The human factor
By Hilbert Haar ~ The final report informateurs Dr. Nilda Arduin and Jan Beaujon submitted on Monday to Governor Drs. Eugène Holiday is a solid piece of work – the first of its kind in the history of country More...
Post-Irma financial predicament
By Hilbert Haar The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association has put its finger on a very sore spot with its analysis of the country’s post-Irma financial predicament. That we are – financially speaking More...
Bathroom woes
By Hilbert Haar Seemingly inconsequential events at times make quite an impression on me. Such was the case on Wednesday, when I was on my way to pay a visit to the bathrooms in Holland House where I was having More...
The key to integrity
By Hilbert Haar Politicians are always quick to suggest that ‘this’ elections is really important and every time I hear this I think really? Our politicians also like to talk about ‘the next four years,’ More...
Whataboutism
By Hilbert Haar Almost immediately after stmaartennews.com, published the story on Monday about wrongdoings by former Minister Christophe Emmanuel with the issuance of land in long lease, the site was bombarded More...
House of corruption
By Hilbert Haar Two things come to mind after the arrest of USp-leader MP Frans Richardson. One: everybody is innocent until proven guilty. That applies to everyone and also to Richardson. Two: there is no smoke More...
Raised eyebrows
By Hilbert Haar Will we now have to go through a parliamentary elections whereby the leader of one of the participating parties is in jail? Tuesday’s arrest of Member of Parliament Frans Richardson makes this More...
A sign of weakness
By Hilbert Haar The abuse of short term labor contracts has been a bee in the bonnet for many a politician over the past years. Friday was the time to pass legislation that would have been a good step in the right More...
Extreme measure
By Hilbert Haar The Dutch intervention in Statia is, as even State Secretary Raymond Knops admitted, an extreme measure. It is also an event that may get people in St. Maarten thinking about their mid-term future. More...
In support of our independent media
By Hilbert Haar The Rotary Club Mid-Isle invited me to join in for a club meeting last Tuesday at Wasabi Charley in Simpson Bay. After having turned down quite some previous invitations due to conflicting work More...
