June 16, 2001 – Still smarting from events earlier in the day, the 24th Legislature's six minority members explained at a hastily called press conference late Friday afternoon why they had walked out of a Senate special session just hours before.
Their exit en masse occurred after the majority bloc dismissed administration officials who had come to the Legislature on St. Thomas to testify on Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's bill to use a projected $100 million windfall in tax revenues to give government workers and elegible retirees salary step increases.
In an earlier letter to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd, the governor had said his financial officials "stand ready" to provide information to the Legislature concerning the bill.
Minority leader David Jones made a motion Friday for the Senate to go into Committee of the Whole to hear testimony from the financial officials. When the motion was defeated, the six senators walked out. The sole unaligned senator, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, left shortly afterward.
"We are supposed to be responsible," Sen. Emmett Hansen II said at the press conference several hours later. "We are the financial conscience of the government. We are not here to give out cotton candy to please people." He repeated his comment earlier in the day that he wasn't going to sit by and "rubber stamp" legislation which he hadn't had time to examine.
Jones said, "The majority's continuous disregard of the minority is an example of tyranny, and the governor's action is unprecedented." He was referring to Turnbull having called the majority senators into a closed meeting prior to his Monday press conference to announce the windfall and step-increase plans.
All six minority senators agreed that previous governors — including Turnbull's immediate predecessor, Roy Schneider, who had a turbulent relationship with the Legislature — invariably met with all 15 senators, inviting their input, on bills submitted by the administration.
David called the majority's action Friday an "abuse of power." Sen. Douglas Canton wondered if the governor is "taking his marching orders from the majority."
The issue was raised as to what the governor's agenda is. "This shotgun wedding between the majority caucus and the governor is heading for divorce," Jones said. Turnbull, like all of the minority bloc senators, is a member of the Democratic Party.
But the main thing on the minority minds Friday was the money: Where has the $100 million come from, or is it expected to come from? Is it a recurring source of revenue? And how, precisely, is it to be spent?
Sen. Lorraine Berry, now in her 10th term, said she had never before seen a bill passed in special session without testimony having been taken first. And she has never before missed a roll call vote.
She and her colleagues laughed derisively at the majority's claim to credit for the projected windfall from the Internal Revenue Bureau. The reason the majority didn't want the administration officials to testify, they said, is that the testimony would show that the money has come into the government coffers as a result of legislation enacted by the 23rd Legislature.
Berry, Jones, Roosevelt David and Vargrave Richards approved several measures in the 23rd Legislature — notably Industrial Development Commission reform and the Financial Accountability Act — which have led to increased tax collections now becoming evident, they said. The 23rd Legislature's Finance Committee, which Berry chaired and on which Jones and David served, also appropriated an extra $2 million to IRB to beef up revenue collections.
"They didn't want the public to know where the revenues came from," Berry said. "They have violated the legislative process. It was a travesty."
The minority senators recalled the comment made by majority leader Celestino A. White Sr. in the opening session of the 24th Legislature that the majority had the "right to be wrong" and "we made a rule to waive the rules."
The minority lawmakers said they were pleased that government employees would be put on step. But, Richards asked, "Will the raises be sustained? Will there be recurring funds?" He called dismissing the administration financial officials without taking their testimony "the height of nonsense."
Louis Willis, IRB director, would not confirm a recurring source of such funds. He indicated to the Source earlier in the day that it will depend on whether taxpayers opt to remain in the territory. "Americans have jurisdictions; they can move anywhere — another territory like Guam, or the mainland," he said. "If we are not business friendly, if we don't keep down crime or give public assistance, they could move away." However, he added, "As long as these things are in place, the majority [of taxpayers] should stay here."
Willis also would not comment on who, if anyone, had told him to leave the session before testifying earlier in the day.
Canton, a freshman senator who chairs the Health and Hospitals Committee, expressed concerns about health insurance issues addressed in the governor's bill. He also wondered how the raises would affect nurses and other hospital personnel, since the hospitals are now operated as a quasi-governmental agency..
Hansen, also a first-year lawmaker, noted that the Government Employees Retirement System has a court case pending against the government. "How is that going to affect the retirees?" he asked.
The minority also wondered how the bill will affect exempt and classified employees, and which unionized workers are to be paid in what order.
Jones posed the question of how President Bush's recent federal tax cuts will impact on the IRB, which under the territory's mirror tax system apparently will be obligated to pay out multimillions of dollars in refunds later this year. He also asked, "How about what the government owes" to the Water and Power Authority? "What about the Anguilla landfill … which will close the airport if it isn't fixed?"
In hopes of getting some answers to any and all of their questions, the minority senators said, they will be writing to the governor.

