I was struck by the utter illogic and shortsightness — no, more correctly, lack of both hindsight and foresight – exhibited by many of the officials quoted in your article "Gambling addiction treatment goes unfunded". What struck me most was that the issue of compulsive gambling is being addressed in a vacuum, wholly unassociated with the other ills, problems and detractors inherent in the very gambling industry.
Maybe I'm an idiot, but the continued as well as original logic of having and now inviting more casinos, which by definition will increase the growth of a serious personal and social malady of compulsive gambling, escapes me. Maybe that's because there was no logic to begin with.
Let's see if I get the premises in the referenced article correct:
1. Compulsive gambling is on the rise in the USVI, specifically St. Croix.
2. The problem was anticipated and is serious enough to warrant a funding set-aside by the industry from which this malady originates.
3. The problem, compulsive gambling (that was anticipated), is serious enough that in order for someone afflicted by it to recover, substantial and protracted outside and often residential intervention is required.
Let's look at some of the facts and statistics about the personal, social and economic impacts of gambling. The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (NCALG) reports the following:
1. Casinos and lotteries survive on problem and pathological gamblers. University of Illinois economist Earl L. Grinols has calculated that 52 percent of casino revenues come from active problem and pathological gamblers. Also, statistics show that 5 percent of the people who buy lottery tickets account for 50 percent of lottery sales, and 20 percent of lottery players account for 80 percent of lottery sales. [WEFA Group, "A Study Concerning the Effects of Legalized Gambling on the Citizens of the State of Connecticut," prepared for the State of Connecticut, Department of Revenue Services, Division of Special Revenue, June 1997, pp. 8-3]
2. "…2 percent of gamblers account for 63 percent of all the money legally wagered …" [D.J. Tice, "Big Spenders," St. Paul Pioneer Press (Special Reprint Section), February 1993]
3. The total number of crimes within a 30-mile radius of Atlantic City increased by 107 percent in the nine years following the introduction of casinos to the area. [Andrew J. Buck, Simon Hakim and Uriel Spiegel, "Casinos, Crime and Real Estate Values: Do they Relate?" Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, August 1991, p. 295]
4. Gambling takes money away from other local businesses. In Atlantic City, the number of independent restaurants dropped from 48 the year casinos opened to 16 in 1997.
5. While most of the money spent in casinos in Las Vegas comes from tourism, these figures are not duplicated across the country. Most gamblers in the casinos across the country are attracting mainly local residents to their doors.
6. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) was established by Congress in 1996 and released its official reports three years later. See the NGISC Web site, last revised in August 1999. Here you'll find the final report as well as research data and periodic reports of the commission. NGISC recommended a national moratorium of the expansion of gambling and more study of the costs, benefits and effects of gambling.
7. Economists Earl L. Grinols and David B. Mustard, using an econometric cost-benefit analysis, found that "the costs of casinos are at least 1.9 times greater than the benefits." In other words, a dollar's worth of casino profits and other social benefits costs taxpayers at least $1.90 in "cost-creating activities such as crime, suicide and bankruptcy" and in the expensive social problems engendered by problem and pathological gamblers.
A lack of horse sense and worse
What we have, in fact, is a clearly observable instance of attempting to "close the barn door after the horse is out," made even more ridiculous as we knew that, at the very least, once the proverbial horse was out, it would get sick. For those on whom the horse metaphor is lost, in other words: We knew that legalized gambling would result at least in a population of compulsive gamblers, so we planned this 2 percent of receipts industry-funded mandate, and now we're concerned about the how to deal with compulsive gamblers. As the saying goes, "You must be kidding me?"
The statistics from NCALG above are detrimental enough to a community by themselves. But overlaying all of these problems or detractors on the USVI, especially St. Croix, has got to be the most egregious instance of non-existent leadership in the annals of the poorly led V.I.
That so-called leaders would subject a community to an industry ostensibly initiated to attract more tourist that statistically depends on the local population (points Nos. 1 and 2), statistically increases crime (No. 3), decreases intra-community commerce (No. 4), fails to attract the very tourists the industry was alleged to attract (No. 5), that a congressional commission has called for a moratorium on (No. 6), and that economist have found to cost rather that benefit the community (No. 7) is tantamount to criminal negligence.
