Retiree To Government: Keep Your Money – Give Me Land
Retroactive Wage Payments: Are We Being Given Another 6 for a 9, Because it is Election Time?
Guest Editorial
I am an owed retiree of the Department of Education for the Government of the Virgin Islands.
I try to keep aware of issues affecting us here in the Virgin Islands, but I am not one who reads and does research on everything. What I do is attend the town hall and open forums to hear those who are presenting the “Facts” and those pro and con researchers. At these sessions I can hear for myself. After leaving the Retroactive Wage Commission Public Forum, I felt that this was another situation of the authorities just going through the motions.
This $45 million bond proposal seems that in order for the Government to fulfill their legal debt obligations to the 10,000 union workers they are giving us a 6 for a 9, because in the long run it is All of We tax payers who will have to payback this Interest Bearing Loan, especially should the Government default on the loan.
My understanding is that the Legislature has not yet voted on the floating of this $45 million bond loan, which funds have to be identified first, to show how this loan is to be repaid. This forum was to update and allow the owed government union workers to have some input as to how the monies should be distributed.
Since the Government’s total retro payment debt to union workers is $300 million, one suggestion was to give everyone 15% of what they are owed.
As a retired union member, I have no problem with equal payments to all, which would be $4,500 or 15% of what each is owed. I understand and accept just because I am a retiree, I should have preference over current workers who are still paying into the system, I should be paid in full first, over them.
But I do feel that we the retirees and the deceased were never placed on our wage step nor were we paid, which also continues to affect our retirement annuities. As a retiree the debt on our wage step payment is the oldest of debt in this situation and that should be honored, first. A point made was that this would affect GERS – but this is the Government’s debt responsibility, because for all of these years the Government has been collecting interest on our money.
If we as property owners fail to pay our taxes, the government is quick to put a lien on our property, and if the Government fails to pay off this bond debt, aren’t our local assets at risk? My position is since there are no guarantees that the Government will ever be in the position to honor this debt.
“Give Me Land” for what I am owed. There is the potential for tax revenue from the land exchange for the repayment of the Government’s Debt. In addition since the Government is the people this would be an equitable way to give some land back to the people of the Virgin Islands.
I will accept and prefer ”Land” for the retroactive wage debt that I am owed by the Government of the Virgin Islands.
(Editor’s Note: This Guest Editorial was submitted to CIF at our Writers Mailbox at admin@cruciansinfocus.com. We invite our readers to submit editorials, photos or other items of interest.)
Brilliant idea
good idea but go one better for all retirees who are owed money and have real estate, the government should apply what they owe to the real estate tax that is owed that has to be paid for the last 3 years. This will lessen the burden on all retirees who proably can’t afford all the taxes owed at one time or over a period of time with penalty’s
This is indecipherable drivel!
There will be no land to give! dejongh is giving the government land to his friends. Ask them how much of the governments’ land he already gave away ex, Frenchtown, Subbase, Smith Bay etc. You all will be very surprised.
I believe I just told another one of their dirty little secrets.
I don’t know about the rest of you,but I’m of the opinion that
the government,despite what the late Judge,Almeric Christian and a previous chief negotiator may have said to the contrary,is liable for the payment of retroactive monies owed to unionized employess for a number of years.
Having bargained in good faith,both sides are also expected to
honor and execute that which has been agreed to,in good faith.
Contract negotiations aren’t about wilfully negotiating in bad faith and the wasting of time…although some of that does take place.
The fact that the legislature is seeking to float a $45 million bond to satisfy 15% of the $300,000.000 obligation also tells me that they too,recognize the government’s leagl obligation and are trying to come up with the necessary funding.
One blogger (a retiree) has made it known that they would prefer
being paid off with a piece of land rather than cash and as ‘brilliant’ an idea as that may sound, I can see all kinds of problems with approach.
But hey,that’s for younger heads to worry about.
The hope is,the government will find the wherewithal to satisfy its outstanding obligation to its workers.
$300,000,000 million obligation for an area with only 125,000 people. Something seems way out of whack here
what I can’t understand is, if you have a committee to make the decisions why are they asking the oponion of the gov’t workers as someone said this was negotiated why are they having problem paying the omoey.Is it a tatic pay closer to the election so that dewolf can get relected! Maybe that use to work in the past but I know that this will not happen this time.
So Judge Christian just got confirmed. So why did he hear cases beforhand? Is this legit?
@ NYMIKE: M’son,things have been ‘out of whack’ for many a decade.
State,local and territorial governments are following the ‘ring leader’,the federal government,in spending money it doesn’t have to satisfy many a debt it didn’t have the will to have avoided in
the first place.
In the mid 80′s the government of the U.S.Virgin Islands made an attempt to convince the unions that it was flat broke and unable to pay salary increases it had agreed to pay its employees.It even hinted at possible layoffs and a reduction in the hours worked per week.The unions didn’t believe a word of it and refused to budge.
The rest,I’m afraid,is history.Hence the $300 million debacle.
Government officials are projecting a $170 million deficit in this fiscal year….so how many more millions in the floating of bonds will be needed to cover that shortfall,allow for a 15% payment to employees who haven’t been paid salary increses in years and lastly,and by no means least,don’t forget the government’s withholding of employees’contributions to the GERS haven’t been paid in years.
The government’s financial plight is far more precarious than is generally believed and no amount of ‘creative’ posturing (political or otherwise)is going to forestall the inevitable.
As late as it may seem,there has to be compromise between the unions and the government (something that should have been done a long,long time ago)in the placing of a 5 year moratorium on ALL SALARY INCREASES……as 75% to 80% of all revenues collected
goes towards the paying of salaries and benefits.Seventy five to 80 cents out of every dollar collected.The remaining 20 to 25 cents goes for education,public safety,health and welfare,public works and you name it.
Get the picture Mike?