There is a lot to say about the national debate.

I appreciated the personal introductionsat the top of the evening. It gave 11 candidates an opportunity to present themselves. True, next time, in 2028, you could make it more interactive and play short videos you recorded ahead of time, instead.

I at once liked Victor Rosario, #2 on HTC, Gabriela Gonzalez, #8 on PPA, and Francis Malca, #4 on LpR. All three immigrants to the country who wish to give back to the island that enabled their personal success.

Gabriela gave a less then perfect performance but that made her lovable. Under pressure of her first public appearance, she froze. But she apologized and captured my heart.

AVP: The leader looked tired and sold the idea that his party will provide voters with everything they need. He actually said that at the summation. Promises are cheap. He took a long meandering road to answer questions and when asked for a positive move of a rival party, he went back to Nel Oduber who joined taxation for married couples. Which proves his long-term memory is fine, and short-term memory, shot. His #1, Wendrick Cecilia is an AI clone of the leader, he talks like him, a bit of a demagogue, instead of being a 28 year old, with perfect hair and teeth. They should have switched places. Mike at the opening, and Wendrick at the main event to see how he acts/reacts under pressure.

MEP: Our MinPres is the most informed of all candidates, she speaks with great authority because she knows, she took over enough portfolios to study the ins and out of all issues. Her cadence is perfect, she has a rhythm in speech, she looks good under a blonde bob. She touted her leadership during the pandemic, and outlined the road to the future, marked by stability and investment. She did not ask for a landslide confidence, she asked for a coalition.

MinPres is the incumbent, asking us to give her a THIRD round for EWC 3.0, but according to global trends she will lose seats, because incumbents of Western democracies, have been losing strength around the world, with surprising election results, in the USA, England, Germany, France, the EU, South Korea, India, Japan and Hungary. The biggest parties, are losing steam, just because they are the biggest parties, and voters would like to see something different.

Kudos to MinPres for acknowledging the AVP leader in the say-something-positive-about-your-rival, praising the AVP initiative focused on women’s empowerment. MinPres exudes statesmanship. She turned to look at Ursel Arends when talking about global warming and the environment, signalling, no doubt, that he is a future partner.

Her side-kick was the perfectly groomed #5 on the list, Rocco Tjon. What should we think about that.

Accion21: Miguel Mansur raised an excellent point, that we should vote for the candidate who places the good of the country above his/her own career. I think he thinks in English, so he is often looking for eloquent words, in Papiamento, which slows him down. He just wants to convey so much, and he has a lot to say. He prepares. I am confident, he is going back to parliament.

Four of the eleven parties, should not have run. Their votes will go directly as leftovers to MEP and AVP, probably 2 seats each, next time, please, do not send you followers to vouch for these wannabe political entities, seven parties are plenty.

Ricardo Croes: He is in it to legalize Cannabis. He calls it an alternative economic pillar.

HTC: Victor Rosario should be #1, not #2 because #1 cannot string two sentences together and does not deserve to run. I understand he works hard. So what?

Curpa: Mostly a religious party, very friendly #2, but we would like to see a separation of religion and state, so that both run independently. A funny moment: Shark ‘interviewing’ Ras, behind stage, his blue fingernails, in plain view of the camera.

LpA:  It is difficult to connect to the learned leader of the party, he comes across cold. He wants us to revert to old norms and values, focus on families, and think long-term. I do not foresee a political future for him.

Futuro: The leader of the party, Gerlein Croes, came across tentative and wanting to cram too many issues into one sentence. Her #2, Jeoffrey Wever was a big hit with female voters in the room, but he did not radiate charisma nor statesmanship. Gerlein made a valid point at summation, that we have avoided all important decisions, which has put us in a multi-faceted crisis. She is right, we are on a crossroad, and she will be heading to parliament, in December.

RAIZ: Many say that Kamala Harris lost the race to the White House because she talked about unpopular subjects while her rival, a populist, talked about the economy, immigration, the exciting stuff. Ursell Arends talks about the environment, nature, conservation, animals, the elderly, things we are supposed to care about, but don’t. He is the only minister that used his time to tackled important issues, the ones Gerlien complains that we avoid. He got back at Otmar Oduber, which was about time. His point that we have to LEARN to WORK TOGETHER, was also a hint to MEP. They are future coalition members. Apropos the addition of a speech therapist, a Raiz achievement, we should all get a few sessions, to improve our public speaking. We noted that Ursell put Geoffrey in his place, the revitalization of the center of St Nicholas and Oranjestad were Raiz projects.

