St. Maarten Private Eye

Dear Mr. James,
In every column, letter, article you mention the importance of the interests from native-indigenous St. Maarteners. Could you please define what you mean by this? Who is native-indigenous? The indians who came to St. Maarten long ago from Venezuela? The Dutch, French, English who discovered this part of the world and settled on St. Maarten? The slaves they brought to St. Maarten from Africa? People who came to St. Maarten from other islands several decades ago?

In my opinion nobody is "native-indigenous", or we all are.

Regards,
A St. Maartener who came here a few years ago

Mr James,
would you then prefer to recommend yourself, or since she is a relative of yours then maybe you too would be accused of the same. Should we eliminate intellect and love for our island merely because a relative is or is not in government?
If so sir we are sadly doomed to lose a fair part of our intellectual capacity since we are all practically related. but then again you yourself refuted your own point did you not?!
good luck good sir.

I think if many of us had to choose between sister and brother, we would choose Milly.
Millicent is a good woman and she may be good for this job.
It is Leroy DeWeever that most people have a problem with, and at the moment he is sitting in the Island Council. This in many peoples eyes is a conflict of interest as many of the island Council papers have to be signed now by his sister who is supposed to be neutral.
I don't have a clue what the ERNA says but I think it strange that a direct blood relative -or a sibling can hold a position as acting Lt. Governor while another sibling sits in the Island Council.

Will the whining never stop? This appointment in my opinion is nothing short of
brilliant, so why all the whing? This lady is a credit to Sint Maarten, she is very
bright, very well respected and whats more she looks the part so why do we
not count our blessings and get on with ït" ?

Both the above comments miss the point. It has nothing to do with her character or abilities, it has to potential conflicts and the process in which she was chosen. Do you have no interest to know if her brother voted to appoint her? If this is the case do you see nothing wrong with such a scenario?
I guess some people have no interest in government transparency or public accountability, which is why the island is in the state it is in today with the govt it has. Thankfully, those days are changing.

Whining?? Grow up!.

Flipper

Kind of you to suggest I grow up! is that how you deal with anyone who might
disagree with you? I woul;d suggest that before you throw hissy fits you learn a bit more about the subject at hand.
Have you any clew at all as to just what the Lt. Governor is all about or the first
acting for that matter. Do you understand the duties of the Governor of the
Antilles, any idea who appoints these people and who in fact they represent. I
find the question as to wether or not Ms. De Weavers brother voted for her or
not borders on being obtuse.
Fact: there are many people like me who choose to make this island my home,
there was a culture and government system in place long before I and others
arrived and I think we need to accept and respect that ! As tax payers etc.
of course we should question our politicos but it is not up to us to question a
system we just may not understand.
Get a life Flipper

If there is something that is not clear or well understood then we shouldn't ask questions? You are the one who labeled people who asked questions and wanted to know more as whinners, remember? Does that mean that anyone who asks questions or seeks information that you don't really care much about is a whinner?

Having a great fulfilling life, thanks.

Flipper

This is not Flipper responding, but I have to answer the above post that the writer does not have the answers either. He/She questions that Flipper should know before he/she throws hissy fits. The writer did not offer any answers as if he knows any of the answers himself and then goes on to state that it is not up us to question "a system" we may not understand? excuse me? where is this writer from? a follower of Chavez maybe? I am a St.Maartner with roots dating back 200 years and every day I will question this system we have. We must question, debate and make the system better.
Only by debating, and having knowledge can we become a mature Country SXM.
Louis Duzanson wrote a book sometime ago outlining how government works, I am not sure where to get this book now and if it is still in print, However I suggest reading this book. I remember some time back the Lt. Governor presented it to all newcomer IC members so that they know the procedures.
I also reccomend know your political history by the Lynch brothers and Kenneth Cooks new book The politicians who made a difference.

It is not about the knowledge, competencies or even the looks of Millicent. I hardly know her, so it is difficult for me to judge her capabilities. But this discussion is all about transparency and accountability. So the discussion should not focus on her, but on the people who appointed her. What is the role of our lt. governor, because he claims to promote good governance within government?
So therefore I would like to ask Franklyn Richards:
- what are the official procedures for appointing a new lt.governor and acting lt.governor?
- what is the formal descriptiopn of tasks and responsibilities for an acting lt.governor?
- How many candidates where considered for the position of acting lt. governor?
- Who is responsible for appointing Millicent de Weever and who advised about it?

Hi Leopold and welcome.

I can only speak for myself of course, but your post above hits the nail on the head. I don't always agree with you, but there are times when you shine, like with
your response to the Today Editorial on NOVA's visit. But there are other times when I am inclined to agree with the writer of this letter this past week, when your xenophobic ranting about foreigners taking over etc, in particular against Hatians, makes me feel a little nauseous.

