Dear Editor,
Again because of lack of transparency of government there are normal things which could be made known, are not. Reason mentioned is the complicated and secretive way in which the moneys involved with the projects are handled.
I do not know if there is anything complicated about the public transportation. What I assume is that the permits were not issued in accordance with the conditions of the law, but that should be the easiest part of the solution. If one was not entitled to a permit, revoke it. The ongoing infraction has to be stopped.
I touched on the public transportation again because I am convinced that if the public transportation is regulated and supervised along with the strategically implementing of routes and laying out the bus stops, the traffic congestion will decrease about 50 percent. The gypsies would go back to doing what they got residency to do and, best of all, the crime rate, believe it or not, will decrease.
But as I picked up the paper from Wednesday, February 20, 2019, the first thing I read that Toyota’s CEO visited St. Maarten. My first reaction was, “Oh no, not more cars!”
It was as if St. Angelo was pinched, because he was careful to say that they won’t go crazy and try to grow too fast. But fact remains that they are here to grow. We also know that there is not much space left to enhance the road infrastructure.
What I have heard is also not encouraging, because it was said by someone who could know that no one in government wants to touch public transportation. This again is proof that we are dealing with a set of insecure people who are getting government money without doing anything for it.
I also am looking at the Prime Minister for not engaging the Dutch in a conversation concerning assisting us with regulating our public transportation. They have been number one in the world.
Government has to be ready to deal with the difficulties. Every journey begins with the first step. A transition period, when necessary, should also be implemented and, if necessary, all permits which were issued not in accordance with the public traffic ordinance should be revoked. Clean up and reorganize the whole system.
If they start by doing things the right way, I am sure that that will help decrease those talks about St. Maarten politicians being corrupt.
By the way, during the last campaign that was my cry: “Out with the old and in with the new.”
The record will also show that since 10-10-’10 very little to nothing has been done to improve life for the people of Sint Maarten. So, the politicians themselves have to do it right to help themselves because the Dutch are not hesitating to accuse them and even lay waiting to arrest them. This did not come from me, the proof is in the newspaper to read.
Someone told me that the amount of old, secondhand and new cars which are in the car lots to be sold would take up about one-tenth of the paved roads of St. Maarten, not counting the school buses, the dump trucks and the backhoes and excavators, etc. Do we really need more cars?
Russell A. Simmons
