The Editor, The Anguillian
Dear Sir,
Open letter to our Government:
This is my government, now in its second year! They are moving forward but leaving too many unresolved areas behind, some needing a simple fix, others seem to be drifting from bad to just as bad. Area 1. Would someone please request that whoever put up the 2015 election posters take them back down now? They really look stupid! Or perhaps Anglec could ask for them to be removed from the poles all through the villages? Or maybe they hope the green vines hanging on the poles will hide these signs?
Area 2. Re our indigenous banks. Since the Government has taken over these banks are persons who work there now considered civil servants? The ‘higher ups’ seem quite satisfied with the way that problem was handled, but there are some areas left to be dealt with. When will the persons who were given these loans be made to pay back the money? Or will their collaterals ever be called in? Getting rid of old bank personnel for a new set does not negate what was done before. Actually, who got the funds that were given out? How could the banking question be settled if the funds are still missing, and no one has been charged for their disappearance – Boards of Directors and/or Managers? No one. Assuming these banks were regularly audited, how is it that no one knew what was going on, not even the shareholders? What happened to these audits? Then our government steps in to ‘save the banks’ by raising the cost of living for all Anguillians – guilty or not! Instead of whining about how bad things are in Anguilla, take a look around you. Two and three storey houses popping up everywhere and almost every make of car in the USA or Japan represented here in new vehicles.
Area 3. Please, don’t even dream of pooling our Social Security funds together with any other island. Leave them here! When those grandiose plans fail, and fail they will – we will remember Enron and, more recently, the EU? Then Go no further than our very own two banks! When money comes in good sense goes out! Investment in Anguilla seems to mean in-vest: monies disappearing in the vests of a few lucky persons. Social Security funds do not belong to the government of any country but to the people. When these plans fail is our government going to raise the cost of living in Anguilla again by another 25%? When the cost of living goes up those same pensioners are the only group which really lose out. The civil service says they were promised a 25% raise. (Which enterprise ever gets a 25% raise except our ferryboat operators and our government?) Only in Anguilla! If the Social Security has extra funds surely the pensioners should come first and be given a raise to cope with the extra monies the government is demanding from us all. Pensioners must pay the same taxes as anyone else. Take a good look at tax increases on utility Bills and try not to faint. The last raise in pensions was 10% about ten or twelve years ago!
We ask those concerned to take a better look before acting on our behalf. We are struggling and simply cannot take anymore tax increases at this time.
Thank you.
A Pensioner
