We Were Warned
At a recently concluded Senate Finance Committee meeting it was disclosed that the company that operates the video lottery terminals (VLT’s) in the Virgin Islands, Southland Gaming, owes the Government of the VI (GVI) $22 million and counting. Not included in this collectible, is a smaller but significant sum of money (approximately $4 million) owed to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for uncollected Gross Receipt Taxes. By the way, did anyone watching the hearing notice anyone missing?
Well, noticeably absent were Robert Huckabee III, President and CEO of Southland Gaming and Claudette Watson-Anderson, then Commissioner of Finance and Chairperson of the VI Lottery Commission. What planned coincidence, when two of the major players just happened to be off island and missed the opportunity to answer questions on the record! Now the folks from Southland have circulated an open letter to the community declaring that they do not owe GVI any money. A few days later word got out by sources close to the administration that the Governor was removing the Acting Executive Director, Mrs. Lenyse Shomo, for making the information public. Now, isn’t this the same Governor who called for transparency and integrity? How does a company contracted to the government become so important and so powerful that they are above the law? Maybe the reason we don’t see the Governor nowadays is because he’s buried so deeply in their pockets.
And, if that wasn’t bad enough it was confirmed by the same source that Conrad “Ricky” Francois, a very close friend of Arturo Watlington, was tapped to replace Mrs. Shomo. That is Arturo Watlington, partner with Southland, and dear friend of Government House Chief of Staff Lois Penn. Well, Watlington’s buddy, Conrad Francois, also has the dubious distinction of having the Federal Government take over the V.I Housing authority after running it into receivership. Now, Francois is telling people that he’s headed to Lottery to straighten out the mess. Can he be referring to the mess that the Governor is making by tinkering with an agency that produces? That is quite gratuitous for a man that was given the choice of resigning from Housing Authority or being led out in handcuffs. He chose the latter. It is a very interesting turn of events too, because it is said that the Acting Director, Lenyse Shomo, good friend and staunch supporter of Governor de Jongh, was told repeatedly to “leave Southland alone.” Isn’t that a federal violation for anyone in authority to obstruct an agency from carrying out its regulatory responsibilities?
Attorney Paul Paquin, the Assistant Solicitor General representing the Attorney General’s Office at the hearing, said that the AG did not want the matter discussed publicly at the hearing and planned to meet with the Senators outside of chambers. That being said, it would appear that the Senate has 22 million valid reasons to convene a meeting with the Attorney General to give Southland a timetable to pay GVI. It would be even more interesting now that the Presidency of the Legislature has been wrested from the Governor’s arch enemy Senator Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg and placed into the secure hands of Senator Lois Patrick Hill, a man of principles and integrity.
It is also up to Senator Carlton “Ital” Dowe, a staunch advocate of the Governor, in his new capacity as Finance committee chair to advance the collection process to ensure that the government is duly paid. This, too, is being watched very closely. What was evident for many of us who watched the hearing was that there were more questions than answers.
We might blame it on Carnival, when we allow ourselves to be distracted by the revelry and merrymaking. Or maybe we are already feeling the Diageo effect and are already so intoxicated even before the first bottle of spirit is distilled: our judgment is impaired and our leaders act while we remain in our drunken stupor. Well, the best sobriety test for our people should be the fallout from the economic recession and the promise by the Governor in his January State of The Territory address that many GVI employees might be furloughed as a result. Or maybe it’s the Senators scrambling to find money to fund retroactive wages to government employees and retirees. So, can we collect what’s owed to us, Governor?
The Governor’s actions are very revealing: exposing the more sinister machinations of this administration and a diabolical plot hatched to deceive the people of the Virgin Islands. The Governor promised transparency yet is giving us censorship. He promised us hope but has given us fear and mistrust. The cloud of suspicion and corruption that dogged the previous administration is once again with us.
We can’t say we were not warned. And, please, don’t say “we told you so.”
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Wow,is this for real? Aren’t there laws against removing people from their jobs for bringing critical information to light? I think it’s called the Whistleblower law or something like that.
If this is really going on the Governor needs to be called out. Where are the Senators’ voices on this matter? I have heard some folks talking about it on a few of the talk shows, but other than that our leaders remain silent.
And from watering hole did Ricky Francois appear? Apparently most of his days at the VI Housing Authority were spent at the bar in Tillet Gardens. It was widely known that if you needed to find him that you had to go there. Shame on the Governor for using Lottery as rehab.
This sounds very strange, but I don’t believe the Governor would allow Southland Gaming to steal $22 from the people of the VI. And I heard that the woman that runs lottery does a good job. If he’s moving her he must be giving her something better to do.
Typical. We have $22m owed to us by one company and we’re giving away millions to another (Diageo) while at the same time preparing to float bonds on the backs of Virgin Islanders. Politics VI Democratic Party style.
Why does anyone find this strange why do you think the ousted Donastorg. We the people have to start paying attention. The people we put in office are only concerned with there own futures and well been. We as voters must pay attention to the facts and information that is before us and stop listening to the poppy show of the so call representatives we tend to continously put into office.
This is a really outrageous story. The Governor should change his campaign slogan to “Toegether We Can Line Our Pockets.”
