The following is a letter to the editor by the Chairman of the DP board, Mr. Ernie Simmons.
Dear editor,
Permit me an opportunity in your well read newspaper to enlighten the people of St. Eustatius about the things that are happening in our government.
In Statia old people like to use the saying "you reap what you sow".
Our commissioner of education has hired a consultant as his personal advisor with a huge salary of about $12,000.00 a month. This is a first for Statia and is being highly criticized in the community. This comes as no surprise to me for we reap what we sow.
Running the government of St.Eustatius is a very complex and demanding job that requires a certain level of training and experience to deal with the many challenges that arise. What do the voters of St.Eustatius expect to happen when you appoint a commissioner with little formal training (ETAO) and a low IQ.
He doesn’t even understand that to motivate our children at the G. v. Putten school to study it takes more than giving them a computer, but raising their self-esteem and creating in them the desire to be successful in the future.
I say: What can you reasonably expect from a person who himself didn’t display a desire to excel in school?
I blame the voters that support politicians with questionable backgrounds. It has been my experience that the more you talk, the more support these individuals get.
The voters of Statia know full well what I am talking about. We have politicians of homosexual and bisexual orientation who speaks out to the tops of their voices against gay marriage but we know that they are not credible. Many times I question myself how the people of Statia vote for these promiscuous individuals, people of low morals and standards.
The constant infighting between the coalition partners has caused the government to resort to tactics that tell us that a fall of government is near.
Where in the world do you replace a high level civil servant from the highest department of your civil service with a person with less formal training that has been removed in the past because her reputation was tarnished by a scandal regarding AMFO funds? That scandal started the ball rolling that resulted in the end for an organization that was established to channel millions of euros to local foundations that help the small man. It was under my term as State Secretary of Development Cooperation that this fund was established. Individuals of low morals think nothing of making these types of decisions.
Three politicians leaders of parties are meeting privately with NUstar regarding the expansion plans of the Statia Oil Terminal. No information regarding these meetings is made available to the Island Council. No one seems to know what they are discussing, what are their wishes and demands and what promises are being made. This in-transparent way of doing business has the small man on the street baffled and leads them to think that there may be more in the mortar besides the pestle.
We all can recall the incident when for unknown reasons our senator was pushing for the transfer of an old rusty water plant from Bonaire to Statia against the will of his own Island Government regardless of the fact that the Dutch Government offered to build a new water plant.
It is no secret that a new party on Statia has run up a huge campaign debt running politics on Statia, St.Maarten style. My only hope is that the integrity of the NUstar Terminal prevails and no money is passed under the table.
Knowing all this history we on Statia keep electing these individuals over and over again.
The underground water distribution network that is now in execution was submitted to the EU under my term as State Secretary of Development Cooperation. All the government projects now in execution on St.Eustatius are all DP projects the local government are too busy fixing jobs for their supporters flying all over the globe instead of taking care of the business of Statia and I ask myself is this the change that the people voted for?
When civil servants are fired because you don’t agree with the way they express their views on issues that matter to people in our community. When secretly portfolios are taken away from a partner commissioner, because he is not cooperating with the petty wishes and victimization, does this exude hope?
Where are the financial reports for 2010?
Where are the quarterly financial reports for 2011?
Why are we not hearing anything from the CFT?
What is the situation regarding the building of the jail?
Statia people prepare yourselves we may be on the verge of Higher Supervision.
Are we reaping what we sowed?
Ernie Simmons
Chairman of the Democratic Party of St.Eustatius