I think we agree on many things Leopold, that the government is full of self serving individuals, they are steadily destroying the things we all love about the island and their policies have left local people, in particular the youth, behind. I am not local, but I have spent over 20 years here and I consider it my home far far more than my birth place, i care greatly about the island and the people that live here, including myself and my family. When it comes to education, environment, government transparency then I'm sure we would agree often on the problems, but perhaps not so often on the solutions. But hey, thats where discussion and debate comes in isn't it, where opinions and new points of view are exchanged. I'm sure you will agree that it is a closed mind that refuses to hear differing or opposing opinions and allows no readjustment of their own.

I do disagree with your stance on the new directors license rules and I have responded here.

LH

Dear LH ?

Thanks for your comments.
You might be surprised-, but although many people would like to 'demonize' my person to distort what I stand for, which is just fine with me, in general termsI agree very much with your comments.
I never said-, nor will I ever promote the exclusion of non-native St. Martiners from the island.
Stronger yet-, I will oppose such strongly !
Having said that-, I just happen to believe that the development of every country should take into account the history - of that country-.
That includes-, the sacrifices made by those who lived there as a people with a collective set of norms and values BEFORE any external influence was brought to bear as a consequence of mass immigration for instance.
By the way, many of our St. Martin ancestors paid for the emancipation of this land with blood-, sweat- and tears.
Would you therefore think that we as their descendants-, should now simply forget about their sacrifices during a time-, when most immigrants were not here ?
How would you feel if your descendants, would forget and betray all the sacrifices you would have made in your life to build up a country- or a business ?
Please tell me !
Nevertheless-, I fervently champion the inclusion of other ethnic groups in any process of development- on our island-, such as nation building-, but in our opinion, such process should be based on the natives- and their cultural heritage as the foundation.
I agree that we are not the first indigenous people on this island; we never made such claim.
But-, after the abolition of slavery, there was for the very first time a free society, where in principle all the citizens-, descendants of the enslaved- as well as of the slave masters could choose who to socialize with-, and to marry to.
Therefore-, we assume the people living in that period in which that happened without outside interference the native-indigenous St. Martin people.
Do not forget-, that by then the AMer-Indians had been wiped out as a collective people.
According to historian Daniella JEFFRY the Tranditional Period lasted from 1848 until around 1963 after which the St. Martin of 'Old' was in fact transformed as a consequence of mass-tourism- and immigration.
I recommend you read her book; ''1963 A Landmark Year.
For us, and of course-, such will always be arbitrary, those who can trace their roots to 1963 or before are native-indigenous SXM people.
That is NOT to exclude others, but just for the sake of reference.
In the nation building process the way we see it, there will be ample opportunity for others to become part of the St. Martin nation, regardless of their own origin.

So far just a brief explanation and willing to share more discussions with you.

For the record, our organizations the SNBF/Association L' Esprit de Concordia has gone to great lenghts to invite others to participate in our movement, despite the fact that we as natives are being threatened in our very existence as a people.
Thanks again for your comments and as usual, I remain open to any constructive discussion on the issue.

With respect,

Leopold JAMES

Dear Mr. James,

Having spent many years at MPC as a student and having experienced from upclose how you 'lay down the laws', I have gained quite an insight in your modus operandi.

For instance: you advocate that you have a right to claim ownership to SXM because you're ancestors gave blood, sweat and tears (and more) in the days of slavery. Because of their toils, you claim to have a preferred position above any Non-Indigenous persons. Please tell me Mr. James: what have YOU done to build up SXM with your Dutch education? Did you your give blood, sweat and tears to the benefit of SXM people? To the contrary: what I see and hear coming from you mostly is xenophobic ramblings.

Having observed you from the early school days upto today, having read your many rants and raves in your own "newspaper" first and then in the Opinion pages of the current newspapers, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for you. It seems as if you are quite jealous of the people that have worked very hard to establish business on SXM, while the many Indigenous landowners were holding up their hands collecting rent and/or in many cases selling off their property at a bargain price compared to today's property prices.

Now that a lot of land belongs to "the foreigners", you find yourself in a tight spot due to lack of vision. Blaming the mostly hardworking people that have been on SXM for decades is a bit shortsighted, don't you think? You cannot all of a sudden exclude these people from country participation because you feel short-changed.

Please do continue with exposing the severe shortcomings of our local government who have allowed for much of today's mess on SXM. Finally, you found the right tree to bark up.

JB

Dear JB ???

Thanks for your anonymous comments.
I too pity cowards and since they do not have the courage to identify themselves, why should anyone take them seriously ?

Leopold JAMES
Native-indigenous st. Martiner-, proud and without apologies

Mr. James,

That is too easy of a response Mr. James. But then I sometimes tend to forget that you're "wisdom" is clouded with self-pity and hatred towards foreigners. Your letter in today's Daily Herald is again an example of your xenophobic ramblings and now it's even aimed at your own race. You preach segragation as salvation.

I sincerely hope that enlightenment finds you soon.

