Political grandstanding
By Hilbert Haar Something does not add up. On November 5 the Parliament approved with an overwhelming majority a motion that declares, among many other things, support for attempts by the obscure Pro Soualiga Foundation More...
Will Parliament play hardball?
By Hilbert Haar There is no meeting scheduled for Monday, December 14, on the Parliament’s website but that could still happen with a last-minute announcement. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs needs that meeting More...
The trouble with reparations
By Hilbert Haar Before anyone wants to hold it against me, let me say this: I support the notion that slavery was wrong for one hundred percent. We may however have different opinions about who was responsible for More...
Statia’s deadlocked political future
By Hilbert Haar If the result of the island council elections in Statia have made anything clear it is that change does not come easy to people. You can take horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink, More...
An ugly dog fight
By Hilbert Haar Finance Minister Ardwell Irion’s plan to float a 75 million guilders bond issue has resulted in an ugly dog fight with financial supervisor Cft. United People’s party leader Rolando Brison added More...
Cursed Circles
By Hilbert Haar Years ago, as I was sitting on my balcony in the Cretan sun, the mailman stopped by and asked if I had a banknote of twenty Deutsch Marks. It was quite an odd request as Greece was still using the More...
Solitary confinement belongs in the Middle Ages
By Hilbert Haar The tragic story of Caulette Julien who died at the Mental Health Foundation on August 25 after spending almost three weeks in solitary confinement has triggered many questions that are still waiting More...
The mother of all challenges
By Hilbert Haar Our island is facing the mother of all challenges – and even that is an understatement. The COVID-19 crises has laid bare what decision makers have known for a very, very long time: it is dangerous More...
Getting to a better place
By Hilbert Haar It always had to come to this. Protecting public health is an obvious priority to anybody with half a brain but what about protecting the economy? It is a horrendous dilemma. I recently saw a cartoon More...
The mess at BTP is still there
By Hilbert Haar How Minister Ludmila De Weever was able to reach an amicable settlement with Anthony Carty, the heavily overpaid director of the Bureau Telecommunication and Post (BTP) is a mystery to me. As the More...
