Darby Etienne MA Diplomacy
The following letter highlighting the emotive views and comments of a concerned St Lucian citizen was provided exclusively to CaribDirect.com.
From: stlucian@
Sent: 9/28/2012 2:46:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Fw: Wasting EC$500,000 every year
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
This year I spent my summer vacation in North America with Miami being my last stop before returning to St. Lucia. What you have been allowing to go on with our consulate in Miami is irresponsible.
From my research I found out that St. Lucians are paying about EC$500,000 (over EC$300,000 in salary and the rest in allowances, car, etc.) a year for Consul General Kent Hippolyte. He has been in this position for over thirteen years costing St. Lucians over EC$6 million (That does not include the price of the office and other staff). In return we have very little, if anything to show for it.
The man has produced nothing for St. Lucia, yet your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alva Baptiste, my Minister, whom I voted for, had an opportunity to replace him with a more competent person, instead your government renewed his contract.
You and your government are rewarding non-performance and people who live off the back of St. Lucians. Shame on you both: too many of your constituents are struggling, school started and some of my nighbours can barely afford school uniforms and the schools need supplies, yet you are paying so much for someone who, would not even source a computer or school supplies; who does not bring business to St. Lucia, nor serve the interests of St. Lucians in Florida.
Consul General Kent Hippolyte. Courtesy 123people.com
While I was in Miami, some St. Lucian families had to deal with the arrest and deportation/removal of St. Lucian nationals. I witnessed these St. Lucians calling the Consul General for almost two (2) weeks.
They never heard back from him. First his voicemail was full, when it was not full, they left messages, and he never called back. It was two other Consuls one from another Caribbean island, and one from the Canadian Consulate who advised the St. Lucians of their rights and best courses of action.
So St. Lucians are paying for a man who neither serves the interests of St. Lucia nor services St. Lucians in Miami. I also heard (have no confirmation), that Homeland Security was trying to reach him for almost two (2) weeks to deliver a speech/presentation, and he never got back to them either.
Minister Alva Baptiste. Courtesy voteslp.com
They had to call upon another St. Lucian to do the job. This seems like a retirement package for a son of the soil, but this son of the soil did not work for St. Lucia and is receiving a pension from AT&T his former US employer, while at the same time fleecing St. Lucians.
I related this sad state of affairs to another Government Minister, his reply was “Well boy, I can tell you one thing, Kent will carry your bag from here to thy Kingdom Come, and he will take you anywhere you want to go, to shop or whatever”.
You are spending about half a million Eastern Caribbean Dollars (EC$500,000) a year on a Consul General simply for transporting St. Lucian Officials and carrying their bags. You can get a driver service on retainer for less, one fifth (1/5) that amount.
Your government cited our Foreign Affairs, and commerce as one of the most important areas for you as it will help with the development of St. Lucia. Is this one of the people to help with that plan? How will he do that? So far, over thirteen (13) years, he has not produced for St. Lucia.
On what basis did your government renew his contract? Did you search for more competent St. Lucians? Don’t you think the same person has served in the same position for too long, not doing anything meaningful for St. Lucia?
And why the rush to appoint him, while important posts like the United Kingdom and the Ambassador to NY had to wait until after the release of the Review of St. Lucia’s Foreign Policy to be appointed; that was not the case for the non-producing Consul General in Miami.
Word is, his cousin Emma Hippolyte (Minister of Commerce), asked Minister Baptiste for this “favour”, and a man whom I personally know to have better judgment, went ahead and did such disservice to the very people who elected him.
What we pay the Consul General in Miami for doing nothing, is equivalent to a Small Business in St. Lucia worth EC$500,000 and employing up to 50 people (Source: Ministry of Commerce website at: http://www.commerce.gov.lc/departments/view/1) That money which should be bringing business to St. Lucia, but is not.
Imagine what some small business owners in your constituency or Minister Baptiste’s constituency (where I am from), can do with that amount of money, how many people they can employ, and the overall economic impact of that money in your constituency.
To allow this to go on for about fourteen (14) years, is an outrage. We have not left any other senior diplomat in any position around the world for that long, why do you leave him, especially one who is not performing? Are we now in the business of rewarding mediocrity and non-performance?
If every senior diplomat performed like him what would the St. Lucia Foreign Service accomplish? Is it fair to have some offices held up to higher standards and others be allowed to just exist.
Minister Emma Hippolyte. Courtesy voteslp.com
Why is it that most senior diplomats and officials had to wait until after the Foreign Affairs Review to be appointed, but Kent did not have to? Why was an exception made for him and he was quickly appointed and given a contract while the review was happening?
The Ambassador to the United States (Washington, DC), had to wait until September, so to the High Commissioner to England, likewise NY. Why was a non-performer given precedent over seemingly more productive positions?
Is it because of his cousin Emma Hippolyte, or are we missing something? Some says he holds ministers secrets of events in Miami; but that is hearsay, but non-the-less believed by some in the Miami area.
Your government, especially Minister Alva Baptiste is rewarding incompetence. Is he not the Minister who said it will “not be business as usual”? He gets in there and one of his first appointments is the biggest “business as usual”.
How many small businesses can benefit from EC$500,000 a year from the government? How many St. Lucians can they hire to produce and pay taxes on top of that money.
People in Laborie are catching their royals and Alva is paying half a million dollars a year to an inept Consul General (call anyone in Miami and ask them, you will hear the opinions of the people he is supposed to serve). St. Lucians in Miami now commonly refer to the Consul General as Papishow General.
Prime Minister Kenny Anthony. Courtesy iisd.ca
For your government to allow and reward such a man is despicable and goes against some of the promises you, Emma, and Alva made during the campaign.
Might I remind you and the minister that St. Lucia did not voted for the SLP as much as they voiced their dissatisfaction with the UWP. For you and the minister to allow this man to continue to be the Consul General of St. Lucia when it is common knowledge that he is not an asset to St. Lucia can and will cost us at the polls next time.
Look around the world and see what the action of one person can have on entire countries and regions. There are repercussions to irresponsible actions. Always remember the government is supposed to work for the people, not steal from the people. What you are allowing is theft, a rip-off. The St. Lucian Tax payer is being ripped off.
Mr. Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony, Mr. Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste, and Minister Emma Hippolyte, please do what you all were elected to do, lead and govern, get rid of that man. It will cost the SLP (our party) if you do not.
Respectfully,
Concerned
Laborie, St. Lucia
Look out tomorrow for Darby Etienne’s commentary on this letter when he speaks to the whole issue of Caribbean Diplomacy.
Disclaimer: This letter was provided on behalf of a concerned St Lucian citizen and does not represent the views of CaribDirect.com and is therefore not an endoresement.
