Dear Editor,

Bravo to Minister Anna Richardson for revealing the truth about the granting of permits to promoters who wish to conduct their shows outside of the Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village this year! When promoters feel undervalued, their logical recourse is to seek alternative resolutions.

When I first heard about promoters leaving the Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village to conduct their shows in other locations, I said to myself that these promoters are meeting the same fate as others in the past – those who just couldn’t continue, because of their discontent with the SCDF.

Prior to the radio interview, I’ve expressed these same views in private, and was tempted to write an article on the current situation. I’m happy that I did not, because the impression would have been that the minister was just repeating my thoughts. So, when I heard the minister speak of the situation in detail, I knew that she was telling the truth.

Now that the population has further insight into the conflict, the people should demand that the SCDF board steps down shortly after this year’s carnival, so that government can install a new board – one that does not involve anyone who has organized carnival in the past. The SCDF needs a breath of fresh air, where integrity and transparency are not questionable.

And, in order not to repeat the years of controversy between the SCDF and stakeholders who are the soul of carnival, government should appoint the director of culture on the board, to oversee a smooth collaboration among all parties involved.

This supervision should include the monitoring of all donations, to avoid the misconceptions that dishonest business owners portray, whenever contestants approach their establishments for donations. Businesses that contribute to this cause should be rewarded with a special incentive towards the reduction of their profit tax.

As I write, I can still hear the pain and frustration in Mr. Cool’s voice, as he pleaded with the SCDF (not this group) to be treated fairly because of the expenses that he incurred for bringing the various artists. Seeing that this unfair treatment still exists, it would be prudent to conduct a 2-hour discussion with past and current promoters. The dialogue would also give the public a chance to evaluate the situation and draw their conclusion.

Meanwhile, the village was constructed to conduct carnival events. Why does government allow the SCDF to hold certain shows outside of the village, prior to the official opening of carnival? Why not bring all of the events back into the village to increase a greater participation? This selective approach brings to question: Why would the SCDF refuse government’s contribution of over 400,000 guiders to cover expenses?

Interestingly, SCDF suggested that government keep the funds and use it to promote the calypso shows and queen pageants. Why would they make such a statement if they are charged with the task to organise carnival in its totality? So, is it really a fact that the SCDF is in the “red” but still rejects money from government? Right here the blind could see that SCDF has very limited interest in organising local events.

If SCDF is refusing government’s money, then who is funding them? Is it the established companies that rent booths at the “last minute” or the ghost donors who are pulling the strings? Refusing government’s money and still claiming to be in the “red” does not make sense. But the people have to blame government for this merry-go-round every year, just like how they have failed to hold government-owned companies responsible.

From the moment that the SCDF suggested that government should keep their funds and they would handle carnival, government had to get rid of them immediately. This is why from 2016, I never went back into the village. As long as this group is there, I would never support carnival.

If organising carnival is voluntary work, why does the SCDF board act as if the organisation belongs to them? When an establishment is plagued with complaints, people with integrity usually step down and allow others to take over. But when there is mendacity, there is no empathy for the cries of society.

Joslyn Morton

Dear Editor,

Even though the job I did for years started with the letters poli, I did not take information gathered on the job (people’s ideas) and run with them. I am starting my letter to you this way because I will not take the praise for the content of this letter. This suggestion came from a conscientious young person who is also fed up with the way our utility companies are being managed. Let me add this: I am not writing a letter for someone else. We had a discussion which that person initiated. I agreed wholeheartedly with what he said and thought it worthwhile to write to you about it, but I will not take the credit due to him. Because I am the one who signed this letter I am ready to absorb whatever reasonable reaction it brings.

I believe that by now almost everybody is aware of the telecommunication outage, which TelEm is trying to sweep under the rug by offering a lame apology to its clients, and expects the clients to continue to roll over and play dead. I will refer to this later in the letter. This young man came to me and said to me, “Mister Russell, I can remember sitting right here and discussing, incircleing the Central Bank, the Post Office and the police station together and putting them in one big yard.” At that time we were also deliberating what would be the pros and cons with such a decision. Parking was discussed, and we were of the opinion that because in time the whole Nisbeth Road would have businesses the solution would be to shift the Nisbeth Road a little further in the pond and make parking available all along the Nisbeth Road on the side of the pond.

I told him that that was a good while ago. Yes, and it is because of that idea I said to myself every day it’s something else with the current and now TelEm is blaming GEBE for their problem. (Which reminds me of how my brothers and I would alternate taking the blame so that all of us would not be punished at the same time.)

Because of the constant excuses given by GEBE for its outages, I was thinking that this government could save a ton of money spent on fuel if they would pool the TelEm building, the new Administrative building, the Post Office (former receivers), the St. Maarten University and the police station together. Get whatever size batteries and solar panels are needed and install a solar system that would service all of those buildings and possibly the Carnival Village also and even the Little League Ballpark. And this is why I refer to him as being a conscientious young person. He also added, “They will have to look for some other excuse for those continuous power outages.”

By the way, I would like for the TelEm manager to know that he lied black on white because he could have foreseen that the outages could not be restored before the weekend, but apologized letting the clients know that TelEm was doing everything possible to restore service to its clients. Which was not true because from Wednesday to Friday would be ample time to calculate what would the cause of the outage. Along with that, TelEm knows that 611 for a while is not operational. Somewhere in my mind there was this thought: I wonder if this is a test run to see how things will be after all of those dismissals?

Because even though 611 was not operational and the outlets where clients could pay without going to the main building were also not functioning, still no effort was made on Saturday to restore that which was not functioning. TelEm was closed down over the weekend. People were asked to use their phone to “reset their box”. But if the Internet is not functioning neither are the phones. That is why I dare write that the management of TelEm did not and possibly still not care about the clients.

It is irresponsible and possibly considered criminal, taking the results of certain actions in account. Would I be going too far if I decided that the management of TelEm was completely unconcerned of the consequences of its actions? I believe it was total disregard of its customers, especially in a situation where the customer is totally dependent on the proprietor. Along with that, everybody is promised 24-hour continual service. I did not have the use of any kind of communication from Wednesday until Tuesday at about 10:30am.

I sincerely hope that, our people, old and new, in government will be just as diligent as they are to plan Parlatino trips, which up to now the people have not profited from (I have not seen any improvement) will also be as eager to look for a solution to these continuous utility outages.

At the risk of sounding petty, “Take that Parlatino money and get us solar energy”.

Russell A. Simmons

I have been coming to St. Maarten yearly since 1998 and love the Island.

Dear Editor,

Well, well, if the parliamentarians are taking too long to form the governing government 2024 to 2028, the question has been asked: If the four caretaker ministers that have been elected to be parliamentarians for 2024 to 2028 remain as caretaker ministers, will they be collecting two salaries – as caretaker ministers and still being a member of Parliament?

We and many people have seen our parliamentarians, ministers and St. Maarten justice system need better performance.

There are many laws to be amended and new laws are needed to be in place for the betterment of the people here.

Dollarisation is the best way for St. Maarten to accept.

Please, St. Maarten, don’t accept the Caribbean guilders with Curaçao, tell Curaçao to keep their new currency for themselves.

It’s time St. Maarten parliamentarians and ministers wake up from their slumber and strongly demand that St. Maarten has its own central bank.

Cuthbert Bannis