IS GUADELOUPE HELPING OR HURTING ST. MARTIN?

Even though we have become an Overseas collectivity of France, we are still bound by many ties to Guadeloupe. Until 2012 we shared a deputy in the National Assembly with them. Since then we (the collectivities of St. Barths and St.Martin) share a senator and a deputy.


However during the years from 2007 until 2012, we seem once again to have been on the losing end of the relationship with Guadeloupe.


According to a statement issued by former president of the collectivity, Mr. Alain Richardson, the following is a non-exhaustive list of project requested for St. Martin but which have been either buried or superceded by Guadeloupe.


1
Construction and opening on St. Martin of an Army Center which would have recruited and trained young St. Martiners here on the island, rather than having to go to Guadeloupe. St. Martin has the youngest population of the French Republic while Guadeloupe has the oldest.


2
The creation on St. Martin of a Court in First Instance, which members of the legal profession have been asking for for years now. Buried because if our legal cases weren't there to maintain the court in Basse Terre itwould simply be annexed to that of Pointe a Pitre. I fail to see a problem in that since it must be easier for somebody to go from Basse Terre to Pointe a Pitre by car as compared to someone having to pay airfare and hotel fees to go from St. Martin to Guadeloupe.


3
Holding back of some European funds which would help our sorely lacking infrastructure. This has always been in effects, which is why they did not really want us to leave the constellation. However, they seem to have found a loophole.


4
Holding back by the Administrative court of our request for payment of funds promised by the State for more than 2 years, after which we were informed that they were not competent to deal with the affaire. Back to square one!


5
A Ministerial visit by the Minister of the Interior Valls, who chose to return to France because of the noise made by an illegal Gypsy family, while St. Martin is swamped with thousands of illegals, to name just one of our problems.


and as noted, the list is not exhaustive! Where does that put us?


St. Martiners, we need to unite!!!