Maarten singlehandily.
Rightly so, Heyliger worked hard when he first entered politics and he indeed did a lot to develop our one pillar tourism based economy. His first mission was to build a huge harbor which most Caribbean islands do not have even though they may be able to afford it.
While his intentions for the island back then were probably good he also thought of himself like every other politician who serves themselves first rather than the people that elected them. If there is one word to best describe Theodore Heyliger it would be a "businessman" and not a politician, since everything for him is about dollars and cents.
Heyliger focuses on building large projects in order to earn the 10% everyone says he gets from the projects he initiates, we will develop this accusation further down in this article but for now let us focus on some of the large projects Heyliger initiated and finalized. The A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility, the Boardwalk, Front and Back Street enhancement, the 150M USD Causeway and the unfinished ring road. Many persons criticized Heyliger for the boardwalk some even held protests but today the Boardwalk is the centerpiece of Philipsburg and all the persons that criticized and protested against the Boardwalk are using it today. So while Heyliger may have made some monies from the construction of the Boardwalk, his decision to construct it is to the benefit of St. Maarten.
The first time he left the Democratic Party in which he was born and formed the United Peoples Party (UPP) Heyliger was part of two of the three governments in one governing period. One has to be a good businessman with deep pockets to get the things he is after, and what is it he is after? Full control of the Harbor Holding Companies, the Ministry of VROMI where the 10% comes from and PJIAE, let's not forget the bond issue he insulted Governor Holiday about at the opening ceremony of the Causeway.

International Recognition.
Besides these projects, Heyliger is the only politician that has brought so much bad publicity to the island that it might never recover from, that being the Dutch is on top of the island for the mass corruption highlighted in the PWC report and the "Do the Right Things Right" Report. The island's Prosecutors Office has been accused of "class justice" because his name was wiped out of the Masbangu court case. Heyliger has become so popular among those in the justice system that he is untouchable. The Landsrecherche even interrogated him at his home over beers and snacks in a high profile case. His name was printed several times in the Bahamas where he is accused of building a dolphinarium in the Bahamas with businessman Samir Andrwos.
Besides that, Heyliger was named the mastermind of the taping of former Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge in the famous Bada Bing scandal. He was also accused of offering former MP Romaine Laville bribes on three occasions. Heyliger was mentioned in almost every scandal on the island and internationally, his affiliation with the casino boss Francisco Corallo, businessman and banker Hushang Ansary and former Prime Minister of Curacao Gerrit Schotte.
One must admire that even though the Dutch is after Theodore Heyliger one thing about him is that he refuses to give up. Heyliger refused to let anyone trample on his terrain and as long and as much as it takes he will do everything possible to be in control of government.
One of his favorite statements is St. Maarten is his country and the people of St. Maarten are his people. Well when properly analyzed not once Heyliger has defended a local person or business and most of all not one of his legitimate children were born on St. Maarten, he made sure he got married outside of St. Maarten, yet the people here are his people and yes it is his island while he owns a huge mansion in Miami.

Formation of Government.
Theodore Heyliger made history after the August 29th Parliamentary Elections, despite all the restrictions the UPP was the only political party that had the monies to campaign heavily and that earned him seven seats in Parliament. But seconds after the results were announced and Heyliger and his crew were preparing to party their joy turned into sorrow when the NA/DP/USP signed a governing accord.
When many were working endless hours to finalize the formation of a broad based government Heyliger sneaked in like a mouse and stole one of the coalition members and broke that coalition. On September 24th the island had its first volcano because what was just a rumor became reality when MP Cornelius de Weever signed a governing agreement with the UPP and skipped the island, leaving his voters with their mouths opened.
Stealing the cheese is one thing but eating and making sure it is digested is quite a different story, we can see that Theodore Heyliger successfully broke up the first coalition but he got three extensions to form a government, more amazing is that the people Heyliger wanted to become Ministers four of them failed the screening process outright while the one that is supposed to lead by example did not pay his taxes. So while Heyliger did a lot of good things for St. Maarten forming governments is certainly not something he should do. The current situation where the island did not have a government until Friday December 19th, 2014 when five of seven Ministers were sworn in has placed the island on the world map and possibly in the Guinness Book of Records. Speaking to several persons on St. Maarten about the current political situation they would simply say it's a disgrace and damn shame that the UPP cannot form a government with the right people while he had the best list with the most qualified candidates.

St. Maarten's Paradox.
While Heyliger is the one highlighted within the Kingdom and by SMN News one must accept that the voters on this island played a huge role in allowing Heyliger to get what he wants and to do as he wishes.
It's no secret that St. Maarten has a brain drain problem. Most young people who go away to further their studies do not return. Those who do return have difficulties finding a job; the excuse is usually "you're over-qualified". The lucky few who do find a job are forced to accept a wage that does not match their qualifications. The reason for this along with several other problems on St. Maarten is what is called St. Maarten's paradox. According to Dictionary.com, "a paradox is a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth." After reading that definition one would probably want to stop reading. St. Maarten's paradox is a cycle, a cycle that involves the people of St. Maarten and those in power.
The majority of people on St. Maarten do not have a college education and that is not by coincidence. The sad fact is that those in power willfully hold the people back in order to take advantage of them. Several citizens and politicians have said that they need to move away from the one pillar economy and Education could be the second pillar. But if Education is developed the population will become more aware and start holding their leaders accountable. The people of St. Maarten will also be able to earn a proper living and not need to sell their votes.
Take a look at the University of St. Martin (USM) which is always struggling to make ends meet and the fact that USM hasn't had a substantial investment from government in over 20 years. This is the cycle, those same people that need help will jump on the bandwagon of the politician who has the catchiest tunes, bright colors and is willing to give them a new fridge, which they need and probably can't afford. They are unable to do the math and realize that they are being robbed. The cycle involves people who can't see the problem and the educated few who can but will face serious hardship if they try to make a difference. After all those in power will not sit idly by and let you change the situation which is currently in their benefit.
In the last paragraph it is mentioned that people are unable to do the math or haven't realized it yet so this person of the year award is meant to bring these sad facts to your attention. With a rough calculation one would say the average cost of a vote on St. Maarten is a fridge, a stove, plane ticket or between 200 to 500 USD, these are some of the answers received. People on St. Maarten accept items or cash, so to do the math one can say the average is $600 for many people while the Masbangu case showed persons who received monies got a mere $300. The candidate who received the most votes in the last election was Theodore Heyliger (1945 votes). With this information a rough calculation will assume that Heyliger bought all of his votes, which probably includes his own vote, 1945 x 600 = 1,167,000. Now let's look at the biggest project that Heyliger was credited with during the last term, the Causeway Bridge which based on research cost taxpayers roughly 50 Million USD. If Heyliger was able to secure 10% of that money, 10% of 50 Million is 5 Million. So assuming that Heyliger paid $600 for all the votes he obtained he would have paid $1,167,000 and if he was able to get 10% of the Causeway's financing he would get 5 Million. Keep in mind that this calculation is for one project, this does not include other projects conducted by Heyliger. This also does not take into account the depreciation of the item (fridge, stove etc.) that was received or bought with the money over a four year period, one election term.
As I am writing this I am starting to realize why roads on St. Maarten constantly need resurfacing and why there is heavy focus on building new infrastructure and little focus on maintaining current infrastructure. Politicians that are getting a "piece of the pie" will always pick the biggest pie. And the people who elected them are less likely to ask the critical questions, where is the money coming from, much less where is it going. Politics on St. Maarten, a 16 mi² island is very lucrative, so lucrative that we have had three governments in the last governing term and it continues to be lucrative because of St. Maarten's Paradox.
Earlier in this article it stated that Theodore Heyliger gets 10% on each of the projects he awards to contractors well that fact was shown when BBW secured the clean up Mullet Bay. Our information shows that the company made just over $300,000.00 after the total clean-up out of that $250,000.00 went to Heyliger while the company had to lay off workers, creditors cannot be paid and soon enough if someone is not ready to launder money into that company it will be heading towards bankruptcy.
SMN News is the only media on St. Maarten that awards people in the positive and negative but in the case of Theodore Heyliger, he could not get a positive award neither could he get a negative award, therefore the Leader of the United Peoples Party and Member of Parliament managed to earn a neutral award from SMN News simply because he did both good and bad things for St. Maarten. Besides that. the people of St. Maarten which are the voters are just as guilty for selling their votes and not holding elected officials responsible for their actions. They fall for cheap talk, empty promises and most of all they sell themselves to the highest bidder on the block.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The leader of the UP, MP Theodore Heyliger succumb to the pressure of the Dutch government by first withdrawing his name as a candidate for Prime Minister of St. Maarten, a position that he stated during the campaign that he was ready and able to take on. The fact that he has not made himself available to assume the leadership of this country and to lead the government we consider this an act of treason. Neither has he signed up to be a member of the Central Committee in Parliament that deals with Kingdom Relations. This committee would give him a platform to address the van de Raak and the Bosman. The Dutch seems to have put a spook in his entire wheel. He has misled the people on all fronts and they should never forgive him for that cowardly act. MP Heyliger seems to agree with the Dutch that St. Maarten is corrupt and that they need to come in and clean it up.
The OSPP has suggested before to MP Heyliger to man up to the Dutch and to lead a delegation to hold talks with the first and second chamber, but he instead chose the easiest way out.
First he participated in a meeting of parliament where they passed a motion lacking direction and substance.
Then indirectly he organizes a march that most of the people felt was a waste of time, as well as it didn't have the support of the people and neither did the Dutch government back down.
The Dutch government has succeeded in preventing MP Theodore Heyliger from becoming Prime Minister of St. Maarten, the leader of this young nation. All indications are that the instruction to the governor was to accomplish just that. The question is where do we go from here? Will the Dutch continue to involve themselves in our internal affair and indirectly decides who must not become Prime Minister or Minister of St. Maarten? If the Dutch government didn't want MP Heyliger to become Prime Minister of St. Maarten then they must tell us the reason why. What incriminating information, if any do they have on MP Heyliger that they believe would tarnish the image of the Kingdom if he is to represent them at any function? Why isn't the Dutch forth coming on presenting the information to the public of St. Maarten, if any exist? Can we assume that a recent release of some possible corrupted transaction regarding a company Coal Pot as it pertains to the water taxi was their way of telling us that we have enough information that would prevent him from becoming Prime Minister of St. Maarten?
The OSPP is hereby challenging the Dutch government to present the people of St. Maarten with any type of incriminating information that they may have on MP Theodore Heyliger or we will have no choice but to label them as an accomplice. Withholding vital information to the public regarding any alleged type of wrongdoings against the people of St. Maarten is considered also a coward act and an act of treason. We are asking the Dutch Government to come clean and let the people know why MP Heyliger is not suitable to become Prime Minister of St. Maarten. Their silence on this issue will be interpreted as guilty by association.

OSPP Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Firefly Family Fireworks will commence with the sale of fireworks today (Monday, December 29) from 12:00pm until 6:00pm. The sale of fireworks will continue until December 31 or until supplies last. Sales on Tuesday and Wednesday will run from 10:00am until 6:00pm. Firefly will occupy the same open area next to the Little League Ballpark in Philipsburg for the sale of fireworks.
Customers, who have to be 21 years of age or older to make a purchase, can expect some old favorites but also new fun products. "Assorted packs were very well received and popular last year so we have brought those back. Big sellers were products like the Excalibur, the King assortment packs, Rocket Assault, Magical Wizard, our reloadable shells such as the Private Stash and the all famous Cutting Edge firecracker rolls," Firefly team member Michanou Arrundell said.
"With the high demand, we have brought in more of everything so we encourage our loyal to come over to our sales location early to get there favorite fireworks. ‎We also have new assorted packs especially appealing to kids such as Neon Lights and the Killer Value Assortment. Firecrackers start at $2.00," she added.
Firefly will emphasize safety under their theme "Keep it in the Family, Keep it Safe", with strict rules and guidelines that will be enforced when purchasing fireworks. Arrundell advised that everyone should walk with valid identification since certain 20-something-year-olds might not exactly look it. Even to purchase children oriented products, the person must be 21 years of age or older. Three sales areas/booths will also be available.
Arrundell reminded potential customers that they are expected to be safe and responsible with where and how they are lighting fireworks. As such, Firefly will continue its practice of including safety guidelines in the sales bags of every purchase. She also reminded the public that they are not allowed to light any firecrackers in the public roads and parents should not allow their children to handle fireworks without supervision.
"We actually prefer if the parent handle the fireworks and the children watch and enjoy from a distance," she said. Customers are prohibited from lighting any fireworks in the vicinity of the sale booths. Neither are customers allowed to smoke or have any open flame in the vicinity of the booths.
Firefly has also partnered with Fun Miles again this year, affording customers the possibility redeem their Fun Miles for fireworks. The sale of fireworks is via cash or miles only, there is no Maestro (swipe ATM card) available.