The rather poor excuse that compulsive gambling was present prior to the arrival of the Divi Casino does not speak at all to the fact, as stated in the very opening sentence of the referenced article, that "…gambling addiction [is] an increasingly visible problem …" What's being said here? Well, we had this sickness and we knew that inviting this sick guest to our home would make many more of us sick. So let's invite the sick visitor and hope we can control the spread of the disease! And, oh, by the way, once we really get the sickness going, let's invite some more of these sick visitors to get the party going even more! This has got to be madness at its highest practice.
Perhaps more people should read Rich Waugh's excellent article "St. Croix does need a reality check, plus". I would expand Mr. Waugh's sentiments about the ferry to the casino industry. Okay! So I've stated the problem. What's a solution, an alternative that's sustainable? Again I turn to Mr. Waugh's excellent piece, in which he states, "…There are tens of thousands of people who would love to discover a Caribbean island where they can have a beach virtually to themselves, where they can stroll through town without stumbling over hawkers and hustlers, where they can take a walk in the 'bush' and see historic ruins. There are thousands and thousands more who would come for the history alone. And untold numbers of scuba divers who have no idea that fantastic wall dives are only a brief swim from the beach rather than a time-consuming and expensive boat ride. Yes, St. Croix certainly has the resources to offer…"
Let the statistics speak
Well, Mr. Davis, have you any facts to back this up? Well, as a matter of fact I do. The International Ecotourism Society in its "Ecotourism Fact Sheet 2000" stated:
1. The World Tourism Organization estimates that there were more than 663 million international travelers in 1999, spending more than $453 billion. Tourist arrivals are predicted to grow by an average 4.1 percent a year over the next two decades, surpassing a total of one billion international travelers by the year 2010 and reaching 1.6 billion by the year 2020.
2. Experienced ecotourists were willing to spend more than general tourists, the largest group (26 percent) stating they were prepared to spend $1,001 to $1,500 per trip.
3. For Belize, the closest geographical area to the V.I. cited, the WTO found that in 1999 49.4 percent of 172,292 tourists visited Mayan sites, and 12.8 percent visited parks and reserves. Important reasons given for visiting Belize are to observe scenic beauty, to be in a natural setting and to observe wildlife. Cays and barrier reefs were visited by 87 percent of visitors.
The last time I researched this topic, which was in 1994 just prior to the great mistake of legalizing gambling and inviting Divi Carina Bay to St Croix, casino gambling was listed 16th of the top 25 diversions attracting tourist for the U.S. domestic tourist industry. The top 15 tourist-attracting recreation activities shared 75 percent of the dollars spent by travelers away from home, while activities listed in positions 16-25 shared the remaining 25 percent of receipts.
St. Croix does need a reality check. With the entire clamor about increasing crime, social instability, and systemic public and private corruption, God knows St. Croix needs no more problems to add to the list, least of all a burgeoning population of gambling addicts. What St. Croix and her people need is responsible, visionary leadership that will identify and implement sustainable, low-impacting industries that take advantage of and enhance the natural and inherent resources of the island and all of her people.
And, by the way, casino gambling ain't one of them!

Editor's note: Lloyd A. Davis, who grew up on St. Croix, graduating from St. Joseph's High School in 1976, now resides in Fort Washington, Maryland, where he is a program controlanaylist with Unisys Federal Systems' IRS Modernization Program
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

I was struck by the utter illogic and shortsightness — no, more correctly, lack of both hindsight and foresight – exhibited by many of the officials quoted in your article "Gambling addiction treatment goes unfunded". What struck me most was that the issue of compulsive gambling is being addressed in a vacuum, wholly unassociated with the other ills, problems and detractors inherent in the very gambling industry.
Maybe I'm an idiot, but the continued as well as original logic of having and now inviting more casinos, which by definition will increase the growth of a serious personal and social malady of compulsive gambling, escapes me. Maybe that's because there was no logic to begin with.
Let's see if I get the premises in the referenced article correct:
1. Compulsive gambling is on the rise in the USVI, specifically St. Croix.
2. The problem was anticipated and is serious enough to warrant a funding set-aside by the industry from which this malady originates.
