Having posted about the Organic law already I would now like to compare the Commune with the Collectivity. This post will focus on the commune and why it is dependent.
It is the smallest of the territorial organizations, and forms part of a department, which forms part of a region. Saint Martin was formerly a commune of Guadeloupe, which is the department of Guadeloupe, which is the Region of Guadeloupe.
Being a commune of Guadeloupe meant in effect that we were considered a part of Guadeloupe, unable to call the island Saint Martin without adding Guadeloupe after. Just as Basse Terre Guadeloupe was Guadeloupe so Saint Martin was Guadeloupe.
The commune could vote on its budget and the level of local taxes, it could create or suppress communal employment, approve communal loans and subsidies, determine the tarrif of communal services and parking on public roads, local city parking and construct kindergarden and primary schools.
The department stands between the commune and the region and is administered by a General Council. They are responsible for social action, child protection, social intergration of persons in difficulty, allowances, aid to the handicapped and aged, sanitary prevention removal of household garbage. Garbage collection ( departmental or national roads of local interest, school transportation by motor vehicle, maritime ports, both fishing and commercial. Education (materil management refectories of junio high schools, recrutement and management of technical personnel, workers and other services. Culture: department archives, departmental lending libraries, museums and certain other buildings. Local development (aid to associations, to communes.) Housing: Management of the solidarity fund for housing and the energy fund aid.
The Region is the highest territorial administrative entity before the national government. It is responsible for Culture, learning, professional training, continuing education, higher education and secondary education Regional express transportation, Health, Economic Develompent, Territorial improvement and planning.
We had two general councilors and one Regional Councilor in councils that had over 40 members. What could we get when it came to a vote? If we even proposed something they thought was a good idea it would be simply taken over and used in Guadeloupe.
According to the above, it is apparent that until 2007 we belonged to Guadeloupe and there was very little we could without Guadeloupe's blessing, approval and money which came through them.
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