Marigot:--- Territorial councilor Jean David Richardson told reporters on Saturday that the Collectivity has hired some 500 persons in the last three years. Richardson felt that hiring so many people was irresponsible since the Collectivity seems to be having financial problems and there is constant need for St. Martin to approach the State for monies to pay its bills. The councilor felt that if the COM and its government had taken the time to listen to the socio-professionel and the community councils then those persons and more could have been hired by the private sector. Revamping the economy would definitely attract more business to the French side of the island which would have ultimately created more jobs in the private sector. However, what is amazing is that the Chamber Regional de Comptes in its annual report of 2002 advised that the then commune of St. Martin should not hire anymore persons since the commune was not able to balance its budget for years and was having an enormous deficit. St. Martin was basically in the red which according the Chamber Regional de Comptes was not normal. The commune at the time had outdone its budget on hiring more people.
The report by the Chamber Regional de Comptes was even used against St. Martin when the local politicians were pursuing a change of status, but after some clever politicians and administrators shifted some figures and creating an EPIC for the water deficit, the status change was granted. However, the COM is still paying the debts that were created over the years by the then commune.
While several politicians felt article 74 was the best thing to happen for St. Martin, because according to them they would have been able to get more monies. That definitely did not happen because the senator on several occasions kept saying he is the one going behind the State to get more monies so the COM can pay its bills mainly salaries. Senator Fleming was once described as the leader with long arms when it comes to getting favors from the State. Former first vice president Marthe Ogoundele Tessi had said this during her first year in office when the senator managed to convince the State in 2009 to give St. Martin the Octroi de Mer funds for that year.
However, the brighter side of this status change did allow local politicians to get new titles like president and senator while the councilors managed to take some more monies as their indemnity. While the island has lost tremendous amount of monies, and the State is no longer responsible for giving the island tax monies whether or not it was collected neither can the State or the department of Guadeloupe take the blame for our shortfalls.
Ever since St. Martin achieved its status the island has lost an enormous amount of monies that it once had when the island was under the department. Funds like the Octroi de mer, the taxe sur la fortune, the taxe foncier, taxe habitation no longer come to St. Martin. What is clear is that the bills of the Collectivity have increased ever since the status has changed. They inherited the expenses that the commune left behind with additional salaries for the 500 persons whom they hired.
Mayor Albert Fleming on July 14 2007 warned St. Martin and its people to prepare for the hardships that lie ahead. Mayor Fleming said back then the politicians did not know what they were getting into when they sought a change of status.
Three years later the people of this great nation are now seeing what the former Mayor saw years ago.
On November 11, 2010, Senator Louis Constant Fleming told SMN News he was busy negotiating with the State to get an advancement of 8 million Euros so that the COM could pay its employees for the end of year that money he said was on its way to the island coffers. Amazingly, SMN News learnt that while the COM hired 500 people to work, many of them have "la contract de droit privee" which means no one not even the elected councilors know what their salaries and other benefits are. The only person that signs off on the "contract de driot privee" is the President. The qualifications of these persons for example the DGS is sealed along with his contract. How much he makes for the excellent management of the COM remained sealed to the territorial council and the people of St. Martin.
Territorial councilors are asked to approve budgets but they do not know how the people's monies are spent. Many of them vote in favor of these budgets without questioning how and where the money that is allotted to the President's cabinet is spent.
SMN News recently learnt that the COM spent over three (3) million Euros on its elected officials. Sources say monies were used to buy cars, laptops, cellular (Blackberries) and Ipad for the certain elected officials while the schools lack basic materials.
The new movement announced last Saturday that they would be requesting an audit of the COM finances as a news entity we do hope measures are taken by this group to secure the audit and its results so the people of St. Martin to see how their monies were spent over the last three years.