3. The problem, compulsive gambling (that was anticipated), is serious enough that in order for someone afflicted by it to recover, substantial and protracted outside and often residential intervention is required.
Let's look at some of the facts and statistics about the personal, social and economic impacts of gambling. The National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (NCALG) reports the following:
1. Casinos and lotteries survive on problem and pathological gamblers. University of Illinois economist Earl L. Grinols has calculated that 52 percent of casino revenues come from active problem and pathological gamblers. Also, statistics show that 5 percent of the people who buy lottery tickets account for 50 percent of lottery sales, and 20 percent of lottery players account for 80 percent of lottery sales. [WEFA Group, "A Study Concerning the Effects of Legalized Gambling on the Citizens of the State of Connecticut," prepared for the State of Connecticut, Department of Revenue Services, Division of Special Revenue, June 1997, pp. 8-3]
2. "…2 percent of gamblers account for 63 percent of all the money legally wagered …" [D.J. Tice, "Big Spenders," St. Paul Pioneer Press (Special Reprint Section), February 1993]
3. The total number of crimes within a 30-mile radius of Atlantic City increased by 107 percent in the nine years following the introduction of casinos to the area. [Andrew J. Buck, Simon Hakim and Uriel Spiegel, "Casinos, Crime and Real Estate Values: Do they Relate?" Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, August 1991, p. 295]
4. Gambling takes money away from other local businesses. In Atlantic City, the number of independent restaurants dropped from 48 the year casinos opened to 16 in 1997.
5. While most of the money spent in casinos in Las Vegas comes from tourism, these figures are not duplicated across the country. Most gamblers in the casinos across the country are attracting mainly local residents to their doors.
6. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) was established by Congress in 1996 and released its official reports three years later. See the NGISC Web site, last revised in August 1999. Here you'll find the final report as well as research data and periodic reports of the commission. NGISC recommended a national moratorium of the expansion of gambling and more study of the costs, benefits and effects of gambling.
7. Economists Earl L. Grinols and David B. Mustard, using an econometric cost-benefit analysis, found that "the costs of casinos are at least 1.9 times greater than the benefits." In other words, a dollar's worth of casino profits and other social benefits costs taxpayers at least $1.90 in "cost-creating activities such as crime, suicide and bankruptcy" and in the expensive social problems engendered by problem and pathological gamblers.
A lack of horse sense and worse
What we have, in fact, is a clearly observable instance of attempting to "close the barn door after the horse is out," made even more ridiculous as we knew that, at the very least, once the proverbial horse was out, it would get sick. For those on whom the horse metaphor is lost, in other words: We knew that legalized gambling would result at least in a population of compulsive gamblers, so we planned this 2 percent of receipts industry-funded mandate, and now we're concerned about the how to deal with compulsive gamblers. As the saying goes, "You must be kidding me?"
The statistics from NCALG above are detrimental enough to a community by themselves. But overlaying all of these problems or detractors on the USVI, especially St. Croix, has got to be the most egregious instance of non-existent leadership in the annals of the poorly led V.I.
That so-called leaders would subject a community to an industry ostensibly initiated to attract more tourist that statistically depends on the local population (points Nos. 1 and 2), statistically increases crime (No. 3), decreases intra-community commerce (No. 4), fails to attract the very tourists the industry was alleged to attract (No. 5), that a congressional commission has called for a moratorium on (No. 6), and that economist have found to cost rather that benefit the community (No. 7) is tantamount to criminal negligence.
The rather poor excuse that compulsive gambling was present prior to the arrival of the Divi Casino does not speak at all to the fact, as stated in the very opening sentence of the referenced article, that "…gambling addiction [is] an increasingly visible problem …" What's being said here? Well, we had this sickness and we knew that inviting this sick guest to our home would make many more of us sick. So let's invite the sick visitor and hope we can control the spread of the disease! And, oh, by the way, once we really get the sickness going, let's invite some more of these sick visitors to get the party going even more! This has got to be madness at its highest practice.
