Philipsburg:--- As the year ends we at SMN News had yet another difficult choice to make when it comes to selecting the person of the year. For SMN News the person we selected this year stood out as one of the most controversial persons who finds himself in everything. A man that is seen as heartless and without compassion. One that took bread out several people's mouths while making sure his own pocket is filled and running over. He is a church preacher that gets his pennies from the tithes collected at the Cole Bay Church where he preaches, while he collects two salaries as General Manager of Simpson Bay Resorts and his almost Naf. 20,000.00 as a Member of Parliament. Not to mention his daily income as a businessman who owns Natures Discount in Philipsburg.Our person of the year 2011 in the negative is no other than Member of Parliament Jules James from the United People's Party. One who despite preaching about God's love and compassion managed to fire 145 persons even though many of them served their employers for over 25 years. Yes!, Jules James did not pay these workers in December even though he knows its Christmas; a time when people share their blessings, a time for family and a time of giving. Yet Jules James made sure his workers were not paid and these people were not able to put food on their tables yet alone share. James made sure he collected his salaries as Simpson Bay Resort General Manager to the tune $11,000.00 while he collected Naf. 18,839. 00 as Member of Parliament along with the profits from his business, Nature's Discount.
Jules James is known as a Man of God that preaches God's Word yet he is not able to feed his flock according to the principles of God's word. According to James' Facebook profile, he has a passion for work... so he made sure he climbed the ladder in the service industry from a busboy to the company's leading General Manager at the former Pelican Resort, now Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV (SBRMC) and Royal Resorts Management Company Ltd (Former Pelican Resorts) the largest Resort in the region.
Jules James did everything that is humanly possible to make sure he remains the company's GM, even if it means selling his soul. In order to do so, he got into politics and made sure he got his co- workers to vote for him, he promised them that if he is elected he would take care of them. As loyal workers, they voted for Jules James not realizing that the man was making sure he sits where the power lies so that he could get rid of them without being persecuted. A local preacher on a political list, that got 152 votes and earned himself a seat in Parliament when his party leader Theodore Heyliger and Rhoda Arrindell vacated their seats in Parliament to become Ministers. Now a member of the house that makes and amends laws, James voted on two motions on the floor of Parliament to save his own skin. The six Members of Parliament from the UP faction has all said that James needs to make a decision since they are all affected. Some said James needs to resign from Parliament. They said his party leader told him that he needs to decide what he will do since he is the party's black sheep. SMN News was told that the brains of the UP party Joseph Richardson has decided to take a back seat in the Jules James and Pelican saga because the next person in line to become Member of Parliament is Richardson's nephew Jesus Richardson, another rookie in the house should James resign.
Besides being a man of GOD and now Member of Parliament, our person of the year Jules James made headlines throughout 2011 for being the meanest person on St. Maarten. He is one that lacks respect for people even though there is always a broad smile on his face. Jules James is known to be a mean boss, as former General Manager of Flamingo Beach, for one reason or another he left the resort when he was having problems with his employees. SMN News was told that the owners of Flamingo bypassed James and made their own decisions to save their Resort and reputation. A decision that Simpson Bay Resort is yet to make even though the labour scandal has been going on for over a year now. One thing for sure is that 2011 was the year of labour unrest. It will be remembered as the year of protests. The Pelican workers started striking last year December, and throughout 2011. The Pelican Workers and Jules James made headlines in a negative way. Jules James made history when for the first time on November 17th angry workers decided to mob elected officials as they left the house of Parliament.
When we look back 2011 the only person that stood out is Jules James. So we were left with no other choice but to select Mr. Jules James as the Man of the Year in the NEGATIVE. Congrats Member of Parliament you earned it and since we know MP James as the Man of God we will leave him with this Bible verse: Mark 12:17:Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him.