SXMElections.com

Dear Editor,

I was listening to MP Theo Heyliger's interview on Oral Gibbs and it never stops to amaze me how politicians can be so good in saying what the people want to hear, instead of saying the truth. I had heard a few days before that US and UP were making a deal. When MP Heyliger was asked about it, less than six hours before it was published, he did not give a straight answer even though the question was repeated to him.

During that interview he blamed everybody for the not-so-good things that are happening on Sint Maarten. So I asked myself, where is he living, and had to smile because I realized he is really living far from the people. MP Heyliger is talking about nationals not being hired as opposed to non nationals. Who has been in government or has been running this country for umpteen years?

Had I made a statement saying that the business people are the ones calling the shots on Sint Maarten, I would be the trouble maker. But is not MP Theo Heyliger blaming the businesses for doing so, or is he confirming that the business people are running the show.

We know about the rumours of US leaving the opposition and joining with the UP and the others and it finally happened. No surprise to me. I did not know what was really planned, but it was made clear to me, when a person listening to another politician who was not pleased with the news, said, "I can't believe that that politician does not understand what went down."

He explained it with a few, but clear words. Frans wants to do something. To be able to do it he has to be in government. Theo wants a two-third majority to ensure him that the government will not fall and mess up his plans. A win-win situation for the two of them. I do not know if the people will be included in that equation, seeing how it has gone in the past with the UP-led government. We know that both Frans and Theo have been saying that it is time that attention be paid to the people, so let me suggest how they can prove themselves.

Now that they have a 2/3rd majority and nothing should stop them from getting legislation passed, do the following. Calculate how much taxes the pensioners pay, which I know is not that much in comparison to the profit that GEBE is constantly making and let GEBE absorb those taxes and pay them to government for the pensioners. Would not that be more genuine than that political scheme of reducing GEBE's for the elderly?

And I will be bold and also add that the fuel clause be eliminated from the senior citizens bill. I spoke to people who could know and got the notion that GEBE makes a lot more money clean than the people can imagine. I used GEBE as an example, but that should become the norm with all of those government-owned companies. If the people's money is used to make money then the people should get dividends. Give back in some positive form and not give back to get more.

Now this! Too many people are talking about the number of non nationals who are walking around in security uniforms and working in ticklish places. Some say that our national security is in the hands of non nationals. What I know is that even though you cannot walk the streets without stumbling over a security guard, highway and high-day robberies are on the increase, and nobody is noticing anything before those crimes are committed and the perpetrators also get away before being caught long after.

I know for a fact that MP Frans Richardson has Sint Maarten at heart and can do something about these situations. I would suggest to all business people to accept a profit of for example $1000, instead of $2000, and save Sint Maarten. Fix your immigration and protect your people. If we look at the trend nowadays, the proverb 'All crave, all lost' should come to mind. Where there is a will there is a way!

Russell A. Simmons