Readers write:
Dimas: DIMENOS
From a reader: I read with horror your column today – policies to turn back the clock on prosperity and the level of ingenuity and service making Aruba so very popular the last years. DIMENOS is what they should be called, horrendous service, stall tactics that could teach a basketball player how to run out the clock and sadly often a xenophobic attitude to boot. I am sorry for Arubans instead of giving a standard where the best person is hired and the island rises to the highest level of service, this government is encouraging a landslide back to the past.
New Dimas Policy
From a reader: Was to be expected. I’ve been saying this for months. Not only will a lot of people lose their jobs because of companies either going under or will be forced to downsize, many more will follow when the government lets people go. So I can understand that this would come. But we also need to change outdated labor laws. But even so, when they do make changes, I would not expect major shifts, it is also never easy in the Netherlands, when it comes to labor laws.
From a reader: Regarding immigration policy, the labor market will be overcrowded with unemployed hotel personnel, secondary industry personnel and a few thousand public workers, if GOA does not implement a 3-day workweek for itself. That is the only practical solution to reducing GOA’s overhead, reduce the work week from 5 to 3 days. It will not affect us much because GOA’s productivity is low anyway. BUT, it will reduce the public payroll expenses by 40% in one shot. Sure it will cause a lot of direct pain. But not any more than all those who have lost their income in the last 9 months. This trend of continuing GOA overproduction causes waste which requires more production to finance. That is the circle of waste.
In high quality countries waste is close-to-zero.
Aruba is now at the beginning of a long period of very low income. We are not prepared. We are fat, sick, lazy and in denial.
But we are also at the dawn of a new era in which we have chance to show the world how a small island can turn the tide and turnaround its work-culture.
From a reader: Protecting a local labor market will scare off investors because they want and need qualified and willing workers. if GOA wants to make Aruba economically stronger, we need investment, thus we need lower overhead expenses — GOA/taxation/utility/infrastructure, and a highly productive workforce. So far is looks like we are moving in the opposite direction.
When talking about a refinery
From a reader: Aruba’s refinery is 100 years old, obsolete, take a drive around it to see that this horse is dead, 20 years ago, China could/would have brought the scrap metal. Today? Not even worth that. Just plain environmental pollution, a dump.
No previous owner ever cared, also we were less aware of the impact on the environment under previous owners, and GOA has no money to clean it up.
The world is moving away from oil. Slowly, but the rate is increasing.
Meaning: less refineries are needed worldwide.
Refineries are closing down: At US$50 a barrel or less, their margins are under pressure. PLUS, lawsuits to reduce their CO-2 emissions are everywhere.
Look at Shell, yes, Royal Dutch, among the world’s 20 top- polluters, it is good for a 50% reduction of CO-2 emissions, but they are being sued, around the globe, for polluting and leaking massive spills, because ALL oil producing countries are now closely monitored, for the first time.
We’re together in this
From a reader: Would you allow your spouse to run your marriage, set all rules, all budgets, all goals, while you are relegated to working three jobs, make ends meet, plus cook, clean and do homework with the kids when you finally arrive home in the evening, kaput from the day’s drudgery?
Why do you leave it all to GOA to decide where we’re going, what we’re spending on and all YOU do is work and pay the bills??
It seems to me that locals here don’t care, they go about their lives, jam supermarkets and roads, and there is hardly a sign that we are mid global depression, economically, in a health-risking pandemic.
It’s all business as usual.
In order for a democracy to work we need to wake up the public, it must participate, this is not a spectator’s sport. The public must make it voice heard, and once in four years is not enough.