Witnesses identity will be preserved

FRENCH QUARTER:--- On Tuesday December 23rd 2014, gendarmes had to visit a home in French Quarter where a 31 year old man was killed. According to a press release from Captain of the Gendarmerie Slyvain Jouault the gendarmes intervened when they were alerted of the killing.
Jouault said the investigation was done by the Brigade of Research and so far it shows that the two men who were sharing the same home had a quarrel for trivial reasons. Based on the outcome of the investigation done so far it showed that during the dispute the two men began using a machete on each other, it also appeared that one of the men attacked the other one from behind with a flare gun before striking him the fatal blow with a machete in his abdominal area.
Jouault said that when the gendarmes reached the scene they managed to arrest the suspect at the scene. The suspect appeared before the judge of instruction on December 25th, 2014 in Pointe-a-Pitre where he was  placed on remand until witnesses are called and heard in the ongoing investigation.
The Captain of the Gendarmerie said that the investigation is continuing, however they have issued an open call to witnesses that have witnessed this latest murder. Anyone who witnessed the killing are asked to contact the investigators at the Brigade of Research of the Gendarmerie of St. Martin. Persons can call "17" a toll free number for persons living on the French side of the island or +590 590 52 30 10. Witnesses can choose to even visit the Gendarmerie in La Savane and their identity will be preserved as all witnesses will be treated as anonymous witnesses.

SIMPSON BAY:--- In June, 2014, the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation (SLAC) commissioned CH2M HILL, Inc. to perform a traffic study for the Simpson Bay Lagoon Causeway in order to further alleviate traffic congestion in the area of Cole Bay and Simpson Bay. A number of studies were made prior to the construction of the Causeway which strongly pointed to the need for an alternate route.

The traffic study documented that traffic on the new causeway was actually almost 8,500 vehicles per day during this off season study period. This almost reaches the 8,900 volume that was predicted for the high season in 2010. Therefore, it is apparent that the new causeway and bridge is successfully being used by a large number of motorists on a daily basis and is bringing traffic relief during the day to both Union Road and Welfare Road.

The study included video and tube traffic counts for the causeway, Welfare Road and Union Road. A total of 10 traffic count locations were selected as well as the three Roundabouts.

The traffic study also documented that actual traffic volumes on the three roads in June, 2014 (off season) were almost 46,600 vehicles per day versus the 33,700 that was predicted for the high season in 2010. This is almost a 40% increase.

In addition to documenting existing traffic conditions, the study provided certain preliminary recommendations for further improving the traffic flow patterns.

Whereas, the new bridge and causeway are relieving traffic on Welfare and Union Roads to some degree, additional measures can be undertaken to further relieve congestion. These recommendations are under consideration by the relevant authorities.

During the day, the roundabout at A.J.C. Brouwer, Welfare and Union Roads is reaching capacity with almost 50% of the traffic coming and going from A.J.C. Brouwer Road. This round-a-bout sees one vehicle passing every six seconds.

Therefore, improvements on Orange Grove Road and Wellington Road that would allow traffic between Welfare Road and Union Road to bypass the roundabout would bring about traffic relief.

An evaluation has to be made whether parking garages or left turn lanes or back out/parking lanes can allow a more free flow of the through traffic on Welfare and Union Roads.

However, care must be taken to keep from overloading these two side roads. Providing left turn storage lanes at some of the key intersections such as Well Road and Union Road will also relieve congestion.

There also needs to be a review of how geometrics for A.J.C. Brouwer Road Roundabout can be improved and whether the second lane around the aforementioned can safely be restored.
As part of the agreement for the development of the Causeway project, any traffic bottlenecks that would continue would be looked into and a solution found in order to facilitate the free flow of motorized traffic.
It is essential that residents and visitors have a traffic congestion free experience when driving from one area to the next. Visitors come to the island to enjoy what the destination has to offer and don't want to be sitting in traffic un-necessarily.
CH2M Hill, Inc. is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management. The company employs 26,000 on six continents working on some of the most complex projects on the planet.
The company partners with clients in energy, water, environment and infrastructure to design integrated solutions that deliver lasting value.
Attending the presentation of the traffic study were representatives from the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), Head of the Traffic Department Police Force Sint Maarten, Community Police Officer for Cole Bay and Simpson Bay, port officials, and Dam Caribbean Engineering.

POND ISLAND:--- The Turning Point Foundation was one of the local NGOs awarded a (mini)grant from Samenwerkende Fondsen St. Maarten. The drug rehabilitation center was awarded Naf. 5000.00 towards one of its 2015 projects. Part of the grant will be used for the purchase of Computers and educational software - specifically in language, communication and mathematics, for clients at Turning Point. The purchase of both computers and related software will add to the organization's "Client Educational Development" aspect of the rehabilitative process. Additionally; the organization plans to use the remainder to the grant to improve its drug education resource material for its prevention program conducted amongst the local elementary and secondary schools. On hand to receive the donation on behalf of Turning Point, was the executive director of the foundation Ps. Vernon Illidge. Ps. Illidge expressed his gratitude for the donation and his enthusiasm for the upcoming plans for which the funds will be used. He noted that such a contribution will allow clients to learn basic Math, English and Communication skills; hence better preparing them for life after rehab – ultimately contributing to their ability to easily reintegrate in society and the work place.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD informed Members of Parliament that the House as of December 22 is in Christmas holiday recess until January 1st.

Parliamentary sessions are to resume in the weeks of January 12 and January 26.

A parliamentary delegation will be traveling to Aruba for the Kingdom Parliamentary Relations Conference (IPKO) in the week of January 5.

The House of Parliament did meeting in an urgent plenary session on December 22 which will continue in the New Year.
Happy Holidays.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Fire Department has granted permits to Firefly Fireworks allowing them to import, transport and sell consumer fireworks.
Sales will start from the 29th until the 31st of December 2014. The permits were granted based upon the Vuurwerkbesluit AB2000, which regulates the import, storage, transport and selling of consumer fireworks.
The Fire Department granted three permits for public firework displays. The displays will take place at approximately midnight -00:00 hours at Great Bay, Maho and Indigo Bay.
The Fire Department together with the Police, Customs and the Coastguard will be vigilant to ensure that all Firework activities at the closing of 2014 are according to the granted permits and used in a safe manner.
Use caution when lighting consumer fireworks:

• Read the instructions and warnings before usage. The vendor will share these to all customers.
• Protect yourself and those around you. Wear proper eye protection and clothing; also keep the fireworks at a safe distance from flammable material and spectators.
• Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them, combine them or relight after failure.
• Choose an open area away from gas stations, bulk stations, churches, hospitals and old people homes.
• Think on your pets.

In the event that someone gets burnt apply cold water to minimize the damage to tissue and seek immediate medical attention by calling the Emergency Medical Services 912. In the event of a fire emergency, you can reach the Fire Department by dialing 919.
The Fire Department would like to thank each and everybody for their cooperation in upholding the safety regulations on Sint Maarten over the years. The Fire Department wishes you a healthy and safe 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Mrs. Rita Bourne – Gumbs got off to a great start at her first day at work when she presented Pastor Smith who represented the clergy with 20 Christmas Boxes for the less fortunate in our community. This gesture is in the spirit of humanism which is about solidarity and the conviction that we belong to a single human family.
The Christmas Boxes, prepared by the Department of Culture, contained non-perishable goods and were made possible through the kind love offerings collected at the Annual Thanksgiving Service of 2013 and 2014 in collaboration with the St. Maarten Christian Council, St. Maarten United Ministerial Foundation and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The Thanksgiving Service is an annual undertaking by the government and the churches, and is in keeping with compassion, tradition and the expression of gratitude and love after the hurricane season and joy and light at the beginning of the Christmas season in particular towards the less fortunate in our community.
"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed". Proverbs 19:17

Dear people of St. Maarten,

We are going through turbulent and challenging times and many are wondering where their next meal is coming from or if they will have a roof over their heads, while others worry about the increasing cost of living while the wages stay the same, and yet another worries about illness, sadness or grief.
To all of you who are challenged at this time I say to you never give up, for we serve a risen Saviour who always fulfills His promises.
This season of Christmas is a season of Peace, for He was sent as a babe to bring Peace to the world.
Yet those that focus on greed and ownership have continued to push us into war, division and ultimately driven many to poverty.
Therefor I appeal to all who do have this Christmas season to share with those who don't.
The best feeling in the world is to be able to give. So if you can, please give now at Christmas and make it a habit to give love, time, opportunity, chances, incentives, encouragement and if you can, even finances to help build up our society from now onwards.
If you haven't yet done so, choose an organization, a family or a person to help in any way you can on a regular basis. Actively be the change you want to see in the your community, district & country.
In this way, we will have Christmas - that wonderful, peaceful feeling of giving out of love - all year round. We will have made a difference in changing our world.
I pledge to continue to be the change you wish to see in Parliament, and will represent you to the best of my ability by seeking solutions, and working diligently and cooperatively in the interest of St. Maarten and her people.

A Happy & Peaceful Christmas to all and may 2015 be the start of us all getting on board to make it the best year possible for all the citizens of St. Maarten.

Warmest greetings from my family to yours,

Silveria Jacobs
Member of Parliament

My Fellow Sint Maarteners,

I extend Christmas greetings to you and your family. May your season be filled with the promise of Christmas, for Christmas is the Season of Peace. As we celebrate this Christmas amidst challenges at home and conflicts and threats in various regions of our world, let you and I do our part to live in accordance with the promise of Christmas as worded by the song writer Vince Gill:

"Let peace begin with me, Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take, Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment, In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, And let it begin with me"

Because our individual and collective peace offers the serenity and harmony necessary to bridge differences and remedy the issues challenging our community. That is to address issue such as social imbalances, health threats, financial constraints and political and community tensions. In celebrating this season I trust that we will find the strength and courage embedded in peace to dedicate towards that which is genuinely meaningful, a compassionate, strong, happy and just Sint Maarten society. A society of inhabitants thankful for our many blessings, focused on promoting and supporting harmony in our society, with responsive to the needs of the less fortunate and proactive in a remedying the ills in our society. For there is no better way to express our gratitude, as recipients of the wonderful gift of Christmas, than to spread peace and harmony among our brothers and sisters starting at home.

Thus as we celebrate the birth of Christ amongst family and friends and come to the close of 2014, I encourage you to embrace the enduring love and peace of the season now and into the new year with the purpose of the perfecting the quality of life of the people of our island nation.

From Marie-Louise and I, to your family, we wish you joyous, safe and peace filled holidays with the sustaining grace and love of Christmas! God bless you and God bless Sint Maarten.

The Governor of Sint Maarten
Eugene B. Holiday

Due to the Christmas holiday, government offices will be closed half day on Wednesday, December 24 - Christmas Eve.

On behalf of Government, the Council of Ministers wish you and your family a safe and wonderful Christmas.May this season bring you health and happiness.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs on Tuesday met with the Dutch Representative on Aruba, St. Maarten and Curacao Gert Versluis. The meeting was an introductory one, focussed on current developments and other relevant matters.

