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George Pantophlet
COMMISSIONER FRANS RICHARDSON: THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS FOR ME.
SMNN -
GREAT BAY:--- "It is sad, very sad, that some people would deliberately take a decision of government meant for the good for our youth and create a big controversy from it about the separation of church and state." These were the initial comments of Commissioner Frans Richardson regarding the ongoing debate about remarks he made at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Methodist Church building in Belvedere last Saturday. He reiterated that the decision of the Executive Council, taken unanimously, to assist the Methodist community in the construction of a new chapel in the Belvedere area to serve Dutch Quarter, Middle Region and environs, was meant as compensation for an oversight of government.[More....]
Frans Richardson; this is not about politics for me
PHILIPSBURG - "It is sad, very sad, that some people would deliberately take a decision of government meant for the good of our youth and create a big controversy from it about the separation of church and state. " These were the initial comments of Commissioner Frans Richardson regarding the ongoing debate about remarks he made at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Methodist Church building in Belvedere last Saturday.[More....]
Separate Church and State!
It's been a while since I felt like blogging, Flipper's email asking me to write something for the site a couple days ago was on my mind but honestly, I'm just too fed up with it all. But then, today reading the Daily Herald's (nice new site by the way DH!) story about Frans and George saying they don't think SXM should have separation of Church and State I no longer had any choice.
I've covered religion and SXM's religious nuts a few times over the years, one my first blogs here was titled Gay Gay Gay Gay Gay, I was sick and tired of reading religious clap trap and homophobic hate speech in our papers, and about 3 weeks later the two CBS gay guys got whacked over the head with a tire iron in Maho. Links to some of my other blogs can be found on one I wrote last year titled 'State and Church Separation?'
Before I get stuck in to this lovely meaty morsel laid before me, let me just state as I have done in the past that it is not my intention to offend those with religious beliefs. However, I reserve the right to have and hold to my own non religious beliefs and that means it's probably impossible not to offend those with them when speaking my mind. You have been warned.
Church and State need to be kept separate
SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - The SHTA believes that the Executive Council has set a dangerous premise by stating that the State and Church are not separate. Furthermore, Government has opened the door for every denomination (Catholic, Hindu, Jewish etc) to seek similar funding for their establishments.
The SHTA tried contacting Commissioner Frans Richardson and Lt. Governor Richards to get some insight into this decision, but they were both unavailable.
No church, state separation Frans and Hyacinth declare
PHILIPSBURG--There will be no separation of church and state in St. Maarten, said Commissioners Frans Richardson and Hyacinth Richardson, both of the National Alliance, on Saturday. Their remarks, which are considered controversial, were made during the ground-breaking ceremony Saturday for the construction of a Methodist chapel in Belvedere – a project the National Alliance/Heyliger Island Government plans to fund to the tune of some NAf. 500,000 that is already attracting much controversy in the community.[More....]
DH Editorial - Two wrongs
The Daily Herald - During the groundbreaking for the controversial project in which the Island Territory will build a chapel for the local Methodist community at Belvedere, not only were recent media reports on the issue characterised as "vilifying," but members of the Executive Council went as far as to say there would be no separation of church and state in St. Maarten. While the commissioners involved perhaps are not fully conscious of the historical meaning of this concept in terms of exchanging theocracies for democracies, their statements are nothing more than an emotional attempt to defend a decision that simply cannot pass the test of good governance.
Senator Says Controls Are Necessary.
SMNN - Philipsburg:--- Senator George Pantophlet said he has receiving a number of phone calls from persons who are concerned about the upcoming immigration controls that is to take place soon. The senator said he wants to re-emphasize that these immigration controls will not only affect persons who are undocumented but it will affect many of us for example; businesses such as Hotels, Supermarkets, Taxi's, Buses, landlord just to name a few but they (controls) must take place.
The senator said for the sake of clarity persons who have requested residence permit under the Brook Tower Agreement and have not received an answer as yet will not be affected. However you should make sure they walk with their proof of application.
Senator Pantophlet says real work starts now
PHILIPSBURG - The Federal Ordinance on the Transfer of Task of country the Netherlands Antilles to the Island Territories of St. Maarten and Curacao in light of their future status as countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was handled and unanimously approved by Parliament on December 28, 2009.[More....]
St. Maarten Needs to Decide on How to Handle the Undocumented when Status is Achieved--- Senator Pantophlet.
SMNN - Philipsburg:--- Senator George Pantophlet feels that St. Maarten would soon have to decide how it would deal with the undocumented when she attains her new status. The senator and island councilman said on a daily basis persons have been visiting his office seeking information as to how they can regulate their status but in many instances the laws on admission and expulsion does not allow many persons to regulate their statuses.
Pantophlet in a press release gave an account of three women with ten children bearing Dutch nationalities but none of these women are legal and are not able to regulate their statuses. Even worst, all three of them he said are working and their employers are not doing what is necessary to make sure their employees are regulated and resides legally on the island.
Senator Pantophlet reacts to Dutch motion against BTA
PHILIPSBURG - National Alliance Senator/Island Council member George Pantophlet said he was a bit surprised by the motion presented in the Dutch Parliament Second Chamber against the Brooks Tower Accord. If we can remember a couple of years ago the famous WODC Report. The report had mentioned several issues such as the Judiciary, illegal immigration.[More....]
