Alain Richardson : I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Great year 2016
My Fellow St-Martiners, Dear Friends,
Simone Schwarz-Bart wrote : « The country often depends on the heart of man: It is tiny if the heart is small and huge if the heart is big »..
My conviction is that the same goes for our personal future, for that of our families, of the nation and of the planet.
This year 2016 will be certainly a pivotal year for our territory but also for us all. Our individual and collective successes and conquests will depend greatly on the heart we put to work. I want then to encourage you to put heart in all your endeavors.
As for me, in this phase of re-composition and reformation, my heart is huge as it continues to aim to embrace our collective future. Made stronger in the face of adversity, I remain faithful to you and to Saint-Martin, because I know that our collective future, capacity and wisdom are by far greater and more important than the “ego” and “unfaithfulness” that inhabits those currently in charge.
In 2016, this lethargic cloud that weighs so much on our territory and in too many areas, cannot and should no longer continue its adverse effects that promotes this feeling to the abandonment and neglect.
Too much time has been wasted for the implementation of essential and founding policies, actions, and projects that need to ensure a serene and prosperous future for our territory and its people; (projects, actions and policies that I have either initiated or picked up and amplified during my presidency at the head of this territory). 2016, a pivotal year I said it, will we then finally witness:
1 – The launching of the 3RD phase of development of the commercial port of Galisbay with docks offering at least 10 meters draught? A crucial infrastructure needed to ensure the development of trade activity, distribution and import-export (all supported by the creation of free-zones and e-zones). I ask myself the questions: why is this project still not launched? Who is playing against St. Martin by delaying and or blocking it?
2 – The securing of the land by purchasing (Directly by the Collectivité or through the SEMSAMAR) from the rear of the port in Galisbay to Agrément, intended to receive the new economic zone of the island creating a genuine synergy and a strong attractiveness with the commercial port? Request repeatedly made by me to the SEMSAMAR.
3 – The acquisition of the land needed for the expansion and extension of the runway of the airport in Grand-Case?
4 – The establishment of a genuine regulatory framework and a real political planning and land management of the territory favoring “the national interests of St Martin” and consistent with the social, demographic, economic, environmental and cultural realities and needs of our future? The mess created by the PLU file remains in the people’s mind but there is urgency. A few months ago I published a list of recommendations to follow and I invite those who are in charge of this file to please take heed.
5 – The launching of the essential restructuring and reorganization of the administrative apparatus of our Collectivité in order to ensure the necessary optimization, training and mobilization of all human and material resources to guarantee to the people efficiency and the quality of public service ? (the first audit had been ordered and the report delivered in the last month of my Presidency).
6 – The rehabilitation and operating as part of a genuine heritage, artistic and cultural policy of the property “La Plantation” in Mount – Vernon, Cul de Sac ? (Initiative to purchase the property taken during my Presidency).
7 – The draft road bypass of Rambaud through La Savane – Friar’s Bay – Port of Galisbay, essential to alleviate the traffic congestion by the extension of the road network? This project has been the subject of a mandate given under my Presidency to SEMSAMAR for the conduct of studies and the definition of optimal solutions.
8 – Etc..
The list of planned and or started actions, projects and policies before my eviction is still long. What should I say and what to expect in 2016 from the implementation of the ‘Mentorship’ policy and project aimed at providing our young people with real alternative to the idleness, crime and too easy exposure to gangs, the school drop outs and school failure, teen aged pregnancy etc.. ?
2016, pivotal year also for the resumption of fights of the Collectivité against the State of France and its services:
1 – For a fair compensation of the transfers of competences since the creation of the new Collectivité
2 – For the repayment by the State of revenue collected and legally destined for Saint-Martin (funds that are still in the coffers of the State),
3 – For the implementation in accordance with the provisions of the organic law of a financial plan to alleviate the handicaps of our territory and to accompany Saint-Martin in its development.
4 – To see apply on our territory and for the benefit of the local economic fabric all the measures of decrease of the cost of the labor, measures for economic competitiveness, simplification measures, incentives and assistance to business and households, etc. decided nationally but unfairly denied to Saint-Martin even though the measures are taken in application and in the fields of total competences of the State France and not of the Collectivité.
Also will there finally, be acts and content to the words of the Prime Minister “Saint-Martin has been abandoned for too long by France ‘?
Great are my regrets to see that the procedure that I initiated and the missions that I had given to the legal advisors (lawyers and consultants ) of the Collectivité as well as to the services for the launching of an action before the Constitutional Council of France in the form of a «Constitutional Priority Question (QPC)» on the compensation process for the transfer of competences were not pursued by those who replaced me at the head of the country. It took almost 3 years to ensure that the merits of this action is finally understood by them and it is recently resumed. At least on this side, I expect in 2016 to see things advanced a little.
All of these projects, all these actions, all of these policies have no other goals than to avoid further impoverishment of our territory and of its people, with the goal and ambition displayed and assumed by me, to succeed over a period of 10 years to double of the level of GDP per capita in Saint Martin.
May you have in 2016 and always, a big heart so as to be granted greatness in all you do. Put heart and always act in the best interest and for the love of your own and for “the Love of Saint-Martin”.
Know that you can count on my unwavering commitment, fueled by a huge heart.
I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Great year 2016.
Alain Richardson.
Former President of the Collectivité.
