Update: After a three hour delay in the start of this pivotal meeting, Senate President Ronald Russell delivered this message from the Legislature in St. Thomas.
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This action not only defers resolution on the financial issues facing the Territory, but also disrupts the planned Operation Yellow Cedar demonstration that has been long planned for Monday night, to coincide with the annual State of the Territory Address, if the address is indeed postponed.
More as this story develops.
If there has been a more critical Legislative session, we can’t remember it.
Before all eyes turned to Hovensa and its impending closure, the issues of government terminations, fiscal mismanagement and the Alpine Energy Group proposal were top of mind. And Hovensa notwithstanding, those issues remain critical, may in fact be even more critical, in light of the events of the past two days.
The Hovensa closing was no surprise – it is inconceivable that the largest employer in the Territory only contacted your Governor the night before the closing – and it has devastated this already embattled community. But let’s not let the shock drive us into even more destructive decisions. This is no time to lose focus.
The deceptively brief agenda for today’s Legislative session states “BR-12-1287- The Employment Relation & Economic Recovery Act of 2012, and for other purposes.”
Other purposes indeed.
Here are the priorities as we see them:
- Borrowing Is Off The Table – it was never a good idea, but the departure of the Hovensa refinery, and the $60 million it contributed to the VI Economy, makes the Territory a risk no borrower will take. And in any case, $90 million won’t cover three months of payroll – and then what? Done. Read more »






