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.