Perhaps more people should read Rich Waugh's excellent article "St. Croix does need a reality check, plus". I would expand Mr. Waugh's sentiments about the ferry to the casino industry. Okay! So I've stated the problem. What's a solution, an alternative that's sustainable? Again I turn to Mr. Waugh's excellent piece, in which he states, "…There are tens of thousands of people who would love to discover a Caribbean island where they can have a beach virtually to themselves, where they can stroll through town without stumbling over hawkers and hustlers, where they can take a walk in the 'bush' and see historic ruins. There are thousands and thousands more who would come for the history alone. And untold numbers of scuba divers who have no idea that fantastic wall dives are only a brief swim from the beach rather than a time-consuming and expensive boat ride. Yes, St. Croix certainly has the resources to offer…"
Let the statistics speak
Well, Mr. Davis, have you any facts to back this up? Well, as a matter of fact I do. The International Ecotourism Society in its "Ecotourism Fact Sheet 2000" stated:
1. The World Tourism Organization estimates that there were more than 663 million international travelers in 1999, spending more than $453 billion. Tourist arrivals are predicted to grow by an average 4.1 percent a year over the next two decades, surpassing a total of one billion international travelers by the year 2010 and reaching 1.6 billion by the year 2020.
2. Experienced ecotourists were willing to spend more than general tourists, the largest group (26 percent) stating they were prepared to spend $1,001 to $1,500 per trip.
3. For Be lize, the closest geographical area to the V.I. cited, the WTO found that in 1999 49.4 percent of 172,292 tourists visited Mayan sites, and 12.8 percent visited parks and reserves. Important reasons given for visiting Belize are to observe scenic beauty, to be in a natural setting and to observe wildlife. Cays and barrier reefs were visited by 87 percent of visitors.
The last time I researched this topic, which was in 1994 just prior to the great mistake of legalizing gambling and inviting Divi Carina Bay to St Croix, casino gambling was listed 16th of the top 25 diversions attracting tourist for the U.S. domestic tourist industry. The top 15 tourist-attracting recreation activities shared 75 percent of the dollars spent by travelers away from home, while activities listed in positions 16-25 shared the remaining 25 percent of receipts.
St. Croix does need a reality check. With the entire clamor about increasing crime, social instability, and systemic public and private corruption, God knows St. Croix needs no more problems to add to the list, least of all a burgeoning population of gambling addicts. What St. Croix and her people need is responsible, visionary leadership that will identify and implement sustainable, low-impacting industries that take advantage of and enhance the natural and inherent resources of the island and all of her people.
And, by the way, casino gambling ain't one of them!

Editor's note: Lloyd A. Davis, who grew up on St. Croix, graduating from St. Joseph's High School in 1976, now resides in Fort Washington, Maryland, where he is a program controlanaylist with Unisys Federal Systems' IRS Modernization Program
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Dear Source,
It seems that the gubernatorial campaign has finally reminded Gov. Charles Turnbull that he is responsible for what goes on in our public schools. But what took him so long, until the day before schools open, to remove District Superintendent Rosalia Payne?
When the governor allowed Payne to take a cruise during the teachers' strike in 2000, perhaps he should have let her keep on sailing. Instead he resisted the efforts to remove her as superintendent, thereby undercutting the authority of then-Commissioner of Education Ruby Simmonds.
But now, despite the constant flow of complaints from teachers and principals over the years, the governor disrupts the opening of our public schools with a politically timed reassignment of the district superintendent. Once again, our children will likely pay the price for the governor's inconsistent and personally motivated actions. Maybe the fact that Payne is part of the governor's inner circle of family and friends had more to do with her tenure as district superintendent than actual job performance. If rumor is true, then it took the threat of loss of votes from principals and teachers to convince the governor that it finally was time to cut her loose.
But exactly how loose is she? I'm convinced the governor will put her into another 'comparable' position at the same salary.
If this is an example of how Governor Turnbull intends to get more 'personally' involved in the Department of Education, then we must rescue our school system before it is too late. I know that we can do better because our children's future depends on it.
John de Jongh
St. Thomas
Candidate for Governor
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Dear Source,
It seems that the gubernatorial campaign has finally reminded Gov. Charles Turnbull that he is responsible for what goes on in our public schools. But what took him so long, until the day before schools open, to remove District Superintendent Rosalia Payne?
