Evaluating politicians: “Everyone is selfish”
PHILIPSBURG — The boys and girls at Teen Times are having a lot of fun with their annual evaluation of local politicians. They do their homework on this topic, and they don’t mince their words either. For More...
Motion asks for modest paycuts but Parliament approves budget without it
PHILIPSBURG – Reluctantly, Parliament accepted a motion tabled by National Alliance MP Ludmilla Duncan to cut salaries of parliamentarians and ministers, while it rejected a further-reaching motion with the same More...
Salaries for ministers unchanged in 2020 draft budget
PHILIPSBURG – The draft 2020 budget does not contain any indication that ministers and parliamentarians will take a ten percent salary cut. On the contrary, the listed salaries for all ministers – with the More...
The muddy waters of political pensions
PHILIPSBURG – For decades politicians in St. Maarten have been freewheeling towards their old age pension: from their already impressive salaries they never paid a penny for it. If Minister of Finance Ardwell More...
Fooling the people
By Hilbert Haar Let’s have a closer look at our government’s solidarity initiative of and in particular at the decision to cut the salaries of ministers and members of parliament. Based on a letter from the More...
Madness without borders
By Hilbert Haar “Unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards;” That’s how the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines solidarity. Ah, I did not More...
Ministers and MPs agree to salary reduction
MINISTERS & PARLIAMENTARIANS AGREE TO SALARY REDUCTION IN SOLIDARITY INITIATIVE ~ Liquidity support 2019 becoming a reality ~ PHILIPSBURG – Current and previous Ministers back initiative to support island More...
Playing dead
By Hilbert Haar The interim government led by Silveria Jacobs currently consists of five ministers – one from the United St. Maarten party (USp) and the rest are all with the National Alliance (NA). Until the More...
MPs and Ministers have earned over 50 million guilders since 10-10-10
~ The political cost of autonomy since 10-10-10: more than 50 million guilders ~ PHILIPSBURG – Members of parliament and ministers have cost the St. Maarten tax payers more than 50 million guilders since the More...
Council of Ministers accepts resignation of Prime Minister and Minister of Justice
PHILIPSBURG – On Thursday October 10th, the Council of Ministers accepted the resignation letters of Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin and Minister of Justice Cornelius deWeever, thus reducing the number of Ministers More...
