St. Maarten Private Eye

I have never understood the combination of the position of Lt. Governor with that of Shareholder Representative on the board of a government owned company.

The fact that Mr. Franklyn Richards choose to wear his shareholder representative 'hat' to avoid fulfiling his duty as the Lt. Governor is a clear indication that these two functions are in direct conflict with each other and cannot be performed by one and the same person.

Is there no other qualified, capable and knowledgeable person to be found to fulfil the role of Shareholder Representative for the Island Government on the board of the Telem Group of Companies?

I am curious to know how much boardmembership positions on government owned companies are being occupied by his Excellency, the Lt. Governor, Commissioners and their spouses, families and friends?

Then I would like to know what procedures were followed in selecting these people and based on what qualifications they have?

Thats what we have and Maria and Sarah confirmed it 100% today, the first with her 'apology' for the public's inconvenience and distress about perceived improprieties in the Telem donation scandal, the other by indicating her indifference and lack of understanding of what proper governance and accountability to the electorate means.

Maria's insistence that she fully believes in good governance it to be taken with a grain of salt, she is an integral part and enabler of an EXCO that repeatedly scorns and twists to avoid accountability and transparency. We saw it in the Dolphinarium issue, we saw it with Roy's Land giveaway right before elections, we saw it with the Water Plant and Air-Fin, we saw it with Dawn Beach and Westin, we saw it with Gractia's job.

Sarah highlights the arrogance of an EXCO who's power rests on less than a hundred votes and one seat, 6 vs 5 she says, they can never win, her government members are too interested in hanging onto their position than governing with integrity. According to Sarah, who apparently forgets that the opposition, elected representatives, are doing their job by demanding accountability and transparency from her government, it's 'Political'. How childish can you get? It reminds me of the time Richards told the Island Government to be mature and grow up, I guess she didn't hear him.

In answer to your defense of Richards, the man came into office about 6 or 7 years ago with a fanfare of improving and promoting good governance, democracy and transparency. He has done nothing and has been totally ineffectual on the problem. I have seen him, at meetings, and in the company of DP commissioners in the public, they are like good buddies. I have never seen him behaving the same with opposition members and the impression I have from all he does and says is that he may as well join their party and be honest about it. He's almost as useless as his twin brother Roy.

Of course, thats just my opinion, I respect you have a different one.

Sarah calls demands for transparency and accountability political - 12th June 2008

Maria apologizes - 12th June 2008

Today O & C - Doing the wrong thing - 12th June 2008

Letter - Gracita - Disappointed - 11th June 2008

Exco silent on civil servant dismissal - 11th June 2008

Today O & C - What's Next - 11th June 2008

Letter - Sarah - Corporate governance - 26th May 2008

Today O and C - Corporate governance - 26th May 2008

Arrindells job reappears - 26th May 2008

SXM not respected - 24th May 2008

Corporate governance consensus reached - 24th May 2008

Again LH, you have to flip your argument. You argue that he is not practicing good governance, democracy and transparency. You fail to realise that by enforcing the rules of order, or in other words the law, he was doing exactly what you're arguing that he wasn't doing: practicing good governance. I respect your opposition for the sitting government and some of their "ways", but I urge you not to broad stroke the governor like this when he is following the law. It works both ways, this time happens to be in a way you didn't like, that does not make it wrong. It's disingenous if you can't at least admit that.

I can also relate your third paragraph to the NA/SPA/SAPP coalition when they were in government. I realise we've had DP party rule for a while, but lets be fair, that coalition not only acted arrogant but downright intimidating and bordering on racist. SXMPE wasn't around then, but maybe you should go back in time and do some press research. Does it make it right now? Nope, but karma is a b**ch aint it?

JB

~ Looking at the flip side of the coin ~

I'll repeat that Richards has done nothing to fix the transparency and good governance problems of the island in 7 years and this case is really just something that he permitted to happen when her husband was appointed. He should have stepped in then, and he should have been looking into political foundations too.

These Foundations set up by politicians accept donations which are totally unaccountable and totally open to abuse, Maria used hers for publicity, surely you remember all the photos of her giving out checks. Where does the money come from? Is it possible that donations are made in order to curry political favors? In my view yes, I can't prove it as in paper work, but I know it goes on.

And then there is Corporate Governance, with pubic companies like GEBE and SMPA giving donations or funding to causes and projects favored by politicians, who again, reap political mileage and publicity from them. I wonder when Richards is going to get to work on these issues and does he know they exist? Or is it all a surprise to him?

Anyway, I've posted all the clippings from the past few days into the list in the blog.

LH

Dear Local Hero,

Please don't forget that school children say Lt. Gov. Franklyn ("Frankie" to his buddies in the ExCo) Richards most probably has to protect certain members in the ExCo because Hankie Pankie Frankie had his hands in the cookie jar as well.

That's probably why all of a sudden he 'interprets' certain ERNA rules in a way favorable to the guys & gals he's rubbing shoulders with in each Island Council meeting (is it just me or does it bother you too that he sits at the same table as the ExCo members? Shouldn't there be a table where he sits together with the Island Secratary alone so, at least for the eye, it appears to be that he's impartial??).

Island Guru
"Trust Me"