SXMElections.com

Dear Editor,

I read an article on MP Maurice Lake and wanted to compare reports, but that was not possible. Mr. Lake stated that he had made mistakes in the past, but that people learn from their mistakes. The term that is used in this case is cliché. Ministers of government do not make mistakes. They accept to do whatever is done in the way that it is done and not in the way that it should be done. And that is no mistake. MP Lake, as he himself says, might not be the best speaker in parliament, but we all know he can "read 'n write".

I heard stories of a commissioner, who was tricked several times by his right-hand man into signing documents by slipping them in a stack of permits and had him sign them early in the morning before leaving the island on a trip. No minister can claim that happened to him. If he says that he signed off on certain things that he did not agree with, but had to do it anyhow because of the alleged pressures that were put on him to do so, or that those so- called deals that the people are always talking about were too sweet to pass up, that might get through, but Ministers of government do not make mistakes, they are aware of what- ever they signed off to.

Was the Bluemall situation a mistake? Do you really listen to yourself when you talk? Where was the mistake in the Vorst land deal? I know where your mistake was. Your mistake was to think that the people would lie down and play dead. Of all the places, does MP Lake really think that Sint Maarten people do not know prices when it comes to land? According to MP Lake, his coalition government has to start executing projects and the people are seeing that nothing is being done. I have said it over and repeated times and now MP Lake confirms it.

Those MPs are not doing anything. People have gone to the police to make complaints about paying people to do a job and they did not do it, or did not do it good enough. My question is, should the people of Sint Maarten go to the police for those MPs also? It might sound like jest, but MP Lake confirms it. And then they want two years more pay if they don't get back in parliament to be able to slowly get back out of their lifestyle of doing nothing.

"We do not need the Dutch to tell us about integrity". I agree with MP Lake on that, but it is not only the Dutch who know about the way we do business; it all of those whom we do business with. Just like people in the east are known for suicide bombing, and the Dutch pledge to themselves to get you one day, to our politicians, it is "what's in it for me". Was the Dutch in on your land deal? Let me know because I will not crucify you and let them get away. We are kingdom partners with the Dutch; we signed on to certain things and we are not doing what we are supposed to do and these are the results.

We talk about the unemployed youth among other things, and still we are not making any effort to have immigration do what is right for the country. If one minister did the wrong thing and we are convinced that it is not good for the country, we should not let it continue to hamper us. This is something the MPs, like MP Lake stated, who are not doing anything, can embark on.

The name of the country has not changed, it is still Sint Maarten. Even though when I hear certain twang, I have to reflect. This is still Sint Maarten, people. We have our own Constitution and laws; what are MP Lake and his colleagues doing about it. I will be ready to accept mistakes from Member of Parliament Lake, if he goes out there with the intention of straightening out things on Sint Maarten and makes a mistake (for instance saying the not so acceptable thing). I would be the first one to clarify and probably defend that by voicing my opinion.

DP is lobbying, jump on the band wagon. Show the people of Sint Maarten that you can get together and do something positive for the country. But there is something that will never sit good with me. Why should Members of Parliament, living on Sint Maarten just like me, under the same conditions, bad roads, high prices, no economic control and we could go on and on, why should you think that things are good for me with the little bit that I'm getting, but that you need that overblown salary?

Should not I need all of that money also to be able to cope with normal life on Sint Maarten? I do not want to be on any board to be able to be part of the in-crowd or inner circle. I know what that gives. From a young man, I had two good friends who are psychologists and through them I learned that rich people and successful people have two specific reasons why they use alcohol. One of the reasons is to blame what they want to reveal, because they cannot keep it to themselves, on alcohol. So when you catch them at the right time and the right place, you might hear things.

MP Lake made a "mistake", he does not know what is the right formula. If they had the right formula, it would have also been ready to be able to get the correct number of ministers in place. MP Lake has not learned from his mistakes, but I understand. How can we blame him for letting himself be used when it has become second nature to him? The hurtful part in my perception is that Sint Maarteners are letting themselves be used by Sint Maarteners to fool the people of Sint Maarten. I wonder what this smoke screen is for this time?

And now for my little input. Maybe there is something that I do not understand too well in business, but if all of those internet providers have to go via TelEm (or whatever the correct business name is) for bandwidth is it fair that TelEm should be an internet provider? And then if government was interested in lowering prices, would a merger between Telem and Sint Maarten Cable TV be a means of lowering the price of Cable TV's monthly subscription?

Russell A. Simmons