St. Maarten Private Eye

So, before and especially since the DP was re-elected in 2007 business for MNO Vervat on St Maarten has been anything but a source of complaints for them. The company is responsible for the construction the new coastguard building and the stunning new terminal building; presently you’ll see them working on the Mahtani Building, the Festival Village and within the next three weeks MNO Vervat plans to start working on the first phase of the major upgrade for Belvedere, Dutch Quarter. The signature required was obtained during yesterday's meeting at the Belvedere office.

Firstly, I’d like to state that I applaud all these beautification projects wholeheartedly and that I would like to congratulate Mr Heyliger on his ideas, visions and accomplishments. Semper progrediens is really happening.
Beautification is wonderful: the economy will benefit from it, tourists will be delighted, the community deserves it and hopefully it will instil a sense of pride in them (let’s hope it will make crime rates drop as well! –> five burglaries over the weekend), but I can’t help wondering where all the money comes from. So many contracts are signed for constructions and another 2.9 million guilders are coolly covered. Yes, government will shoulder half a million and the rest will be paid by USONA from the harbour buy back shares. The latter deserves a little more attention than it currently receives, though. The community has a right to know one or two things about for instance interest rates and framings…
Anyway, the main reason I’m writing this blog is because I’m a little worried. It is my humble opinion that the Environment get’s too little attention. To support my view, allow me to pose a couple of questions: Is there a solar energy collector on the roof of the new terminal? Has the plan for St Maarten’s waste problem been finalised yet? Has VROM been doing any water testing in the Pond Fill lately? Have the mangrove forests, removed to make space for the airport, been replanted yet? Why is it that the SXM Pride foundation and a concerned resident have to initiate projects like planting signs to make the general public aware of turtles nesting on the beach and that they had better switch of their lights when residing close to the beach. Isn’t the government concerned about how they are going to protect these beautiful creatures and make sure that they will be able to return to the beaches, tranquillity guaranteed?
Is to know that turtles can safely nest on the shores of SXM not a source a pride? Or a possible attraction for tourists?
Perhaps the government can do some research on the CO2 emission and the island’s dependence on oil? Especially now, when oil prices are skyrocketing (soon and more than ever it will become evident how much we actually depend on the golden fluid...the amount of flights drop -> which will threaten our tourism-based economy...mark my words) and every country starts looking for alternative energy sources, it might be wise to ask yourself questions such as: What if oil attains the value of gold, how will that affect us and what can we do to encapsulate the damage?

And to think that there’s even more in store for the island! ‘In the near future more info will be provided to the community on further developments of community beautification projects.’
Let’s just hope that this time it will include a project of which we can say: yes, the environment is a major concern of ours.

And while you are aptly signing documents and contracts to express your approval, I might as well take liberties and ask you to sign the contract below. By signing it, you will solemnly vow that the next project will include an aspect we might call eco friendly. (Allow me to help you on this one: why not plant lampposts along the Belvedere road that will recharge, with the help of solar cells, during the day?)

____________________
Theo Heyliger
Commissioner of Environment

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