When the governor allowed Payne to take a cruise during the teachers' strike in 2000, perhaps he should have let her keep on sailing. Instead he resisted the efforts to remove her as superintendent, thereby undercutting the authority of then-Commissioner of Education Ruby Simmonds.
But now, despite the constant flow of complaints from teachers and principals over the years, the governor disrupts the opening of our public schools with a politically timed reassignment of the district superintendent. Once again, our children will likely pay the price for the governor's inconsistent and personally motivated actions. Maybe the fact that Payne is part of the governor's inner circle of family and friends had more to do with her tenure as district superintendent than actual job performance. If rumor is true, then it took the threat of loss of votes from principals and teachers to convince the governor that it finally was time to cut her loose.
But exactly how loose is she? I'm convinced the governor will put her into another 'comparable' position at the same salary.
If this is an example of how Governor Turnbull intends to get more 'personally' involved in the Department of Education, then we must rescue our school system before it is too late. I know that we can do better because our children's future depends on it.
John de Jongh
St. Thomas
Candidate for Governor
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Caneel Bay Resort sent the government a Aug. 26, 2002 – Caneel Bay Resort sent the government a check for $500,000 as part of its Sept. 1, 2000, Economic Development Commission tax benefits deal, but the money may not have found its way to the intended destinations.
The one-time contribution was to be "seed capital for a Community Development Fund, a portion of which will be earmarked for St. John projects," the "special conditions" portion of Caneel Bay's EDC certificate states. The resort's general manager, Brian Young, after a call to corporate headquarters, said the money was to benefit St. John's two public schools, Julius E. Sprauve in Cruz Bay and Guy Benjamin in Coral Bay.
"The funds were earmarked for education — books, materials, etc.," Young said.
EDC assistant executive officer Nadine Marchena in a June 19 letter to Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg confirmed that Caneel Bay wrote the $500,000 check on Feb. 27, 2001. It was made out to "Government of the Virgin Islands," she said, and was turned over to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
"I understand that the check was subsequently handed over to Mrs. Bernice Turnbull, commissioner of Finance," Marchena wrote.
So where's the money? "I never heard about it," Shirley Joseph, principal at Julius E. Sprauve, said.
She said when Caneel Bay decided to apply for EDC benefits, she wrote a letter to the commission supporting the proposal because Caneel Bay assists the school in many ways.
Blanche Bello, principal at Guy Benjamin, said she didn't know of any Caneel Bay money having come to the school. However, she said she couldn't be sure one way or the other, because the school gets Education Department funding from multiple sources. "Education might not tell us where it came from," she said.
Juel Anderson, Education public relations director, said she had no information on the Caneel Bay money. "I don't know where to start," she said.
Finance Commissioner Turnbull did not return a call requesting comment, and no one could be reached at Government House for information.
Donastorg, who made information about Caneel Bay's $500,000 check public, said in an Aug. 1 letter to the governor that he feared the money had been allowed to disappear into the General Fund. "It both shortchanges the people of St. John and defeats the purpose of our tax benefit program," the St. Thomas-St. John district senator wrote.
Saying the people of St. John have been disenfranchised, Donastorg suggested that if this was the pattern the government planned to follow, it should "just skip the EDC agreement process and assess taxes."
He asked that all or part of the money be returned to St. John for its intended purpose. "It is long past the time that we reform the financial working of this government and fairly enforce tax benefit agreements," he wrote.

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Aug. 26, 2002 – When it comes to parades, Coral Bay's annual Labor Day parade is typically short in length but long on fun. And the party afterwards has live music, games for kids and adults, and plenty of food. "It's the best on the island," organizer Jane Johannes said.
This year's parade is to kick off Monday at 11 a.m., but don't be surprised if it's late getting under way. It probably won't last more than half hour as participants wend their way from near Pickles Deli on Route 107 to the Guy Benjamin School ballfield.
So far, Johannes said, she has heard from six or eight groups that want to participate in the parade. She said the party, billed as a crafts and food fair, will start as soon as the parade ends and go until 7 p.m.
