TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin SXM PM off to the Netherlands

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Godspeed to Ms. Jacobs. This time the Dutch are truly out of line in their demands, in my opinion.

It went about as we expected.

https://www.facebook.com/2591915244168084/videos/269206461033676/

It seems the Dutch want to retain control over the islands and not permit them to become independent. Colonialism might be another word for what the Dutch are trying to implement again?

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/parliament-unanimously-rejects-the-reform-entity

Isn't this money tax payer money from the country of The Netherlands? I don't believe Sint Maarten pays any money out into the Kingdom of the Netherlands, right? If this is all Netherlands Tax Payer money, don't they have a right to impose some conditions? I understand Sint Maarten does not have to agree and they can negotiate, but the tax payers need to have some level of assurance money is just not going to the island to disappear.

From my understanding, the conditions to this money basically would allow three persons from the Netherlands to in effect govern SXM (and Curacao and Aruba). Governments of all three islands have said no to the conditions. While I know very little about the governing mechanisms of the Kingdom, I think the island governments are claiming that the procedure the Dutch are demanding does not comply with Kingdom law.

I actually was in support of the Dutch conditions post Irma for the aid. This time they seem out of line.

On the other hand, one of the conditions of the Irma aid was to establish an integrity committee. They are still meeting about it every once in awhile.

There is merit on both sides, however either way, darned if you do, darned if you don't. I don't see Plan B anywhere on the horizon.

A major monopoly under the way.

I actually thought that they had passed the Integrity Chamber, but then it seemed to fade away..

The Caribbean Reform Entity or something type of panel like it sounds like the right way to go. However, it can't just be people chosen by the Netherlands with an "affinity for the islands." There needs to be people actually from the islands as well. If the Netherlands wants 3 people, let the islands chose an equal amount of people as well.

Well Curacao , Aruba and St.Maarten stood up against the Dutch today . They are called KAS , Korurso, Aruba and St.Maarten.

If the Dutch are prepared to, in effect, give money to the people on the island, they can attach whatever conditions they feel are necessary to ensure the proper deployment of that money, with accountability for its use, free from graft or embezzlement. Talk of reparations aside, the duly elected government of Sint Maarten can seek to negotiate those conditions, accept them, or decline the money. The Dutch have other things they can do with the money; use it to deal with the Netherlands own recovery from Covid, for one.

Well said Wilsonck