Philipsburg: --- Island Councilman Rudolphe Samuel, a member of the National Alliance declared that the Democratic Party has begun their election campaign on the floor of the island council on Monday. Samuel said when he listened to what the current opposition had to say and the questions they posed it is clear to him that they begin campaigning for the January 22 2010 elections.
The island councilman said that it seems as if the Democratic Party had to be placed in the opposition benches so that they could hear the cries of the people. He felt it is good for politicians to be on both sides of the isle since it is only then they can get the true feelings from the man in the street. He said when the Democratic Party was in government for at least 10 years the voice of the man of street could not be heard.
Samuel said the agenda point up for discussion, the financial and economic situation of the island was on the floor for the third time this year. He reminded that the National Alliance who was in opposition earlier this year had brought the agenda point to the floor seeking answers from the former government.
He said when they asked if government had increased the amount of monies going to Social Affairs in their budget and they were told it was not increased. The councilman said it is his understanding that the former government, now opposition did not anticipate that things would become this bad, reasons why they did not reserve monies to attack the crisis.
Samuel said that while the speakers before said they did not come to frustrate the government he wants to know why they would mention it. “If your intention is not to frustrate government why did you mention it or maybe you want to say you come to frustrate the government,” Samuel said the opposition even mentioned that they asked some of the questions before and were provided the answers but because they did not get them in writing, they are asking them again. He reminded the Democratic Party of their statements when they said that the National Alliance/Heyliger and Laviest government does not deserve a honeymoon.
Regarding the sand that is used to build to Ring Road that has a value that was asked he said this is not the first time sand from Great Bay harbor was used for other projects on St. Maarten.
The statement that the Ring Road sand has value. He said this is not the first time sand from Great Bay harbor was used for projects. He said questions are being asked about turn over tax while the same opposition while in government said they were going to increase the turn over tax, today they want it reduced. He reminded of the former commissioner of finance who said he could go to Curacao and speak with the Minister of Finance to increase turn over tax, is now asking that it be lowered.
As for the questions that was posed about the recipient of government land. Samuel said he hopes the executive council would comply and release the names of the people who received government land in the Belvedere area in one weekend. He said when the answer is given it would be revealing for the people of St. Maarten to know who got these land then and who are the owners today. Samuel said that land was given to certain persons back then but today owners have changed.
As for the consultants, the island councilman said the very people that are asking those types of questions are the ones who hired the director of TELEM that has a salary of Euros 20,000 per month. He said a quick calculation would show that this person would receive some Euros 300,000 by the time his term ends. He said he wants government to tell him how much money made during the year 2007 compared to what is made in 2008 after Drent was hired.
Samuel condemned the leader of the Democratic Party who used the Caribbean statics to make her point on the economic crisis. He said the same person was in charge of finances and they did not put in place a system to track and store data.
Samuel charged that the Democratic Party has used political gimmick to say the small man is struggling and they need relief from GEBE. He asked who managed the island for the past ten years. Samuel made clear that the effects seen today did not happen over the past three months.
As for diversification of the economy, he said he could clearly remember Oswald Richardson and Mr. Joslyn Richardson who pleaded with the former government to do something about agriculture.
He reminded the opposition who was said that investing in education is not an investment yet they are asking about the amount of monies is spent on education.
As for the unemployment rate question, Samuel says he too wants to know the figure, because he already asked how many gas stations and drug stores are on the island, to which the answers were not provided.
Also addressing these issues was councilman George Pantophlet who said he used the media in the past when he was asking for information and never got it. He said he called on the former government almost two years ago to form a plan to deal with the global economic crisis that is currently affecting the islands. Pantophlet said he sent a letter to the executive council and never received a response. He said when he questioned how much money was set aside for the pensioners he was told that is private information. Pantophlet said the deficit on St. Maarten stands at 50 million and it is climbing. He called on the opposition to bring proposals to tackle the crisis instead of grandstanding government or the island’s people. The island councilman said it is time the Democratic Party use their 10 years of experience to garner proposals, which he assured the executive council, would consider.