Thank God for life and his bountiful mercies. St. Maarten, let us use the opportunity we have at this fortunate moment, to dedicate our thoughts towards friends, family and others. We must realize that love and compassion are the enduring virtues we need to have in order to extract and embrace the happiness of life.
As a child (and I know many of you can relate to this), I embraced the long awaited feeling of the Christmas season. I can remember it like yesterday, that warm feeling of love and joy that could be felt with our family, friend, and acquaintance, I believe it is that sense of Christmas spirit every child felt and enjoyed. This spirit of love, unity, kindness, generosity and the best part of it all, was that it felt real. Those days I treasure deep in my heart and I still long to it see continue.
St. Maarten, as this year comes to an end, we need to re-invoke our true traditions. Let us start with this holiday season. Let us bring back the good old days...The days of collectively enjoying the singing of carols with unnoticed time-lapse...Moving from home to home spreading the love and arousing the spirit of the season. Let us continue to enjoy a wondrous feast created by the hands of family and friends in the traditional way, but not forgetting to give thanks for Life and his good will. Remember to pray for the wellbeing of our people and our leaders.
Through our actions of goodwill, we will soon realize and embrace even more blessings and hopefully it will be the motivating force for continued togetherness and kindness towards each other. I can testify of the above (actions of good will to all from the heart) due to a true manifestation of infinite blessings in my life. So I encourage you to practice forgiveness and indulge in good deeds, beyond this season and you will be graced with immeasurable fortune. A positive heart is always forgiving and is always full of good intentions. If we all commit to having such a heart, we can influence a change of how St. Maarten is perceived, both locally and internationally.
So I encourage you this Christmas to celebrate in the good old St. Maarten's way; not because I ask you to, but because of its deep spiritual meaning, connection and the sense of healing will generate.
We cannot forget that sadly, in all the celebration and merriment, there are homes with sad moments. There are people who are suffering hardships and misery. It is possible that we all know someone who is less fortunate than us, in some way or the other, so I encourage you to look deep inside your heart and find a place for at least one person, who you can bless with a good deed. Just make that person feel that there is still hope in whatever way you can.
We pause to give special thought to those who have lost their loved ones, acknowledging that the season may not be the same no matter how hard they try. May God grant them the serenity and comfort they need to overcome their grief knowing that time is a great healer.
We also cannot forget our students studying abroad and how anxious they must be in their minds to spend the holidays back home in sweet little St. Maarten. So don't take it for granted, let them know how much we live and long to see them back home. Take advantage of the varying forms of technology and the media to communicate your love. In the way you know best try to invoke that warm Christmas feeling mentioned above, even though they are far away.
The teaching of Christ is fundamental in our lives. Our youngest generation should grow up knowing the significance of this global tradition.
I feel the need to highlight and recognize the spiritual connection that is universally known, and which serves to link all mankind in mind body and spirit under God. That connection is known as prayers. Through fervent prayers and a forgiving heart, we can touch something that is basic and good in all of humanity...That basic thing is love and compassion. We need to have that virtue in order to evolve from undesirable consequences to desirable consequences, hence progressiveness as a nation. In your efforts to practice what I have encouraged, and by the grace of God, you will soon experience a special grace which will guide and direct you to do what's right in your daily routines.
I am optimistic that my words will touch your hearts, and as a result all of us will share in experiencing feelings of compassion and forgiveness throughout this precious little Island.

A prayer for St. Maarten
St. Maarten be united! I invite the presence of the most high to take full control of this season as we acknowledge and celebrate its significance in our lives. We know there are many nations experiencing worst situations at the moment and we acknowledge your mercies and compassion. We give thanks and praise for your unconditional love and we exercise our faith that you will deliver our nation from all negative challenges. As we enjoy the festivity of the season, keep our precious Island safe from disasters and protect our people from all danger, seen and unseen. You said ask and it shall be given; so I hereby ask that you stimulate the virtues of kindness, love and a forgiving spirit in our lives. So that we can all contribute towards an effective positive change in this nation. Continue to guide me in the right direction of leadership, and bless our pantries and tables with feast-full meals and infinite finances. Bless each home with peace and love, as you continue to deliver us out of the challenges we face daily. This I ask as a leader of your people for this Christmas.... God Bless St. Maarten.

My entire Ministry hereby embrace you in the spirit of this season and wishes St. Maarten, St. Martin, a very Merry Christmas!!!

Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports

PEMBROKE PINES, FL:--- Nearly 7,000 deserving children had something to celebrate this holiday season because of the 18th annual FCCA Holiday Gift Project. The FCCA Foundation again partnered with FCCA Member Lines and their crews, along with private and public sector representatives within 33 participating Caribbean and Latin American destinations, to deliver presents, festivities and smiles.

"We are pleased of the good work that the FCCA Foundation has done with the Holiday Gift Project," said Kevin Sheehan, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., and chairman, FCCA. "It's important to take care of children in need, and it's gratifying to see the Foundation continue to grow and partner with charities who have children counting on them for some holiday cheer."

The FCCA Foundation contributed gifts selected for age groups and genders specified by the destinations. Then Member Lines loaded the presents onboard their vessels and served as Santa's sleigh to bring the presents to partnering destinations, where destination representatives waited with the children, holiday celebrations and Old St. Nick himself.

"On behalf of all of us at Carnival, we are honored and privileged to participate in the Holiday Gift Project," told Carlos Torres de Navarra, vice president, commercial port operations, Carnival Cruise Line. "This project celebrates children and the spirit of giving by providing a very special day of fun and gifts to well-deserving kids in our port communities."

"St. Maarten appreciates and thanks the efforts and donations of all involved with the Holiday Gift Project," told Mark Mingo, CEO, St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies. "These efforts brought not just presents, but also joy and hope, to children who need it, and we look forward to participate again next year. On behalf of Port St. Maarten and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, we say a heartfelt thank you."

"The FCCA Holiday Gift Project brings happiness to children who truly deserve it," shared Michele Paige, president, FCCA. "The cruise industry is proud to give back to the communities of the destinations we call, and I cannot think of a more rewarding way than bringing cheer and aid to children who need it."

Paige encapsulated the significance and overall purpose of not just the Holiday Gift Project, but also its benefactor, the FCCA Foundation-to improve the lives of those less fortunate throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, primarily for children's causes. Every smile is a reminder of this mandate and an invaluable return on the time, efforts and funds provided for causes and projects like these over the Foundation's 20-year existence.

FCCA Press Release

The Modern Agriculture Foundation – a nonprofit organization founded in early 2014 in Israel – is launching a world-wide pioneering project in the study field of cultured meat, focused exclusively on chicken meat.
The project will start on January 1st headed by Professor Amit Gefen from Tel Aviv University, one of the world's leading experts in Tissue Engineering.
The project team will be conducting a feasibility study for the production of cultured chicken breast meat that will be published and shared with the general public. During the course of the project, the challenges of production of cultured chicken breast meat will be mapped and potential solutions, along with the implications of their realization (methodology, time and cost), will be examined and described.
The organization's goal is to make the field of cultured meat more open and accessible by creating an academic and funding infrastructure for every researcher and entrepreneur intending to join the field as well as provide support in the process. Researchers and entrepreneurs who will take part, will help redesign the food industry and move it forward into a cleaner, healthier and environmental friendly world.

Cultured meat will not require raising animals in crowded, industrial sheds or slaughtering them, as well as carry a significantly reduced ecological footprint (in terms of land and water use, etc). Such a product will also be vastly superior in terms of health & food safety concerns to practically all broiler chicken meat consumed today, which is factory farmed. Click here for more information on the benefits of cultured meat.

Cultured meat is a type of meat produced in sterile, controlled environments using cells taken from animal bodies, in a process which results in 100% real meat, as opposed to the "meat substitutes" available today. Culturing meat begins with creating a pool of cells harvested from living animals. Cells are then incubated in a serum rich with energy substrates, amino acids and inorganic salts to support cell metabolism and growth. After just a few days a thin layer of muscle tissue can be created, identical in every way to the type of meat consumed today.

Modern, industrial meat production has had extensively documented negative impacts in terms of the environment, food safety, natural resources, as well as the welfare of billions of animals annually. Cultured meat has the potential to reduce and, in some cases, eliminate that impact, by revolutionizing the way we produce meat for human consumption.

Prof. Amit Gefen:" With the growth in populations and projecting to the future, humanity needs to consider more sustainable models of food production, which will provide alternatives to the traditional ways by which we currently produce proteins from animal source for consumption. Tissue Engineering may offer such alternatives, which is what we will be exploring in this research project. We are targeting the development of a tissue-engineered chicken breast, which is a popular choice for a main course in many cultures and countries, to test feasibility of the concept and, in particular, to identify gaps in knowledge and challenges on the route to commercial production."

The project is made possible with the support of various organizations from Israel and abroad, including US organization "A Well Fed World" for ending world hunger.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, the largest business representative on the island, has taken notice of the increased discussion of late, both in and out of the media, about the instability of our Government and the damage it is doing to our economy. The lack of trust in our current governing system has led to a widespread belief that transparency and integrity are seriously lacking.
According to our recollection we have not had a continuous government, despite periods with the same Prime Minister for the past 6 years, on average a new government has been sworn in each year. Is it any wonder, investors are all sitting on the fence or seeking clearer water?
Let's start with taking the example of the release of the alleged financial statements of the Harbor Group of Companies, the SHTA does not agree with how these statements were presented which in and of itself is a breach of integrity; nevertheless we hereby request that all of the other government owned companies (all 11 of them) comply with the law and make their Financial Statements available to the general public with detailed disclosures including those of Related Party Transactions. Let us all call on our shareholder representatives to insist that those managing the people's patrimony, are making the best decisions for the shareholders not their strategic partners. This should not be something to be hidden—full disclosure should give confidence not a cause for concern.

In essence, the shareholders representative and the Managing Boards must work to ensure that all issues of transparency and full disclosure are addressed, erasing misperception and improve clarity. All queried subjects in the leaked financials are not necessarily incorrect but because of the entities heightened responsibility to the people; both its Management and Managing Board should be held even more accountable to eliminate questions of impropriety while always making the best decision for the shareholder.
It may seem like the Harbour is taking it directly on the chin; but upon closer inspection many of our Government owned entities are riddled with the same issues; ergo The Housing Foundation Crisis, Cost of utilities from GEBE crippling local businesses and keeps potential investors away, and our Communications Companies can barely provide basic services. It may even be said in recent retrospect that St. Maarten's government-owned companies are almost in disregard where it comes to corporate governance, integrity and transparency requirements. We believe that all publicly owned government entities, as well as our government have a duty and obligation to publicly issue their financial statements in a timely and complete manner.
Keeping in mind that the government owned companies represent a significant public financial asset, some 2-3 times the size of the entire Public Sector Budget. Thus to exclude them from analysis of St. Maarten's overall financial situation and determining the country's compliance with requirements of a solid budget as stated in the Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision is absurd.
Regarding the state of Government finances, the SHTA was also disappointed to learn from Professor Dr. Age Bakker during his presentation to SHTA Members on December 4th, that government revenue has remained stagnant at some $420 Million Guilders and as we listened to Minister Hassink's presentation to Parliament on the state of our finances we grew more and more depressed; indeed what has been the cost of all this instability and increasing Tax burden on the back of the Private sector.
If government's revenue has remained flat even after a 2% increase in Turnover Tax what is the point of continuing with the 5% TOT. In our view the law of diminishing returns is in full effect and SHTA has stated many times the TOT legislation is extremely destructive and should be repealed immediately. The biggest effect of the "temporary" increase was to strengthen the grey economy and to give an added advantage to competitors operating outside of our jurisdiction ie NOT Local employers.

With all of the above mentioned and more, the New Gumbs cabinet certainly has its hands full. To the extent we can help get the ball rolling the SHTA has compiled its top 10 Wish List.

SHTA's NEW YEAR NEW GOVERNMENT Top 10 Wish List.

1. Government Stability (a Government that does what it says it will do) with clearly defined programs, policies and objectives
2. To increase tax compliance on those operating outside the law so the tax basis can be broadened
3. Financial Transparency, accountability and customer service at all levels of the Public Sector
4. Repealing of the Turnover Tax legislation
5. Swift Functioning Jurisprudence and application of existing laws.
6. A Functioning Funded Tourism Authority, with the proper and accurate and statistics of our main economic pillars: Cruise, Stay over and Marine
7. Modernize and Flexibilize the Labor Laws
8. Improved Infrastructure and essential public works; sewage, management of the salt pond, sidewalks, garbage disposal, etc.
9. Overhaul education system to create synergy that will match the future employment needs of the island
10. Improved Environmental Management via sustainable developments.

Our future starts now---Happy New Year!
The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices at 542-0108 or visit our website at www.shta.com.

SHTA Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- In celebration of the Wellness on Wheels Programme that is expected to kick off in 2015 on January 28th, Collective Prevention Services at the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA) hosted a short ribbon-cutting ceremony last week Wednesday in front of the Government Administration Building.

A few words were given by Dr. Virginia Asin Department Head of CPS, R.M. Willemsberg Deputy Director/Chief Operations Officer, and Honourable Minister of VSA Cornelius de Weever. A sugar apple tree was planted and blessed to symbolically represent the launching of the WOW programme followed by a blessing of the Mobile Health Services Bus by Pastor Mulrose Toulon. Invited guests were then given the opportunity to have a tour of the bus given by CPS's registered nurse Shardina Blomont-Frederick. The bus consists of a waiting room, two examination room, and is wheelchair accessible. It will be offering information sessions and free screening opportunities for various communicable and non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV, etc.

Minister de Weever thanked Dr. Asin who was essential in bring this project to life, Mr Willemsberg, Hans de Bruyne and the SZV Board of Directors who financed the purchasing of the bus and assisted with coordinating the development of the bus, the American University of the Caribbean who have voluntarily dedicated their time and expertise to the programme, all staff at CPS for their contributions, Lionel Franchisca the bus driver, Alissa Rios who designed the bus, and all stakeholders who will be working together with CPS to bring prevention health services into the communities of St. Maarten free of charge.