Wake up folks, and send these thieves back home!!!
The fork tongue Governor talks a good talk, but can’t walk the walk. It’s a shame about what’s happening. He campaign that he was going to wipe out corruption in the whole government, but it appears to have gotten worst in this administration. Again politicians have fooled the people into voting for them, but you must admitted their campaign stradegy was very well crafted to lure the grassroots to believing that he is so worthy of this job. We were warned. “BEWARE OF THE DEWOLF” remember it has only been three years. Elmo D Roebuck may he rest in peace warned all of you. I can clearly remember his radio address and he telling all of you about Dewolf. Elmo died the Dewolf made sure he did not go to his funeral. If Elmo was not right and true of what he warns us about, won’t your Gov. have let the past be the past and forgive him and be the bigger man of the two?
Now you call on the dead? “Holy Smoke”, please LEAVE ELMO D. OUT OF YOUR MESS!!!!!
Why? You fraid to raise the dead.
“Holy Smoke” You’re right on target. I guess we must suffer before we realize that what Elmo D. Roebuck said back then was true. He knew the character of the beast.
There was a senate hearing today and this business about the $22 million owed to the Government by Southland Gaming came up. It appears like everyone wants to do some kind of dance around this topic. The only person who seemed to be willing to call it straight was the acting director, Ms. Shomo. And she stated that she feared for her job. This is amazing! Are we really going to sit back and let these people rip off the Virgin Islands? Shame on all our leaders who are afraid to step up. I, for one, will not cast a vote for any one of them!
I think Mapp said it best during the gubernatorial runoff when he said “this is what we call the same”. As Mario does say, “we like it so”.
Thank you Senator O’Rielly for having the courage to speak out against what is wrong. All Senators should be speaking out against this retaliation de Wolf have taken against this director for speaking the “TRUTH” in the senate. Should she lose her job. de Wolf must really want no one to be watching our 22 million dollars if he put a drunk in charge of the money.
Government house has a lot of nerve to put out the announcement on Conrad “Ricky” Francois saying he has expertise. Francois resume must read, “He ran the VI Housing Authority into the hands of the FEDS and then went without working for 5 years until deWolf gave him a job 9 months ago.”
Ricky Francois? I thought he was working at Jala Jala. de jongh had my vote in 2006, but NEVER again! I thought we were going to see some real changes – instead we are being treated to re-runs with a cast of very bad actors. Which has been will he re-cycle next?
The campaign slogan for 2010 will be “ANYBODY BUT JOHN”
The V.I. Lottery is still at it. Yesterday, this semi-autonomous agency continued to harass employees by fooling them in to taking a ride to the “country” that led them to the Attorney Generals office for questioning surrounding the game, “A Little Extra.” Who’s next? Thus far, at least 6 employees have been legally compelled to answer questions, without the presence of legal representation concerning allegations of…well, we don’t know. Where are we, Russia or South Africa. While government sactioned piracy seems to be the norm here in America’s Paradise, it seems this investigation is led by bumbling fools. It begs the question: are the evils spawned by this investigation greater that those they seek to eradicate. We’ll have the answer by election time I can assure you.
Investigation? What investigation? This is the Justice Department going on a fishing trip at the Lottery. That energy should be spent trying to get the millions from the Video Lottery company (Southland Gaming). Anyway, let’s see what happens because the New Director looks like he’s serious about getting matters straight with Southland and the Government’s money. He had two poor performances before the Senate but he put some statements on the record that sound like serious business to me. Ordering a forensics audit (whatever that means) of the old system and the new, purchasing a new Control System for the Lottery seem like good moves in the right direction. The question is if and when it will happen because Senator Dowe is eying the Lottery money and does not want a dime spent on any independent control system. You think he might be getting some of Southland’s money on the sly too?
You don’t know who to trust these days because a document is in circulation showing that the host of the new show on WSTA “Pass It On” and long time host of “Your Views And Mine” (Roosevelt David) now has a contract with Southland to put Video Lottery in St. Kitts. “Buyer Beware.” Everybody’s trying to get a piece of the action even at the expense of the Virgin Islands. I wonder which other Senator’s name is on the list? By the way, don’t bother with Neville James. Even with his famous family name “James” he has no pedigree. He makes the most noise on the senate floor opposing the Governor but votes yes on everything he sends down. He is like a little mongrel, his bark is worse than his bite. Throw him a bone and he quickly shuts up and wags his tail. I think he too has Video Lottery on his mind. St. Croix watch out. Southland and Turo Watlington already made their rounds to all your senators. What’s next? Anything is possible with a band of “sellouts.”
Ena and Concerned, thanks for reviving this site. I started logging into CIF in June and never read the WE WERE WARNED section before.
Abuse on top of abuse! Ena, your description of NJ as a little mongrel could well be used to describe us, the voters and citizens of the VI. We yap and yap but are easily satisfied when we are thrown a bone. We warn our leaders to “wait til election 2010″ and “you won’t get my vote” as if our individual threat will have any effect. When election comes, we settle for what seems to be “the lesser of two evils”.
When are we going to collectively discipline our elected leaders and show them that theft and curruption will not be tolorated????