PPA: Otmar Oduber gave the performance of his life, he speaks with great confidence, and authority, borderline aggressive, but does he speak the truth? He is planning a comeback, and it seems that if the courts of justice do not stand in his way, he will be running things again next year, he had a lot of followers in the room. He totally went after the Latino vote by promising work and stay permits. He made an excellent point about long term thinking. He touted his party’s hand book, they have a solution for everything. But according to Samil, Millennials do not read read.

Marisol: She talked about her favorite subject transparency, and the cost of living. And she is correct when saying that we are poorer today than we were in 2017. She is always critical. She lauded a program to bring troubled youth back into main stream, but that was not an initiative by a political party, it was a government program? I think.

I watched on YouTube together with 1.84K others, many watched on two TV stations, the conference center was full, and the vibe was excellent, incident-free and uplifting.

Compliment to all involved, the Elite crew and QueenAnne Bergen. Special compliments to the moderators, Jacqueline Wernet and Atan Lee Jr. for capable moderation, and working on the questions in collaboration with a top professional team, of varied backgrounds. The event was nicely supported by Erin Croes as the emcee, and in the back room by the Elite stable of millennials. Good job, Mauro!

You are the dream team. KVK should take notice.

One of the most brilliant ideas was the introduction of the Butt In possibility and the Joker. It created some fireworks and added excitement to the debate.

It was well watched because it included some entertaining parts.

Aruba is gearing up for the high season with refreshed and new attractions. This week the Stellaris Casino boasted its latest look and Privada Stays, cut the ribbon to reveal a charming vacation village.

We were invited to the Grand Opening of the renovated Stellaris Casino at the Aruba Marriott Resort, and admired the revitalized space, airier, and fresher, with a different slot machine layout, and a new carpet, enhancing the gaming experiences. Some exciting amenities, such as live music Thursday to Sunday, and a friendly casino bar, were all redesigned to elevate guests’ entertainment experience.

The milestone party, with live entertainment, exclusive gaming offers, and complimentary refreshments, last Thursday, gave patrons the opportunity to reconnect with their favorite slot machines, explore the new features of our casino, and enjoy a pleasant evening, away from the weather and the rain.

The Stellaris collection of 405 slot machines offers something to everybody. The wonderfully comfortable seats at the entrance of the casino are courtesy of the EGT machines, delivering exciting game play with the Dragon Link Slots, Wheel of Fortunes, and Mo’ Mummies. The casino prides itself on a grand collection of the latest technology, graphics and sound, and a most rewarding tier membership club. The casino also offers three new progressives on Blackjack with each jackpot currently over $20K. The table games poker jackpot is over $85K.

With over a dozen casinos on the island, gaming enthusiasts find lively action at a different location each night. Today’s gaming venues are not as intimidating as they were before, still very glamorous, but also attractive and inviting. The casino scene emerged in Aruba in the early 60s with the opening of the Aruba Caribbean Casino, patrons wore evening gowns and white dinner jackets. Today we stop at beachwear, otherwise casual chic is in!

The members of the Aruba Timeshare Association, ATSA, met for a lunch-meeting at La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino with representatives of most of the island’s Vacation Ownership properties, in attendance.

This time, ATSA’s president Sulaika Kelly, Director of Operations at Playa Linda Beach Resort, also invited 23 Junior students from the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies, at the University of Aruba, to attend the meeting, as part of the Timeshare Management Course they are taking, under the guidance of lecturer Jo-Anne Croes.

The Food & Beverage team of La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino prepared a varied and tasty lunch menu, served with the Resort’s signature gracious service and genuine hospitality.

The meeting started with ATSA president welcoming members and guests. As a guest speaker Ronella Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A), gave an extensive presentation regarding the Multi Annual Corporate Strategy of the A.T.A followed by some supporting information by Dyane Vis, Business Manager at ATA and Melanie Kelly, Manager Strategy, Planning and Research at A.T.A.

Kelly took a deep dive into the island’s Repeaters Research, a segment of the market most valued by ATSA members.

According to Croes, the ATA’s multi-annual strategy is now based on a three-pronged approach attracting responsible, sustainable, and regenerative tourism, whereby the island invites more guests who care about their host destination, their home away from home, its environmental protection, and the well-being of its people.

“We are committed to the development and nurturing of strategies that align with the High-value, Low-impact tourism (HVLI) growth model,” Croes declared, adding,” this model has effectively guided our destination marketing and product development initiatives and projects in recent years.”

Croes also reported that ATA is making a shift, putting less emphasis on attracting more arrivals. More emphasis on attracting a greater proportion of like-minded guests as part of our overall visitor base.

The A.T.A. encouraged one and all to visit www.ata.aw and download A.T.A.’s Corporate Plan for 2025:

ATA-Corporate-Plan-2025.pdf, to obtain more information and align with Aruba’s integral tourism management strategy. The marketing shift was well received by ATSA members who acknowledge the ongoing external factors that introduce an element of vulnerability to the island, requiring vigilant monitoring.