My Fellow Citizens,

I extend to you warm greetings at this very special time of year.
I think I speak for many on St. Maarten when I ask a somewhat rhetorical question: Don't you just love a St. Maarten Christmas? We have so many proud traditions we follow for the season it makes you long for Christmas morning when we look ahead to a full day of God, family, friends, reflection and hope.
This is the time of year when families near and far gather to celebrate and share their experiences of the past year in an atmosphere of joy and when neighbors come together in a spirit of friendliness, peace and unity.
This is also the season when we are reminded that in spite of the general feeling of goodwill, there are persons among us who, for many reasons and circumstances, are unable to participate in any festivities or fellowship. Some are facing loss, others are facing hard times, several are separated from loved ones by distance, while others are facing daunting challenges.
It is therefore very heartwarming to witness the outpouring of love and the amount of giving that we've witnessed from those who can and who have to those who can't and don't have as much. I encourage everyone to recognize the very real needs that exist in our communities and look for opportunities to serve those around us. This good will toward our fellow man can go a long way toward making our country a better place to live, and this gift to another pays dividends in our own lives.
From government's point of view, I want to take the opportunity to repeat a statement I made at the swearing in of my cabinet. It seems fitting at Christmas time to stress that St. Maarten, at this stage in its development, needs tranquility, stability and civility which will lead to prosperity. We practice at least two of those traits during the holiday season. We need all of them to carry over into the new years and beyond so that our country may enjoy growth and prosperity.
We face many challenges in 2015. I believe that the people of St. Maarten can overcome these challenges. This island has been blessed. We are rich in diversity, resiliency and rich in people. I hope that we can all work together in 2015 for the greater good of this greatest little country in the world.
From my family, my staff and the Government of St. Maarten I wish one and all a very merry and enjoyable Christmas. May God bless you, guide you and grant you great health and may God keep St. Maarten in his good graces forever.

Marcel F.A. Gumbs
Prime Minister of St. Maarten

by Melba A.Wescott

Lizzy Lizard by Robin Boasman is a colorful and very appealing book for children and for anyone who is fascinated with colors and animals. The main character of this oversized hardcover storybook is Lizzy Lizard.
Little Lizzy is one happy lizard in the animal kingdom. And because she radiates friendliness, all of the other animals that she meets on her one-day adventure in Philipsburg, at Great Bay Beach, at the Zoo on the Arch Road, along the Great Salt Pond, Long Wall Road, and in Little Bay, are inspired to be happy as well.
Lizzy Lizard proves that in order to gain a friend you must show yourself friendly and that showing yourself friendly to others is a very important aspect of a fulfilling life.
The various picture art of St. Martin's history, culture, and natural environment such as the Great Salt Pond, the Soldier Crab, and the Pelican made me smile and I believe it will do the same for many who read this wonderland story to children or for their own enjoyment.
Of course, boys and girls, ages four to nine, and even beyond, who will read the story for themselves will probably take a special delight in the conversations between Lizzy Lizard and her new friends, Iggy Iguana, Missy Mongoose, and all of the others.
The author's writing style is clear and simple. The use of relatable words makes reading very easy. Lizzy Lizard left me wanting more!
Boasman, who is a primary school teacher, leaves room in Lizzy Lizard for much interaction between parents and their children, between older and younger sibling readers, and between teachers and day care workers and the little ones that they take care of.
It was also surprising how the author brought back many childhood memories for me, especially the experience of making new and different friends, and how that aspect of childhood and adulthood is very important.
It might be no better time than during the holiday season to be like Lizzy, let's decide to be happy no matter what is happening and go out to various places of adventure, good company and good cheer, and interact with others. Meeting different people is a wonderful thing.
Lizzy Lizard by Robin Boasman was published by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP) in St. Martin and is available in bookstores.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Saturday, December 20th, 2014, former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Hon. Maurice Lake, as a special moment in the history of the country, wanted it documented at the Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE), that the purchasing of the property by the Government of Sint Maarten has been completed.
Lake who is now a Member of Parliament on Saturday handed over a copy of the Meetbrief to signify this historical development for the people of the country.
"I would like to thank Maurice Pass who played an instrumental role, the Notary, Kadaster, the Legal Affairs Department, and others who played a role in allowing us to reach the point of completing the purchasing of the EWE for the people of the country. I also would like to thank Henry Brookson for the role that he played in this process. The people are now the proud owners of this estate which will be enjoyed by generations to come as well," former Minister of VROMI Lake said on Monday.
Lake made the arrangements for the symbolic handover on Friday morning December 19th, prior to the swearing in of the new cabinet, one of his last activities as minister.

As Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, I have accepted the challenge to dedicate my energies to foster the wellbeing of the people of St. Maarten.

I understand that my actions and decisions will have lasting influences on your precious lives and welfare. I also acknowledge that it will be a reflection of how St. Maarten is viewed both in the kingdom and internationally.

I thank God for yet another blessing and to congratulate my fellow Ministerial echelons on their journey of governing our people.

I acknowledge my Ministerial post as one of the most valued and respected form of leadership of any nation. As a result, it is stimulating for me to embrace the challenges of my commitment, in performing the tasks before me, with integrity.

My mind is completely absorbed with the tasks before me.
In no way am I naive about the immense challenges I am faced with. As I take the torch from my predecessors, I feel extraordinarily energized, focused and ready to take charge.

The ideas, plans and policies of my predecessors, will be considered. I will be determining my own definite course or method of action, which will be selected from among alternatives...to guide and determine present and future decisions.

In order for St. Maarten, to achieve the goals set for the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Sports, our policies will have to be characterized by "Cooperation", "Continuity" and "Evolution" NOT "Revolution". Rebellion is a lost cause and therefore has no room for positive growth.

It will be necessary to explore syndicates with parents, guardians and the community at large, to assist my ministry in the successful development of graduates, athletes and diverse culture-conscious personalities, who are personally successful, economically productive, and actively engaged responsible citizens and residents. The business community will play their necessary roles in this process also.

My family is very proud of my achievements and is prepared for our new journey. With God as the epicenter of all things, we are confident that all challenges will be overcome.

With the optimism that my aforementioned thoughts are understood, and in my capacity as one of the leaders of our nation, I invite the presence of the most high to take control of the daily procedures of our lives, and continue to guard guide and protect us as one people, granting us all the deliverance of the harsh challenges we face daily.

God Bless St. Maarten.

Minister Of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports
Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Inspectorate of Economic Affairs of Ministry Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) would like to inform holders of bus, taxi, tours (T-plates) and unscheduled transportation (G- plates) permits of its intention to reconvene the inspection of motor vehicles providing public transportation services for the year 2015.
Public transportation falls under the responsibility of the Inspectorate of Economic Affairs according to article 14 of the national decree on general measures for the further development and elaboration of the Ministry of TEATT (Organisatiebesluit TEZVT).
The legal competence to conduct this inspection is laid down in the National Decree on Public Transportation AB 1970, no.4, which states that a motor vehicle shall not be used by a permit holder, or after it has undergone a change/repair be put back into service, before being examined and approved by a designated inspection authority appointed by the Minister of TEATT.
The inspection will check that permit holders meet several key requirements like; third party liability insurance which should be a minimum of Naf 20,000 in case of death or bodily injury to a person, minimum Naf 5,000 for third party damage or loss and at least Naf 55,000 per event.
For passenger liability insurance coverage should be for an amount of at least Naf 5,000 per person for death or injury. The vehicle should be in good technical and sanitary condition; all seats must be in good working order and permanently attached to the vehicle.
All motor vehicle windows must be made of safety-glass, the spare tire and tools must be present in the vehicle and in good condition to allow a change of the tire. The motor vehicle must have a fully charged fire extinguisher (valid inspection date) and a First Aid kit.
The motor vehicle will have to successfully pass the inspection in order for the permit holder to receive a letter of confirmation which will be necessary to pick up the 2015 license plate from the Receiver's Office.

Inspections will be done at the parking lot behind the new Government Administration Building on Pond Island 8.30AM to 3.00PM, Monday thru Friday.

The Inspectorate advises all permit holders to contact the office at 542-4509/4511 or stop by Tamarindesteeg #16, (The Yellow Building) to arrange your inspection date and time.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Chippie winner Melanie Fernan (center), flanked by UTS Marketing and Communications Officer, Ivy Lambert (left) and UTS Service Market Manager (right). Ms. Fernan was selected as the winner of Chippie's Puerto Rico Shopping Spree raffle, offered during the months of November and December at Chippie Top Up locations throughout St. Maarten. Ms Fernan was presented with her prize before her departure. Ms. Fernan and one (1) travel companion enjoyed a long weekend of Shopping in Puerto Rico this past weekend, which included airfare and hotel accommodation for two, as well as $2500 in spending money.

UTS Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- UTS Eastern Caribbean, as part of a strategic approach for 2015 and beyond, will refocus and reshape its attention on French St. Maarten in an effort to grow the customer base on the Northern side of the side premised primarily on service and its "one network" advantages.
To lead these efforts, the company appointed Kathia Magdeleine as Branch Manager for its operations in French St. Maarten and St. Barths as per October 1. Magdeleine has been with the company for the past six years and brings a wealth of experience to the function.
Her telecom background is rooted in the former East Caribbean Cellular company where she handled customer care, technical aspects for that company and established ECC's stellar reputation for customer service. She is also fluent in French having attended school on the French side and proficient in French telecom laws and regulations.
Her task now is to grow UTS's business in these two French territories as the company continues to expand into new markets and grow in the region. By her own admission she said she leads a "small team, but very good team and still growing so we can become more competitive and efficient to serve our customers on the French side and St. Barths better."
The focus for UTS on the French side has been primarily to facilitate island wide coverage (2G & 3G) for its customer base on the Dutch side. Management recognized that shifting this focus to being more competitive among the providers on the French side, required investment in technology upgrades, enhancing 3G services and acquiring the spectrum frequency for LTE for eventual LTE 4G. LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, commonly marketed as 4G LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals.
"Our approach has been very strategic thus far when looking at our competitors on the French side. We can't divulge too many details until the official launch of new activities, but we have a very strategic plan of action to compete if not supersede the services of our competitors," Magdeleine said, adding that snap surveys has been conducted early in 2014, again recently and are ongoing. "We have a good idea of market trends and customer needs and what make them choose us over the competitors," she said.
Management of UTS Eastern Caribbean believes that every provider can purchase the same equipment to provide similar service. However, says CEO of UTS Eastern Caribbean Glen Carty, "technology will not be our only success. In 2015 we want to make sure we are always the innovator introducing the latest technology, but boils down to service.
"We will take advantage of our position (operationally) in the North Eastern Caribbean. We are located on almost every island in this region with the exception of Anguilla which is coming soon. No matter which island our customers are on, they will be subscribed as a Chippie customer able to utilize the same technologies and the same customer service. For example, if you are a business person on the French side who goes to the Dutch side for business, we will convince you and our service will show that your best choice will be to use French Chippie simply because it will be one network (Dutch and French)," he said.
Carty said that although UTS will be going after its competitors customer bases, the company will not get into a pricing war. Pricing, he stressed, will be market conformed but emphasis will be on providing a quality product.

UTS Press Release

MPs want documentation and clarity the suspension of Henry Lynch and Emilio Kalmera

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten called an emergency meeting on Monday to seek clarity on what exactly transpired at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) where two members of the management team were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that was to be commissioned by the SOAB. However, former Minister of Housing Maurice Lake who was also a former board member of SMHDF stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation claiming that legal procedures were not followed and that the board of SMHDF does not have a full board. From the time the meeting was called by Members of Parliament William Marlin, Christopher Emmanuel, Frans Richardson and Sarah Wescot Williams and the convocation was sent out, MP Cornelius de Weever dispatched an email requesting documents such as the articles of incorporation for the government entity.
MP William Marlin asked the chair of Parliament to provide Parliament with the letters that were sent to the persons that were suspended; he asked how many persons were suspended and what sparked the suspension. Marlin said he wants to know if an investigation was conducted and if so he wants a copy of the report. Marlin further asked for Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs who made his first appearance in Parliament on Monday to provide parliament with all documentation in order for parliament to have a healthy discussion. Marlin said that while the former Minister of VROMI now MP Maurice Lake stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation that was ordered he was caught on tape saying something completely different. Marlin said its time that Parliament get information from the Minister in charge and those in charge rather than having to obtain information on the blogs and media. MP Marlin wants to know exactly how many persons were suspended, when they were suspended and he asked for the letters that were sent to persons that are being suspended. MP Marlin said he also want to know if any Minister can take it upon himself and interfere in the decisions taken by the board of SMHDF. He said he wanted to ensure clarity be given because so far it appears that the former Minister was in the loop with all that transpired. MP Christopher Emmanuel called on the members of parliament to grow up and deal with the people's business accordingly. MP Emmanuel said that one thing is said in the media while there are other stories living lives of their own in the community. He said that while it it was reported that two board members took the decision to suspend employees and order an investigation, the former Minister took it upon himself to call off the investigation, therefore he wants to know who superseeds at the SMHDF. Emmanuel said he wants to know what evidence does the board members have against the persons that were suspended. He said that someone's life was threatened since this saga began and besides that the people of St. Maarten need to know what is taking place with their sons and daughters.