Anyone wanting to participate in the parade or set up a booth at the ballfield is asked to leave a message at the Tourism Department office on St. John, at 776-6450.

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Aug. 26, 2002 – The Education Department's Child Nutrition Program will distribute free U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities to qualifying individuals and families on St. Croix on Saturday, according to an Education release.
The food items will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Charles H. Emanuel School in Kingshill, Juanita Gardine School in Richmond and Claude O. Markoe School in Mars Hill.
Those eligible to receive the federal surplus items include food stamp recipients, people on medical assistance programs and tenants of subsidized housing.
Also eligible are others whose family incomes do not exceed 185 percent of eligibility guidelines for 2002/2003. To qualify, one person can make up to $16,391 a year; for families of two or more, add $5,698 for each additional person.
Those wishing to pick up items must show their food stamp or medical assistance card. If they are self-certifying, they must bring proof of income. And all intending to collect commodities are asked to bring strong boxes or bags to hold the items.
Ginny Dargan, a public information officer in the Education Department, said USDA commodity distributions are made several times a year.
According to the USDA Web site, agencies pick what foods they will distribute from a list that includes include fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, meats, dry and canned beans, vegetable shortening and oil, peanut products, rice, cheese, pasta products, flour and other grain products. What's on the list depends on what surplus commodities are available.

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Aug. 26, 2002 – The Senate Rules Committee finished its work on the Fiscal Year 2003 budget on Monday, approving the executive branch budget with an addition of $1.3 million for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; passing its own budget; and approving the Omnibus Act of 2003, tacking on another $1.4 in amendments to the already burgeoning $20 million measure.
The extra $1.3 million approved for the office of Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II was almost the entire amount the Finance Committee had taken away earlier this month from the administration's requested funding.
The Rules Committee voted unanimously to reinstate the funds on an amendment by Sens. Donald "Ducks" Cole and Carlton Dowe. The largest part of the increase, $771,076, was earmarked for personnel services, for the hiring of extra staff to collect taxes that James says contribute about $80 million annually to the government coffers.
Noting the Legislature had been overlooked as raises were handed out by the executive branch, Sen. President Almando "Rocky" Liburd recommended a FY 2003 budget of $16.5 million, an increase of $700,000 from this year. Liburd said the "slight increase" will pay Senate staff members who have not had a raise in two years. He praised the staff, saying 85 percent have now been trained in a computer program.
"We have to bring our employees up to the executive branch," Liburd said, adding, "The governor, the lieutenant governor and the senators are the only ones with no raises."
Liburd said some of the funds set aside for capital outlay will go to renovating the Legislature's Post Audit Division offices in the old District Court building. "We may have to move out of the building because of its deterioration," he said, adding that he has asked the Office of Management and Budget to take a serious look at the facility.
The Rules meeting got under way at 1 p.m., and Sen. Adelbert Bryan took up where he had left off last Thursday as the budget hearing, verbally attacking Post Auditor Terry Drake and challenging bills before the committee, demanding more information.
It was because Bryan attended no Finance Committee budget hearings that he was not as conversant with the bills as other Rules Committee members, Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel pointed out last week. She made the point again Monday as Bryan continued complaining.
Referring to the Finance Committee, Pickard-Samuel said to Bryan, "We put in a lot of work, working long hours and dotting every I. What contribution have you made? Is complaining your only contribution?"
Bryan offered several amendments to the Omnibus Act; the only one which passed would require real estate developers to install and connect the infrastructure for electrical, telephone and cable service, but exempt landowners who subdivide their property to family members.
The senators also added minor upward adjustments in the executive budget to the Public Works and the Property and Procurement Departments.
Dowe, the Rules Committee chair, lauded the voluminous Omnibus bill, saying, "While this document might not be perfect, there are things in there that affect the people that really need it." He added, "There are initiatives for housing, public safety and health. These are provisions that will benefit our hard-working people."
Liburd submitted a 32-page amendment to the Omnibus bill, adding another 30 sections to the bill's original 54. Among them are provisions to:
– Eliminate the original bill's creation of a Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, in favor of establishing an appellate court to be funded by $2 million in excess of $50 million in
the Insurance Guaranty Fund, and $500,000 from the Industrial Development fund.
