Dear Source:
The Citizens Coalition for Better Government believes that the Government Employees Retirement System needs to be reorganized to protect it from the shortsighted politicians bent on raiding its coffers because of what they perceive to be a bottomless fountain of money. The GERS should be run like any corporation where the shareholders are the ultimate authority. The members of the system should elect the board of trustees, with the board electing its officers.
Concerning the fiscal plight of our government, the CCBG believes that we the people need to reclaim the authority that our democratic system affords and tell the elected representatives what we want, which is more fiscally responsible decision-making and more accountability from all public servants, elected and appointed. All three branches of government must submit to an austere cost-reduction program of at least 5 percent per year for the next five years. We need to employ technocrats to assist us in carrying out our economic recovery plan.
The CCBG believes our education system needs a complete overhaul. A new emphasis needs to be placed on the three R's (reading, writing and arithmetic) in the elementary schools. In the high schools, emphasis should move to liberal arts, sciences and vocational training. We need to establish technical schools in both districts to meet the needs of our commercial and industrial firms. The Board of Education should be given more responsibility to run the school system, including the hiring and firing of personnel and raising of funds to run the system.
The coalition supports election reform that would include local government and subdistrict representation in the legislature and the holding of elections on non-work days, such as Saturdays or Sundays. It supports six-year terms for judges, to make it easier to get rid of unsatisfactory judges — and control the arrogance of some of them. Both districts should have extra judicial programs and personnel. The CCBG supports appointment of the attorney general for a six-year term as well. All attorneys working for the government should be on contract tied to performance.
We believe our criminal justice system needs overhauling. Hardened, violent criminals should be housed in maximum-security facilities. Some prison facilities should be privatized. The prison system should not be under the Attorney General's Office but under a prison board with an executive director as administrator.
The CCBG advocates restoration of the merit system throughout our government, and government employee unions should be restricted from negotiating salaries. Our government should institute an employment regime like that of the federal government.
We the people should exercise the responsibility that is ours under the U.S. Constitution and the Organic Act. We need no more empowerment than what is already available to us. Our elected and appointed public servants work for us. We should not allow them to treat us as lesser human beings, as if they are doing us a favor, when we pay their salaries. In other words, we should be respected even as we respect others. Decent people do not demand respect; they command it.
Passing the buck and blaming others for failures that we all share is not positive behavior. We should join with others of similar interests to advance common causes. That is the democratic way. Would you join a neighborhood group to advance your common cause? The Citizens Coalition for Better Government is such a group. If you would like to learn more about it, write to CCBG, PO Box 305907, St. Thomas 00803.
J.J. Estemac
St. Thomas
