Todd--Like Scuba, I am confused by your statement about St. Maarten changing their policies. These issues with tipping are pretty much confined to the Dutch side.
As far as auto-tipping being an attack on US visitors, no, I don't see that. In general, Americans tip very well. The other thing is that if there is an auto-tip, there is NO guarantee at all that this money is in fact going to the server. My perception--which I really don't have any evidence to support this--is that businesses are instituting auto-tips and keeping a great majority of the money for the business, and then leaving it up to the server to beg for more tips. I would much prefer they just raise their prices, and then leave it up to me to tip the server an appropriate amount, in which I have some degree of confidence that the money is actually GOING to the server. And auto-tip takes away any incentive for the server to do a good job.