– Elaborate on the proposed new Department of Youth Affairs, Sports and Recreation, which would put under one umbrella activities now under the Housing Parks and Recreation, Planning and Natural Resources, and Human Services Departments.
– Increase unemployment compensation benefits by $200 a week for four months following enactment of the bill.
– Appropriate some $1.3 million for infrastructure, sports, tourism and other projects and activities.
– Appropriate $5 million from GARVEE (federal grant anticipation revenue) bonds for the Water and Power Authority to build gasoline storage tanks.
– Appropriate $1.5 million from real property taxes to the Public Finance Authority for infrastructure funding, construction of homes and land acquisition in all districts.
Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen's amendment to appropriate $56,224 to the Human Services Department to pay prior years' obligations to O 'Reilly's Plumbing and Construction was passed. It was offered by another committee member in Hansen's absence.
The committee also established a Deficit Reduction Fund to pay a part of retroactive wages owed unionized government employees. It is to be funded by 50 percent of all property taxes derived from the Hovensa coker unit, from federal grants and from 10 percent of all lottery and casino gambling proceeds. The measure allows the Public Finance Authority to utilize money in the fund to finance the issuance of bonds to pay up to 30 percent of the retroactive wages owed.
Left untouched was a section in the Omnibus bill making it illegal for employers to require potential employees to sign an agreement to have labor-management disputes resolved by binding arbitration. Hovensa and one of its subcontractors, Wyatt Inc., now require such a dispute resolution agreement of candidates for employment in positions not governed by union contracts; a District Court ruling rejected V.I. government arguments that requiring such an agreement is illegal.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the full Senate is scheduled to act on the budget bills, then send them to Government House, action that apparently will occur this year well ahead of the end of FY 2002 on Sept. 30.
Rules Committee members attending Monday's meeting were Sens. Bryan, Cole, Dowe, Liburd, Pickard-Samuel and Celestino A. White Sr. Absent were Sens. Alicia Hansen and Norman Jn Baptiste. Also attending was Sen. Emmett Hansen II, who is not a member of the committee.

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Aug. 26, 2002 – The Senate Rules Committee finished its work on the Fiscal Year 2003 budget on Monday, approving the executive branch budget with an addition of $1.3 million for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; passing its own budget; and approving the Omnibus Act of 2003, tacking on another $1.4 in amendments to the already burgeoning $20 million measure.
The extra $1.3 million approved for the office of Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II was almost the entire amount the Finance Committee had taken away earlier this month from the administration's requested funding.
The Rules Committee voted unanimously to reinstate the funds on an amendment by Sens. Donald "Ducks" Cole and Carlton Dowe. The largest part of the increase, $771,076, was earmarked for personnel services, for the hiring of extra staff to collect taxes that James says contribute about $80 million annually to the government coffers.
Noting the Legislature had been overlooked as raises were handed out by the executive branch, Sen. President Almando "Rocky" Liburd recommended a FY 2003 budget of $16.5 million, an increase of $700,000 from this year. Liburd said the "slight increase" will pay Senate staff members who have not had a raise in two years. He praised the staff, saying 85 percent have now been trained in a computer program.
"We have to bring our employees up to the executive branch," Liburd said, adding, "The governor, the lieutenant governor and the senators are the only ones with no raises."
Liburd said some of the funds set aside for capital outlay will go to renovating the Legislature's Post Audit Division offices in the old District Court building. "We may have to move out of the building because of its deterioration," he said, adding that he has asked the Office of Management and Budget to take a serious look at the facility.
The Rules meeting got under way at 1 p.m., and Sen. Adelbert Bryan took up where he had left off last Thursday as the budget hearing, verbally attacking Post Auditor Terry Drake and challenging bills before the committee, demanding more information.
It was because Bryan attended no Finance Committee budget hearings that he was not as conversant with the bills as other Rules Committee members, Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel pointed out last week. She made the point again Monday as Bryan continued complaining.
Referring to the Finance Committee, Pickard-Samuel said to Bryan, "We put in a lot of work, working long hours and dotting every I. What contribution have you made? Is complaining your only contribution?"
