Dear Editor,
If my ready knowledge serves me well I can state that the permits to operate a business are placed in the business concerned readily available to the controller so that controller should not have to ask the owner for it. Because I am aware of this I always read them to know who the owner(s) is (are).
I am amazed at the amount of names of St. Maarteners that appeared on those permits in businesses managed by non-nationals. In the supermarkets nowadays the ratio non-nationals to nationals is five to one or four to none. Not to mention the illegals who accept less than minimum wages, encouraging job owners to claim that the nationals don’t want to work.
For a while now I have noticed that Prime Minister Mercelina is acting spokesman for GEBE, which also raises questions, because I believe that there is a ministry in which portfolio GEBE is included.
Because of the above and because of seemingly injustices with “fuel clause” I do not believe that the name of the owner(s) of SOL on St. Maarten should be withheld from the people (government) of St. Maarten. This is not a permit to carry a particular weapon, so the clients should be able to know, without any red tape, who the owner is or the owners are, who is making all of this money from the fuel clause.
If a calculation is done from the amount of money made, like someone told me, the tax alone from that money could pay one-third of the government’s employees’ salary. Based on this and the letters sent to you concerning what is happening at GEBE I do not think that it should be a secret. It is the people’s money and we should know how it is being spent. For instance, how much is a billion divided by sixty thousand?
Now this. I am fully aware of the increase in temperature In the area, but even though I might be venturing into dangerous territory, in taking I Corinthians 6:19-20 into consideration I believe that our ladies when venturing outside/in public should clothe themselves less revealing. The words “dignified” and “chastity” come to mind. I still believe that leaving some for the imagination is more attractive than revealing all. Children grow up and become what they are revealed to, quicker than what they are told. Proverbs 22:6 should be a parents’ secret weapon.
And I would still like to see individual passport pictures of my leaders of government and their portfolios. As far as I can see, up ’til now I noticed that Ms. Gumbs is putting her cards on the table and her picture is shown with the article. This should become common for all the rest. Everybody knew who we were.
I just finished reading a letter sent to you. Immediately I thought of the saying “She tongue ain’t got no bone”.
Russell A. Simmons
