Before even responding to your proposal for raising toll at the borders between SXM South- and North, to 'generate income' for the Governments of the island, I have the following rhetorical questions for you.
Did you really for a second, think that everyone forgot, that you were part of 'Team St. Maarten' which brought home the '10-10-10-bacon' ?
The 'team', which has betrayed and deceived the SXM people, under the guise of doing 'we own ting', once we break away from that 'awful' Central Government ?
Do you real think everybody forgot, that led by your much admired leader, Mr. William Marlin, we the people were denied the opportunity to have a 'last check' of the facts (= ratification) before jumping into your oh so coveted Country St. Maarten 'train' ?
Do you also think, that everybody forgot the lies told to the people, that once we were on our own, all the money would now stay on St. Maarten and that we would have millions in surplus for ourselves ?
Well, honorable Sir, not everybody, if anybody at all forgot those deceptions, betrayals and lies.
So, please, instead of now coming up with really brilliant ideas to find income for 'Country St. Maarten', do us a favor and lead by example by first 'digging into your own pockets'.
After all, since you the politicians, were so convinced of the benefits of us going separate status on '10-10-10', without granting us the, people the respect of a last check, it is only fair- and logical, that all elected officials be the first to make financial sacrifices.
How you ask ?
Simply for instance by tabling a motion in parliament, that all members of parliament and all ministers must reduce their salaries and other perks to the level of the average salary of all civil-servants, before taxing any other groups and certainly before taxing St. Martiners.
In addition, that motion should also require them to put all their assets in an escrow-account.
Only then, would you, elected officials have any moral authority to pressure others to pay for the deception you and your fellow politicians have brought upon the people of this island.
Once you do that, I am sure that others would not mind making their contribution to resolving the financial disaster caused by you politicians.
Now, as far as your brilliant proposal is concerned to taxing vehicles crossing the borders with a toll, be advised as follows.
As St. Martin's grassroots nation building and unification movement, rest assured, that the day any impediment on the free movement, in whatever form and/or shape, would be placed on native, indigenous St. Martiner people, 'Crappo will smoke he pipe'.
Since, you are always seem more concerned about the rights of immigrants, and since you like your leader, also do not know what a St. Martiner is, let the following just remind you somewhat.
First of all, the native, indigenous St. Martin people are one, indivisible people, with a common history, family bonds, heritage, succession-land, past and future etc.
Yes, they live on an island, divided and administered by two distinctly different administrations, but they have always lived in the spirit of the Treaty of Concordia as one people.
More than that, the native, indigenous St. Martin people are the very embodiment of the spirit of that Treaty.
In addition, not only is that Treaty applicable (like the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty), but we have lived it for over 300 odd years, making our typically Traditional way of life, in fact an example of 'unwritten law '( 'gewoonte recht') , which is just as legal as any other form of 'written law'.
Therefore, honorable MP, if you ever want to apply that toll on St. Martiners, forget it very fast, if you know what is good for you and if you do not want all St. Martiners up in arms against you.
If you want, you can feel free to place it on your immigrant friends.
After all, they have only received 'papers/documents' for one side of the island and thus in strict legal terms, are (illegal)foreigners in the other part.
Leopold JAMES,
President of the grassroots St. Martin nation building- and unification movement and a proud native, indigenous St. Martiner – without apologies.