“Hiring Freeze” Meltdown
There’s been a “hiring freeze” since May 2008, the budget is tight, government employees are being asked to forfeit eight paid holidays, and the Virgin Islands is borrowing like there’s no tomorrow.
So we’re at a loss to explain how at least 63 Government employees and nearly $3.74 million in salary expense were added to the payroll between May, 2008, when Governor John P. deJongh, Jr., put the first hiring freeze in place, and August, 2009.
Now, we are reasonable people here at CIF, and understand that some hiring is necessary to keep things going. But as you will see as we release documents related to these transactions, some just don’t seem to fit in an environment of fiscal belt-tightening.
We are perplexed by the “Agent/Driver” who is making $70k a year; the “Executive Assistant” who is making a cool $80k; layers of litigators and quite a few “Specialists” who are bringing down between $40k and $65k a year. And then there are the new “Security Guards” (see story below). And these are just the ones we know about…
There was a time when we could rely on certain mainstream media to publish the salaries of all government employees. We’re not expecting that to happen anytime soon. And perhaps there are good reasons for some of the information we’ve seen while reviewing these documents – we’d welcome any explanation that the Administration would like to provide.
The chart attached below is a summary of new expense by department. We will release the detail behind these totals over the next few days. To give a complete picture of the expense, we’ve estimated the cost of benefits at 20% of salary – a conservative estimate considering today’s costs.
Perhaps we should be grateful that the Governor has issued a “much more stringent General Fund hiring freeze” between now and the end of this fiscal year. Who knows how much more they’d need to borrow if he didn’t?
What hiring freeze?????? The governor is talking about unpaid holidays, payless paydays, and layoffs; yet, the government continues to hire more people?!!! THIS IS CRAZY!!!!!!!
Look like the frezer is not cold enought for the freeze.
Donastorg brought all this out at that press conference he had in the spring. He said there have been hundreds of people hired since the freeze was implemented.
what about Human Services Deputy Commissioners that got $10,000 , $20,000 . and new big positions ? and the little people still can even buy food. and pay they bills. Well Well, well GOD help us all
Let’s not forget that DPNR Commissioner Lynn Millin-Maduro dropped a dime on the Governor and reported that he violated his own moratorium on purchasing new cars.
His senate henchmen must really be embarrassed by this CIF revelation on the hiring freeze.
The henchmen shouted to the top of their voices that the governor needed more money! Now we know why…
We will see if they shout at today’s senate hearing if Sen Hill attempts to modify the VI Code.
And we hire/employ police officers for about half of the salary of the Driver/Agent?????
Shame on the governor!!
Mr. Fenton, you dominate the airways with your daffy thoughts and inane comments. What you have not mentioned is that this administration has been of great benefit to your family.
Marie Fenton – Administrative Coordinator – Office of the Gov – $45,000 per annum.
Merle Fenton – Program Specialist – Public Works – $34,000 per annum.
Muriel Fenton – Senior Accountant – Dept of Finance – $55,000 per annum.
With this, the Fenton Country MUST be running good!
Like the elders say…some people have to sing for their supper. Mr. Fenton has been singing for his entire family and VI Destroy Hope. Yes, we know that you are a member of the de Jongh administration radical right wing political action committee headed by Roosevelt David.
The Recon crew got audio and video coverage of VI Restore Hope “Klan” rally yesterday.
We are watching everything.
Very interesting info. I guess this is why he always feels a need to defend the wrongdoing of this administration. What ever happened to “Keep It Balanced”?
Country Running Good!
Is this the same Fenton who calls the talk show earlier in the morning with “Jimmy” and late in the afternoon with “Mario?”
Certainly, this cannot be the same person who speaks of “BALANCE.”
This information is indeed revealing; it is now clear WHY he backs the administration so vehemently.
This revelation is why CIF is so important!
I believe in holding those in authority accountable for their actions, but is it necessary to post their private information on the web like this?
Once you are employed by the gov’t, it becomes “public information”, not “private information.”
It is called transparency.
I did not complained when the Daily News printed my name and showed my salary a few years ago so why should you and the Fentons.
That’s true. But back then, when the Daily News published the list of government workers with their salary, some people believed that it was politically motivated.
Mr. T, please listen to the doctor,
The deference between a Psychologist and PSYCHIATRIST is that one is a MEDICAL DOCTOR and the other is not!
Only one may PRESCRIBE MEDICATION to treat mental illness associated with an organic issue.
I do agree with Bronco’s statement on his morning show regarding his opposition to allow Psychologists to prescribe medication. He said, “Allowing a psychologist to prescribe medication to mental patients is like allowing a butcher to perform surgery on someone as if he were a surgeon.”
However, we do not heed these WORDS OF WISDOM when it comes to POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS.
This DEGENERATE MINDSET of “allowing butchers to perform surgery as if they were surgeons” REIGNS in this ADMINISTRATION, regarding appointments.
All you have to do is just look at those appointments and job descriptions!
Well apparently Mr. Fenton is economically motivated to defend the Administration. When we have a record number of murders, how can we say “country running good”?
Have any one noticed that the person that is “now” using the screen name “T” is not the same person as previous. The person that originally used the name “T” said they will now go by “Mr. T” because someone hijacked their screen name. Look at the first entry in this blog.
The person that is now using screen name “T” sounds like no other than JACKASS OF THE WEEK Verdell Petersen.
Mario Moorehead had banded JACKASS Verdell from his show for faking her voice. Verdell is a JACKASS gone wild. CIF Bloggers, watch yourselves with this “new” person blogging as “T”. They are planted to misplace our focus from John P. de Jongh, Jr corruptions. This “new” T is not the originally poster.
Verdell, you’re busted again!
For a while, I had to use “Mr. T” because somebody else was using my name. I wonder who hijacked my name. We might as well use our real names.
Well JACKASS OF THE WEEK, why not just use your real name instead of hijacking other blogger names? Better yet why don’t you just stick to calling yourself “Devil”? Didn’t you say on Jimmy’s show that the Bible is just a fairy tale?
Like previously mention…the focus has been on public official corruption and those individuals that chooses to rape these United States Virgin Islands.
As for the original”T”…if someone hijack your screen name report them to CIF. CIF have taken action in the past to correct these types of despicable actions. The de Jongh propaganda machine is known for this and a great deal of focus was just on de Jongh’s corrupted environmental shenanigans.
I AM THE ORIGINAL “T”! I don’t know what is going on, but I am not the type to play tricks on people. CIF knows who the real T is. They have my email. I can’t give my real name, but I can tell you that the letter in my screen name matches the intial in my first name.
LOOK AT GOVERNOR JOHN P. DE JONGH, JR. DIVISION OF PERSONNEL WEBSITE. NOW LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF POLICE AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS VACANCIES REPORTED.
WHY IN THE WORLD HAS THIS GOVERNOR BEEN HIRING ALL OF THESE NON ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL WHEN HE GOT WELL OVER 200 CRIME PREVENTION VACANCIES OPEN? LOOK AT THE STARTING SALARIES OF THESE CRIME PREVENTION OFFICERS AND THE STARTING SALARY THAT GOVERNOR JOHN P. DE JONGH, JR. DISHED OUT TO HIS CONVICTED FELON “SO CALL” FINANCIAL POLICY ADVISER.
IS THIS GOVERNOR JUST TOTALLY INCOMPETENT AS PREVIOUSLY STATED? DOESN’T HE CARE ABOUT SECURITY FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY? IS IT THAT HE JUST DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT HIMSELF?
THE WORLD IS WATCHING!
http://www.dopusvi.org/Careers.aspx