Dear Editor,
Reading the message from MP George Pantophlet in respect of the fact that the Dutch can afford to cancel Sint Maarten’s debt makes me realise that we have lost our ability to live like adults and take responsibility for our own actions.
Just because the Dutch can afford to write off the debt, it makes no sense at all for them to do that. We are sitting on an island the size of a small town where politicians earn on average a salary far above any other politician in the world.
Also, most state-owned companies on the island are filled with individuals on multiple boards who earn way above the norm, hence the fact that a profit for the country is seldom realised. None of these individuals are prepared to sacrifice towards the good of our island but the Dutch must do so because they can afford it? It is like saying to the bank, absolve me from my debt because you can afford it!
The amount of residents paying tax on the island sits at a poor 35 per cent because we feel it is always somebody else’s responsibility. If we don’t contribute towards the island’s economy what can we expect to achieve?
As a child I wanted an item that I could not pay for and I asked my dad for help. He looked at me and said: you have a pair of hands, use them! So, I washed dishes in a restaurant over weekends and delivered newspapers morning and night and eventually I managed to buy what I desired. The feeling of having achieved that made me proud and I think we as St. Maarteners need to be prepared to sacrifice and work hard to achieve our goals instead of holding out our hands like beggars.
We can do anything, but have to put our mind to it. We have to learn to behave independently and self-sufficiently, but this can only be achieved through hard work and discipline.
Rene Lammerse