Bryan offered several amendments to the Omnibus Act; the only one which passed would require real estate developers to install and connect the infrastructure for electrical, telephone and cable service, but exempt landowners who subdivide their property to family members.
The senators also added minor upward adjustments in the executive budget to the Public Works and the Property and Procurement Departments.
Dowe, the Rules Committee chair, lauded the voluminous Omnibus bill, saying, "While this document might not be perfect, there are things in there that affect the people that really need it." He added, "There are initiatives for housing, public safety and health. These are provisions that will benefit our hard-working people."
Liburd submitted a 32-page amendment to the Omnibus bill, adding another 30 sections to the bill's original 54. Among them are provisions to:
– Eliminate the original bill's creation of a Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, in favor of establishing an appellate court to be funded by $2 million in excess of $50 million in
the Insurance Guaranty Fund, and $500,000 from the Industrial Development fund.
– Elaborate on the proposed new Department of Youth Affairs, Sports and Recreation, which would put under one umbrella activities now under the Housing Parks and Recreation, Planning and Natural Resources, and Human Services Departments.
– Increase unemployment compensation benefits by $200 a week for four months following enactment of the bill.
– Appropriate some $1.3 million for infrastructure, sports, tourism and other projects and activities.
– Appropriate $5 million from GARVEE (federal grant anticipation revenue) bonds for the Water and Power Authority to build gasoline storage tanks.
– Appropriate $1.5 million from real property taxes to the Public Finance Authority for infrastructure funding, construction of homes and land acquisition in all districts.
Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen's amendment to appropriate $56,224 to the Human Services Department to pay prior years' obligations to O 'Reilly's Plumbing and Construction was passed. It was offered by another committee member in Hansen's absence.
The committee also established a Deficit Reduction Fund to pay a part of retroactive wages owed unionized government employees. It is to be funded by 50 percent of all property taxes derived from the Hovensa coker unit, from federal grants and from 10 percent of all lottery and casino gambling proceeds. The measure allows the Public Finance Authority to utilize money in the fund to finance the issuance of bonds to pay up to 30 percent of the retroactive wages owed.
Left untouched was a section in the Omnibus bill making it illegal for employers to require potential employees to sign an agreement to have labor-management disputes resolved by binding arbitration. Hovensa and one of its subcontractors, Wyatt Inc., now require such a dispute resolution agreement of candidates for employment in positions not governed by union contracts; a District Court ruling rejected V.I. government arguments that requiring such an agreement is illegal.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the full Senate is scheduled to act on the budget bills, then send them to Government House, action that apparently will occur this year well ahead of the end of FY 2002 on Sept. 30.
Rules Committee members attending Monday's meeting were Sens. Bryan, Cole, Dowe, Liburd, Pickard-Samuel and Celestino A. White Sr. Absent were Sens. Alicia Hansen and Norman Jn Baptiste. Also attending was Sen. Emmett Hansen II, who is not a member of the committee.

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Aug. 26, 2002 – The V.I. Education Department's Child Nutrition Program will distribute U.S. Agriculture Department commodities on St. Croix Saturday, said Education Department spokeswoman Juel Anderson in a news release.
The items will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Charles H. Emanuel School in Kingshill, Juanita Gardine School in Richmond and Claude O. Markoe School in Mars Hill, Frederiksted.
People should bring strong boxes or bags to hold their commodities.
Eligible persons include Food Stamp recipients, people on medical assistance programs and tenants of subsidized housing. Additionally, people who are not in those programs must have family incomes that do not exceed 185 percent of income eligibility guidelines for 2002/2003.
To meet the income eligibility guidelines, one person can make $16,391 a year. Add $5,698 for each additional person in the family.
People must bring their Food Stamp or medical assistance card. If they are self-certifying, they must bring proof of income.
Ginny Dargan of the Education Department's public information office said that commodity distributions are made several times a year.
According to the Agriculture Department Website, agencies pick what foods they will distribute from a list that includes include fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, meats, dry and canned beans, vegetable shortening and vegetable oils, peanut products, rice, cheese, pasta products, flour, and other grain products.
What's on the list depends on what surplus products are available.
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