It’s A Happy New Year At DPNR
Nearly $1 million in salary and benefits added at DPNR in January
The economic crisis has “devastated” our government funds; the Virgin Islands is running a monthly deficit of $25 million; tax revenues have fallen 30%; and the Legislature has been warned that even more borrowing will be requested this spring.
How then can one justify the addition of nearly a million dollars in salary and benefits added to the payroll of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources since January 1, 2010?
The attached appointment letters for 17 new hires represent a total of $763,500 in salaries. A conservative estimate of the cost of benefits is 25% of salary, or another $190,875, for a total of some $954,375 in new payroll expense.
Among the new hires are T. Stuart Smith, Planner St. John, $75,000; Noel Sanes, Engineer, $60,000; Terry Vanterpool, Assistant Director, AHP, $60,000; and numerous assistants, special assistants, and special project coordinators.  In his State of the Territory Address, Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. said the global economic crisis and falling tax revenues have “devastated” the government coffers and said that by borrowing $250 million earlier this year against future Diageo and Cruzan revenues helped avoid the layoffs of government employees. “It is the rum agreements that have enabled us to keep our government workers on the job and on the payroll, to keep our government functioning,” he said.
“But we are hardly out of the crisis, and all will be called upon to continue to do their part,” he continued. “We all must stretch and dig a bit deeper, because we know that the financial challenges have not abated.”Â
All this being the case, we must question the wisdom of this surge in hiring when borrowing against future revenues is being used to fund current operational expenses and more borrowing is anticipated. Are these really essential positions? What happened to the hiring freeze?
Is this what you mean by digging deeper?
To DisrupttheCorrupt:
I am knowledgeable of my wife’s situation only,having first hand information. I do not work for DPNR. I suggest you contact DPNR directly. And I would like to add it has been long, long over due.
Again, Her Husband Vance
SCREW ME!!!!
Terry Vanterpool got a raise, evne though she couldn’t do the BASIC job for which she last had??? Screw ME, AND EVERYONE ELSE!!!
And our governor yesterday in the chamber of commerce meeting at the Palms stated his case for another $100 million in borrowing to ‘keep our government afloat’. We continue to hire more political appointees to assure the vote in November? The government needs to tighten it’s belt and have those who are getting a paycheck actually DO their jobs.
Meanwhile, we sent finance folk off to Hawaii on computer security seminars, senators spend money on world wide tours promoting their private interests, money is still being appropriated for special interest groups, senators are using their allotment and offices for the run for governor. Time we start screaming enough is enough.
I am just sick of deWolf and his “appointees”. It is so hard to get a job in these times and it’s not fair for those that had to get their job the long and hard way. To turn in an application and wait for a month just to hear that you qualify. To wait another month for the list of applicants to be sent to the agency. To wait another month for an interview. To wait months to hear that you’ve been selected (if you’re that lucky). To wait up to 6 months before you actually start working for peanuts. To find out that all your co-worker did to get the same job (at an inflated pay of course)was to call up his relative, deWolf. It’s ridiculous. Now all this relative does is sit down everyday, twiddle their thumbs, and finds ways to fool people into thinking he is actually doing work.
I just hope i’m here to see when all of them get weeded out of DPNR.
So tell me,what ever happened to the Virgin Islands of the 60′s and 70′s? How could things have disintergrated into such a
colosal mess? I know there’ll always be change and NOTHING remains the same.But judging from what this Road’s Scholar is hearing,the degree to which things are falling apart is mind-boggling.What is going on,people?
Money is in charge. He who controls the money controls the events that are happening. John deWolf is not in control. He takes his orders from another. All will come to light. Timing.
I think that most people know that, and when things get to hot with the FED’S the same people will rool the bus over him, to save them selfs they are the ones with the money to make it happen. just look.
@ Soldier Crab
The Virgin Islands of the 60s and 70s paved the way for the Virgin Islands in which we now live. The corruption that we are currently did not start overnight – that tone was well set by the leaders that were in power at that time. Let’s not wax nostalgic for the old days. At least now we can see what is going on!
‘Anonymous’,I sure didn’t mean to imply there weren’t any shady
deals taking place back in the day.There sure was,but at least you’d have to admit a lot more people did a lot more work for their pay check…..which was a heck of a lot smaller than the size of pay checks we hear about today.People are being paid more for doing less and that stinks.
…make that ‘there sure were’.Bad grammar on my part.
More people hired, less people fired.Plenty food in de belly, make we merry.
@ I see clearly: These people were already hired. Instead of appointing “his already hired people” into these positions, those positions needed to be posted on division of personnel’s website so that the public could have a fair chance at getting the job. There are lots of newly graduated people out there that are looking for a decent job,but can’t find any because of the assciousness deWolf is doing.
you think that it is a game when your belly is full and a lot of other people cant feed they children? I hope after they deWolf go to jail you will think that is a game too, then your belly will not be that full
What an insidious comment (‘more people hired,less people fired.Plenty food in de belly,make we merry’) for ‘I See Clearly’ to have made.Is that the dubious mantra the De Jongh administration thinks voters can’t and won’t see through? How about this from the opposition:’more people fired,less crooks mired.Plenty mo’ money inna de treasury,dat ah wha’ sweet alwe’.
I so sick of this whole administration and the foolishness they continue to do ! They want to borrow more money but yet they continue to hire more people. What is so mind boggling is this man(governor) suppose to be a financial person and to me he don’t even seem to know basic math! It’s time for this administration to get out and go get a life……somewhere else!
The foolishness at PNR with all those big money sharing, it happened because Mathis is sleeping as usual, or spending our tax paying money playing golf trying to compete with “Tiger’ on the golf course. He knows the golf course better than he knows what is happening at PNR. Morale is low, people don’t smile anymaore even the crockroaches in the halway vex like hell. Since when does a $50,000 property manager come to work in stiletto heals with two inch groomed nails? Mathis get your
b-lls out of the vice grip, and get some backbone man. Shame on you, or maybe you JUST don’t share!!!!!!!
I understand that they had a competent man who was property manager by the name of Mr. Danet that did his work, but because he never used his tongue to “lap” over any body parts, they forced him into retirement from PNR. The boys in French Town say he is having a glorious time at the Catholic Church. The problem at PNR is the man collecting a pay check for being in charge isn’t really in charge, he is busy playing golf at Mahagony Run during work time. Shame on you all who allow this, November will tell.
Shame on those appointees that think their co-workers are blind, deaf , and just dumb. To waltz around with big smiles like nothing has changed. If you gon do your corruptness with deWolf don’t come to stop by and rub it in our faces. Hopefully the new administrator will weed Ms. Special Project Coordinator out.
It is time for A NEW DIRECTION; it is time for A NEW VISION: Mapp/Donastorg 2010!
What about the employee at DPNR that was suspended leave without pay (LWOP) for using the government cell phone in access of $900.00 for personal use. The second week of her so called LWOP, her father, the governor chauffeur, brought her back to work, put her in her chair and left. Guess what? That week LWOP turned into annual leave and the second week suspension did not happen. She was all in a glow. To make things worse, she was one of those employees that got a raise to $32,000.00.
How’s that for morale for the rest of the employees? Especially those who have been there for years with no recognition or compensation.