The Bottom, Saba: Leader of the Democratic Party on Saba, Dave Levenstone said that he has taken note of the pleasure trip that the two Commissioners of Saba has decided to take to the island of Curacao under a so call working visit.
Levenstone said that he considers this trip to be a total waste of time and bad spending of the taxpayer’s money. Levenstone said why does both Commissioners have to leave the island for so many days once again, it seems as if the two Commissioners does not trust each other to negotiate on behalf of the Island Territory on matters pertaining to the island and at all times they has to be traveling together. This is the first Executive Council in the history of the island where both Commissioners are constantly off island together. Levenstone said that he considers this trip as one in which the two Commissioners wants to be present at the swearing in ceremony of the new members of Parliament, which Commissioner Johnson has more or less admitted publicly to during a radio interview over the Voice of St. Maarten.
The discussions that the Commissioners is claiming that they are going to Curacao for could have been held on Saba with the various so called groups that they are planning in meeting so that the Lt. Governor who holds the portfolio of Personnel Affairs and is also responsible for the Police and the Emergency Centre. This trip has to be considered as a form of bad governance as both Commissioners should not be of island at the same time.
Levenstone said that what also makes this trip look ridiculous is the fact that they have not included the Head of the Planning Department in the discussions with USONA. The Planning Bureau head is the one after all that has to work hand in hand with USONA on all of the projects for Saba. Why haven’t they also included the Head of Finance on this trip in the meetings with the Cft.
Levenstone went on to say that he feels that the two Commissioners are dealing with matters pertaining to the civil service corps without even involving the civil servants and he is therefore calling on all civil servants in the employment of the Island Government to start looking for union representation in order to safeguard their well-being. Civil servants should not allow any Commissioners to be negotiating or holding discussions without them being legally represented by a labor union that can represent their common interest. For too long civil servants on Saba has been taken advantage of and it is high time that they start demanding more respect from government via their legal representative which is a union.
Instead of the Commissioners traveling up and down they should at least be sitting with the staff of the A.M. Edward’s Medical Center to inform them of the developments pertaining to their future plans and their meager salaries.
This trip is only put together because of the swearing in ceremony which does not make any sense anyhow as all it is seeing 22 persons taking an oath and that is it. I can say this because I have witnessed many of these ceremonies in the past, been there done that. This is another snoep reis of the Commissioners.