Dear Editor,
I believe that page 4 of The Daily Herald of September 21, 2018, says a lot to what I have been writing about lately. I have written about it in different ways and I have always stated that the head of the house remains responsible.
Professor Saleh shared a lot of wisdom during the gathering of the Governors of the Kingdoms, which in my opinion is worth repeating. He explained that a decent standard of living, employment, security, proper housing, education and health care for all should be the main focus in all the parts of the Kingdom. He also said that solid finance, good governance and law enforcement are expected to be the pillars for a good functioning relationship.
It is imperative that the people also contribute, but the wishes of the man in the street should be respected and carried out. Not to forget that the majority of the people in the Dutch Caribbean had voted to maintain the relations in the Kingdom. He also cited what I deem a reality of life: “People do not live in constitutional structures. People live in a house in a district and they need food on the table.”
Professor Saleh stated that we have to work in creating more trust in all openness, because it is only if the partners in the Kingdom can agree that we can go beyond the constitutional discussions and invest more in common trust. I would add that that is an uphill battle because that will be difficult for the Dutch whose modus operandi is to lay and wait so they can get you one day. This is not the recipe for trust. Nor is the Prime Minister openly considering people of St. Maarten corrupt.
Russell A. Simmons
