After three months of circulating a petition calling for a Committee of the Whole meeting to investigate the Public Services Commission, Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg finally got the eight signatures, including his, needed to convene the meeting. The meeting is called for 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 9.
Donastorg believes he got the signatures — in the midst of a Committee of the Whole meeting Friday to consider passage of the so-called ‘Prosser deal' bill — because of public pressure brought on by the Senate's consideration, and ultimate passage, of the bill.
The bill would give businessman Jeffrey Prosser's companies, which include the V.I. Telephone Corp., full tax breaks for 30 years in exchange for 1,000 acres of land, $4.5 million to develop the land and $9.95 million to build several public projects. (See "Prosser bill passes.")
In addition, Prosser would have to build a hotel on the other 1,800 acres of property he has optioned, but failure to do so would not result in any forfeiture of tax breaks.
Donastorg's petition requires that all PSC members, staff, attorneys and consultants attend the June 9 meeting. That includes former legal counsel to the PSC Maria Tankenson-Hodge and Jim Madan of Georgetown Consultants Inc., the group that was hired to study the rate structure of Vitelco. When Georgetown reported that Vitelco was overcharging customers the PSC ignored the report, causing Hodge to resign.
Along with Donastorg, the senators who signed the petition are:
— Sen. Roosevelt David
— Sen. Allie-Allison Petrus
— Sen. Judy M. Gomez
— Sen. Adelbert M. "Bert" Bryan
— Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole
— Sen. Norman Jn. Baptiste
— Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd
Bryan, Cole, Baptiste and Liburd also voted for passage of the "Prosser bill."
