Dear Editor,
Wauuuw, the smoke machine of the DP has really taken off!
The blame game which they master better than any other political party has taken the highway and is moving at supersonic speed, most probably oiled with WD40 to loosen up the ball-joints.
Well I suggest you do not loosen up the ball joints too much. They might start flying in your direction. When you want to state anything please state facts and try not to confuse the people of St. Maarten as this has been done for ages by the DP.
The only thing we see them mention about the health insurance is that it would have been implemented in January 2010 with 100 per cent coverage. They forgot to tell the people that this will cost them well over the NAf. 2,000 per person. This is just as much as a gold card insurance coverage with our well known insurance agencies. They forgot to mention how it would be organised and how much money that would cost.
When you say "A" you must say "B." The National Alliance will develop a National Health Insurance in collaboration with all entities involved so that it is not only payable but will also assure proper coverage. In the mean time they have solved several issues with the BZV and SVB cards that have existed for years under the DP led government, this including all the issues with the SMMC and the payment of the nurses.
These are facts that have been achieved under the competent National Alliance led government. For years the DP was attempting to transfer the lab to St. Maarten, however, somewhere they lacked the experience, knowledge, know-how. It was Rodolphe Samuel of the National Alliance, who had the knowledge, experience and know-how to get this done for Bonaire and St. Maarten. It was completed by the National Alliance State Secretary at that time.
This is a fact and not fiction. The smoke is starting to clear up. I will not waste more time on the budget issues, only this: The DP-led government used extrapolation of figures to make a budget; the National Alliance will develop realistic budgets based on realistic issues and projects according to the budget guidelines of the CFT.
The only department that made realistic budgets was the health department. All other departments manipulated figures to make a budget, and when things did not work out the commissioner of finance would simply move funds from one budget to the next, after he had spent the money. Is that good financial management?
Since 2004 the DP government were supposed to instruct the Sector Directors as it relates to the preparation of budgets; it took a National Alliance Commissioner of Finance to get this realised. These are the facts! "Boy that WD40 is really getting my fingers loose now!"
When we talk about unemployment we should also know the facts. Jobs are not created from one day to the next. Since 2004 the DP government received a letter indicating the amount of children in our education system and what would occur over the coming 7 years based on the education system that was implemented: the VSBO or PSVE. Eighty per cent of our youth were placed into this system without any possibility to continue their studies in St. Maarten in SBO.
The S.M.I.T.H. institute was set up to cater to about 40 students while about 500 were coming from the schools with an education that was not aligned with our job market. The other 20 per cent, HAVO and VWO got their scholarships to go to Holland or the USA to continue their studies. Those remaining came into the job market that was already over-saturated.
See here, the source of unemployment and crime increase! Because the DP led Government did not know how to implement the diversity studies done over the past 10 years, for which the Government paid a multiple of the US $96,000. The only diversity that was done is to diversify our tourism market with investments in the maritime sector for which they did not develop a curriculum.
They invested in a hospitality faculty at the USM to educate hospitality managers that actually failed because the students did not have the preparatory education - another blunder of the so experienced and competent commissioner of education and sector director of education. That is why so many are without jobs. This all happened under the so-believed competent DP Government. This is a fact!
When we talk about responsibility in the central government you must not confuse the people. Before and in 2006 when the DP was in government the State Secretary for Justice was a DP member. The State Secretary for Personal Affairs was a DP member. All reports on crime (Nu of Nooit, WODC) derived from the period when the DP was in Government. Smoke cleared! These are facts!
All the round-a-bouts built have not been completed. The bus station has not been completed. The government building is not completed! What did the DP/UP complete? A complete sell-out of government owned land. Their supporters that own family land and houses are living on government property and in government houses. This is what they have completed. This is what they are experienced in.
The National Alliance was first placed in charge last year June! Can we see a difference? Sure, because the smoke is clearing up.
A change in curricula at the SBO to cater to the jobs available on the island, while a new SBO poly-technical school will be built. Also new housing projects have started to cater to the needs of the people and not giving out land to foreigners for even more hotels, condos and casinos. Stimulation of small and middle entrepreneurs with incentive programmes to diversify the economy.
The development of self supporting units in the districts will cater to the people in the districts and improve the living conditions of all in the districts. This is what the National Alliance stands for. We need this structural change realised and it will only happen under the competent leadership of the National Alliance.
Do not let your vision be blurred by the others. Let your vote count, go out on September 17 and vote on list number 4, the white list, vote for the National Alliance.
Ir. Paul Rivière
