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Another boondoggle for the SXM government #273252
01/14/2022 10:12 AM
01/14/2022 10:12 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Link

I don't want coverage under your crappy SXM health insurance, thank you very much. At least Brison is up front that the purpose is to make money for the SXM government.


Carol Hill
SXM Sponsors
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273254
01/14/2022 10:28 AM
01/14/2022 10:28 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Is he indicating the NEW insurance will go back to $30 or is he unaware the current price is $15? The purpose all along was to make $$$.

Kind of like the departure fee/tax. I believe it is now up to $39 and nobody notices since it is built into their airfare.


J.D.
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: ruralcarrier] #273256
01/14/2022 10:40 AM
01/14/2022 10:40 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Apparently he thinks it is currently $30. I was thinking when I was reading that, that it was now $15. The money currently I think goes to the private insurance companies who are administering it.


Carol Hill
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273257
01/14/2022 10:51 AM
01/14/2022 10:51 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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pat  Offline
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Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
Personally speaking, until Mr. Brison sees the full implementation of some of his past promises - ie Mullet Bay assistance to resolution of Towers and golf course ownership as a perfect example - I’m inclined NOT to be in favor of virtually anything new he comes up with. But that’s just me……


Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273270
01/14/2022 11:27 AM
01/14/2022 11:27 AM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 298
Upstate, NY
Mikel Offline
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Mikel  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 298
Upstate, NY
He states that the coverage would be for COVID and accidents and goes on to say that if someone became seriously ill, it would include emergency travel home. But if someone suffers a heart attack or other non-COVID illness, they would not be covered. It would also imply that we will need to continue to with the pre-authorization process indefinitely, unless maybe it was rolled into the airfare as the departure tax is now.

Does not sound like a well thought out plan to me.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Mikel] #273272
01/14/2022 11:31 AM
01/14/2022 11:31 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline OP
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Carol_Hill  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Mikel--Yes, that would be a PITA, to have to do pre-authorization permanently. Hopefully this won't pass.


Carol Hill
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273277
01/14/2022 11:49 AM
01/14/2022 11:49 AM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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SXMScubaman  Offline
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Posts: 18,564
Auburn, WA
Just a big money grab.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273292
01/14/2022 03:51 PM
01/14/2022 03:51 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Imagine that, another clueless politician. Plenty of them to go around.


J.D.
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273297
01/14/2022 04:34 PM
01/14/2022 04:34 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 552
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
K
KGB Offline
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KGB  Offline
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K
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 552
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Tourists - you know, those people that come over with MONEY- so we can take it from them, right? Of course, that’s why they do exist, so we can take money from them as much as we think is possible….


"Often Wrong, Never in Doubt"
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: KGB] #273301
01/14/2022 05:21 PM
01/14/2022 05:21 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Almost like legal extortion?


J.D.
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273312
01/14/2022 07:23 PM
01/14/2022 07:23 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 236
M
MrWhiskerssammy Offline
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MrWhiskerssammy  Offline
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M
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 236
I am in total agreement here. I pay a good amount of money to have Skymed total coverage and I would not be inclined to buy anything more than that. I am willing to pay the $15.00 that we have to pay right now--but that is it!! Make me pay more, I will go elsewhere (like there isn't anywhere else??)

As Rural Carrier said--Another Clueless Politician.

Getting really tired of all of this.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273313
01/14/2022 08:04 PM
01/14/2022 08:04 PM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 635
Palm Beach County
jenniboston Offline
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jenniboston  Offline
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 635
Palm Beach County
Boston levies a .7% tax on hotel rooms above the state sales tax. I'm in the process of renting a house in Florida and recently discovered that the landlord needs to pay a tax on the rent.

