Paula Country Inn Makes Rectification on Newspaper Article - 28th September 2007

St. Peters: - Owner of Paula’s Country Inn who is now in bed suffering from a broken leg told SMN News that she is not pleased with the article published in the Daily Herald yesterday as several parts of the letter has been omitted by the reporter.

Busby said she did not do an interview with the reporter but instead she gave the reporter a written letter as well as her receipts. The elderly woman who is the mother of head of VROM Delano Richardson said that she cautioned the reporter that she did not want anything from the letter changed, which the reporter she said gave her full guarantee that the contents of her letter will be published as is, Below is the full content of the letter written and signed by Paula Busby:--

Dear St. Maarten,

My name is Paula Busby informing you of the following:

Commissioner Roy Marlin

I called Commissioner Roy Marlin on the 25th of January 2007 at about 1:30 pm on behalf of the Head of VROM and family about their pre-booked KLM airline tickets that Lets Travel said was not paid for. Commissioner Roy Marlin told me, Paula Busby owner of Paula’s Country Inn, to do him a favor because he was going to the airport to leave the island. He then gave me the Island Secretary Joane Dovale-Meit telephone number, and told me to, “call her and tell her he said send a Government travel voucher to Lets Travel for the tickets for the Head of VROM and his family.” She listened to his order and then she told me, “Roy can not do that because Roy does not have the power or the authority by himself to tell me to do that.” I then called Commissioner Roy Marlin back and informed him that, “Joane said, you do not have the power or the authority to decide that on your own.” Commissioner Roy Marlin got very angry and said, “who the F…she think she is, to say I don’t have the authority, I am her commissioner, I am calling her right now. In five minutes I am going to call you back.” Commissioner Roy Marlin called me back and told me, “I am going to pay Lets Travel for the tickets, and he asked me also to house the Head of VROM and his family in my hotel - Paula’s Country Inn, for two months, because there was no reservations at the Tamarind hotel for the Head of VROM and his family. So call Delano and let him know that all is taken cared of” I then called Lets Travel to confirm what Commissioner Roy Marlin said and they told me that Commissioner Roy Marlin called about the tickets and that they will be paid. The Head of VROM was informed by me that the pre-booked KLM airline tickets had been taken cared of and that the hotel arrangements have been made for you and your family. The next day, the 26th of January 2007, the Head of VROM and four children arrived on St. Maarten and came to Paula’s Country Inn to stay for eight weeks, two months [56 nights]; to be fed and to have their laundry taken cared of as asked for by Commissioner Roy Marlin.

I want my money

I made up a bill on the 26th of January 2007, and sent it in to ‘Personnel Organizatie and Informatie’ to the attention of Mr. Rudy Richardson, Head of VROM Government coordinator. And I waited, and waited, and then I went in to the Personnel’s office. And Selma, who had taken over the Head of VROM case, informed me that government was only going to pay for six weeks and were not going to pay for this and that, and had me write up another receipt. Both the first receipt and the second receipt have not been paid. I went to Commissioner Roy Marlin’s office and told him what Selma said about the six weeks and not wanting to pay for this ant that, and he told me, “no they have to pay you for two months – 8 weeks, plus all the extras.”

I then returned to the Personnel Office for the second time, where Mr. Speld, the Head of Personnel, was too busy speaking with friends in the open office, to talk to me. I waited and I cursed about my money. And finally he made some time, but with a very negative attitude towards me. He listened about my bills, and then he looked at me and asked me, with a negative attitude – a few times, “whot is Delano to you?” Like I was playing some tricks on the government. I told him, “Paula’s Country Inn is my business I did this job and I need to be paid.” He just looked at me and told me his time is up, and said I had to leave. Paula’s County Inn housed and fed the Head of VROM and family for two months as instructed and my original receipt stands, I need my money.

The 26th of this month September 2007 makes it eight months, and they still Paula’s Country Inn have not been paid. “Mr. Speld never in my life has anyone treated me as disrespectfully as you have. On top of the $13.200, 00 bill [Naf. 24.187, 80] that government owes me, I need my money and they will have to compensate me in addition Naf. 1.000,00 per month until this bill is paid. I am in business for more than 30 years, for Mr. Speld to make me feel like I want to steal government money because I am a local and not a Dutch business person. Why do I have to beg Mr. Speld, Head of Personnel, for my hard earned money, as if it was his money, it is mine, I worked hard for it and I want my money? All of it! Government must pay me my money! Thank you for reading this information and giving me your time.
Signed,
Paula Busby
Paula’s Country Inn

SMN News, have chosen to publish this letter in its entirety so that our readers can see and know that we are not here to edit or discredit what anyone have to say. However, we will be conducting further investigations into how long does the island government put up Civil Servants when they are coming from abroad to work on the island. SMN News will also do the necessary research to see how long it takes the island government to pay their bills.

