Is The Governor Listening?
Guest Opinion by J.J. Estemac
Many people I have spoken with have expressed their disappointment with the deJongh/Francis administration.
Some had entertained some lofty expectations, some idealistic expectations, when they
expressed their disappointment with the preceding administration. The basis of their high expectations, as expressed, was that the de Jongh team was going to accentuate family values being a husband and a father; he was involved in the private sector as a business person; he also worked in government as an executive in different posts.
He was young and energetic and projected some positive prospects for improvement in our government. While the governor made some apparent blunders in many of his selections for his administrative team, he apparently picked some that are still attempting to do a good job. But where is the vision?
Any good leader should have a vision that is articulated and shared not only with his team of administrators but with the populace, that they may share the vision. Many of the Governor’s appointments have been a disappointment; some of the persons removed from office were performing.
In a community as small as ours, common wisdom would dictate that appointing individuals to certain key posts in government, based only on political expediency, can be disastrous for any administration, especially when they are seeking a second term.
Performance is what the public is interested in, not who campaigned for Governor. So why appoint someone to a position for which they are not qualified academically, experience-wise or reputation-wise? That to me should spell political suicide. The Governor has received complaints, I understand, concerning the performance of some of his appointees and he has keep them on.
Some he grudgingly removed after it became so obvious that he was not paying attention to the people’s clamor. There are still others who are not being responsive to the needs of the people and whose job is to pay attention to those needs and report same to the Governor for his intervention.
The Governor is expected to set the tone, the standard, that his cabinet and the Executive Branch should follow. The work ethic that the Governor institutes by proclamation and example is what makes a difference. Are the cabinet executives setting a good example for their subordinates? Are they considerate with the public? Do they return calls and respond to correspondence?
A good executive leads by example, positive example. Am I suggesting for the Governor, perfection?
No, only excellence, which is achievable with some hard work and dedication. Being committed to truly serve the people to the best of your ability is all that can be and should be expected. Now if the people choose someone with limited potential to perform at the expected level, it is not the candidate’s fault, it is the electorate’s fault for choosing that person.
That is the reason I have been advocating that we select before we elect. Check out the individual’s track record as a parent, a spouse, a taxpayer, a law abiding citizen. These are basic. Are you ready to assume your responsibility as a citizen and search for the best candidates? The choice is ours, choose this day who you will elect. Do not wait, be proactive and search!
JJ Estemac, you took the words right out of my mouth. It is probable that the governor’s intentions were never good to begin with. He just manage to put up a good front.
The governor is a liar.
I am still wondering why the Feds have not made a decision as yet. Emelda, I agree with you; the Governor happens to be a pathological liar and this practice has surely caught up with him. I am still waiting for someone to define “Business Man” as it is noted in different books of higher learning. The Governor while being a candidate lied about several things and proposed many empty promises. What else could we have expected?
Does anyone know when the follow-up session is on Mafoliegate? Has a date been set to finish the testimonies?
JJ Estemac you are so right on this one. You couldn’t have said it any better. There are so many employees in the departments are craving for good leadership. It has been the worse. For example, it seems like everyone in DPNR is looking for a new job. Commissioner Mathes did not run his department for one day. He has not been involved. He left it up to Susan Penn. Very sad indeed. No communication. Health Department no one has cared for this department. It has been left to run itself! The commissioner refuses to show up to legislative hearings. Mental health has no leadership . Same goes for Medical Assistance. We can go on and on. But I must say thank you for Commisioner Doty. She has been out there looking out for us. She can stay as long as she can.
It’s not just DPNR that has problems; it’s all of the departments. Most of the people who were appointed as department heads only obtain these positions because they campaigned for John deJongh. They never truly worked to earn these positions. Meanwhile, the rest of us who have been working in government for years and are trying to earn as honest living are being shafted by this current administration. I believe we owe Schneider and Turnbull an apology.
J.J. you couldn’t have said it better. We need help, you forgot the Commisioner of Human Services he like Sen Wayne James are frequent flyers, never around. Like the General said they should have join the NAVY and see the world, but the bad thing is, that they’re doing it at our EXPENSE!!
Yes, I heard DPNR is really bad. Those in leadership has no repect for the employees. Susan Penn, who refers to herself as child of God, is controlling everything. Imagine she gets upset when an employee goes directly to the Commissioner. They deny employee leave and charge them with leave without pay. The clique down there don’t have to punch in, they accumulate annual leave and use “supposed” comp time when they go on leave. They hired to outside bank employees for the business office wherein they could have elevated existing emplpyees.I can go on and on. DPNR needs to be AUDITED. This is the worse Administration EVER.