MP Leona Marlin Romeo said that she wants to know if the Parliament of St. Maarten has the three persons that were suspended at heart and the tenants. MP Romeo Marlin said it appears as though that there is some sort of lynching taking place against locals. MP Romeo Marlin said in the past it was Delano Richardson, then the James and now it's the Lynch's.

Kettle calling the Pot Black.
Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers also asked for the articles of incorporation because he wants to see if the articles of incorporation prohibit people that were incarcerated to be on such boards. MP Meyers said the board member that initiated the process to suspend members of the management team and requested an SOAB investigation was incarcerated. It is fact that Elston Fos was in prison in the Netherlands and was even arrested while working for the Government of St. Maarten and extradited to the Netherlands. Fos killed a man who raped his 13-year old daughter. The murder investigation against Fos was concluded as a crime of passion. However, managing director of SMHDF was convicted for a brutal murder he committed in Cole Bay, he committed the murder during an armed robbery. Therefore when the articles of incorporation is provided it will then be established if persons that have a criminal record could serve on supervisory boards or be part of management of a government entity.
MP Sarah Wescot Williams in her remarks said that from the time the story broke about the suspension of the managing director of SMHDF she sent a letter to the President of Parliament with five questions that would have cleared up all the stories that are now in public domain.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs asked the Parliament of St. Maarten to grant him some time since he just took office on Friday December 19th, 2014 and he needed time to gather all the information necessary in order to provide the answers that the Parliament of St. Maarten is seeking regarding SMHDF.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad:--- Chargé d' Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, Ms. Daniela Tramacere, on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Robert Kopecký, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, and Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, Mr. Giovanni di Cola, have signed-off on a project, which will focus on reinforcing the human and institutional capacity of Caribbean Employers Federation (CEC), including activities with the Caribbean Association of Industry & Commerce (CAIC), and the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), to contribute to the effective implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed in 2008.
The objective of this project, which will be executed by the ILO in collaboration with CEC and CCL, is for employers and workers to engage more effectively in social dialogue, which in turn is expected to contribute to the design and implementation of effective social and economic development policies. The project, which is financed under the 10th European Development Fund, will also strengthen the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and deepen regional integration.
Director, Giovanni di Cola stated, "The project is designed to assist employers' and workers' organizations, the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and Caribbean Employers' Confederation (CEC) in particular, in building and maintaining institutional capacity, and to create a space for social dialogue at the regional level."
Charge d'Affaires, Daniela Tramacere commented: "I am confident that this project will support the CARIFORUM Civil Society integration process and foster greater regional development. The European Union looks forward to its successful implementation."
The 3-year project is due to commence in February 2015.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), an executing agency at the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, is calling on residents to step-up mosquito prevention measures in order to keep the mosquito population down.

Residents are advised to step-up by taking measures at home and at their business to mitigate mosquito breeding such as the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

It is the responsibility of residents, and business owners, to check around their homes, and businesses in order to reduce breeding sites of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, and making them mosquito-free zones.

CPS is calling on residents to encourage and ensure that their neighbor (s) clean their yard in order to be more effective in eliminating breeding sites.

Mosquito fogging is one intervention of several, but the main measure is for every household and business to take action by removing potential mosquito breeding spots in and around their premises on a daily basis.

Homeowners should remove containers or turn them over; boat owners who have boats stored on land should make sure the drains are open for water to run out rather than accumulate creating a breeding ground for mosquito's; spouts should be cleaned; overgrown vegetation should be cut; and old tires should be cut up.

Call for information on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito breeding sites and respective preventive measures at 542-2078 or 542-3003 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- With just a few days left before Christmas, families have already been looking at their holiday meal shopping requirements. Cooking up a storm for this holiday season is one of the Christmas traditions.

Part of the excitement of the holidays is the traditional foods of the season. However, some of these foods can pose hazards that can ruin more than just a holiday meal – they can cause serious illness and even death.

As part of Collective Prevention Services (CPS), Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Safe Holiday Season calendar of observances, in collaboration with the Department of Communications (DCOMM), residents are advised to keep the season safe by following some tips on how to enjoy holiday meals safely.

To Make Sure Bacteria are not allowed to Grow:

1. Use a thermometer. Be sure stuffing, turkey and any poultry dishes are cooked thoroughly to 165 degrees F; ground beef and ham must be cooked thoroughly to 155 degrees F. All other foods, including eggs should be cooked to 145 degrees F.
2. Do not leave foods containing meat, milk, eggs, fish or poultry at room temperature for more than four hours. This includes pudding and custard-type pies that are popular during the holidays.
3. Cool all leftovers to 41 degrees F within four hours after cooking.
4. Do not thaw foods at room temperature. Plan ahead and thaw them in the refrigerator. If the food needs to be thawed quickly, use the microwave or cold running water and then cook promptly after it has thawed.
5. If you are traveling with food, be sure to keep it cold 41. F. or hot 140 F or above while transporting.
6. After the big meal, be sure to refrigerate any leftovers within 1 hour. Bacteria love room temperatures and grow quickly in amounts enough to make people ill.

To Prevent Food from Becoming Contaminated:

1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water before food preparation and after coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, changing diapers, eating, drinking or smoking.
2. Do not prepare or handle foods if you are ill; a cook's gastrointestinal illness could be spread to others sharing the meal. Thoroughly clean and sanitize knives, cutting boards and other utensils before and after preparing raw foods and foods that do not require further cooking. Sanitize with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.
3. Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Contrary to popular belief, if you do become ill from contaminated food, it is not always the last meal you ate that's the culprit. Food-borne illness can occur anywhere from one hour to 72 hours and even longer after eating contaminated food.

Please help make this holiday season safer by paying attention to proper food preparation and handling techniques.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The authors of an upcoming book documenting the wildlife of St. Eustatius hit the ground running with an initial field research session that took them around the island, documenting creatures great and small. Co-authors Hannah Madden and Mark Yokoyama documented several hundred animal species, photographing them for inclusion in the first book about the wildlife of the island.

The six-day field session in December took the team from Boven to The Quill, Zeelandia to Oranje Bay and most places in between. Strange discoveries included a pseudoscorpion many times larger than those seen on the island before (although still harmless and less than one centimeter long) and a caterpillar with a face on its posterior to ward off predators.

"The goal of the first session was to document diversity in many locations and identify areas for more detailed study in the coming months," explains Mark Yokoyama, author of The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin. "Of course, it was also a wonderful opportunity to experience the natural beauty and warm hospitality of Statia."

Over the coming months, additional work will be done in the field, documenting and observing additional wildlife. Identifying and researching the biology of the wildlife will also be a large part of the project. Research into the history of wildlife on the island, as well as local names and cultural associations is a third key component for the final book.

"We are very excited about this book and its potential as an educational resource, a promotional tool for ecotourism and an enjoyable read for anyone interested in Statia," says Hannah Madden, Terrestrial Areas Manager for St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). "It's a wonderful way to share an aspect of the island that I love."

The book project is managed by the non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer, with funding from NuStar Terminals, N.V. and support from the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation, STENAPA and the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI). To learn more about the project and follow its progress, visit www.statiawildlife.com.

Les Fruits de Mer Press Release

CAY HILL:--- Asst. Store Manager, Mia Libier and raffle winner, Jefferson George "Kooyman rounded off their 75-year anniversary campaign with an in-store raffle. This month long promotion offered customers who purchased $75 or more the chance to enter to win $2000 in shopping credit. The entire team at Kooyman would like to congratulate the lucky winner "Jefferson George". Mr. George is a regular customer at Kooyman and is very happy to receive such a wonderful gift right before the Christmas Holidays."

Kooyman Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The acting President of Be the Change Foundation, Melanie Choisy, along with Barbara Cannegieter proudly accepted a donation of $5500.00 from the gofundme Be the Change Endowment campaign, remembering Erika Cannegieter-Smith, the founder of Be the Change.

This fund was started by Doctor Soc of Island 92 and Bruce Park , a frequent visitor to the island, as a way to remember Erika, by donating to her organization which she held so dear to her heart.
People from all over contributed to raise this money, many of whom had never met Erika but who had heard of her good works.

Be the Change is gratified of the support for their organization and hopes people will continue supporting them throughout the next year.
Be the Change will announce early next year what organizations they will be highlighting throughout 2015.
Currently organizations can still apply for funding by emailing Be the Change at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The money from the gofundme endowment will be held in an endowment fund in Erika's name and a special project for use of that money will soon be decided upon.

We thank everyone for their generous contributions and in particular we thank Jeffrey Sochrin and Bruce Park for spearheading the campaign.

Be the Change Foundation

OYSTER BAY:--- At a ceremony on Friday, three sites on St. Maarten were awarded the Blue Flag eco-label, which is bestowed annually on beaches and marinas throughout the world that meet strict environmental and safety criteria. Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, and Yacht Club Isle de Sol were commended for their high standards and voluntary efforts towards environmental sustainability.
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), which organized the event, is the National Operator for the Blue Flag Program on St. Maarten and responsible for conducting site audits and assembling a local jury to review applications. The program is run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and includes over 4,000 beaches and marinas in 48 countries worldwide.
EPIC President Natalia Collier welcomed attendees and noted the contributions of the many people who made the program a success, "Rueben Thompson has led the way in bringing the program to where it is today. People said it could not be done here but his dedication has made this sustainable tourism award a reality. We would also like to acknowledge Dr. Kathleen Shupe of the American University of the Caribbean who made an enormous contribution by voluntarily testing water quality at Blue Flag beaches twice every month for five years and running."
Mr. Emil Lee, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, spoke about the current and pending impacts of climate change and the rising costs of fossil fuels which threaten our tourism economy, "Preserving our environment is...our fiduciary obligation to future generations. As CHTA, we are proud to be a part of this process and will continue to support it in every way possible."
Ms. Lisa Noel of the Tourist Bureau remarked that partnerships are a major component of the success of the Blue Flag on St. Maarten and noted her bureau's work along with EPIC, the Hospitality and Trade Association, the Timeshare Association, and the Marine Trades Association who have all been instrumental partners.
Mr. Clayton Felix of the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Affairs awarded the Blue Flag to the recipients, emphasizing the hard work and dedication of the three sites in achieving the award.
Mr. Ricardo Perez of Oyster Bay Beach Resort commended the staff that made the award possible, including Mr. Adil Benjamin, the Blue Flag coordinator for the site. This is Oyster Bay's first year as a Blue Flag site and they look forward to continuing to build their environmental and safety stewardship in the coming years.
Mr. Brian Deher spoke on behalf of Yacht Club Isle de Sol. Now entering its fifth year as a Blue Flag site, the marina has made many improvements including, most recently, expanded recycling facilities which remove oil from used oil filters for recycling.
Marije Lodewijks of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort discussed environmental measures such as the recent installation of kiosks that allow for the use of non-disposable cups on the beach as well as recycling bins and environmental activities for beachgoers. The resort has also installed a wheelchair accessible ramp to allow all guests to enjoy the beach.
EPIC encourages the continued growth of the Blue Flag award for St. Maarten and hopes to see it become a larger part of the vital tourism economy. Managers of beaches or marinas interested in the Blue Flag award may contact Natalia Collier at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 545-3009.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake to the SOAB to withdraw the current process with immediate effect.
This urgent plenary session of the House of Parliament has been requested by the National Alliance faction Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. William Marlin, MP Hon. Christophe Emmanuel, Democratic Party faction MP Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams, and United St. Maarten Party MP Hon. Frans Richardson.
The Minister of VROMI has also been requested to be present for the plenary session to answer questions and to provide information to the House.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com, and also via www.sxmparliament.org.

