Dear Editor,
The smoke machine of the Democratic Party (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 they do not loosen up the ball joints too much. They might start flying in their own direction. They should 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 would cost 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 says it 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 meantime they have solved several issues with the BZV and SVB cards that had existed under the DP led government for years, 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 area to the next, after he had spent the money. Is that good financial management?
Since 2004 the DP government was supposed to instruct the Sector Directors as it relates to the preparation of budgets, but it took a National Alliance Commissioner of Finance to get this realised. These are the facts!
When we talk about unemployment, we should also know the facts. Jobs are not created from one day to the next. In 2004 the DP government received a letter indicating the number of children in our education system and what would occur over the coming seven 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 students, 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 diversifying that was done was 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 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. That 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 to be 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.
Do not let your vision be blurred by the others. Let your vote count.
Ir. Paul Rivière
