It’s Just Another Million …
When a last minute amendment proposed hiking the 28th Legislature’s budget by a million dollars for unspecified “infrastructure repairs and upgrades,” Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg wanted to know why.
The request was part of an amendment submitted by Senators Michael Thurland and Sammuel Sanes, but provided no detail on how the funds would be used.
“My fellow senators and the people of the Virgin Islands need much greater details before handing over another $1 million to this body,” Donastorg said. “What are these repairs and upgrades – more wood paneling for the Legislature’s entrance?”
Maybe the Legislature is taking its cue from the Executive Branch. After all, home improvement seems to be the thing these days…
So let’s see, what are our options?
1. Re-elect deJongh
2. Elect someone new and hope that history doesn’t repeat itself
4. Engage in Direct Action organizing, to wit:
Direct Action Organizing means that the people directly effected by the problem, organize to win a change.
The three principles of Direct Action Organizing are:
Win real improvements in people’s lives.
Make people aware of their own power.
Alter the relations of power by:
Building strong organizations
Changing laws and regulations
Electing the right people to office
(Courtesy the Midwest Academy).
So if the mood on CIF is that deJongh is through and he’s gotta go…
And it’s a shot in the dark to know who to replace him with. Pandora’s ready for Kermit…
I guess that leaves door No. 3…
Based on the inaction of this community, and the unlikeliness of receiving much support from the community for Direct Action Organizing, I think our only option is to elect the best of the worst. Looking forward, I think Kenneth Mapp is the most prepared of the names I have heard thus far. I do have issues with him, however I learned in the last election that one has to put aside their personal dislikes of a person when it comes to the good of the community.
The only chance we have of protests and public demands for action and fulfillment of promises would be to shut down all talk shows in the territory. Once we have no means to express our frustration, it will be expressed on the streets. Of course this will never happen and Gov’t workers wouldn’t sign a recall petition so unfortunately all of us will suffer for quite a bit longer. Buddhoe would drop his head in shame.
Ok, so who can we run to for help. We definitely can’t look to the Legislature because it appears that the majority of the senators are a part of the deJongh Fan Club. We don’t know about the police because although Novelle Francis is doing the best he can as Commissioner, some of the officers may be covering up for the criminals. We would call the Feds for help, but the majority of us don’t really trust them. Our only hope is devine intervention from the heavens above.
Definitely Donastorg 2010…
Real, lasting and meaningful change only works from within. Accepting guidance, training and know-how from experts experienced in what we face is crucial, necessary and mandatory, but the real work comes from you and me. Not the Feds, the police, or other wishful thinking.
When we’re good and ready we’ll stand and fight for what is right. Evidently, we’re not ready yet. Sigh.
“I think our only option is to elect the best of the worst.”
Perish the thought!!! BFS, I’m with you.
Bull Foot Soup,
I do not understand, nor do I share your sense of pessimism and defeatism.
Don’t you know each Midnight is followed by Daylight?
We are presently in the 2009 Midnight of the De jongh’s administration; but we will be in the 2010 Daylight of another’s administration. This new administration represents the DAYLIGHT OF HOPE!
When you speak about what is wrong, you are not really speaking about the general populous; you are speaking subconsciously of your personal distress and that of your administration’s.
Why? Simply put: things are not really boding well!
This is what so distresses you
Crucian in the West…I with you! Donastorg all the way in 2010! He IS the best person for the job. Donastorg, you have not been wrong YET! I have a feeling you are going to shed a lot more light on the underhandedness and corruption that is prevalent in this Government!
Eyes, you may need glasses.
My distress isn’t aimed at any administration; it is focused on the electorate. We produce the candidates, we vote them in, and then they fall out of our favor for a million different reasons. And we start the cycle again.
It matters not who is elected; we eventually find fault with them all. Who knows, maybe Wayne “Facts-Man” Adams is our diamond in the rough. Because the rest appear to be all clones of one another.