GREAT BAY:--- Former Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever, responsible for the production and distribution of drinking water, Management of GEBE, Romelio Maduro, Rene Gartner and Management of Seven Seas Water Mr. Franklyn Richards on Thursday, December 18, 2014 visited the Pointe Blanche site where the second water tank has been built.

"A milestone has been achieved here as storage capacity has been structurally increased," said Former Minister De Weever.

Former Minister De Weever mentioned the importance of having the necessary infrastructure in place for the supply of drinking water for the present and the next generation, which is essential to guarantee public health. He looks back on a fruitful three year period with real improvements in the area of water production and distribution, overall and in particular in the east area of our island.

GEBE will take the just completed second tank in operation soon. The first tank is already in operation. Both tanks will serve as reservoirs for the water produced by seawater reverse osmosis plant built in the "Yellow Building" on the Harbour Cargo premises. The tanks are connected to the water distribution system of GEBE and supply drinking water to the community. Each tank has a capacity of 3000 m3. The total increase in capacity of tank storage of 6000 m3 equals 20% of the presently installed tank capacity.

In August 2012 a three way agreement between Government, GEBE and Air-Fin /Seven Seas Water was signed specifying detailed arrangements of the supply, installation, commissioning, operation and ownership of two water tanks. The 3 way agreement is a sub agreement of the Water Supply (Production) Agreement between Government and Air-Fin / Seven Seas Water for 2008-2018.

The site is located uphill on the road to Monte Vista and is commonly known as the Pot Rum site.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President Virginia Asin of the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise presented a check to second year students of the University of St. Martin (USM) hospitality and tourism management program during g their recent club meeting. According to Ms. Morissa Nicholas, who accompanied the students, the funds are to be used by the second year students for the execution of a school assignment. The students explained to the members of Rotary Sunrise that for their assignment they chose to organize and execute an event to host a banquet for 50 indigent children.

President Virginia said that she knows that this is a big undertaking and that the Club was happy to support when they received the request from the students. This assigment perfectly fits the spirit of Rotary and the theme for this Year which is Light up Rotary. With this donation Rotary Sunrise lights up the hearts and helps to make 50 children's lives brighter for the season who may not have had the opportunity to enjoy such an event. The club feels fortunate to, with the promotion of excellence, also contribute to these college students in the pursuit of their degree and wish them much success in the execution of this event.

The club meets at Carl & Sons Pondill every Tuesday morning at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Effective January 1, 2015, all economic licenses such as business, vending, operational, and public transportation licenses, and amendments to the aforementioned processed after January 1, 2015, will be issued in the English language.

The Department of Economic Licenses is requesting that from henceforth all requests for the aforementioned licenses are submitted in the English language.

Furthermore, economic licenses will no longer require stamps from the Receivers Office of Sint Maarten. The relevant fees are however still applicable and must be paid at the Receivers Office Sint Maarten. A valid receipt of payment from the aforementioned must be presented to the Department of Economic Licenses, before the license can be issued.

Persons already in the possession of stamps for processing fees paid must submit these to the Department of Economic Licenses when picking up your license.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The cost of living on St. Maarten is amongst one of the highest within the region and the cost of energy is one of the main proponents of that cost. A reduction of the cost of energy will result in food prices as well as many other prices on the island to drop, and thus providing the consumers a much needed relief. Every political party and all the candidates during the last campaign have promised the people some type of relief. Today, we have a golden opportunity to make good use on at least one of those promises and that should be by reducing the fuel clause on our energy bills. Many years ago we blamed the central government of the former Netherlands Antilles for everything that went wrong but who do we blame now for the issues that are not being resolved in this young nation St. Maarten?
The fact that a new government was sworn in today and a new minister has assumed the responsibility of energy is no reason for delaying the calling of this very urgent meeting. Sorry, we can't afford the minister of energy a hundred days honey moon which is customary when a new government takes office. As a matter of fact any self-respecting government, parliament and the council of ministers would gladly jump on an opportunity which has presented itself in this form to be able to provide the people of St. Maarten with the much needed relief.
It is also very important to note that NV GEBE will not lose money of any sort by introducing a 40% to 50% across the board reduction in the fuel clause. The decrease in the price of crude oil will automatically result in savings to the oil refineries. The oil refineries must pass on these savings if not in totality, partially to their users, namely companies that use heavy fuel such as NV GEBE.
The OSPP is urging the President of Parliament, Dr. Lloyd Richardson to call this meeting before December 31, 2014. The people of St. Maarten deserve relief and it should be granted to them sooner, rather than later.
We are also calling on all our residents to contact the various members of parliament and let them know how you feel about this issue on reducing the fuel clause by 40% to 50% on your next GEBE bills. The ball is in your court.

Click here to view letters sent to GEBE and President of Parliament.

Marcel Gumbs second Prime Minister since St. Maarten became a country

PHILIPSBURG:--- Five of the seven required Ministers were sworn in on Friday. Former Senator of the Netherlands Antilles Marcel Gumbs was sworn in as the second Prime Minister of Country St. Maarten, the other Ministers that were sworn in on Friday are Minister of TEATT Claret Conner, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Rita Gumbs, Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, Minister of Finance Martin Hassink and Minister of Plenipotentiary Josianne Artsen Fleming.
After the swearing in ceremony, a continuity meeting was held at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall. Governor Eugene Holiday addressed the gathering shortly after the meeting was opened by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs also addressed the members of his cabinet, in his short speech he thanked the governor, the formateur Theodore Heyliger, the board of the UP/De Weever/LRMarlin coalition for the trust they placed in him in executing the tasks ahead of them as they work for the country. Newly appointed Prime MInister Marcel Gumbs also thanked the outgoing Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams.

SMN News understands that while a partial cabinet took the oat on Friday there seems to be some kind of uproar in the coalition since most of the Members of Parliament supporting the coaltion including the President of Parliament did not attend the swearing in ceremony which took place at the Governor's cabinet and the continuity meeting that took place at the A. C Wathey Legislative Hall, According to information provided to SMN News the only persons that atttended the ceremony besides the Ministers and their families were MP Theodore Heyliger, MP Frankie Meyers, MP Cornelius de Weever and outgoing Prime MInister and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams.

Below is the speech from Governor Holiday.

Chairman of Parliament,
Prime-Minister, President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin,
Parliamentarians, Ministers
Invited Guests,
My fellow Sint Maarteners
Good Afternoon,
The August 29, 2014, parliamentary elections set the stage for the transfer of executive responsibility for the governance of our beautiful country from one team of ministers to a new team of ministers. Today, 3 months and three weeks, later we have before us a new team of ministers. It is the culmination of the official formation process amidst complex and tensed domestic and Kingdom circumstances.
During the formation which concluded today I consulted with various persons and named and worked with formateur Mr. Theodore Heyliger as well as with "informateurs" Mr. Joseph Richardson and Mr. Marcel Gumbs. As a result the new team of ministers supported by a majority in Parliament was presented to me by formateur Mr. Heyliger on December 17, 2014 for appointment and swearing-in. To all who gave their input to the formation process I hereby express my gratitude. And in particular I wish to thank Mr. Heyliger for his work and cooperation as formateur.
En route to today's transfer, we have experienced two formation processes, a decision by the Kingdom Council of Ministers to intervene in the screening process of Ministers, the rejection of that decision by the Parliament and Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten, and the resulting cooling of relations between Philipsburg and The Hague along with a lively debate regarding the position of the Governor.
In short a lot has transpired in that period and it is expected that there will be lively and heated debate regarding these developments for some time to come.
This debate which questions the integrity of Government is cause for concern. It is a matter that concerns all Sint Maarteners, for it is a matter that clouds the good and positive aspects of our people and threatens our further development. Coupled with existing budgetary constraints, with recent reports regarding government own companies and prevailing social challenges the key question for this new government is how do we progress from here to continue to create opportunities for growth for all.
It is a question that concerns everyone living on our island because anything that affects one of us will affect all of us. It therefore behooves us, all of us to recognize that fact and to act accordingly. For after all, that's the spirit that has always moved our nation forward.
I believe that we can all agree that to realize further progress there is a need for unified, committed and resolute action.

• Actions that promotes and strengthens a sense of common cause in devotion to Sint Maarten;
• Actions committed to rebuilding trust in Government by the people who we have pledged to serve; and
• Actions that strengthens the sense of obligation to serve our communities interests.

I therefore challenge you as the new team of ministers, as you assume your mandate to govern this beautiful country, to make the further creation of opportunities for growth for all your priority.
I do so against the background of the fact that accepting the function of minister through the taking of the oath today is:

• First, a solemn expression of your commitment to perform your function with integrity;
• Second, it is your pledge of allegiance to the King and the Kingdom Charter;
• Third, it is your individual declaration to always uphold the Constitution of Sint Maarten; and
• Finally, it is your pledge to always dedicate yourself to foster the wellbeing of the People of Sint Maarten.

In that regard, there rests on you individually as ministers and jointly as Council of Ministers a great responsibility. Through your oath, you have accepted the obligation to serve all the people of Sint Maarten.
It is my hope and trust, that as you take the torch from your predecessors, that you will, through the application of the principles of good governance, cause the torch to radiate a bright light directing the way to unite our people in a common cause, anchored in trust and rooted in an obligation to serve towards the further overall and balanced development of our island nation.
Your actions and decisions will have lasting influences on the lives of our people and how we are viewed in the Kingdom, in the region, and internationally. Thus, as you deliberate on taking action on the matters before you during your governing period, I wish you strength and wisdom, individually and jointly, in the conduct of your responsibilities as you seek to meet your constitutional responsibility to the people of Sint Maarten.
With that in mind, I hereby congratulate the people of Sint Maarten with the installation of this new government and similarly congratulate each of you individually and jointly with your appointments as Prime-Minister, Ministers and Minister Plenipotentiary.
Thank you, God Bless you and God Bless Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- NAGICO Insurances through their NAGICO Lend a Hand project executed a massive Food Drive, in which 21 boxes of non-perishable food items were collected, packaged and donated to various members of the community.
The initiative which was spearheaded by the NAGICO Marketing Department and kicked off in September, with collection bins and baskets placed at all NAGICO locations throughout the island and individuals were encouraged to donate whatever non-perishable food item they could spare.
"We wanted this to be a hands-on project where our staff, management, agents and brokers came together to contribute to the community in a tangible way," Paul Dijkhoffz; Executive Marketing Manager of NAGICO said. "We wanted to do something that would make an impact on people's lives, something that would bring a smile to someone's face and something that mattered."
The drive yielded much success and to ensure that the items reached the persons who needed it the most, the insurance company partnered with the Community Police Officers, whom through knowledge of their respective communities suggested some recipients. Food boxes were also given to select organizations such as: I Dad Foundation, Helping Hands Foundation and Hope Outreach Foundation. In addition to the food boxes, NAGICO presented 10 of the individual recipients with a Ham.
"The NAGICO Lend a Hand Food Drive will be an annual project which we have made a priority," CEO of NAGICO; Dwayne Elgin said. "It is important that we not forget the ones amongst us who are most vulnerable and in need. Giving back for us at NAGICO is a culture; it is what we call 'The NAGICO Way' of doing things".
All recipients on location received their food baskets, while the others were hand delivered to the recipient's home by their respective CPOs. NAGICO extends thanks to everyone who contributed to their Lend a Hand Project and encourages others to come on board and be part of this charitable mission.

NAGICO Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Outgoing Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake in one of his final activities on Friday prior to the swearing in of the new Council of Ministers, enjoyed Christmas lunch with senior citizens organized by Home Away from Home Foundation at the John Larmonie Center.

"The seniors are very close to my heart. They are the backbone of Sint Maarten, and they have played a role in bringing me so far in life. I have a lot of respect for our elders.

"I will continue to do my bidding for our senior citizens from the hall of Parliament. We have to continue to further enhance the services for our elders in the New Year 2015," Outgoing Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said in one of his final activities as Minister on Friday.

