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Sarah Wescott Williams
DP requests meeting on housing, ‘to get answers’
PHILIPSBURG--Opposition Democratic Party (DP), keen on getting answers to questions posed in last week's Central Committee (CC) meeting on Government's position on subsidies and investments, has requested another meeting with a slightly adjusted topic. This time, DP has asked Committee Chairman George Pantophlet to convene a meeting on "answers" from Government about subsidies and investments.[More....]
DP: NA/Heyliger govt governing via the press
The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--The National Alliance (NA)/Heyliger coalition has taken to the media in running Government. A perfect case is the debacle over the payment of room tax by The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, said Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams.
Deputy leader of Government Commissioner Theo Heyliger had stated to the press Wednesday that he wanted the "comfort letters" exempting the two resorts from paying room tax to be honoured.
A MEETING CALLED TO GET CLARITY FROM GOVERNMENT ON ITS POLICY REGARDING SUBSIDIES TO INSTITUTIONS TURNED INTO A BIG JOKE.
SMNN - Philipsburg:---The Central Committee meeting was requested by the Democratic Party to hear from the Executive Council regarding its position on (incidental) subsidies/investments. The granting of subsidies by government is regulated by the Subsidy Ordinance St. Maarten and the subsidizing of religious institutions regulated by the State Regulation (Staatsregeling).
This meeting was requested by the DP, considering the public spat between government and organizations such as the Carnival Foundation and the Heineken Regatta Organizers. In answering the Democratic Party Faction's questions on the budget, the government had also informed the Island Council that for the information requested on the subsidy to the Foundation for Government Buildings, the Island Council(!) should contact the Foundation's president, Mr. Kurt Ruan. Now imagine that.
Meeting on subsidies discribed as a joke by DP Leader
SMNN - PHILIPSBURG - Wednesday's meeting of the Central Committee of St. Maarten, did not go as was planned by the Democratic Party (DP) of St. Maarten.
In a press release that was issued on Wednesday after the meeting, the leader of the (DP) Council Woman Sarah Wescot-Williams stated that the meeting that was requested by the Democratic Party to hear from the Executive Council regarding its position on (incidental) subsidies/investments turned out to be a joke.
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.
GRASS ROOT SUPPORT FOR SARAH WESCOTT-WILLIAMS'S CALL. 'Time to include outstanding issues in the constitution'.
SMNN - While the expected delay of '10-10-10' may frustrate many, if not most politicians, it certainly does not result in any 'popular uprising'- or 'revolt' withing our community.
We daresay, that there will be not even a 'ripple' of popular-protest against such possible delay
On the contrary, many citizens have uttered a deep sigh of relief at the 'Divine intervention' which completely shows up arrogant statements like 'etched in stone' and 'sealed and delivered...'.
Now, whether the good lady genuinely meant it or not, to us is irrelevant at this point.
While most of the time, we have been critical of the council-lady in the past, based on principles, this time around, we reserve the rights to credit her.
“THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT WE ARE NOT READY”, (Senator George Pantophlet, the Daily Herald, February 16, 2010.)
SMNN - Philipsburg:---What a prophetic statement. What a way to "bring home" 10-10-10. The "we" referred to here must be the party of the Senator, the National Alliance, not we, the people of Sint Maarten. Says Island Council lady Sarah Wescot Williams.
This statement by the Senator "that we are not ready", was made in the context of the draft law to the change the Islands Regulation Netherlands Antilles as proposed by Minister Roland Duncan of the National Alliance. On the basis of this draft law, the leader and the members of the NA have been insistently announcing that elections for a new island council will be held in June 2010.
The fall of the 4th Balkenende cabinet spells trouble for the constitutional process
SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - Leader of the Democratic Party Council woman Sarah Wescot-Williams believes that there will be consequences for the constitutional process as a result of the fall of the Dutch Government over the weekend.
In a press release on Sunday the (DP) leader stated that the time has come to close ranks in order to achieve the desired constitutional results.
SARAH, IF YOU MEAN THE 'INDIGENOUS THING', YOU CAN COUNT ON OUR SUPPORT
SMNN - Did you also read what the former Leader of Government, and current Island-Council Lady, and DP-leader, Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS reportedly said to the press on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 ?
Here is a very interesting quote of the news-paper clipping hereby attached.
'Outstanding issues to the constitution are safeguarding the rights of the indigenous St. Maarteners to guarantee that they won't be marginalised'.
DP writes Richards about CFT letter
PHILIPSBURG--Opposition Democratic Party (DP) wrote to Island Council Chairman Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards Monday, querying why a December 16, 2009 letter from the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT with comments on the 2010 draft budget had not been forwarded immediately to the members of the Island Council. Richards received the letter in December in his capacity as Chairman of the Executive Council, and he also received a copy as Chairman of the Island Council. DP Island Council members only became aware of the letter when it was sent to them last week by the Executive Council as part of the package of answers to questions they had posed in November and December 2009.
