May 26, 2001 – Source readers clearly think the federal government needs to intervene in the affairs of the Virgin Islands. By a vote of 10 to one readers chose some form of intervention in last week's poll, which asked, "Do you feel there is a need for the federal government to intervene in the operations of the V.I. government?" Only 9 percent thought no intervention was necessary.
By a margin of more than two to one, respondents thought financial accounting was the area most needing intervention. The second choice for the feds to step in was criminal justice.
Given the state of the territory's environmental problems, it was surprising to find only 3 percent of respondents overall felt federal regulation and monitoring for compliance in this area was needed. However, on St. Croix, which has been plagued with major sewage treatment problems, twice as many respondents voted for the environmental intervention than on the other two islands.
With financial accountability being so far ahead of the other answers, it may be readers felt better financial accounting would solve some of the other problems.
Federal intervention in Education came in at 5 percent, health care delivery at 2 percent and human services at less than 1 percent.
Here's what was asked along with the answers:
Do you feel there is a need for the federal government to intervene in the
operations of the V.I. government? If yes, in which single area do you feel
that intervention is most needed:
1. No, the federal government should not intervene.
STT (33), STX (11), STJ (3) Total 47 = 9 percent
2. Criminal Justice — law enforcement, investigation and prosecution.
STT (82), STX (29), STJ (2) Total 113 = 25 percent
3. Education.
STT (14) STX (12) STJ (1)Total 27 = 5 percent
4. Environmental regulation, enforcement and monitoring for compliance.
STT (5), STX (10), STJ (3)Total 18 = 3 percent
5. Financial accounting.
STT (132) STX (105) STJ (10)Total 247 = 52 percent
6. Health-care delivery system.
STT (5) STX (8) STJ (0)Total 13 = 2 percent
7. Human services — public assistance programs.
STT (3) STX (1) STJ (0)Total 4 = less than 1 percent
8. Labor — employee benefits, including unemployment and worker
compensation.
STT (9) STX (6) STJ (0)Total 15 = 3 percent
This is not intended to be a scientific poll. But we feel that, as a rough gauge of how Source readers feel about issues confronting the territory, the results are interesting and worth considering. And we hope that you will consider voting in this week's poll and those to come.
