Mother Nature and inaccurate site maps have contributed to the ongoing delays in the road repair projects in Williams Delight, and Commissioner of Public Works Darryl Smalls is asking the community to be patient. In a radio interview on Thursday, Smalls responded to the public outcry concerning the conditions in the St. Croix neighborhood...
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It makes you wonder what the human priorities are. We share the public concern about the recent vetoes of funds for human service and health related programs. But we are more concerned about the quality of financial information placed in front of the Legislature as they propose and pass on these expenditures for approval....
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Guest Opinion by Clarence Payne In one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s final speeches delivered shortly before his assassination Titled “Why I oppose the Vietnam War”, one can witness a shift in his tone, infliction, and purpose as most leaders do as they mature in the struggle. The soft-spoken, even-tempered orator allowed for pointed...
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Guest Opinion by Shirley M. Sadler CRIME IN THE VI MUST STOP, BECAUSE FROM THE STREETS, TO THE JAIL AND GRAVE WE ARE LOSING OUR CHILDREN! People of the Virgin Islands I greet you today with a heavy heart, and more so as a single parent. As you are aware crime in the Virgin Islands...
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Submitted by Kim Lyons of the Virgin Islands Prison Project This picture (click image to enlarge) is a powerful statement regarding the issue of “prisoner renting” inherent in interstate transfers. These transfers to off-island facilities place tremendous hardships upon prisoner families and loved ones. Moreover, we have chosen facilities that are notorious for their...
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Topic: The Homeless in the Virgin Islands This column kicks off a new feature for Crucians In Focus. In response to your requests to provide an opportunity to discuss a wider range of issues, we’ll be posting a Community Input segment periodically. The purpose of this feature is to focus on the stated topic and express concerns,...
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Guest Opinion by Caroline A. Browne The U.S. Virgin Islands is one of the most (if not the most) lucrative places in the Caribbean.. Millions and millions of dollars flow in and out of our economy on a pretty regular basis. Yet, we are plagued with socioeconomic crises that threaten to totally destroy our...
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Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac It is an understatement to say, “these are trying times”. Now we can understand some of the foretelling or prophesies that have been talked about in different forums, but more particularly in the religious communities. Some cite the Holy Scriptures, some Nostradamus and some other sources. We are...
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On Tuesday, the PSC board approved a 22.9-percent increase in the electric Levelized Energy Adjustment Clause (LEAC) rate and a 14.6 percent increase in the water LEAC rate. This action will raise the average monthly residential electric bill to $209.29 and the average residential water bill to $63.16 for a household using 2,400 gallons...
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out·ra·geous 3 a: going beyond all standards of what is right or decent; violent outrageous disregard of human rights (Mirriam-Webster’s dictionary) Outrageous. That’s the only word for the cold-blooded homicide that occurred at Gov. Juan Luis Hospital Wednesday morning. Somehow, in the early morning hours, five armed, masked men entered the hospital, incapacitated a...
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We blame the pushers, the rappers, and the media. The pushers sell them, the rappers glorify them, and the media inundates us with stories of the lives they’ve destroyed. We clamor for more law enforcement, more government intervention, more community involvement and help from the educational system. But what’s the answer? Share on Facebook
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Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac Yes, the question is asked, what can be done about the domestic terrorism to which the residents of the US Virgin Islands are subjected to, daily? When it is not homicides, it is robbery, rape and discharging of firearms any hour of the night and sometime in the...
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Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac I am hoping that we as a community would come together, all residents of these beautiful Virgin Islands, and initiate the discourse of developing strategies to address the many problems facing us. We subscribe to the democratic form of government where the govern control their government through elected...
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Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac We are finally in the beginning of another year of the twenty first century, the year 2008. It could be an auspicious year for this territory of the United States of America, providing we the people of these Virgin Islands assume fully the responsibility that is ours. That...
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Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac Our police department is going through some very trying times in terms of public confidence and efficiency in the delivery of service. We need to sit down and review the department as it relates to the rest of our government. What is it that allows the department to...
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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.