J. Bernabella (or JB to friends and a proud Antillean)

Sorry, but when the actual locals number so few now on the island, virtually everyone is related to some extent. I don't see why this appointment was such a big deal. The woman has political experience, knowledge of the law (she works at the Notary), and comes from a well known albeit political family. If ANYONE was appointed with the last name DeWeever, or Richardson, or Peterson, or Scot or Williams, chances are they would have been related to somebody in power. It's a small island with a small local population. no big deal. Get on with your lives people.

Why do we play on words or sentences for that matter?
It's not about WHO it's the principle and what we want from "New Country St Maarten". Do away with all these old practices. We no longer accept party politics. They (expand the word to all who are put there to serve the people) in Government are accountable to the people and the brother voting on sister's post, wife saying "trust me on this" for husband appointment in her camp are plain not acceptable, NOT in 2008. Family or not.

At times we can be so "UGLY" to each other... Do not look down on anyone if you do not plan on picking him/her up.

A St Maartener - hoping my people can look beyond self.

Again, the discussion is mainly about the way she was appointed, not who she is, what she does and where she is coming from. At the end the conclusion could be that she was the only candidate, or that the other candidates didn't meet the qualifications.
It is all a matter of good governance, which btw is defined in the lt.governors policy plan as:
"A TRANSPARENT, DEMOCRATIC, RESPONSIBLE, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MANNER OF DECISION-MAKING, WHICH IS HONEST AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PREVAILING LAWS, WHERE THE INTERESTS OF ALL CONCERNED ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS PUBLICLY GIVEN."
(see: http://www.governorsxm.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=2)

Some people would prefer us all to go back to the old days, not ask questions and just accept whatever our govt does as the way things are. The Lt Governor should be questioned about the process behind appointing an Acting Lt Governor, because as far as I can tell, there is nothing, no information at all, been released about it.

Flipper

Hey Flipper, I don't think the poster is so off point. We have to be able to stop, look and think about what everyone is saying. I think SXMPE underestimates the power of family and the "everybody related" argument here on SXM. It's a powerful thing. It's so powerful, I would like to see some kind of professional study done on it. Not here on SXMPE, but out THERE. Mili is too well known, too well liked, too well respected and too related to too many people for anyone to raise a fuss about this.
I think writers on SXMPE mean well, and I certainly agree with transparency in government, but there are just some things that are untouchable. And Aunty Mili's appointment is one of those things. I'm related to her on father's side. And if I dare write a letter to The Herald for example, questioning anything, my family would hang me :) Of course, I'm strong willed enough to write it anyway, and nobody should disrespect me and claim intimidation, but the point I'm trying to make is this: Some things are not worth it. Some people don't deserve it. Some things are just SO St. Maarten, you will be arguing into the wind and not getting anywhere.

I appreciate the change in attitude SXMPE is trying to bring about, but we are at least 2 generations away. This is St. Maarten. And for those who maybe have just moved here or haven't grown up here, a reality check awaits you at the end of every Island Council Election. Nobody wants to go back to the old days Flip, but some of us still appreciates a lot from those old days. Some people here may be quick to erase the old days, or some people might have only been on SXM a short time so they don't have any old days nostalgia, but its a mistake to underestimate this connection and the people of St. Maarten. Family and relationships first, second and last.
So before we dismiss people as "missing the point" maybe some here on SXMPE need a reality check about the SXM influence....and local family relations....cause I love Aunty Mili..and thats all the justification I need.

Juliana

Flipper, if you don't know how it works, it would be wise to inform yourself first and foremost about:

a) the position of the Lieutenant-Governor (Gezaghebber), how he is appointed and to whom he is responsible
b) check the same item as far as a deputizing Gezaghebber is concerned.

Local government i.e. Executive Council has absolutely nothing to do with that, as it is a Kingdom affair, meaning candidates are proposed to the Kingdom via Central government, after which a candidate will then be appointed by the Crown.

As Gezaghebber qualitate qua the functionary is:
-chairman of the executive council
-chairman of the island council
-local head of the police.

All this in order to ensure proper governance is executed and making sure that the seperation of power (trias politica) stays in place, and that the laws are executed fairly and evenly towards all citizens.

As for Millicent de Weever I wish her the best with this function as it is not easy to do. A lot of responsibility is burdened on her shoulders and a lot of flack has to be taken by her. It needs a good person to weather the storms that Sint Maarten brings.

Observer1602

And thank you for the information, thats the nice thing about this site, we can ask questions and hopefully someone will come back with an answer.

Flipper

Observer 1602, you said in your writings that local government ie. EXCO has nothing to do with the selection process of the Lt. Governors. This is wrong, as it is EXCO that proposes the 3 names for selection by the Central Government.
It is a known fact that the party in power will always choose their candidate in line with their politics.
Ralph Richardson chosen by DP and fell to bad DP decisions. Dennis Richardson chosen by NA, Frank Richards chosen by DP.
While it appears that this position is a neutral one, it is only appearances. The 3 names submitted by EXCO will always be their party friends.
This old time thinking that the queen is there choosing Lt. Governors is hogwash.