THE WISHES FROM THE GROUP RASSEMBLEMENT – RESPONSABILITE - REUSSITE.

The year 2010 has gone and with it, it’s first ten years. 2011 is here and we have made it by the grace of God. 2011 is what we may call a two legged year – 11 as the two legs. For us humans, two legs is a sign of stability, balance and also mobility.

• Let us determine during 2011 to be stable in our faith,, in our values, our convictions and in the principles we live by so that transparency, tolerance, and sincerity may triumph. In short, may confidence be the underlying word that fosters development, growth and the creation of riches and value in our community.
• In 2011, let us determine, together to be balanced in our judgments, in the choices we make and in every decision we take so that wisdom may triumph, quietness, in short may peace and harmony be the underlying words that strengthen our “living together”.
• In 2011, let us remain mobile, active, forward going with the firm intention of rekindling confidence, peace and harmony. Let us remain strong as a people, let us aim to be better citizens and together, as a people, reach for the highest goal; May 2011 be a proactive year! In short « let’s turn things around ».

Our wishes are indeed a call to action, a call to bring about change, a call for better days.

2010 has once more proven RASSEMBLEMENT – RESPONSABILITE – REUSSITE, our political group to be right. Our analysis were correct, our warnings and the proposals we made were all on point.

1-      In 2010 the image and the credibility of the COM of St-Martin once again were seriously tarnished because of the intrigues, the internal quarrels and the “killer game” played by the members of the ex-majority. Both the failure and the forfeiture which followed have had negative implications on outside organizations such as the SEMSAMAR

2-      The reality, the scope and gravity of the financial problems which we have denounced since the end of the year 2008 are now admitted and recognized. Our remarks such as “misleading budgets”, “insincere budgets”, “alarming financial situation” of the COM, are now familiar to most of you. By the end of the year 2010 it is thanks to the consumption of a 10 millions line of treasury, the obtaining and doubtlessly the consumption of 7,5 millions in advance treasury received from Central government in Paris and approximately more than 10 million debts (in the form of advances on works and other services) from the SEMSAMAR, (on the whole more than 27,5 millions of Euros), that our Community has been able to honor its main obligations and this in spite of an asserted 25 to 30% decrease of the expenditure stated in the 2010 budget.

3-      We militated, made recommendations and convinced the ex-majority to join our positions and to adopt our posture as for the discussions, negotiations and battles to be carried out with the State and its services. As a reminder, we have never ceased to ask for the convention of means with the tax services of the State to be denounced and renegotiated so as to include conditions regarding the objectives, effectiveness and control. Moreover, we have managed to have the Executive council adopt on 13/01/2009 a deliberation authorizing the President to take all the actions including specifically seizing the court in order to do all that would obtain the respect and consideration of the financial interests of our Community vis-a-vis the State; within the framework of the negotiation of tax convention with the State, after having noted that our Community was about to lose the face, we wrote, presented and obtained the unanimous support of the entire Territorial Council on 24/06/2010. In 2010, finally - better late than never - discussions are initiated regarding the convention of means; more positive still an ultimate equitable relief - letter to the President of the Republic - was initiated during the last quarters of the year before a contentious action was initiated before the courts. Better still, our motion made it possible to tip the scales definitively in favor St-Martin, in the discussions on the tax convention with the State. The tax convention was signed the 21/12/2010, and should be ratified by the National parliament within the framework of an organic law during the 1st quarter 2011. St-Martin will now collect the income tax on non-fiscal residents stationed on its territory, in particular the State civil servants.

If only of those points 2010 has once more proven the RASSEMBLEMENT – RESPONSABILITE – REUSSITE which we are, to be right.

Nevertheless, it has not gone to our heads:

• It’s the expressions of trust, as the days go by, that more and more of you are witnessing to us as a group.
• It’s the hope you have in our team to keep up this good work and reinstate the right and credible image of our community through citizenship and political action.
• But it is also our hope in return, to some day earn your support to hold higher positions and lead this country St Martin,

that will continue to guide and motivate us throughout 2011.

We resolutely place this year 2011, under the sign of mobilization and action, but also consolidation and the conquest of confidence. Confidence in you, confidence in the unsuspected potentials of our territory, confidence in the resilience and the desire to bring about change in our people and in our youth in particular; confidence in our elders, they who are the memory and pillars of our human heritage and essential links for the transmission of the torch and the inheritance to our youth. 2011, “it is high time to rekindle the stars” (1); we thus like to declare “Together let's make it happen in two thousand eleven”.

Happy new year to all.

Aline HANSON                     Alain RICHARDSON.

(1) citation from G. Apollinaire.