Dear Source,
I also was appalled to see Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuels' remarks. [See Source news story, "No Virgin Islanders for RLS Hospital CEO spot".]
Thinking like that is why the Virgin Islands is in so much trouble. I myself had a management position on St Thomas and had turned a company around that hadn't made money since its opening nine years ago because of the attitude of the local workers. When I started, a native V.I. worker came to me and said I would not get her to work because she did not have to; the government would back her up.
We wrote her up four times before having to let her go — and were not even allowed to present our case to the government, or the letters she had received when she was warned of her lack of work ethics and other work failures. Outside of the office, the judge told her lawyer not to worry; she would wrap up the case in her favor so they could go and pick up their children.
We were not allowed to produce any evidence, and her attorney stated that the reason she was terminated was that I was from the States and could not be trusted with the truth.
Norma, you need to look around and see what your attitude has done to your (local) people. The proof is in the pudding!
Now I am gone from that island, as it is too hard to survive the racism. But now the local St. Thomian who owns the buisness will not hire a local because of the situation — and her family goes back generations on St. Thomas.
Shame, Norma, shame!
Dave Belardi
Sarasota, Fla.
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