Listen...the sheriff promised USM Board a big increase. Over a million. Boy, it so much that the USM Board gone crazy and out of they head ... they never see so much money in all the Black history months they have past in St. Maarten. OK, they say, ok, we going fix everything now... Watch, all you going see something now. You no wha USM Board do... this is good planning; They put aside a $100,000.00 per year salary ssshhhhshh...close to the one the Sheriff making...Sshhhhhhhh and they went scouting all over the world for a good USM President. NOW, now... they would be able to find a person deserving of the chance to lead the country's only tertiary institution and they had the funds to find one. Good! But the biggest secret is this... they had to make a promise to the Sheriff. This is the promise: USM Board would reveal the identity of the new President of USM before the end of Black history month. OH yeah. ..and one more thing... the Board had to promise to sent back the civil servant who had been functioning as Dean and Acting President Of USM for 8 months...back to her old job. Why? Cause...now that USM had money... the civil servant could not qualify ... because the salary scales ... you know.. .the job of President? ... local salary scales need to be applied to local people... so says the law, pronounced the Sheriff.
Boy... watch out now. Look wah happen. As the Dutch people on the Board got wind of this big salary that minister Rhoda Arrindell was providing for the President's position, boy they decide to keep dah a big secret among themselves. Nobody was going to take away their chance to benefit from the country that their Dutch Government created for them to govern! Especially not as Minister Rhoda Arrindell was watching they every move.
So .....knowing that a big figure salary for a small job like that is very hard to come by in Holland, the USM Board ain't stupid....the Board start looking to keep all the spoils for themselves. They spread the news among they Dutch friends far and wide that .... Minister Rhoda Arrindell black history month present that one of them could possible qualify for!
For a while they were at a loss. The y could not find any Dutch operatives who where also experts in tertiary education. Big problem. OK then, one person said, here's what we can do though. We can't find someone from Holland with the education background, ... scrap dah... who the hell cares... since we can't find someone with an education background, we have so many Dutch Lawyers here sent by the Dutch government to keep the peace here on St. Maarten... Let's get one of our Dutch friends to fill the position! I'm sure the Minister Arrindell will be happy cause ...anytime any of them staff member at USM step out of line that no work no pay policy will be applied. ...Ahh just the kind of plan the Minister was looking for to keep order.
So they took their time and searched and searched. In the meantime USM was in good hands, the Dean a civil servant seconded to the USM was doing a pretty good job as both Dean and Acting President. So they could take time. There was no rush... But who would want to leave their good paying job as a lawyer to work with these troubles some USM staff who were always complaining and in the news.
Bingo! Found some one who could benefit. The Dutch lawyer could not believe her good fortune. This is more money than she ever thought she could make in ST. Maarten. .. and so fast. She has barely arrived on the island and she gets to run the islands premier Tertiary Education institution. I can just imagine hearing her exclaim, I can't believe this... I leave Holland to come to St. Maarten to get some sand , see and sun and in addition I can get a chance to make this kind of Money. God Bless Country St. Maarten. God Zij dank! Ahh.... I don't think she every going home again. You talking bout a country... this is it. But... thank God my Dutch friends keep this a big secret... cause if any of those local St. Maarten lawyers had hear what kind of money USM Board was offering , they would have flooded the board with applications too!