I believe the number ’2′ is spelled ‘two’.
This site is getting old. It reports the same thing and continually stays on the same subjects. If there was so much wrong with this administration would ppl have more to say or report. even though no administration is perfect it has done alot to make the VI a better place. It’s ironic that this website consists of us crucian complaint wen de Jongh done alot for the VI. Shouldn’t this be called VI in focus?
Well it is not. I must say when it come information. It comes with facts.
OK. Let’s settle this debate by making a list of accomplishments John deJongh has made in the last three, and a list of the promises he broke. We can compound all of these points and CIF can do an overall analysis on the current administration.
‘Can’t Wait For the Next Election’…….what do you expect when the DPNR commissioner is at the golf course instead of at work every day????
And we were promised a streamlined permitting process……what a joke! We need more companies and between the EDA and DPNR and Licensing, we get stalled for over a year. They are part of the problem and not the solution. We need companies and jobs….what we were promised last election by the governor and by our beloved senators.
ALL, including the senate, need an audit befor next November AND a financial disclosure filled out for all top officials and elected officials…..printed in the press for all to see and study before we go to the polls.
Cruzian, he has already sold our soul to the devil, do you want him to buried us too! It’s time to go!!!~!~
Cruzian, what De Wolf has done for us? Put your children, granchildren and mine in DEBT. Please think, if you’re singing for your food I understand but please don’t let it be you Moto
DPNR is in a mess under Susan Penn’s dictatorship.
P&P worse under the drunken lawyer(her past client is in jail).
Human services has never been run by Chris Finch, he is the white figure head.
PSC that doesn’t understand that they advocate for the people, with a no show member the governor doeen’t replace.
Replaced the lottery director for telling the truth with a bumbling drunken idiot.
PFA doing all his illegal bidding, voting on tranferring money 2 years after its spent.
Finance is in a mess under Dawson who talks to the employees like dogs.
IRB worse Andersen is a Witch with a b who does not care for any employees under her as she files her nails while they cry.
3P under Prescod was getting a contract with PFA without a business license. They NOW have a million dollar contract to spend the stimulus money.
PWD all caught up in Mafoliegate, poor Smalls should have found his balls and said no.
WICO slated to get Touching Wives or the Bank Pres.
EDA the dumping ground for crooks.
Schools are in a mess and falling down. Road repairs undone, no money for the seniors but half a million on the Gov’s private home.
WMA and WAPA should be stopped before they kill us all or at the very least drive us from our homes with this Alpine (shell of a caompany)deal.
Justice is the worst. Inept, incompetant, illegal, opinions. Enemies of the Admin being harassed and investigated. Trials being redone through illegal movements on the part of Justice.
Diageo and Cruzan will soon have us paying their cost of production. All Profit for them.
Not one new source of revenue. Not one clean source of new revenues.
This could go on and on but it is getting depressing.
Where and when does it en
Let’s not forget the VI housing Authority. Ever since the Federal Gov’t took it over in 2003, it went through six Executive Directors (HUD Recievers). The employees have to go to work everyday stressed out with the heavy work load and the constant fear of being laid off. There has been talk from the governor and our politicians about buying the agency back from the Feds, but so far, nothing has been done.
Is St. Croix now politically, socially and environmentally dysfunctional?
The “visual signs” suggest this may be so!
Uncut grass along the roadsides; pot-holed roads; trash along the roads; uneven road signs of all shapes and designs; uneven property fences; crooked road restriping; faded government buildings; poor landscaping; angry-faced people; erratic driving; below Grade A poultry in the supermarkets; high fuel costs despite a huge refinery on-island; poor health care; poor-public education;substandard police reponse, et al.
Then we see those political appointees in their black-SUVs ; they look like representatives of a banana-republic junta saying to everyone who can see them, “look at me; I work for the dictator. I am important!”
If our environmental, political, and social conditions are reflections of our internal mental condition, we may in fact need a Political Mosses to take us out of this dysfunctional political desert and lead us into the functional land of milk and honey.
Well, it seems that the bush may soon get cut and the roads fixed, but be aware that it’s no thanks to this administration, but rather to ARRA. We have suffered through 3/4 of dejonghs reign without ANY infrastructer improvements that would have been beneficial to all. We seem to have given all the money to procurement. WHY? So much waste replacing vehicles that didnt need to be. How many vehicles are equivalent to one mammography machine.
The Feds might offer deWolf a deal. Resignation and Restitution to avoid Prosecution.