My point? Governments everywhere will find a way to levy extra fees from "out of towners". At least this is a flat fee. And if you can afford to fly and stay on St. Martin an extra 30 bucks really shouldn't break the bank. Or (honestly??) cause you to go somewhere else. Tourism is pretty literally the island's only industry and it's taken a sever hit between Irma and Covid; the government is just taking advantage of the resources it has.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273314
01/14/2022 08:25 PM
01/14/2022 08:25 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,461
Vermont
sxmmartini Offline
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sxmmartini  Offline
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Vermont
Revenue helps the island and the insurance companies that are there for their people. The fact that tourist what to rub two nickels together to wish everything is normal is troubling.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: jenniboston] #273319
01/14/2022 09:32 PM
01/14/2022 09:32 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,258
Kennys Offline
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Kennys  Offline
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Posts: 5,258
Thanks and liked your constructive response to this issue.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: jenniboston] #273321
01/14/2022 10:38 PM
01/14/2022 10:38 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,624
United States of America
bdeeley Offline
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bdeeley  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,624
United States of America
Maybe, if this new tax on tourists passes than many potential visitors will show their disfavor by going somewhere else on their vacations. Or maybe, you're willing to fund this cost for anyone that is opposed. Its only 30 bucks per person, it shouldn't break your bank.


Be Happy! Simply because you deserve to be. 😁
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: ruralcarrier] #273328
01/14/2022 11:29 PM
01/14/2022 11:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,624
United States of America
bdeeley Offline
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bdeeley  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,624
United States of America
PJIA saw 1.8 million passengers travel through the terminal in 2015. If that number is approaching 2 million passengers now than that means this would be a tax that generates $60 million US dollars to Sint Maarten. If you read the article than you see that the MP wants this money to flow to SZV, which is the SXM version of the US Social Security Administration. They want the money to pay for pensions and healthcare for their citizens because they can't get their house in order.

I agree with you. It is extortion. For every tourist that says no and goes somewhere else, they'll lose thousands in revenue for the $30 their trying to lift out of their wallet.



Be Happy! Simply because you deserve to be. 😁
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273330
01/15/2022 04:43 AM
01/15/2022 04:43 AM
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 112
sxm
E
enzosxm Offline
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Posts: 112
sxm
I think that is not a matter of $30 more or less, but how the money is spent. It does not matter if it is a tourist or a resident it is just that if you are levied some tax you would like to see some improvement. May be roads? May be safety? May be health care? Turn over tax was supposed to be temporary at 1% after Luis, 27 years later it is till there and at 5%. Was anything done to really improve the island infrastructure other than the Simpson Bay bridge crossing the lagoon? Not in my opinion.

Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: Carol_Hill] #273331
01/15/2022 06:56 AM
01/15/2022 06:56 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Quote
If you read the article than you see that the MP wants this money to flow to SZV, which is the SXM version of the US Social Security Administration. They want the money to pay for pensions and healthcare for their citizens because they can't get their house in order.


And that is a BIG part of their problems when it comes to finances, CORRUPTION and gross mismanagement!

$30 is not going to make or break me, but if/when they get this, it will likely continue to increase. Just like the departure fee/tax that was (I think) $6 when I first did a stay over visit, it is now $39 and the airport/island has more financial issues than ever before.

enzosxm made an accurate and profound assessment of the situation.


J.D.
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: enzosxm] #273343
01/15/2022 09:18 AM
01/15/2022 09:18 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,624
United States of America
bdeeley Offline
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bdeeley  Offline
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Posts: 1,624
United States of America
You are correct, and two additions. The causeway was considered and proposed by the Dutch prior to independence of the Dutch side and was funded by bonds purchased by the Dutch. The Dutch are already writing off the payments the island can't make and will most likely end up having to forgive the whole cost. The other major project in the past 25 years was the airport and the Dutch developed and paid for those improvements. If it wasn't for the quarterly Tranches that the Dutch made for the last 2 years, Sint Maarten would be a 5th world country.

And about the airport, phase III which was in the original 1997 proposal and was supposed to start in 2012, has never happened because of the ineptness of the countries government.


Be Happy! Simply because you deserve to be. 😁
Re: Another boondoggle for the SXM government [Re: bdeeley] #273345
01/15/2022 09:26 AM
01/15/2022 09:26 AM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
ruralcarrier Offline
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ruralcarrier  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,476
Ohio
Imagine that! Thanks for the additions.


J.D.

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