Oct. 19, 2006 — Audience participation was as much a part of Wednesday's gubernatorial debate as were members of the three teams vying to run Government House come January.
During Wednesday's second debate, supporters of the John deJongh and Gregory Francis gubernatorial team far outnumbered those for the teams of Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Cora Christian, and Kenneth Mapp and Almando Liburd. Despite the difference in numbers, each faction remained boisterous throughout the evening.
From the onset, supporters stood in various locations raising posters, blowing whistles, honking horns and responding with jeers or cheers — depending on who they were supporting.
At times, the relentless, albeit friendly, din in the Educational Complex auditorium overpowered the candidates' messages — so much so that moderator Amos W. Carty took time out to ask the audience to withhold comment or keep the noise down to a level so that the candidates could be heard.
Carty later sent the crowd into a cheering frenzy when he acknowledged that St. Croix's crowd had outnumbered St.Thomas', where the first debate was held two days earlier.
Like its St. Thomas counterpart, the latest debate was sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and the V.I. Hotel and Tourism Association.
There wasn't much that was different on Wednesday, with similar topics ranging from the economy and crime to tourism and alternative ways to reduce consumers' electric bills. However, Diane Butler, president of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, warned the candidates that "the questions will be harder than they were on St. Thomas."
She urged them to listen to the questions closely and answer independently, voicing agreement when appropriate and engaging in debate over areas of difference.
It was then on to the debate, with the team of Donastorg-Christian answering first, followed by deJongh-Francis and Mapp-Liburd in order.
All of the teams supported universal insurance but fell short of endorsing a plan to negotiate insurance premiums collectively for both private-sector and government employees.
While deJongh supported removing the insurance division from the Lieutenant Governor's Office, both Mapp and Donastorg argued that the division should remain under the office's purview.
All three teams said they would work to create a more business-friendly government while working to automate local government where appropriate. Candidates also said that they would restructure the Department of Planning and Natural Resources' Coastal Zone Management division so that it would be less "adversarial" while still protecting the territory's environment.
Utility rates were a frequent area of concern Wednesday evening, with questions addressing various topics as: a) the use of alternative energy, b) candidates' proposals to have government agencies pay utility bills on time, c) how to reduce electricity costs and d) whether candidates proposed selling all or a portion of the Water and Power Authority.
Mapp said that, if elected, the central government would assume the $25 million in Levelized Energy Adjustment Clause (LEAC) costs, which would cut consumers bills by 15 percent. All three candidates said they would propose using wind and solar power or using petroleum by-products as alternative power and entering into new contracts with Hovensa to secure lower oil costs. This, they said, would drive down LEAC costs and thus cut utility bills drastically.
All candidates opposed the sale of WAPA, acknowledging that with lower fuel costs and alternative energy sources, utility bills could be cheaper.
On questions of growing the economy and what role the government should play, the candidates agreed that St. Croix needs "branding" and that the government should partner with the cruise ship industry and lure tourists to the island via sports tourism, eco-tourism or heritage tourism. DeJongh and Mapp also proposed building larger hotels and attracting new airlines and cruise ships to St. Croix's shores, especially.
"We have the longest runway in the territory," deJongh said of St. Croix's ability to accommodate larger planes with more tourists. His running mate Francis proposed working closer with the St. Croix's chamber.
"As a government we need to reach out and partner with them [the chamber] and let's make a difference in St. Croix's economy," Francis said.
Mapp said that the government has been saying for "25 years that it will grow St. Croix," but noted the island keeps getting fewer cruise ships.
He said he supported the formation of a tourism board to include members of the private sector and supported individual marketing campaigns for each island, as did the other candidates.
All three teams also agreed that the government should not be in the casino business as the current casino law provides. They also supported bulk shipping being conducted on the island's north shore to free up the Gallows Bay area for potential cruise ships and luxury yachts.
In the end, the differences came down to why each team was vying for the top seat in government.
"There are more similarities than differences," Christian said in closing statements, adding that she and Donastorg were different because a woman was running for lieutenant governor.
Donastorg and Christian said they envisioned a St. Croix where residents received a better education and better representation from government agencies, such as the Public Services Commission. Mapp and Liburd envisioned an island where the elderly and homeless were cared for, while stressing their 40 years of collective government experience and the fact that they didn't need on-the-job training. DeJongh and Francis meanwhile said they wanted a Virgin Islands that was all-inclusive, where education was key, and entrepreneurship, coupled with private sector jobs, could help grow the economy.
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