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	<title>Crucians In Focus &#187; Social Issues</title>
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	<description>&#34;We knew the job was dangerous when we took it.&#34;</description>
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		<title>Smalls Asks For Patience From Williams Delight Residents</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/06/04/smalls-asks-for-patience-from-williams-delight-residents/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2010/06/04/smalls-asks-for-patience-from-williams-delight-residents/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:29:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=6071</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 highlighted in a Crucians In Focus story on Wednesday. Williams Delight Homeowners Association President Phyllis Blackman took CIF on a tour of the flooded area and expressed her ongoing concern about the lack of progress in correcting the drainage issues in the area. smalls be patient Blackman and Smalls engaged in a spirited discussion during the broadcast that ended with Smalls committing to improve communications with the community representative on project developmemts. Smalls said that the area poses a challenge for a number of reasons, including that fact that it lies in the direct line of water runoff from Blue Mountain to the sea and that the area grades downhill from north to south, increasing the challenges his department faces in grading (leveling) the area. Additionally, he said, Williams Delight is a fully occupied community, which further complicates efforts to complete the work. Smalls outlined the [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>47</slash:comments>
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		<title>What Are Our &#8220;Human&#8221; Priorities?</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/11/30/what-are-our-human-priorities/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/11/30/what-are-our-human-priorities/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:33:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fiscal Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=2600</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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. Last week, Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr. vetoed additional funds for a number of programs, citing a lack of money in both the General Fund and the Internal Revenue Matching fund. The social consequences of financially restricting these programs are obvious. But perhaps the larger question is what information is being provided to the Legislature leading them to believe that these funds are available at the time the requests are made.  Of the General Fund items vetoed, we are highlighting $450,000 in “human priority” programs. For the Department of Human Services: $100,000 for the medical alert bracelets program; $50,000 for Meals on Wheels; and $150,000 for the Homemaker&#8217;s program were denied.  The Health Department was denied $150,000 for the Home Health Program. And while these denials do not shut down the programs at the present time, the concern is that without the additional funds, services will be greatly [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>83</slash:comments>
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		<title>Silence is Betrayal</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/10/12/silence-is-betrayal/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/10/12/silence-is-betrayal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:40:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=2030</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 inscriptions along with powerful anecdotal messages that exposed the fabric of his beloved country. In-addition, his message resonated throughout the world as he visited many countries in Europe as a dignitary. As the civil right struggle leveled off and found the natural plateau of change; Dr. King was required to manage between the traditional approaches to confrontation such as sit in, peaceful protest, and organized resistance too a more controversial arena such as war rallies, bring home the troops, openly criticizing the federal government.  In his Book, “The Strength to Love”, again, he had to come to his own grip with his own frailties, as the burden of a community finally was beginning to take a toll on his spiritual and his emotional well-being. Throughout the Book he engaged in self talk; encouraging himself to remain strong and committed when all else would fail. He also [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>We Are Losing Our Children To Crime</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/09/06/we-are-losing-our-children-to-crime/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/09/06/we-are-losing-our-children-to-crime/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:52:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Public Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=1356</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 is at a record high and is still climbing.  We are losing the battle on crime, and more and more each day we are losing our children, our priceless gems, mainly our sons.  They die violent deaths on the streets, in our neighborhoods, and now even in their homes.  Crime has shut down our community, whereas, we law abiding citizens are now living in fear of the unknown.  As parents, we are constantly fearful of the well being of our children.  There are some, parents who feel they are in no position to do better for they are forced to work two or three jobs outside of the homes in order to provide for their families, especially in these economic hard times.  Single family households are even more so affected by this concept because we as single parents have to work even harder to survive. Parents [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Balancing Punishment with Humanity</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/08/17/balancing-punishment-with-humanity/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/08/17/balancing-punishment-with-humanity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:31:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=1142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Submitted by Kim Lyons of the Virgin Islands Prison Project This picture (click image to enlarge) is a powerful statement regarding the issue of &#8220;prisoner renting&#8221; 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 human rights violations and abuses.  These abuses have resulted in every other state, with the exception of Wyoming, removing their prisoners from these beds-for-hire, Virginia torture chambers.  It is high time we revisit this idea of prisoner transfers and bring all the prisoners home.  The Virgin Islands Prison Project is a grassroots organization devoted to improving the lives of Virgin Islands prisoners and their families by building community alliances to serve them. We strive to help shift public opinion toward a more humane view of prisoners and to examine the root causes of crime and violence in our community.  