From Amigoe yesterday

Parliamentarians get 25 percent salary increase


BONAIRE – The 25 percent salary increase of the parliamentarians leads to frustration and anxiety in the Bonaire community. The island government is of the opinion that they have to make things right. The new gross monthly salary is now 8300 guilders.


It was recently announced that the salary of parliamentarians and the Mayor has been increased with 25 percent. This caused big indignation. The island is coping with financial problems for years, like poverty and overdue maintenance.


The decision to increase the salaries was not made by this government. It was the former cabinet that approved the proposal. It was the national government that made the decision and not the island government of Bonaire. The heads of service that report to the parliamentarians used to have a higher salary than their bosses. “The salary increase has set the years of distorted proportions right”, said Reginald Dortalina.


It’s amazing that there are financial means for the increase of the salaries of the government employees, while there is no money for other matters. The student grants, the poverty, the semi-government officials like teachers have financial problems. These positions are being paid according to age, but due to an economy measure, 10 years is deducted from the age. The lowest age is often 26, which means that a person gets a salary increase when he/she turns 36. On the other islands of the Antilles and Aruba, these semi-government officials get paid 1000 guilders more per month and the government is still wondering why it is so difficult to attract teachers. According to Dortalina, the government is busy investigating the distorted proportions in the salary structure.

Hello!!!! Where is everyone on this issue!!! If you live here...aren't you a little upset when you see how all the regular folks live? Our teachers certainly deserve more. So, where do we need to send our letters to get this rectified?

Sent your protest to the central government at Curacao ..... just like for the increase in salary for the deputies as that decision was taken there too as the article says ... the deputies salary is now about $ 4.500 a month on all islands ....
Education is like health, police, customs, immigration (I think I forgot something..) under the control of the central government.
The teachers salaries you can find on the government web site of the Antilles....
Its all politics ...the article was taken from the Extra which published it a few days before the Amigoe ... and the Extra is a rather "red" news paper ... but no one of the red party protested against the increase of salaray for their deputies, it came from a Bonairean who lives in Holland .... so go figure ....
Do you have both Dutch passports and so the right to vote? Otherwise your protests would be like I protested about the corruption in the US Government ....

More than a little upset! I have other things on my plate right now.

Hi Brigitte,

Don't feel bad--I still vote is the US, but they don't listen to me either .

I may not be able to vote here, but I do pay taxes so I think that gives me a right to complain about how those taxes are spent. Of course that doesn't mean they will listen...

Alex

In addition to the 25% raise - the dedicated folks in the gov office got new vhicles - leased at a rate of fl 25.000 per month
Gee, that much would fix a few roads

That info is per EXTRA
Does the Big Kahuna get a new lincoln town car to replace the dusty one he's driving now???

Government is the same everywhere, some are less, and some are more grasping. Y'all think sending email or letter protesting would change any of that?
From dictionary: to govern means to have control; to have political authority etc...
Did the government in your old country listen to you? voting right or not?
I'm just thankful that the local government is not as intrusive as the government in the country I came from.