Marigot: --- The teachers of the Lycee and the three Colleges that are on strike do not intend to go back to work unless they get more clarity from the Collectivity and the rectorat. The teachers union including the some members of the MOCSAM met with members of the territorial council and the Sous Prefet yesterday evening as they try to iron out some of the grievances that were presented to the elected and state officials on Friday during the protest march.President of the MOCSAM Julien Gumbs said that the COM and the State prepared a document addressing some of the issues. That document Gumbs said was presented to them during the meeting. He said so far several meetings were scheduled to discuss the issues at hand. The first meeting is scheduled to take place today where matters pertaining to the schools will be discussed. While the MOCSAM is content with some of the answers that were given there are a number of issues that were not touched. One such issue is the selling of the vignette which the MOCSAM has been protesting from day one. Also not addressed are the "Tax de la Fortune" and the VAT that was suppressed by the Territorial Council. Gumbs said the MOCSAM will be meeting later today where they would be analyzing the document they were given. He said after that meeting the MOCSAM would definitely be submitting an answer to the COM and the State. Gumbs said some of the answers that were provided by the elected officials can be accepted while others are not. The MOCSAM he said plans to hold further discussions on these points until they can get a more favorable answers. He said they would definitely be seeking answers from the COM as to why they did not answer them on the vignette, impot sur la fortune and the VAT on real estates.
Gumbs said a meeting is planned for Friday this week where they would be looking at ways in dealing with wholesalers of certain goods. This meeting is geared at the pricing of certain goods and services on the French side of the island. Another meeting is scheduled for February 27th which would be dealing with housing, while another meeting is scheduled for March 3rd where they would further discuss the issues of the schools on St. Martin. It is expected that a representative from the Rectorat will be in the island for this meeting. Gumbs said the meeting that is scheduled for today the unions and the teachers would be dealing with the issues that falls under the competencies of the Collectivity while on March 3rd they would be dealing with the issues of the Rectorat.LaCroix on Vignette.
In an invited comment Delegated Prefet Dominique LaCroix said that the road tax or sale of vignette is completely legal since it was voted in by the territorial council. LaCroix said the only set back with this taxation is that the COM still does not a decree which would give the gendarmes or the Territorial Police the right to issue fines for the non payment of this tax. He said while the COM cannot take anyone to court for these taxes they still can try to convince the people to buy the vignettes. However Julien Gumbs had a little discussion with LaCroix and the two men is not of the same opinion. Gumbs made clear he would wait and see what the outcome of the court case would be.
In the meantime President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin Frantz Gumbs said they did not respond to certain items because they do not see it as an immediate threat to the community. He said the COM concentrated on the most urgent issues which they believe is their direct responsibilities towards the schools.
President Gumbs said they also believe some of the issues at hand were politically motivated as politicians he did not see the need for them to respond. He said the issues related to the vignette and tax de la fortune is not coming from a social movement instead they believe it's more of a political move from the oppositions. He said as a politician he has no problem answering the questions since they have worked on the files and they do know what they are speaking about. President Gumbs said even though there is a difference of opinion they do know what they are speaking of on a political standpoint. He made clear they do have all the answers for the list of grievances but they did not have enough time to give all the answers to the MOCSAM.On the issues of the schools he said the teachers were not satisfied with the answers they were given and as such they would be having another meeting today to shed more clarity which includes dates. President Gumbs said the COM has all the answers for the teachers but the document which they provided to them could not outline the details they are requesting. He said the COM would be providing the answers these teachers by the end of March in a series of meetings.