Tuesday , October 3 2023

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Opportunity or Oppression on Saba?

Dear Editor, I write this letter on the cusp of Saba Day 2021. While the outside world celebrates with us, they are unaware of the reality of many Sabans employed within the Government Service, a reality that inveigles despair, frustration, and disappointment on a daily basis as it continues to …

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Letter to the Editor: Open letter to Mr. Knops

DEAR MISTER KNOPS, Welcome Dutch caretaker State Secretary to Statia where you are likely to open a roundabout that communicates with about ten lonely vehicles per hour per day. Never have we seen on Statia such magnificent progress from you and your local civil servants and what a great investment …

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Opinion: No more votes for goats on Saba

Dear Editor, For many years now, a small number of goat own­ers have been allowed to let their goats roam free on the island. Despite the destruction the goats have caused on the island and to people’s personal property, the goat owners never pay for it. They are never held …

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Opinion: No more votes for goats on Saba

Dear Editor, For many years now, a small number of goat own­ers have been allowed to let their goats roam free on the island. Despite the destruction the goats have caused on the island and to people’s personal property, the goat owners never pay for it. They are never held …

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Opinion: Parent raises serious issues about Sacred Heart School

Dear Editor, On behalf of the vulnerable and seemingly voiceless, opinion-less youth of Saba, most of whom have been subjected to many injustices during their course of primary education on Saba, I request immediate action by those in authority, against the functioning of the Sacred Heart School. I am very …

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Opinion: suggestions for improving the pond at Cove Bay

Dear Editor, The new stone and soil retaining wall at the swim pond at Cove Bay has apparently reduced the inflow of floating seaweed (I believe that this is mainly sargassum). However, it has also created essentially a dead sea zone within the pond now. The is no marine life, …

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Opinion: Our Parliament will have the last word on our social minimum

Dear Editor, I have followed the debate on the social minimum for the Caribbean Netherlands between the members of the Kingdom Relations committee of the Second Chamber and state-sec­retaries Knops (Kingdom Relations) and Van Ark (Social Affairs). I am rather disappointed with the point of view of both state-secre­taries and …

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Opinion: Social minimum for Caribbean Netherlands

Eight years after 10-10-10 it is clear that the present Dutch coalition govern­ment is prepared to finally establish a social minimum. While the responsible state-secretary Van Ark has re­cently announced that the presentation of the study into the social minimum to parliament will be delayed, the chairman of the King­dom Relations …

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Opinion Koos Sneek: “Very Unfortunate, but Unavoidable”

This morning early, I have taken notice of the news that the National Government has taken the decision to sideline the government of St. Eustatius and to appoint a special commissioner who will take over the governing of the island. This decision has been taken following the report, conclusions, and …

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Opinion: Building a new Caribbean

Dear Editor, Having experienced two hurricanes cat. 5, having seen the devastation and been around to feel and understand the inconveniences, to just express it mildly; no water, no electricity or no telecommunication for an extended period. Lots of time though to think about what happened and who are suffering, …

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Dispatch from a Caribbean climate change refugee

Dear editor, I am standing in line – or rather in a disorganized congregation of desperate souls – in the parking lot of St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport, once the second busiest airport in the Caribbean, now a shell of sheetrock, concrete, metal and glass; the main terminal building …

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Opinion: We need to know what is going on at the SCS

Dear Editor, I am one of many con­cerned parents that have a lot of questions since the two letters were given out by the schoolboard of Saba Comprehensive School last month. The seriousness of these letters is quite alarm­ing. It makes me really won­der how the school got into this …

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Opinion: What can we do to keep the Unspoiled Queen unspoiled?

Dear editor, April 22 is known as international Earth Day. This got me thinking…what is Saba doing on behalf of this Earth Day and is there anything that can be improved to keep the unspoiled queen unspoiled? So let’s ask those critical questions: Is the Recycling plant really a Recycling …

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Opinion Daily Herald: Made to wait

Today’s news that the Dutch Government is willing to supplement possible losses in pension years of (former) civil servants and teaching personnel who worked in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands) before October 10, 2010, is obviously most welcome. While a number of these public sector employees for …

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Opinion Daily Herald: Saba follows constructive approach

News that negotiations will start soon to discuss the transfer of tasks from the Dutch Government to Saba (see related story) inspires hope that the status of special overseas Public Entity might prove more durable than certain persons would have it. After all, there has been and still is a …

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Opinion: Change on the horizon for Saba’s government

Dear editor, On April 23, 2016 via the Daily Herald presiding Commissioner Christopher Johnson announced that he would be pursuing a new venture as the new Dutch Representative. It was not until May 03, 2016 that the Island Council as a collective body was officially informed about the resignation of …

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Opinion: Problems with delivery of mail addressed to Saba

Dear Editor, I would like to share the following concerns with the people on Saba. Following my experiences, there is quite a serious problem with the delivery of mail to Saba. There is NOT a problem a problem with the postoffice here on Saba, but with probably Flamingo Post. If you have similar …

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Opinion in The Daily Herald: “Happy Kingdom Day”

The Kingdom Charter will have existed 60 years on Monday. A lot has happened since, but all things considered the document signed by then-Queen Juliana has stood the test of time fairly well.It was the result of a decolonisation process that started after World War II and gave both Suriname …

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Opinion: Mango tree in the Bottom should stay

Dear Editor, It seems there are a lot of our folks that are a quite upset because of the plan to chop down that beautiful mango tree here in the Bottom. I am glad to see our Saba people standing up and voicing their concerns. This tree has been there …

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Opinion: Police should show more activity

Dear Editor, On Saturday last I was driving through Windwardside and traffic was crazy. The area alongside the bakery at Breadline is being used as a parking spot. We can’t blame those who park there because if the law is not enforced or, better let me ask the question do …

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Editorial in The Daily Herald: “Maturity required”

Thankfully, a majority of the fractions in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament rejected the idea floated by the liberal democratic VVD and Socialist Party (SP) for a commonwealth with St. Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao as independent countries (see related article). It was pointed out correctly that the right …

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Opinion: Saba Day program contains no culture.

Dear Editor, With Saba Day celebrations just days away, I have taken note of the program line up. How sad it is that the entire weekend activities do no have not even one single cultural event on it. For those of you who kept informed or even went to Statia …

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