fbpx
Published On: Sun, Nov 19th, 2017

The Dutch Promise: 550m Euro injection

elton-jones-526x500Dear Editor,

We can claim some kind of return to normalcy with the news of a formation of a new cabinet, at long last the face of government is not the two old horses who seem to willingly swap the leadership role. It also gives some sense of pride to know that we have something the Dutch can learn from, it took us just two weeks to reach a governing agreement and we have to go to screening.

Shouldn’t those super civil servants who are to give advice you can’t refuse also be required to go through the same screening? I am just asking, for when you follow the news the Dutch is also laden with corruption and corrupt practices. Those members of Parliament who were convinced that the solution was only too blindly sign on the dotted line can now sit back and watch the money flood in for the reconstruction.

Some of us though won’t hold our collective breaths as we can still remember the commitments to the late Prime Minister Pourier that never materialized or the debt relief we never got. Added to that while these conditions were set there is still no information on what part is loan and what is aid.

If we review the folly of our leaders who pushed for a status that remains nothing but problematic and slanted in favor of the colonial master. Today we enjoy less than half of the autonomy we once had and besides the benevolent Dutch, insist on dictating how we spend our budget and what we do with our NVs, which by the way they have no input in. Daily we have more control mechanisms than any other island on earth, starting with a Governor, a Dutch Representative whatever that is, a CFT, Dutch border agents, Customs and a reconstruction committee to secure their money as they put it.

The only missing element is Mr. Plasterk’s insistence that St. Maarten starts to look more like the Kingdom, so I guess more positions will be created to flood the civil service, while KLM will overload us with the loving European Dutch who all of a sudden want to relocate here.

Sorry if I am pessimistic but seems like we have been here before. And for all you disrespectful outsiders who think you have some right to accost our elected officials, I will be at the airport when the Dutch border control ship you out. It won’t be long now.

If St. Eustatius and Bonaire are any examples, we now know that all top positions must be held by a European. In any case I do wish the new administration well for the sake of country and people, however, I foresee a difficult and tumultuous two years ahead. This promise might be our undoing as a people, though I hope I am wrong. God bless our leaders and bless St. Maarten we truly need divine intervention.

Elton Jones