Anyone remember these words?

 
“I cannot support the further issuance of debt under the allusion that this will solve our problems. We must develop a comprehensive solution.” – Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr., 2007 State of the Territory Address

 
We remembered this week when the governor’s financial team told the Senate that without another $100 million in borrowing that the government will run out of money by June.

In what has become a familiar tactic, the Senators heard hours of alarmist testimony concluding with a warning that the only answer is to swiftly approve the additional borrowing when the Governor sends down the bill.

If they don’t, we are told, services will halt and people will lose their jobs.

Let’s put aside for a moment the recent news about the near “junk bond” status of the existing debt. It may be folly to think the markets would extend any more credit even if the request was granted. Let’s not consider the fact that all the viable revenue streams, most visibly property taxes the government has chosen not to collect, are already committed to other expenses and the amount of revenues that are being collected are continuing to fall. And while we’re at it, let’s forget about the fact that for the past three years, appropriations have exceeded available revenue including this year FY 2010, when appropriations were $300 million higher than available resources.

Senators, stop this madness now. Here are the facts and the next steps and please note borrowing more money is nowhere on the list. Read more »

Share on Facebook

The Governor can say what he wants about the US Inspector General’s (IG) report on the Mafoliegate scandal, but the local IG is standing firm on its conclusions.

“We do stand behind every single fact on that report. There is nothing on that response that sways us or moves us,” Hannibal Ware, the U.S. agency’s assistant regional manager, told Business Week magazine.

The response Ware is referring to is a defiant letter Governor John deJongh sent in rebuttal to the federal report that concluded he was not authorized to spend $490,000 in public funds earmarked for road repair on security enhancements at his private home at Estate Mafolie on St. Thomas. The office’s report had recommended the money be returned.

In his response, deJongh not only refuted the IG’s conclusion, he declared he would not pay back the funds without a court order and further, in an act of dangerous defiance, questioned the competence and integrity of the investigator who prepared the report. Read more »

Share on Facebook

Crime Stoppers is asking your help to solve the following crimes.  If you know something, please report it.  Even information that seems insignificant may be just what law enforcement needs to solve these cases.

St. Croix:  Detectives need your help to identify two or three black males, approximately 18 to 25 years of age, who have been involved in recent armed robberies near the seaplane parking area in Christiansted.  The men, wearing dark clothing and masks, were last seen running toward the Watergut Housing Community.  Please help police identify these robbers.  The minimum reward for an arrest is $890.

St. John:  A burglary occurred at 13C Carolina in Coral Bay on the night of February 6.  While the occupants slept, someone entered the residence and removed two LG cell phones and a CD player with an iPod dock.  Please help police identify this burglar.  The minimum reward for an arrest is $710. 

St. Thomas:  Police are requesting your assistance with a shooting that occurred in the area of Simmonds Alley on February 17 at about 4:00 a.m.  A 43 year-old male victim was shot at least once and later died at the hospital.  Help police find his killer(s).  The minimum reward for an arrest is $1,070.    Read more »

Share on Facebook

By Winston Nugent 

“Where have all the soldiers gone?” 

The lyrics of this song have been a question in the minds of quite a few Virgin Islands Veterans and their families for approximately ten years. And it is becoming an obsession for some due the fact that the executive branch, the legislature, and the local veteran’s administration, were informed that the exploits and deeds of American War Veterans have been memorialized through the erection of monuments, such as the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and the Veterans Memorial Wall in Puerto Rico. 

At several meetings and gatherings, St. Croix’s veterans were lectured on the fact that many of their brothers and sisters have given their lives for the protection of peace, liberty and democracy, and there is no memorial in honor of the over 3,000 of them in the Territory. Until this day, the powers that might be, have not seen the need to preserve, memorialize, and promote their heroic deeds. 

What total disrespect!  Read more »

Share on Facebook

Scrutiny of the deal with Diageo, LLC, to produce Captain Morgan Rum in the Virgin Islands has gone international, and President Barack Obama has been cautioned that the $2.7 billion subsidy to the rum producer may result in allegations of unfair trade practices from the global community.

And whatever your opinion of the deal, most would agree that the maintenance of the current cover-over structure, from which Diageo will receive its’ $2.7 billion payout, is a critical factor in the financial future of the US Virgin Islands.

The message was delivered to President Obama by Miguel Lausell, Chairman of the National Puerto Rican Coalition.  He told the President that the deal with the Virgin Islands, which will return nearly 50% of the cover over revenues generated from the sale of Captain Morgan Rum in the United States to Diageo, could open the country up to accusations of unfair trade practices from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and create an imbalance in the competitive rum market.

Felix Serralles, president of the family owned Peurto Rico based Serralles distillery that has produced Captain Morgan in the past, added that the size of the subsidy seemed out of proportion to good business practice, stating, “The subsidies will be almost twice the price of the production of the rum.” Read more »

Share on Facebook

By Winston Nugent

As a little boy growing up on his native St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands with (12) brothers and sisters, he dreamed of exploring other parts of the world. Born on March 13, 1926, Terrence Todman graduated from public school, and enrolled at Inter American University in Puerto Rico.

His wondrous imagination prompted him to drop out and he immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. He was sent to Japan after the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 11. He became a first lieutenant during his four years of service. As a result of his outstanding service, he was placed in the “Infantry Hall of Fame” at Fort Binning in Georgia.

When his army service was completed, he decided to pursue a diplomatic career and so while earning his advanced degree in public administration, he worked for the State Department as an International Relations Officer in the Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Department. His first post was in 1957 as a political officer in the U.S. Embassy in Delhi, India. Because languages came easily to him, in addition to Arabic, he is fluent in Spanish, French, and Russian. He accepted his first ambassadorship in 1969 when he became the Ambassador of the African Republic of Chad.  Read more »

Share on Facebook

Seriously people. This is ridiculous.

The past few days has seen a severe decline into smut posts that we simply are not going to tolerate.

We have said this before and we mean it more than ever now. This site exists to give our readers a forum to discuss issues that affect public policy and other social issues that affect our lives as Virgin Islanders.

That does not include the sexual orientation of any individual who is discussed here and some of you should be ashamed of yourselves for the slime you’ve been posting. Nearly half of the comments posted this weekend are in the process of being moderated – and that’s simply uncalled for.

Our position is that is does not and should not matter in evaluating fitness for office or anything else,  and we will not allow it to become the central issue in this critical election year. Period. Read more »

Share on Facebook