Easter Sunday

With just 63 active cases and 0 deaths, we can consider ourselves lucky. And I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to our present well-being, made difficult and good decisions and managed to contain this public health threat on an island dedicated to dushi bida, under the leadership of our MinPres, who deserves an award for cool and level-headedness, for handling that aspect of the Covid19 pandemic well.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/aruba

I read a paper yesterday, by a world class academic authority, stating that CoVid19 pandemic seems to follow a pattern of 8 weeks, in which it breaks-out viciously, then grows exponentially with a high rate of infection, but slows down on week 7 or 8, REGARDLESS of measures taken by authorities.

So we should count 6-7 weeks from mid-March, see if we fit the pattern.

The paper stated that both Sweden – social distancing, work from home when possible, no lockdown, and Italy – total shutdown for weeks, follow the same pattern, of an overwhelming number of cases at first, which overran the healthcare system in Italy, then a significant slowdown after 8 weeks indicating that life can resume its course, the economy open, and patients with serious health-conditions can be treated. The rest of society should then practice social distancing, be tested at an accelerated pace, and pay special attention to risk groups, as the world puts the pandemic behind it.    

Amen. Perhaps the world class academic authority is right!

Now, to the disastrous economic consequences of the shutdown:

We need all hands on deck, that is true, and I welcome the input of anyone with a good head. That said I recently heard from friends that our former MinInfra, the one who resigned, is making comeback noises, via his party, which he still heads, POR.

He recently floated a few communications among members of the business community stating that the effect of the crisis is underestimated by GOA; that the government needs to offer a relief programs to all businesses, which cannot entail taxes that relate to income, because there is no income. He also stated that payroll is the biggest burden and its where assistance is needed, that without commerce there is no income for GOA, and that GOA needs to cut cost.

He is right on all accounts. 100%.

But before hailing his return on the scene as the messiah, the hero who understands, we should remember that he clearly wants to get back into politics, now that GOA is presented as weak, plagued by many difficult challenges.

As a party-member of the coalition, he’s taking advantage of the situation, and naming himself the proposed savior.

Without consulting with his coalition-partners, or even his party for that matter.

He recently decided to meet with some leaders in our community ‘to get feedback’ from them as to what HE can do to get Aruba through this crisis.

He is clearly positioning himself for next year’s elections.

If anything, we must remember that during his tenure as MinTour/ MinInfra, he demonstrated anti-business sentiments by introducing more stringent labor laws, in his first term, increasing taxes on biz i.e. inventing the environmental tax, and he passed the anti-all-inclusive legislation, despite protestations, and more recently tried unsuccessfully to introduce waste tax, and build an incinerator empire at Serlimar. The Aruparking fiasco? If you recall, it did not help town’s merchants survive, but burdened the public payroll.

I said it before, sticking a square peg into a round hole, is his specialty.

He now wants to become a savior to biz? We can only guess that perhaps his short time in retirement working as an entrepreneur enlightened him as to how difficult it is.

But as I said, we now need all hands on deck, and I welcome the input of anyone with a good head.

 

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April 12, 2020
Rona Coster