So here’s how this is going to work. About a week after the Democratic primary election, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Debra Gottlieb met with the ever invisible Commissioner of Education Dr. Laverne Terry. During this meeting she and Gottlieb discussed and agreed to a “revised” schedule for implementation of salary...
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Editorial by Ivan Butcher II I am by no means of a legal mind, but I am reasonable. I have received feedback on my position on, Who is a Virgin Islander Section of the Constitutional Draft. I thought that this new perspective was a very strong point for consideration, but only for a moment. Since this...
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We’re going to tell you about these massive Education contracts, but you’ve got to promise not to tell. That’s one of the provisions of the agreements between the Virgin Islands Department of Education and Learn It Systems, LLC, the Baltimore, MD, firm that is executing a contract worth $25 million for summer school, tutorial and after school programs...
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Crucians In Focus (CIF) is pleased to announce that St. Croix Educational Complex graduate Kurrissa Vialet has won the Crucians In Focus Scholarship Essay Contest. Kurrissa will receive $5,000 to be used toward her education at the University of South Florida. Students were asked to compose a five-page essay on the life of President...
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We hope you’re not having a meal, because these pictures will put you off food for sure. These are the filthy bathrooms at St. Croix Central High School, shown in photos taken within the past three days. Participants in the recent All-Star Basketball tournament held here were forced to use these facilities – that...
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Crucians In Focus is sponsoring its first Scholarship Essay Competition. We believe that identifying and supporting our future leaders is as important as keeping a watchful eye on our current public officials. Through this competition we will give deserving students a chance to earn a $5,000 scholarship to use to defray the high cost...
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I was in the States this week and everywhere I looked I saw the way technology has been woven into the basic activities of daily life. There’s virtually nothing you can’t do online. You travel on an e-ticket, reserve the rental car ahead of time to avoid the lines, all on your pc or,...
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While children in the territory, especially young men, drop out of school in large numbers, our elected officials continue to tell us that the children of the Virgin Islanders are their priority. Apparently this was the case on December 7th when our Legislature passed Bill # 27-0142, an act authorizing the Governor to establish...
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This is an invitation to Governor John deJongh to provide the Virgin Islands public with the qualifications he is seeking in a Commissioner of Education. Kindly submit all qualifications to us so we can engage the public in the process of searching for candidates to promptly fill the post. We agree that “Together We...
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The Governor’s ‘release’ of Dr. Spampinato’s ‘confidential agreement’ with the Pittsburgh Public School District has raised more questions than it has answered. The following articles will likely make you question the truthfulness of recent public statements and remind you of Act 6905: Share on Facebook
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The consideration of Dr. Lynn Spampinato as our next commissioner of education has generated quite a bit of debate. There have been various positions taken on the issue, the latest of which is race. A look through Governor deJongh’s cabinet seems to indicate otherwise. So what is/are the issue(s)? The contract buyouts? The short...
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More than half of the contributions Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen has received in the current election cycle are linked to a Washington contractor who is the subject of a federal inquiry.
According to an article today in the Washington Post, Christensen has received at least $37,000 from contractor Jeffrey Thompson, who is suspected of using “straw” or phantom donors to evade contribution limits that are set for candidates running for office. His operations have drawn the attention of Federal authorities.
According to the article, Thompson’s accounting firm Thompson, Cobb, Brazilio and Associates, has 189 contracts with the federal government, worth $17.1 million. The company has done some business in the Virgin Islands, auditing grant funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Highway Administration. TCBA recently advertised for an accounting position based in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Recently, Christensen has urged the Federal Election Commission to investigate the election system of the Virgin Islands, citing public discontent with the way the Board of Elections in operating. Perhaps this current development will hasten their acceptance of her request.
As many of you heard recently, CIF President Michael Springer, at left, delivered the first in a series of radio announcements that will target specific issues and offer analysis on our most pressing concerns.
The feedback on the comments was extremely positive, so CIF will sponsor then as often as possible, and we thank those of you who have already donated! But airtime costs money and we're seeking your help.
If you'd like to help keep our voices on the air, please donate whatever you can using the PayPal button below. We thank you in advance for your support.
