As we gear up for the 2024 Senate elections, it’s crucial to know where each candidate stands on issues that matter most to our community. To keep you informed, The Source has compiled a list of key questions on pressing topics affecting the Virgin Islands. The answers below are from St. Thomas-St. John Senator-at-Large candidate Lorelei Marsh Monsanto:
Why are you running for office, what are your qualifications, and why should voters choose you?
I want the Virgin Islands to be a place where Virgin Islanders can thrive. I am running for the Senator-at-Large seat because I care about land rights issues. The high cost of living in our territory that is largely made up of an aging community does not support our most vulnerable residents having a dignified quality of life. I also care deeply about transparency and accountability in government.
I have been a community advocate and entrepreneur for several decades and have demonstrated persistence and tenacity by standing up for the rights of my fellow St. Johnians and the wider Virgin Islands. In 2007 I travelled on a self-funded trip to Washington, D.C., where I testified before Congress alongside Delegate Donna Christensen where we advocated for the federal government to enter into a land lease with the Virgin Islands government that would catalyze the building of a new school in St. John. The measure was passed in the House of Representatives, but ultimately failed in the Senate. Although we didn’t receive the outcome we wanted, I continued to be present at National Park meetings, town halls, and community gatherings where I fought for the building of a new school for the children of St. John, while also maintaining that the exchange of land had to be fair, equitable and in the best interest of St. Johnians.
Another example of my advocacy is as property taxes on the island of St. John began to rise exponentially, concerns mounted about native St. Johnians’ ability to continue holding on to ancestral land in the face of discriminatory taxation. After it was discovered that a person on the island of St. John who owned a quarter acre of land, was paying the same amount in property taxes that Jeffery Epstein was paying for Little St. James, I knew that we needed to plan and mobilize as a community. After speaking with a group of young St. Johnians about the unfair tax burden placed on St. John residents, they formed the St. John Heritage Collective, a community land trust that focuses on the preservation of land, culture, history, and identity. Shortly after forming their board, they approached me to act as their advisor, a position I still hold to this day.
Voters should choose me because I am integrity driven and a team player who is dedicated to working on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands to advance collective wellbeing. I have proven through my years of activism that I am action oriented and focus my efforts on solutions.
How would you address the high cost of living in the territory and the lack of affordable housing?
One of my focuses to remediate the pressures felt by the high cost of living in the Virgin Islands is to create policy that could bolster local agriculture and transportation industries. This would include addressing policies that expand cross-Caribbean agro-commerce. Another remedy I have for the high cost of living is to address the energy crisis in our community by providing affordable solutions to our energy needs. I would like to make alternative energy options more affordable and accessible for our broader community.
As for improving the lack of affordable housing, I would like to expand mortgage options so they are in reach for Virgin Islanders across the socio-economic spectrum. I would also like to put forth legislation to help probate issues in the Virgin Islands so we can improve our courts’ capacity to address bottlenecks in property inheritance.
How would you improve the territory’s electrical grid and implementation of renewable energy?
I believe the government could improve their sustainability practices. I would propose that solar farms supported by the government should be placed on roofs of existing structures vs. using large swaths of prime agricultural land to place hundreds of solar panels.
Additionally, I would like to do deeper assessments into our government agencies transitioning to electric vehicles. We currently don’t have the infrastructure to support the maintenance of these vehicles, and the cost for repairs and vehicle parts are exorbitant. Additionally, there is a major safety and environmental concern around the lithium batteries catching fire. Lithium battery fires are difficult to extinguish and require the use of a special foam to extinguish the flame. I am in support of sustainability, however I believe a comprehensive assessment to understand the short- and long-term effects of these programs is imperative to ensure continuity and efficacy.
What would you do to expedite or improve the territory’s disaster recovery, which has dragged on for seven years now?
I believe we need closer oversight of the federal disaster recovery monies, including a full accounting of contracts and expenditures. Rebuilding schools will be a major priority, as well as strengthening our health care system.
What reforms would you propose to ensure our children are receiving the public education that they deserve?
There are laws already in place to uplift the educational experience in our public schools. We have an enforcement issue. I would like to review the existing policies that are in place and find creative ways to push for implementation. I also would like to push for an audit on the education curriculum and their testing mechanisms that are not culturally appropriate.
What are your solutions to address violent crime in the territory, especially among young men?
We know that crime is reduced when education, employment, mental health support, and community care are in place for our youth. I propose policy and programing to address these needs and fill the gaps. Additionally, there is a lot of legislation in place such as gifted and talented programs and art programs that are not being actualized in our public schools. I would like to push for the implementation of these pre-existing policies that would support exposing our youth to more perspectives, trades, and skillsets.
How can the territory improve upon its tourism product while addressing growing concerns about over-tourism? Are we too reliant on cruise tourism and what can be done to bring more overnight visitors?
I think we can expand our tourism product exponentially. Current tourism trends show a significant increase in wellness tourism, ecotourism, spirituality based tourism, and sustainability tourism. I believe we could capitalize more on cross-Caribbean travel. Our tourism product should also be more reflective of our culture and stories. We could do more to showcase our local artisans and cuisine when engaging with our tourists. We have to find a way for tourism dollars to circulate and remain in the territory longer with Virgin Islanders. Much of the money spent here ends up back in the states.
What would you propose to better support people dealing with mental illness, alcoholism, addiction, and homelessness?
We need more mental health practitioners and shelters to support our growing homeless population. We also need more mental health infrastructure so our mentally ill population isn’t funneled into our penal system. Family members and support systems need more support services, programs, and education as well. We also need to build a more robust preventative care system that supports persons in need before their circumstances become dire.
What plans do you have to reestablish the libraries in the territory?
Libraries should be made into hybridized spaces that support both the library operations but also act as resource centers for the community. Our libraries have been closed for too long and we have receive flaccid answers to pacify the community’s questions around the projected dates of reopening. The community needs a timeline for the maintenance operations underway for our libraries as well as a firm date of reopening.
How can we provide access to affordable healthcare for individuals and small businesses?
We need to pursue multiple individual health insurance options. The current model of having patients pay for service up front and be refunded is a framework that does not work for our economically vulnerable community. Unfortunately it is the only option that our community has access to. Additionally, I would like to reopen the conversation around establishing the Affordable Care Act locally. Health insurance should be more accessible because it contributes to greater community health and it increases revenue to our local hospital.
And finally, if you could have one superpower to move the V.I. forward, what would it be and why?
If I could have one superpower that I think would be instrumental in moving the Virgin Islands forward I would want to have the gift of foresight. One of the integral aspects of policy making lies in being able to see how this piece of legislation will positively and negatively affect the people of the Virgin Islands. A lot of the decisions that are made, are made with a degree of risk in that sometimes there are certain outcomes you simply can’t expect or control. I would love the ability to see into the future and assess how certain decisions and policies shape the experiences of our community members and use this knowledge to determine whether the policy we are making is truly beneficial or put parameters in place that may prevent the fallout from certain legislation.