We also seek to spark a community dialog around criminal justice issues to include the mostly silent voices of those impacted by the criminal justice system: prisoners and their families. Editor&#8217;s Note: The above picture was submitted to the Virgin Islands Prison Project by VI prisoner, Mario Bell, currently housed at Wallens Ridge [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/08/17/balancing-punishment-with-humanity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Community Input</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/07/26/community-input/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/07/26/community-input/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:35:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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&#8217;ll be posting a Community Input segment periodically. The purpose of this feature is to focus on the stated topic and express concerns, highlight issues, identify available resources and offer aolutions. The topics will come from you so if you have a suggestion, please email us. The first topic is &#8220;Homelessness In the Virgin Islands.&#8221;  Who are they? What are some of the causes? What services are available to assist with the problem? What else can the community do? What else can the government do? We look forward to this discussion and hope it results in some positive steps for addressing the problem. Share on Facebook]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/07/26/community-input/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>80</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Guest Opinion: Hypocrisy Beyond Words</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/05/30/guest-opinion-hypocrisy-beyond-words/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/05/30/guest-opinion-hypocrisy-beyond-words/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 13:13:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Website Administrator</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Government Ops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/?p=248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 very fabric of life. How far down the road of desperation must the people in our community travel until they see some hope? Every day rumors of deferred pay days, shortened work weeks and layoffs are heard. Any and all of these proposed events will affect the quality of life of everyone in our village. Who is preparing the community for the hard times we may all fall on? How are these changes going to affect the children, the elderly and the working man and woman struggling to hold on to a declining quality of life? How can we expect our children to grow up to be productive adults when many of the community centers are closed or if open operate from 2 p.m. &#8211; 6 p.m.? Can we truly expect our children to believe that they are important when more times than not they do [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2009/05/30/guest-opinion-hypocrisy-beyond-words/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>These Are Trying Times</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/10/19/these-are-trying-times/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/10/19/these-are-trying-times/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:35:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economy & Taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/10/19/these-are-trying-times/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 seeing the effect of globalization when it is built on greed, one of the lowest of passion. Greed knows no boundaries, geographic, national or racial. The same as evil, it comes in all nationalities, races, economies and social strata. There are evil individuals and groups in our government, national and local. The so called “new world order”, the “one world society” made up of evil individuals seeking to dominate the world for their own evil purposes, using financial wealth supported by the military might of the countries where their influence is strongest. The financial crisis we are going through is only the tip of what is to come. We are noticing the domino effect; they are beginning to fall, starting at the center (USA). To counter this one world movement there are leaders and governments that are promoting a multi-polar world. The first leader I have [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>WAPA Can Do Better</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/06/14/wapa-can-do-better/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/06/14/wapa-can-do-better/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:12:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/06/14/wapa-can-do-better/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 a month, according to the St. Thomas Source newspaper. We are all aware of the global energy crisis – this is not a territory specific problem. But this is a multi-layered problem and the only option that was executed is one that places the financial burden on the backs of the residents of the territory – residents who are already struggling with the cost of other basics like food, recently shown to outpace urban mainland locations in cost. What’s even more infuriating is that these increases, slated to go into effect at the beginning of July, are being levied on consumers when the government owes millions in overdue payments to the strapped utility. During Monday’s meeting of the Government Operations and Consumer Protection Committee, senators discussed the government obligation as one possible element of a WAPA solution but did not propose any immediate action to make [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS</title>
		<link>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/05/23/totally-outrageous/</link>
		<comments>http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/05/23/totally-outrageous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 May 2008 03:53:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Publisher</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Public Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Issues]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://cruciansinfocus.com/2008/05/23/totally-outrageous/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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 guard, threatened maintenance personnel and made their way to Shadrach Frett’s hospital room on the third floor – where they shot him to death. The victim was arrested last week after a shooting spree with Police that resulted in his injury. Police confiscated several weapons in the incident. Outrageous. There are so many issues here it is difficult to know where to begin. Why was an individual who was injured in a violent shootout that my have pertinent information for police not under more serious protection in the hospital? What is the state of hospital security that five men, with guns, could walk into the hospital unchallenged at 3 a.m., overpower the guard, incapacitate several employees, get to the third floor, kill a man, and escape without any resistance? And, as of this writing, they are still at large in our community. Outrageous. Where are we [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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