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Corruption and Bad Governance
Legal Affairs Investigating ROB Inspector and Blue Blood---Seen at Questionable House in Cul de Sac.
SMNN - Philipsburg: --- The island government and the department of Legal Affairs are currently investigating an inspector of ROB (Public Works) who allegedly tried to extort monies from Blue Marine. According to reliable sources, the ROB inspector and his girl friend are owners of Blue Blood Construction tried to extort $42,000 from Blue Marine, a company that belongs to Saro Spadaro. SMN News learnt that the inspector committed his act since July 2009 and to date no actions has been taken.
The source said the inspector sent his girlfriend (another civil servant) with an invoice in the name of Blue Blood to Blue Marine for $42, 000 even though Blue Blood did not conduct any work for Blue Marine. It is further understood that when Blue Marine questioned the invoice they were told that they should pay the invoice if they wanted to get their inspection approved on the buildings that were constructed at Pointe Pirouette.
Blackman Escapes Vote of No Confidence for Lack Quorum--- Budget Issues Still Pending
SMNN - Philipsburg: --- Commissioner Xavier Blackman narrowly escaped a motion of no confidence which was to be presented by Island Councilman Petrus Leroy De Weever had the island council meeting convened on Thursday.
The Democratic Party Faction of the island council called an island council meeting on Thursday to discuss the pending 2010 budget and labor related matters, however the meeting could not be convened because the Democratic Party did not have a quorum even though Commissioner Theo Heyliger signed in for the meeting giving them five of the eleven signatures.
Heyliger says he wants Westin, Maho comfort letters honoured
PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner and United People's (UP) party leader Theo Heyliger wants the Island Government to honour agreements made with The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino, regarding the properties receiving exemption from paying room tax. Both resorts have "letters of comfort" from Government, outlining Government's intention to amend the Room Tax Island Ordinance in such a manner that a waiver of room taxes can be granted for brand name resort developments for a period of time. (See also DH Editorial - Keeping one’s word.) [More....]
Frans says he didn’t call directly for no separation of church, state
PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner Frans Richardson, in a phone call from Germany on Wednesday, said it wasn't he, but his colleague Commissioner Hyacinth Richardson, who had made direct comments about no separation of church and state in St. Maarten, and he had been "grouped" wrongfully with the statement. Frans said he had only alluded to it. Frans issued a press release in which he once again defended Government's decision to build a Methodist chapel for NAf. 500,000 and pointed out that it had been a unanimous decision by the Executive Council. He also indicated what he had said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new chapel in Belvedere last week Saturday.[More....]
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.
FN News 7th March 2010
First try, share your thoughts on it. :) - Hady
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....]
