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William Marlin
Draft 2010 budget to be submitted on Monday
SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - Leader of Government, Commissioner William Marlin, says the administration will move forward with submitting the draft budget for 2010 on Monday.
An Island Council Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 A.M that day with the draft budget as the only topic.
No Quorum for the Second Time To Discuss Budget --- Budget was supposed to be ready since May 2009—Sarah/William.
SMNN -
Philipsburg: ---- The 2010 budget has been making headlines for weeks now, while two-island council meetings were called by the opposition, could not take place for the lack of a quorum. Last week the Democratic Party faction requested a meeting to discuss the 2010 budget, which is still to be presented to the island council, but that meeting was adjourned and re-called on Wednesday. Wednesday's meeting also had to be rescheduled to Monday March 22 on the same date that the budget debate is scheduled to take place since the Democratic Party still did not have a quorum to question the draft 2010 budget.[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.
Funding for church reportedly taken from tourism marketing
The Daily Herald - BELVEDERE--The lack of clarity surrounding the Executive Council's financing of a Methodist church got even murkier on Friday when reliable sources disclosed that plans are afoot to finance the project with funds from the tourism marketing budget for Latin America.
The Daily Herald also learned that government's Finance Department has not yet signed off on the document for the construction of the church, citing numerous irregularities.
OPEN LETTER TO MY NATIONAL ALLIANCE FRIENDS--- 'Outdo Sarah and you too will get our support....'.
SMNN - It certainly is a privilege to me, that an opinion or statement coming from an insignificant 'character' like myself has got 'under your esteemed skin'. Notwithstanding the fact that you are now in charge of all the three seats in the parliament of the Netherlands-Antilles for St. Maarten....,
Notwithstanding that you on Sunday, February 28, last a a great 'bash' in which you celebrated your landslide victory over the DP-party during the last Federal elections....,
Notwithstanding the fact that you have always neglected, and continue to neglect 'silly' people like me......,
Notwithstanding that you know it all.
William recommits to educating every child
CAY HILL--“Children should not suffer because of decisions their parents make,” Leader of Government and Education Commissioner William Marlin said in reaffirming government’s commitment to continue with the introduction of compulsory education. “Government has decided that we will tackle the problem once and for all,” Marlin told participants in a compulsory education summit held at the Belair Community Centre on Wednesday.[More....]
Island Government signs off on 9M guilders worth of contracts with USONA
SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - Leader of Government Commissioner William Marlin, fresh back from formation talks in Curacao, Wednesday signed contracts with USONA for financing totaling, 9 million guilders.
The contracts were signed in the presence of finance Commissioner Xavier Blackman, Director of USONA Reginaldo Doran, other governmental officials as well as heads of departments that the financing will cover.
