My Hopes for the US Virgin Islands
Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac
I am hoping that we as a community would come together, all residents of these beautiful Virgin Islands, and initiate the discourse of developing strategies to address the many problems facing us. We subscribe to the democratic form of government where the govern control their government through elected and appointed representatives. We need to improve the quality of our representation in government. We should begin early to identify potential candidates to represent us in government, persons with integrity, intelligence and knowledge. We should select person who share the same or similar political philosophy, persons who share our political agenda. It is my hope that the present de Jongh/Francis administration would commit themselves to promoting law compliance and law enforcement throughout our government and community as whole. It is my hope that the present administration would initiate the steps in developing a master plan for all the major towns on the three larger islands.
It is our hope that the administration, with the concurrence of the legislature would issue a challenge to our local engineers, architects and city planners to develop a master plan for our ancient towns and bring them into the 21rst. Century. I believe each generation should leave their mark. While we need not “reinvent the wheel” we should leave the mark of this generation that future generation may build on. The master plan would include all the needed infrastructure and contemporary designs, which could eclectic. We could blend the old with the new. We also need to complete the legal mandate of enumerating our buildings and streets throughout the territory. It is our hope that a comprehensive transportation system can be instituted, that includes land, air and sea, which would connect all of our communities on all our islands. I believe these are attainable goals, if we can only develop the will to accomplish them.
We hope that we would have less divisiveness, that we would unite as a Virgin Islands community and unite in our efforts to address the social ills that afflict our community. It is hoped that our school system would develop to the level where more than 70 % percent of our students would complete high school, including more males. We hope we could develop a community service program that could be linked to the national service program where our youth woud be given training in exchange for government service. We hope that we would stop the rhetoric and actually develop booth camp type institutions for problem and at risk youth on one of our islands. We hope that as we develop pride in our community we would develop a sense of national pride and opt for an improved political status over our present status, thereafter, develop a constitution based on our selected status. It is hope that we would recognize all persons of good will who resides in our community and who chooses to become a citizen of the Virgin Islands, that they would be welcome without discrimination.
I extend my most heartfelt best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year to one and all. May Allah-God bless us all richly.
J. J. Estemac
CCBG
St. Thomas, VI
J.J.,
Stop hoping, stop daydreaming, stop the bleeding heart routine. All of you.
Are you guys serious, or just curious about REAL change?
Political confrontation is the name of the game.
Ask yourself this question: When does selective justice become obstruction of justice?
I am certain, the use of established numerical crisis indicators and corruption indexes to assess and monitor the vulnerabilities of the USVI Government will clearly illustrate why the widespread distrust confronting Virgin Islands leadership is merely a slight symptom of a much larger and long-standing standing need to accurately define the overall integrity of how your government operates and how it is affecting your quality of life.
Such an insertion would eliminate any questions as to whether or not there has been a convenient arrangement and cultivation of a direct and mutually beneficial relationship between corruption in government, corruption in law enforcement and the United States Virgin Islands judicial system, which not only allows those with money or connections to bend the law or government rules in their favor, but would also
unearth strong evidence of links between government corruption and the distorted allocation of resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Get serious. The prevailing inaction and weak complaint adjudication under the color of law by your public officials and local authorities who appear to be unwilling or unable to respond to the already- funded needs of the citizenry are clearly subverting, socio-economic, education, and protection mandates.
However, there is ONE circumstance that sets the foundation of even advocation and adequate protection of interests of the people and this territory.
That same circumstance will generate an environment under which officials or agencies that have demonstrated real or perceived conflicts of interest, abuse of power, and dereliction of duty cannot operate.
Can you guess what that circumstance is? Get serious!
J.J., you sound like a dreamer. Why don’t you ask the governor for a job as his speech writer? Your ideas and dreams are wonderful. In the real world, tough, you are too idealistic.Which person makes an ideal candidate for governor or senator? Honest people do not get elected. Candidates make promises and tell the voters what they want to hear. The truth is an offense. Several convention delegates were elected because they told the voters that they would get native rights and exemption on property tax based on navity. They fooled people that they have the power to write legislation and the ability to draft such a document. Now that they have been elected, they are finding a way to enrich themselves. They are not willing to write a constitution without a profit. If they love their people and want to preserve culture,why are they asking for consultants and 3.3 million? Why are they focusing on issues such as status and definition of a Virgin Islander? They knew that they were not getting a paid position, but now they have found a clever way to get a salary. Yet, to many, they are still honorable and sincere. Do you not see that those elected are expert liars, commonly called politicians.