Ben Figaroa, General Manager Marriott Stellaris Casino, the Chairperson of the Aruba Hospitality & Security Foundation, gave an in-depth presentation regarding the Aruba Tourism Security Patrols (TSPA), now visible on the beach and the streetside walkways, from the Ritz Carlton Resort to Divi All Inclusive.

According to Figaroa, the bicycled, uniformed teams support safety & security in the tourism zone, an initiative financed by Aruba Tourism Authority, with funds generated from Tourism Levy. Board members of the TSPA include members of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A) the Aruba Timeshare Association (ATSA) the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and the Aruba Police (KPA).

Following the interesting A.T.A and TSPA presentations, the minutes of the June meetings were approved and a short report followed regarding the activities of TPEF, the Tourism Product Enhancement Fund.

The meeting went on with the Financial Report, by Jurgen van Schaijk, which was accepted and approved.

The meeting adjourned after a short free word in which attendees reported on renovations and improvement projects at their properties.

ATSA was set up in 1994, and currently counts the active membership of most vacation ownership properties in Aruba. The association works on a local level with other local organizations as well as Government entities. On a regional level, where Aruba continues to receive recognition as a model vacation ownership destination, ATSA has professional ties with ARDA, the American Resort Development Association.

Board members include Sulaika Kelly, President, Rina Geerman, Secretary, Pedro Vargas, Board member, Jurgen van Schaijk, Treasurer and Luigi Heredia, Board member.

In less than one month, on a Friday, WE will be asked to cast a vote.

But who are WE?

I went to visit the helpful website: https://er.aw/verkiezingen-2024/

The website shows a pie chart that proves that 37% of voters are young, 23% Millennials, or Generation Y, and 14% are Zoomers, Generation Z.

Those are disinterested in politics I hear and get all their news from TikTok.

Sorry, they get their news in Aruba from a proliferation of fun shows, No Filer in Paradise, NFIP, for example. Under normal circumstances, that program would have a niche audience, dealing with niche issues, but since Jackie and Atan are not doing their political program this year, politicians use ANY vehicle to showcase themselves. I hear FOURTEEN of them signed up on this platform between two friends, one straight, one gay, NFIP.

I watched Gino Goeloe’s interview. He is #3 of FuTURo list. No doubt a respected professional. The banter, back and forth at the beginning of the program, seven minutes of forced hilarity, and chicken wings. Really?!

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king.

For lack of another platform, ATA & AHATA support NFIP.

I asked about it.

That is what the young people, the first-time voters are watching, I was told, that is 37% of voters.

Vota pa Ken, by Elite Studios, does a better job, they do not interrupt as much, they do not giggle, or chuckle, they have good questions, written by people in the back-office, outside the stage. Which means that the level of preparedness of the interviewers is low, very low, so the interviewees take advantage and just air their version of the truth without fact checking, or hard questions.

The program becomes a showcase for politicians, a mouthpiece, a stage to fluff their own feathers.

Where are the fact checkers?

Where are the people who prepare and know something about the subject they are presenting?

Our influencers lend the politicians echo chambers where they can freely talk about themselves.

Tyson Croes for example with Alvin Molina, or any other political figure is a spoof, ridiculously funny. Creole humor, is funny, and welcome. Tyron does not pretend to be interested. He just wants us to laugh.

For the past ten years, the better option, is Tito Lacle, with NoticiaCla, now Democracia Cla, on YouTube, he has a whole schedule of political leaders listed. Democracia Cla by Tito Lacle.

Back to who we are: Luckily, Baby Boomers, still represent the biggest chunk of voters 31%, with Generation X right behind with 26%.

For Baby Boomers and Generation X: This is not their first rodeo, and they will hopefully use their power, 57% combined, to makes changes. They understand from their own experience that promises are cheap, and that Moringa and Portulaca are as bad as Flamingo, Ibis, and Ostrich.

Both the Greatest Generation voters, born between 1901 and 1927, 6%, and the Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945, 14%, are traditional voters. I doubt we can change their minds, the have loyalties.

They saw the leader of the AVP party up to his backside in flood water, and they appreciate.

They read that the price of electricity conveniently went down, and they appreciate.

The Minister of Culture is awarding recognitions to Tingilingi box musicians, and they appreciate.

The Minister of Finances announced that our national debt was reduced, and we appreciate the accountant that managed to show that.

The Minister of Justice visited the Haitian and the Indian community members.

The Minister of Nature is building yet another animal shelter, the first government owned and the 12th on the island, after the Animal Shelter, Sgt. Peppers’, Luna’s habitat, Animal Welfare Alliance, etc. We really need one more shelter, with government employees, in charge of is described as a community center.