The outgoing Minister was thanked by the Home Away from Home Foundation, Taking Care of the Golden Age Foundation, and the Seniors Association, for his efforts in helping seniors especially the reduction in utility rates for the senior citizen community.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, December 18th, four NGOs on St. Maarten received small grants, up to Naf. 5,000, for special social projects within their organization.
These NGOs are: COCAAE Drums, No Kidding with our Kids Foundation, SAFE and the Turning Point Foundation. All four organizations expressed their gratitude as they consider these small grants a great way to improve the programs for their target groups.
Urmay Dormoy, the inspiring person for COCCAE, called it an honor and pleasure to receive funds from Samenwerkende Fondsen (Cooperating Foundations) as it gives his drum group the 'outlet' to do the job with his kids.
Merlyn Schaminee, the driving force behind No Kidding with our Kids Foundation, expressed similar thoughts explaining that they now can replace the stove and fridge, which literally have broken apart. With this new equipment they will be able to offer 90 children warm lunches in their afternoon-school program in Sucker Garden.
The recently established foundation SAFE was represented by Nadjeska Gumbs, who shared that this grant was really welcome as the rather newly established organization which focuses on the LGBT community will now be able to carry out an initial assessment in order to determine where St. Maarten stands related to LGTB issues and how further programs need to be developed.
Last but not least, Vernon Illidge, Executive Director of the Turning Point Foundation, called it a privilege to get support from Samenwerkende Fondsen. With the purchase of two new computers and educational software, they will be able to offer educational programs for their clients, who often have dropped out of school. Part of the rehabilitation program for their clients is to give them new educational opportunities.
Samenwerkende Fondsen was able to give out funds to 14 St. Maarten social organizations for 2014 and is looking forward to continue to serve and support the local community. The Advisory Council and Project Advisor congratulate all NGOs and their boards, staff, supporters and volunteers for an excellent job.
They fully endorse the recent 'quote' of the Acting Governor, that "St. Maarten would be a sad island, if we do not have volunteers". The same applies for all these NGOs who have people with extra needs at heart and show deep commitment, often beyond job duties, for their people and island.

By Jose Sommers, Project Advisor Samenwerkende Fondsen

PHILIPSBURG:--- More that 27,5 tonnes of drugs have been seized in Operation Lionfish 2, an Interpol-led initiative targeting the illicit trafficking of drugs and firearms by organized crime groups across Central America and the Caribbean. The seized drugs included cocaine, cannabis, XTC and heroin, with the cocaine haul valued at almost USD 1.3 billion.

Drawing on extensive coordination, groundwork and resources provided by 39 countries and territories across the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe, the two week operation ( 1-14 December) further resulted in the arrest of 422 suspects. Some 7.6 tonnes of chemical precursors, 100 weapons and USD 2.2 million in cash was also seized.

With Interpol Units providing coordination on the ground, Interpol's Regional Bureau in El Salvador and the Octris office in Martinique provided real time support for information exchange and facilitated cross-checking of data against Interpol's global database.

Operation Lionfish 2 included the following countries and territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, St. Maarten, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela.

The unit of Interpol St. Maarten participated in the operation by coordinating the cooperation between the Information Unit of the Police Force, the Customs, the Coastguard, the Immigration and Border Protection Service and the RST.
The cooperation between these St. Maarten law enforcement agencies was experienced as positive and proved that cooperation between the local agencies can be quick and effective.
The participation of Interpol St. Maarten resulted in, the seizure of fire arms, a package with an undisclosed amount of XTC pills and the arrest of illegal foreigners trying to enter St. Maarten with false passports. Considered more important in the participation was the sharing of valuable information in support of the actions by the other member states.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Everythingstmaarten.com, founded 22 years ago as a writing sample by the US marketing / PR company JMB Communications, is about to celebrate surpassing four million site visits by giving away nine St. Maarten vacations. The giveaway takes place live on radio station Island92 at www.island92.com on Monday, January 12, 2015, starting at 10 a.m. SXM time.
Ironically, the site was never intended for public consumption. A freelance writer, JMB owner Jeff Berger wanted to post an eclectic collection of writing samples when he launched his business website in 1993 – and a brief story about St. Maarten was among its writing samples. When search engines appeared, St. Maarten businesses mentioned in Berger's story started getting business from it, and "Everything St. Maarten" was born. It is now one of the most popular SXM websites.
The prizes in the nine-vacation giveaway include: one week at Vista Royale, long one of the island's top villas; another week at a private waterfront Town House at Coral Beach Club; a full week at the all-new boutique Baker's Suites Hotel in Simpson Bay; a full week at Mary's Boon Beach Plantation Resort; a full week at La Vista Resort or La Vista Beach; a full week at Summit Resort Hotel in Cupecoy; a full week at Princess Heights Luxury Condominium Resort, Oyster Pond; a vacation at the naturist Club Fantastico overlooking Orient Bay on the French Side; and a four-day, three-night vacation at Oyster Bay Beach Resort on Dawn Beach at Oyster Pond.
The Grand Prize winner chooses any one of these resorts and receives all the prizes in the next paragraph, plus free airfare aboard jetBlue Airways (round trip from any jetBlue city to St. Maarten).
Additional prizes for the Grand Prize winner include: dinner for two at Spiga Restaurant, Grand Case; dinner for two at Toppers or Toppers By The Sea, Simpson Bay; dinner for two at Dino Jagtiani's award-winning Temptation Restaurant; dinner for two at iZi Ristorante Italiano in Simpson Bay; dinner for two at Vesna Taverna in Simpson Bay; dinner for two at Daniel's By The Sea, Dawn Beach; a one-week car rental from Tropical Car Rental; a trip for two on the wackily wonderful St. Maarten Party Bus; big gift cards from both Caribbean Gems & Zhaveri Jewelers, Philipsburg; and a full one-hour massage from AIA Massage Therapies' Tricia Altenau.
Entries for the giveaway will be accepted through January 5, 2015. For details visit www.everythingsxm.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Minister with responsibility for Aviation Hon. Ted Richardson, recently approved eight aviation ministerial regulations which will assist Sint Maarten regaining Category 1 airport status.

These documents form part of the Sint Maarten Civil Aviation Regulations which in general totals 12 of which 10 were submitted for approval.

The regulations are: Personnel and Licensing part 2&3; Aircraft Registration and Marking Part 4; Approved Maintenance Organization Part 6; Operations and Aircraft Equipment Part 7 & 8; Air Operator Certification and Administration Part 9; Commercial Air Transport by Foreign Air Operators within Sint Maarten Part 10; Aerial Work Part 11; and Rescue and Fire Fighting Services Part 12.

General Polices, Procedures, and Practices Part 1 will be submitted at a later date and Airworthiness Part 5 is already in force.

The regulations are prepared by Section Aviation in collaboration with the Department of Legal Affairs and a Consultant. The advice for approval to the Minister is prepared by Section Aviation.

After the minister has signed the regulations, they are sent to the Ombudsman for screening which takes a period of six weeks before they enter into force.

The Ombudsman makes sure that the regulations do not contradict the Constitution of Sint Maarten.

The estimated date for official entry into force of the regulations is January 10, 2015.

In 2011 a safety assessment audit was completed on the civil aviation authority of Curacao by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to assess the safety oversight capabilities of the Curacao Civil Aviation Authority.

It was discovered during the audit that Curacao does not meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and therefore was given an International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) Category 2 rating.

Since Sint Maarten and Curacao share the same aircraft registry and aircraft prefix (PJ), the Civil Aviation Authority was also downgraded to Category 2.

The downgrade to Category 2 comes with the consequence that airlines from both Sint Maarten and Curacao cannot initiate new air services to U.S territories.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday December 18th, 2014, a press briefing was organized between the Department of VROMI and the Police Department regarding traffic measures that will take place during the busy Christmas Holiday Season. The press briefing was held at the Philipsburg Police Station. These measures are to alleviate the serious traffic congestion that occurs during this period by creating better traffic circulation throughout the Philipsburg area.
Later during that evening between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. you could see police officers directing traffic on the Walter Nisbet road between the Salt Pickers round about (behind the police station) and the Freedom Fighters round about (next to Sundial School). The regulating of traffic was mainly to introduce drivers to the temporary lane on the Ring road that is available to drivers who want exit Philipsburg without any delay.
Thus far this traffic measure seems to be effective.

KPSM Police Report

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The School Bus Inspection Section would like to wish parents, school children and school bus driver's happy holidays and all the best for the New Year.

The school year closes on December 19 for the Christmas and New Year's holiday season and will re-open on Monday, January 5, 2015.

When schools resume in January, parents and guardians are requested to talk with their children with respect to their behavior on the school bus, and in order for the bus driver to ensure safety, comfort and reliability of service, students need to act appropriately when being transported from one point to the next.

The School Bus Inspection Section is looking forward to an incident free and safe bussing of school children in 2015.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Many homes on the inside and outside have been decorated with Christmas lights, stockings, banners, wreaths and the most popular of these decorations is the Christmas tree.

As part of Ministry of Public Health's Collective Prevention Services (CPS) Safe Holiday Season Observances, in collaboration with the Department of Communication, residents are advised to keep the season safe by following a few helpful tips.

Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever as part of his 'Get Checked' campaign, is calling on the community to check their Christmas tree lighting to make sure is operating safely in order in order to avoid any hazards this holiday season.

These are some life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday:

Preventing Holiday Tree Fires

• Holiday tree fire hazards
  Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases.
• Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
  Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
• Caring for Your Tree
  Do not place your tree close to a heat source. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Disposing of Your Tree
  When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by having it hauled away by the waste disposal service.

Holiday Lights

• Maintain Your Holiday Lights
  Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up.
• Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets
  Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.
• Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended

Holiday Decorations

• Use Only Nonflammable Decorations
  All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant.
• Never Put Wrapping Paper near an open flame
  It can throw off dangerous sparks and produce a chemical buildup in the home that could cause an explosion.
• Artificial Holiday Trees
  If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Candle Care

• Avoid Using Lit Candles
  If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.
• Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree
  Do not go near a holiday tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.

By following precautionary tips, families can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty. Happy holidays.

PHILIPSBURG:--- NAGICO sponsored 10,000 brochures to the Community Police Officers of Sint Maarten on Thursday morning, to assist with their crime prevention efforts.
CEO of NAGICO Insurances N.V; Dwayne Elgin made the presentation to representatives of the Police Force; Community Police Officers; Inspectors Steven Carty and Arcella Leonard. "We at NAGICO are pleased to be able to assist the Community Police Officers (CPOs) in this initiative and we remain committed to our community as the repercussions and ripple effect from increased crime rate can be severe."
The brochures which will be distributed by the police officers to the general public contain safety tips on how to minimize the risk of theft, robberies and burglary. It also gives detailed information to prospective vehicle owners on things to look out for, to ensure they are not buying stolen vehicles.
"The CPOs are a group of officers who are assigned to various districts, to ensure that our citizens have direct contact with us at all times when the need arises," Police spokesman Ricardo Henson said. "Their names, photos, cell number and email addresses are also listed in the brochures for convenience and this is one of the many ways that we the police are trying to better serve and protect."
The brochures will be available at the Police station, all Police sub-stations, all NAGICO locations and various businesses on the island.
"We are thankful for this generous contribution by NAGICO and we are encouraging other businesses to come on board as we try to bridge the gap between the Police and the community by forging partnerships with our local businesses," Henson said.

NAGICO Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Positive Foundation President, Shelly Alphonso, flanked by UTS Marketing and Communication Officer, Ivy Lambert (left) and UTS Service Market Manager, Michanou Arrundell (right), presenting her with and amount of ANG 2511.60 in funds raised during the month of October 2014. The monetary contribution was raised through various sales activities throughout October, of which UTS pledged 20% to go to the Positive Foundation in support of their ongoing efforts to create and encourage breast cancer awareness. Alphonso thanked UTS for its contribution and also commended the company for actively including an awareness/education message in their advertisements and messages for the promotional campaigns. "A financial contribution is of course appreciated," stated Alphonso. "Our efforts are certainly further strengthened when a partner gets creative in helping us spread our message," Alphonso continued.

UTS Press Release

POINT BLANCHE:--- Thursday, 18 December, will be one of the busiest days of the cruise tourism season for destination St. Maarten with seven cruise vessels in port with a combined 18,000 (approximately) cruise passengers. This does not include crew, which could be an additional 8,000.

The smallest vessel will be Wind Surf of Windstar Cruises with over 300 passengers, to the largest, Freedom of the Seas with over 3,600. Six of the vessels will be moored along the two cruise piers at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility. Wind Surf will arrive early Thursday evening while the six other vessels arrive early in the morning.

These vessels are Regal Princess (3,500+), Norwegian Gem (2,400+), Celebrity Eclipse (2,900+), Costa Mediterranea (2,700+), Celebrity Summit (2000+) and the Freedom of the Seas.

Wherever residents see cruise passengers on Thursday, show them that true St. Maarten hospitality especially in light of the Christmas season. Tourism is everybody's business. Happy holidays.