What about “Positive” Nelson as governor?
And the beat goes on: Sure, Donastorg this time, then Nellie next time, then James, then whoever convinces us, through party rhetoric, fancy t-shirts and big fish frys they they are the next Chosen One.
And we’re back in the soup again.
Are we having fun yet?
It is amazing that the governor would show so much concern for his “financial team” when Senator Nelson confronted them, and suggest that they can walk out if it happen again. When those workers at IRB testified about the physical and emotional hardships they experienced as a result of constant exposure to mold within their building, Ms. Andersen played with her hair and her nails as if she don’t care about what they are saying. Meanwhile, the governor was silent on the issue. This shows that he rather fight for his own people than fight for the best interest of the VI people.
I know that mold is not something to take lightly. I have a nephew in Miami who was living in a house that was infested with mold. He told me that during that time, his mother had trouble breathing, and he was suffering from nose bleeds. I am glad for the IRB employees who are standing up for themselves.
Bull Foot Soup,
If I follow your “thread of logic” I would imploded, throw in the towel, and beg the feds to place us in receivership.
You are not fooling me. You are not going to refocus attention away from the problem.
The problem is the management of the present “state of affairs.”
The De jongh Administration “hands” are on the steering wheel and their “feet” is at the pedal and brakes of their VEHICLE OF GOVERNANCE.
Mr. Soup, THE ADMINISTRATION IS RESPONSIBLE!
Eyes,
You are too silly. Sometimes I think you’re just being obstinate for the fun of it.
I try to focus only on root causes. Whether it’s abuse of alcohol, the irregularity of social services, the dropout rate in schools, the socio-economic dysfunction of a community… where does it all start? What are the causes that drive those ills? We only see the symptoms.
Shouldn’t we find the root causes of these things and cauterize them? Because what happens up on the top is driven from what’s below. Time to look under the hood.
It’s just that simple.
I understand that the economy is struggling right now, and some of the problems we are experiencing occurred long before Gov. deJongh and the 28th Legislature took office. However, since they are in office NOW, they need to take ownership of the situation they are facing and stop blaming previous leadership for their problems. That seens to be the overall attitude of the current administration – the governor keeps blaming the economic crisis and the previous administrations for our struggles. While that may be true, people are wondering what is the governor doing to fix tis problem. Even President Obama is smart enough to understand this concept.
I think they’re both in the same boat. They are both following disastrous administrations. So in addition to charting a course forward, they are plagued by their predecessor’s past mistakes. A tough hole to scramble out of.
You know what they say: it’s tough at the top!
If the VI economy was in such bad shape back in 2007, why did the senators in the 26th Legislature passed Act #6905 that gave themselves, and the governor & Lt. governor raises?
BFS,
It’s said that when you inherit a mess, it then becomes your mess. The time for blame has passed. Now what?
You deal with it, Pandora, right along with dealing with all the hundreds of other broken and messed up situations you find yourself surrounded by. It takes time. Obama could use 3 terms before he sees us out us the Bush mush. He’s taking some licks now because everyone wants everything right now, no waiting. But he’s not wavering. He’s the parent, we’re the children. We can cry and wail and stamp our feet all we want but too bad. Father knows best, even if we don’t. Yet. Same applies to whoever we elect. It takes time, lots of time, to turn things around.
And blaming the past? That’s normal. A normal human condition. We are all entitled to grumble as we work to make things better.
N’est pas?
I agree with most of your assertions, however, blaming the past keeps us mired there. Bush blamed Clinton, blamed Bush Sr, and on and on. The same is true of our Governors.
Our present Governor inherited a mess, no doubt. But it is now HIS to fix. Yes, it will take time – but he has got to show what he has done to fix any one of the problems on his plate. He has to look forward, not backward.
Or else we are just setting ourselves up for a never-ending cycle of blame and finger-pointing. Where does the buck stop?