Favoritism & Privilege Alive & Well on Aruba; Nearly 5000 Government Employees … what other privileges are provided?

Mike Eman, leader of AVP, is on the attack again. This is almost hard to believe. According to an AP Digital article, Aruba Government is reaching almost 5000 employees, while the Federal and Island Governments in the Netherlands Antilles have only 4300. 5% of the population in Aruba is a government employee. Aruba only has a population fluctuation around 100,000.

Of course Mr. Eman it would have been more beneficial to your party if such comments were forcefully made prior to the last election.

With the recent drop in tourism and the lower tax revenues gained because of the decline, there best be some concern from many of these government employees as to where their next  pay check is going to come from. The real question is, how and why  does an island have so many governmental employees? I am sure favoritism and political influence have nothing to do with it.

With this illustration Eman wishes to point out the ridiculous administration of the Aruban Government.

“Between 1,500 and 2000 people have been employed by the Aruban Government in 5 years. Not to improve education; not to improve public health; not to improve social assistance in this country; but to benefit and privilege of Mr. Nelson Obuber and his family; Mr. Rudy Croes … not to the benefit of this country”.

(AM Digital: click on article to enlarge)

With all of these political appointments made for favors and influence, one wonders just why those in Aruba have kept so quiet as to tips and what really happened to Natalee Holloway. Or do we?

  

AM Digital:Mike Eman (AVP), Oduber is a Menace to our Aruban Florin

Looks like its getting politically interesting in Aruba. The gloves are coming off and the blame game is in full force. Economic collapses due to terrible tourism have a way of doing that. Mike Eman, head of AVP, makes some challenging statements toward PM Nelson Oduber calling him a menace. Its too bad AVP and the other political parties did not take this same tack prior to the the last election when they had the opportunity and it would have made a greater point.

(AM Digital: Click on article to enlarge)

Quick Chat with Beth Twitty from Wisconsin

Earlier today I caught up with Beth Twitty while she was coming from her speech  for the Wisconsin Sheriffs in Madison, WI. (Greta Van Susteren’s old stomping grounds.)  Catching her in the airport seems to be a knack of mine  these days. Beth told me that she still has not heard anything regarding the civil case in NYC; however, she continue speaking to law enforcement and students regarding “Safe Travel” and gaining more states to independently endorse her “Safe Travels” program.

I was also able to tell Beth that Aruba is announcing that their airplane passengers to Aruba were down for the first 6 months of 2006. Beth was not aware of today’s Amigoe article due to the busy schedule with her Madison speech and running to the airport. We further went on to discuss the fact that American passengers were down 11.5% while Colombians increased by 14.3%. That will be a major issue in the not too distant future. That discussion is for a future post.

What Aruba has not figured out is the the clock will never stop, that will allow their tourism to rebound. The reason is because the Natalee Holloway disappearance does not go away. Aruba thought it would in one week, they had planned on it. Beth Twitty’s speaking engagements discuss safe travel, but they also reference Natalee. The story will always be told, it does not go away. Beth Twitty is too strong a women to let the story go away without justice. So ever time Beth speaks to a crowd of law enforcement or students, she tried to prevent a future incident from occurring. In the process she brings up the specter of Natalee Holloway and Aruban tourism goes down again. One would think that Aruba could figure this out.

After some more catching up on some other  topics, questions and theories, I heard in the back ground the call for all to shut off their cell phones. Having got Beth in trouble in the past with flight attendants and cell phones, I figured I best not press my luck this time. We are working on some things that should be coming to fruition in the not too distant future.

We wish Beth Twitty a safe flight and Godspeed.

Amigoe: Aruba sees Fewer airline passengers in second quarter. What a shock!

The continuation of the declining tourism in Aruba was confirmed again when it was reported that fewer airline passengers arrived in Aruba for the second quarter. The number of American airline passengers to Aruba for the first 6 months to Aruba was 11.5%.

ARUBA – Compared to the second quarter of last year, 5 percent less people traveled via the airport of Aruba, but the number of flights increased with 11 percent. 

Compared with last year, the drop in passengers in the first six months of this year was 9 percent and the number of flights increased with 4 percent.  The number of passengers from the US dropped with 11.5 percent and from Europe with 11.5 percent.   The number of passengers from Colombia increased with 14.3 percent and from the Neth. Antilles with 9.6 percent.

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AM Digital: One Littered Island, Or is it a Metaphor?

From the 7/20/06 AM Digital article, AHATA Concerned about litter in Aruba:

(AM Digital, Click on article to enlarge)

Seems the second concern of the AHATA is the litter that has accumulated in Aruba and the 120 illegal garbage dumping sites in Aruba. Aruba is only so big, how could there be so many illegal sites and more to the point overlooked until now? Aruba is all about tourism. Why would they let it get to the point that it became an eyesore for tourists? This is the lasting image they wish to leave with tourists? One wonders whether AHATA has any form of tourism marketing plan that makes sense at all.

Does it seem like Aruba’s garbage problem is a metaphor for pretty much everything that goes on there? Overlook, hide and keep quiet about any issue until it becomes so noticeable that one cannot keep quiet any longer.

Although AHATA is concerned about litter, we are guessing they are concerned about much greater things. At least they better be.