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Submitted by Flipper on Fri, 2007-09-28 08:22.

Personnel Affairs Say They Cannot Release Information
---Country Inn Related to Richardson

Philipsburg: - Officials of the Personnel Affairs of the island government said they are not in a position to release any information to the media or rather any third party concerning the bills they did not pay owner of Country Inn Paula Busby. However, an official at the department who do not want to talk on the record says that one has to know the relationship with Country Inn to the government Civil Servant Delano Richardson.

Paula Busby, owner of Country Inn says that she is the mother of Delano Richardson who was recruited from Holland to come and work as VROM department head. Asked yesterday why she had herself involved in the recruitment transaction with Commissioner Roy Marlin and her son. Busby said that the Commissioner went to her home in December and personally wanted to congratulate her when Richardson decided to accept the job from the island government. She further explained that she even refuse to shake the commissioner’s hand when he visited her because she made it clear that she neither her son would get themselves entangle in any type of politics with the commissioner.
Busby said that the commissioner is the one who chose to make the necessary arrangements through her because he claimed he could not get in touch with Richardson in Holland. “At one point I personally did not trust the commissioner with what he was saying, she said if anyone wants to find out if what I am saying is the truth all they have to do is contact the island secretary and the airline and they will make the necessary clarifications.” Busby said.
Asked if she felt that the reason she is not paid by government has anything to do with the fact Richardson is her son, Busby said that has been the argument from day one, she asked how much education it would take anyone to know that a persons business has nothing to do with their children.
The Proprietor of Country Inn said that she also housed a Civil Servant working at the VROM when he was recruited from Holland. “The Civil Servant whose name she provided she said had the option of staying at Great Bay or Little Bay Hotels but he made it crystal clear to the island government that he wanted to stay at Country Inn because it is located next to his grandmother.” Busby explained. “This other civil servant is like my son also because he grew up in my home” Busby said she provided three meals, housing and laundry for that civil servant and was paid without any difficulty. The difference with Delano Richardson she said he had his wife and four children and the bill is higher.

Meantime, Delano Richardson who was suspended from his job by the executive council on September 4th went back to work last Thursday after a judge turn over the suspension citing lack of evidence from the island government. Richardson told SMN News that ever since he went back to work on Thursday, his superior Joseph Dollison refused to turn over his vehicle keys, laptop and other keys which would allow him to do his job. Richardson said that a meeting was scheduled three times on Thursday and all of them were cancelled and another one was scheduled for Friday.

Richardson when contacted yesterday for follow up said that he was called into a meeting on Friday, he said he went to the meeting with his assistant and surprisingly Dollison had the government legal advisor and his legal advisor in his office who were suppose to sit in the meeting. Richardson said that Dollison never told him that he would be having lawyers in this meeting that he wanted prior to giving him full access to work. “When I see this I told all parties involved that I would not be meeting with them if my lawyer was not present and theirs are present.” Dollison he said then turned over his laptop, but to date he still does not have his keys and his vehicle to get to and from work. Richardson said that Dollison told him the purpose of having government legal advisors is because he wanted to outline his job scope and what he would be doing as head of VROM. “I already know what my job entails, all of this was discussed prior to me taking the job in the first place” Richardson said. He confirmed another meeting is scheduled for today, and that he would be seeking advice from his lawyer prior to attending the meeting.

“According to the judge I am suppose to be working and all Dollison has to do was give me the tools I am supposed to work with”. Richardson said. He said at one point of the day Dollison threatened him when he went to enquire when would the meeting take place and when his working materials would be turned over to him. “When I went to Dollison he threatened me and I have all of it on tape.” Richardson said that he is already thinking of the possibility of taking Joseph Dollison to court. SMN News made several telephone calls to Dollison’s office for a comment but he could not be reached. .

St. Maarten Private Eye

Paula Country Inn Makes Rectification on Newspaper Article - 28th September 2007

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