To the Source:
Where in the world can you get $65,000 a year for giving false promises, loving to hear the sound of your voice, getting your nails and hair done every three to seven days a week, buying new linen suits every weekend, tucking your shirt into your pants, straightening your tie and wearing that special perfume or cologne?
You guessed it, the Virgin Islands Senate.
Which one of these senators in their right mind would vote for a Senate reduction when each of them has acquired houses, cars, loans and all other luxuries that can only be supported by a $65,000 salary? I certainly wouldn't. So, if you want a change, you can't keep voting for the same people that promised you the moon and stars when they know damn well they are never going to give it to you.
It's like a woman whose man makes promises, tells lies and cheats on her all the time; then, for some stupid reason, she gives him another chance — because he starts making the same empty promises to a different tune. Any average American or Crucian would ask: Why does she keep doing that to herself? Is she really that stupid? Now I ask my fellow voters those same questions, and I ask you to ask yourself those questions. I can't believe that we're so in love with the Senate that we don't know when to put our foot down. Quiet frankly, these senators are not pretty/handsome enough, and they surely don't pay my bills.
Stop player hating on the senators. You as voters have to make the change. Some people might say that there isn't much of a choice; they may be right, and I blame that on our educational system. We want more options, but our school system is not designed to groom our young adults to become leaders with the appropriate education for their careers. Parents, students and teachers must get involved and demand better education. This maybe a cliche, but it’s definitely true: The children are our future.
Now, here is one man that I can definitely agree with: Malik Sekou. More people like him should run for and be elected to the Senate. I urge you to read his take on what should be our Senate's No. 1 priority: education. (See Op-ed commentary "Start search for a viable economy at home".
Mainland businesses come down here and don't want to hire locals, because they are not "smart" enough. Where I work, they arrange for All-Temp Services to bring in people from the states — when, in fact, as an Economic Development Commission beneficiary they are suppose to be going through the Department of Labor. They do this because they believe that people from the states have a better education and more communication skills. We do have some great people with all the necessary skills for the corporate world. But I don’t player hate the company executives for not believing that.
I, too, have lost hope and have started to believe the same thing, especially when I see that our governor has no communication skills. St. Croix has a bad reputation when it comes to education. Another thing is that most of the locals know nothing of customer service. Yeah, yeah, I know, most of the people are very nice. But not all know how to speak and acknowledge customer needs. I loved the way that Malik Sekou pointed out that as an economy we want to thrive on tourism, but we have no hospitality school. Now isn't that absurd.
I demand a better education for our youths.
Jackie Donellie
St. Croix
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