HARBOUR VIEW:--- His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the final report of formateur Theodore Heyliger. The formateur has accepted the commission to form a new government that has a majority in Parliament and that consists of Ministers who are committed to the promotion of the wellbeing of Sint Maarten and dedicated to jointly execute the UP/I-2 Governing Accord, agreed upon by the coalition partners United People's Party, independent Member of Parliament Van Hugh C. de Weever and independent Member of Parliament Mrs. Leona Marlin-Romeo. The formateur has nominated the following persons for appointment as Ministers and Minister Plenipotentiary:

1. Mr. Marcel F. Gumbs, Prime Minister, also Minister of General Affairs and – in the interim – Acting Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure;
2. Mr. Dennis L. Richardson, Minister of Justice and – in the interim – Acting Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour;
3. Mr. Martinus J. Hassink, Minister of Finance;
4. Mrs. Rita A. Bourne-Gumbs, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports;
5. Mr. Claret M. Connor, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication
6. Mr. Josiane Fleming-Artsen, Minister Plenipotentiary

The vetting of the nominated Prime-Minister, Ministers and Minister Plenipotentiary, based on the pertinent regulations regulating the appointment of ministers, has not produced any data that could impede their appointment and swearing-in.
The Governor has scheduled the appointment and swearing-in of the Prime-Minister, the Ministers and the Minister Plenipotentiary on December 19, 2014, 15:00 hours, at the Governor's Office. After the ceremony, the Governor and the newly appointed Ministers will have the constituting meeting in the A.C. Wathey legislative hall.

From the Cabinet of the Governor of St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (VROMI) conducted an island wide road assessment for scheduled patchworks, which commenced on Monday, December 15th and will continue through December 19th from 8PM to 5AM daily, weather permitting.
"The assessment was conducted specifically concentrating on potholes on main roads and secondary roads, with intention of completion prior to the holiday season next week, and the patch works will start from Lowlands and end in Philipsburg", stated Project Leader Lia, Dania.
Pending roads include Lowlands, Airport Boulevard, Cole Bay – Welfare Road, Well Road and Union Road, Arlette Peters Road, L.B. Scott Road, Gladiola Road, Coralita Road, Bush Road, Zagersgut Road, A. Th. Illidge Road – after flood gates, Long Wall Road, Cannegieter Street, Sucker Garden Road, Sucker garden road//Middle region, Hulda B. Richardson Road, A. Th. Illidge Road, Dutch quarter, Arch Road and Walter Nisbeth Road.
The supporting schedule is as follows. December 16: Beacon Hill Road, Airport Road, Welfare Road, Union Road, Port De Plaisance, December 18: L.B. Scott Road, Bush Road, Zagersgut Lane, A.Th. Illidge Road, Long Wall Road, Cannegieter Street, Walter Nisbeth Road, Sucker Garden Road, Hulda B. Richardson Road. A. Th. Illidge Road/Dutch Quarter, Arch Road, and Low Lands.
Motorists and residents are requested to be vigilant and pay keen attention while driving in the area, or use alternative routes if possible.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (VROMI) has announced that construction of the floodgates will halt on December 19, and resume the second week of January.
"The floodgates are due to arrive in January from the Netherlands," stated Project Leader Raymond Chittick, "and the project is estimated to be completed by the end of March. The works are progressing smoothly and according to schedule despite minor intervention of rain," he added.
The Floodgates Expansion Project commenced in November and the old floodgates were demolished on December 9 which cleared the way for excavation for the placing of culverts, which will lead water flows from the fresh pond to the salt pond and reversed considering the conditions.
Further works included the rerouting of GEBE NV 8 inch water line' which was extended unto the A.Th. Illidge Road. The reinforced columns were poured and the reinforced walls are currently near completion, which will be backfilled.
All utility companies, mainly GEBE and TELEM are pending review of their cables before the contractor can close the trench. Negotiation is in progress to widen and extend the trench in order to facilitate the volumes of water from the fresh pond to the Great Salt Pond. The current connection from the new trench and the existing one differ in size which may operate as a bottle neck if not adjusted.
Both ponds naturally operate as a basin for water flows from the Cul De Sac areas during heavy rain fall. The Great Salt Pond being lower than the Fresh Pond, holds more water and therefore the floodgates will direct water from the Fresh Pond to the Great Salt Pond 95% of the time. Reversed operation will only take place in extreme flooding when the ponds are equal to sea levels during which the floodgates will be opened to alleviate flooding.

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten/St. Martin Alliance for Equality (SAFE) held its first International Human Rights Day lecture last Wednesday, December 10 at the University of St. Martin (USM).
The lecture, which was a collaboration between SAFE and USM, drew about 20 people to the university campus to hear Sociologist, Denise Vijber outline the origins of human rights, the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, its applicability to St. Maarten/St. Martin and the way forward for minority groups.
Vijber said that the most important thing about human rights were that they were universal and indivisible, meaning that human rights extended to all human beings by virtue of them being human and that one right is not more important that another.
"So if a person is violating someone's human rights by discriminating against him or her or abusing him or her, that person cannot claim that it is a human right to do so based on free speech, etc. One right does not take precedent over another, all human rights must be respected," Vijber said.
She further explained that many of the doctrines found in the non-binding UN Declaration on Human Rights can be found in the Constitution of St. Maarten, which has legal weight and ensures that citizens cannot be victimized by the state or by other citizens. Vijber noted that where there were gaps in the constitution, legislation and ordinances where used to the same effect.
Vijber suggested that as it concern LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) people in particular, the government, family and social stigma still played a role in denying them their human rights. This included areas such as: marriage, the right to adoption, the right to education, and the right to socialize.
"When it comes to education, of course, there is compulsory education, but we can ask ourselves how much is a child really taking in if they are being bullied or teased or made to feel alone or different. These are things that we have to look at and understand," Vijber said.
She said that the way forward for minority groups, including LGBT organizations and individuals, was via a four pronged approach; participation, accountability, non-discrimination and equality and empowerment.
"It is important for LGBT organizations and individuals, but also for all minority groups, to participate in conversations about human rights and also conversations that relate to their human rights, they cannot isolate themselves from this. They must also hold government and others accountable to treaties and conventions they have signed off on, but in order to do this, they must hold themselves accountable to learning about these conventions and treaties and about the monitoring and evaluations that go along with these. Minority groups must also work together and must not discriminate amongst themselves, because that weakens, rather than strengthens them. They must treat each other equally. Finally, they must empower each other and especially the individuals within their groups, so that they are stronger together and so can fight for their human rights and see more progress," Vijber said.
Vijber and SAFE President, Lysanne Charles - Arrindell took some questions from the audience and then there was a celebratory drink and snacks in honor of SAFE's one year anniversary.
"We really appreciate Denise Vijber's flying in from Curacao to make this special presentation for us. While the audience was not yet in the numbers we would have wanted it to be, those that attended the lecture said that they certainly learned a lot. This is most certainly a lecture that we hope to make into a yearly celebration of both International Human Rights Day and also the anniversary of SAFE, which was incorporated on December 10, 2013," Charles- Arrindell said.
She said that the theme for this year's International Human Rights Day was Human Rights 365 and that her organization was going to keep coming back to this concept throughout 2015.
"We say this time and time again, LGBT rights are not gay rights or lesbian rights or bi rights or trans rights, they are in essence, at their core, human rights. The right of LGBT people to be safe, to express themselves, to be happy, to have community, to practice their religion, to move about uninhibited, etc., they are all human rights, not special rights we want for ourselves and that is a conversation we will keep having with those who engage with us," Charles- Arrindell said.
She extended thanks to the University of St. Martin, especially to Khalilah Peters, who is in charge of the lecture series and Valda Woodley-Hazel, who was instrumental in the initial structuring of the collaboration. She also thanked all individuals who came out and supported the lecture.
"This is an event that we will certainly host again and we look forward to future and further discussions about human rights from all perspectives. These conversations can only help us grow and progress as a society and a country," Charles- Arrindell said.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club has just wrapped up a successful week of information sessions on the effects of youth alcohol use on the brain. The sessions were part of the Club's signature project for this Lionistic Year, the "Youth Alcohol Abuse Awareness Campaign".

During the week of December 8th to 12th 2014 high schools were treated to a very honest and open discussion with Rayle Roberts. Having over 12 years of experience in Psychotherapy, on and beyond Grand Cayman, Rayle Roberts, Psycho-Therapist & Owner of Rayle Roberts & Associates, received his Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work & Counseling, with a minor in Gerontology from the University of Central Florida. He hails from Grand Cayman where he is also the President of the Grand Cayman Lions Club and has a professional expertise in working with Young Substance Abusers.

The information sessions were held at 8 different high schools on the island. The core of the message was to consider to not drink alcohol until the young brain is completely developed (at age 25). Youngsters in the sessions were honest in admitting that they drink alcohol and were not aware of the effect of brain cell loss at their young age. In addition to the school sessions, a public presentation, geared towards parents, educators, and other stakeholders, was held at the Belair Community Center and aired live on SXM Cable TV on the evening of December 10th 2014.

The St. Maarten Lions Club would like to thank all participating schools for their pledge of support to this significant project, and all students for their pledge to pass on the message, and have conversations about the information that was relayed to them at their session.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In my opinion, it can and specifically in the case of the formation of the council of ministers, following a regular election.
The Governor has in this particular matter taken it upon himself (and we know why of course) to direct the process.
The government of the country is the responsibility of Parliament. When something seems awry, which it does, parliament has the responsibility to query the formation of a government for the country.
It should never be the case, that candidate ministers are publicly hung out to dry; taken down like sitting ducks, and all this on the basis of information that is somehow attained, because those who should apprise the people of the process, are mum.
Mostly, persons selected for ministerial positions are those who have postulated themselves in an election, unless there is a case of exceptional expertise in one or more particular areas and needed because of circumstances that warrant such. That way, the electorate has the feeling that even in a very small way, they have had their say. You can also have an appointment in national interest.
A so-called a-political or professional cabinet is a totally different matter. Again in my opinion, not applicable in the current situation.
The voters are asked to trust their elected representatives to make good choices. Would it then not behoove these representatives (the coalition) to keep the voters informed?
No, it seems to be alright that this information is somehow leaked, candidates are again hung out to dry. No one disputes or explains.
I conclude that the Governor then should answer to Parliament regarding the formation of the next government, if only to stop the rumor mill.

On behalf of the DP Faction
Caretaker Prime Minister and MP Sarah Wescot Williams

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament, Hon. Lloyd Richardson, MD attended the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Kingdom Charter which was celebrated on Kingdom Day, December 15th.
At the ceremony on Monday, President Richardson met several Sint Maarten students who are studying in the Netherlands.
Queen Juliana signed the Kingdom Charter 60-years ago on December 15th. At that time the three partners in the Kingdom were Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands.
The charter governs the relationship between the four countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands currently comprising of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands.
The celebration of Kingdom Day took place in Amsterdam at the traditional Kingdom Concert.
President Richardson travelled to the Netherlands on Sunday and returned on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament session that was scheduled on Tuesday afternoon December 16th, has been rescheduled to Wednesday morning.
Due to a lack of a quorum, the 1:30pm Central Committee meeting was rescheduled for Wednesday, December 17th at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda point concerns the composition of the delegation and provisions for the next Kingdom Parliamentary Contact meeting between representatives of the Kingdom Affairs committees that are part of the parliaments of Curacao, Aruba, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten.
The next Kingdom Parliamentary Contact meeting will take place in Aruba in January 2015.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com, and also via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Kingdom Affairs and Inter Parliamentary Relations Committee will meet in the House of Parliament on December 18th.
The permanent committee meeting is set for Thursday at 2:00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda point is related to preparations for the next Kingdom Parliamentary Contact meeting between representatives of the Kingdom Affairs committees that are part of the parliaments of Curacao, Aruba, the Netherlands and Sint Maarten.
The next Kingdom Parliamentary Contact meeting will take place in Aruba.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com, and also via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), hereby makes known that business hours have been extended as of December 17th through December 30th for all businesses.

All businesses are allowed to be open until 10 pm. This is in accordance with Article 5 of the Shop Closure Ordinance, which states that the opening hours for the Christmas holidays are regulated as follows:
November 28 through December 4 and December 17 through December 30, closing hours are extended until 10 pm.
On the Saturdays and Sundays and the day before Christmas as a Sunday considered day, the extended hours are until 8 pm, but the Minister is allowing businesses to open until 10 pm on these days as well.

Please take note that this exemption does not apply for the official public holidays Christmas Day (December 25, 2014) and New Year's Day (January 1, 2015), as it is mandatory to remain closed on these days, with exemption to the following businesses as is mentioned in article 3 of the Law on Shop Closure:

• Pharmacies, as far as it concerns the sale of medicine and medical products;
• Bars and restaurants;
• Hotel and guesthouses;
• Stores located in hotels and on airport and harbor premises;
• Funeral parlours;
• Gas stations and
• Bakeries selling pastries, milk and milk products.