Rotary East will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, at the Ritz-Carlton Resort.
Guest speaker David Edgecombe, Reichhold Center Director, will discuss the upcoming season.

Rotary East will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at the Ritz-Carlton Resort for their end-of-the-year banquet and presentations. All fellow Rotarians are invited.

June 16, 2001 — Rotary East will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton Resort.
Guest speaker David Edgecombe, director of the Reichhold Center, will discuss the upcoming season.

June 16, 2001 — Rotary East will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at the Ritz-Carlton Resort for their end-of-the-year banquet and presentations.
All fellow Rotarians are invited.

Eduardo Marrero, known to his friends as "Goldo," of D. Hamilton Jackson Terrace, died Tuesday, June 12 at Juan F. Luis Hospital. He was 28.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. A viewing will begin at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
He is survived by his fiancé, Julia Browne; mother, Aracelis Bennett; father, Luis F. Marrero; grandparents, Aida Ayala, Pedro Bennett, and Petra Marrero; daughters, Kyleah and Saieda Marrero; step-son, Michael Kelly; sisters, Michelle Encarnacion and Myra Padro; brothers, Wilfredo Valentine, Anthony and Luis Marrero Jr., and Charles Velasquez; nieces, Antenique and Antonisha Marrero and Ninoshka Santiago; nephews, Anthony Marrero Jr. and Robert Santiago; aunts, Elizabeth Bennett, Nilsa Marrero, Naida Marrero, Nerry Priecpe, and Juanita Encarnacion; uncles, Roberto, Carmelo, and Rey Bennett, Luis Perez, Junie Marrero, Jose Figueroa, and Inrique Malta; cousins, Papito Marrero, Aida and Jahida Rodriquez, Regito and Regie Bennett, Eduardo and Roberto Bennett, and Marcus Bennett.
He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Delacy Browne; sisters-in-law, Glynnis Browne, Bridgette Kelly, Nelarie Tabb, and Ursula Knowles; brother-in-law, Trevor Browne; special friends, Teeks, Mark Edwards, K-John, Bobby, Shawn-Shawn, Keno, Olo, Crabie, Tony, Lee, Soundboy, Mario, Troyo, Bobo, Kim Smith, Kema, Shakuma Iles, Mauren Branch, Negra, Angel, Glenda Felix, Susy and family, Shaldon, Eric and Dean; and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of James Memorial Funeral Home.

June 15, 2001 – In a special session on Friday called by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, the Senate majority approved his bill to appropriate $100 million to pay salary step increases to government workers and eligible retirees.
Over the objections of the non-majority senators, the vote came without a hearing on the bill or any other public opportunity for legislators to put questions to administration officials concerning any aspect of it.
Turnbull had met with majority senators prior to calling a press conference on Monday to announce a $100 million tax windfall and his plans to spend it for step increases. Minority and independent lawmakers, however, got no opportunity to ask questions, let alone get answers to them, about the distribution of the step money or any other aspect of the governor's plan.
Sen. Lorraine L. Berry, who has the longest tenure of any current legislator, said afterward that never before in her experience had the Senate passed a bill in a special session without having taken any testimony concerning it.
After starting about 45 minutes late Friday, Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd called a recess shortly into the session. During the recess, most of the majority senators left the chamber.
Several administration financial officers who had been in the chamber also exited during the recess. Some stated afterward that they had been told they were not needed to testify and could leave. No one could say later who gave out that information, and no one in the Senate would take responsibility for having done so.
As Senate staff were carrying out the stack of chairs for the witnesses which they had brought in moments earlier, Sen. Emmett Hansen II demanded of Sen. Carlton Dowe across the room, "Where's the governor's people, dem?" Dowe held up his hands indicating he didn't know. Sen. Roosevelt David called the action "very disrespectful."
When the session resumed about 15 minutes later with all senators back on the floor, Sen. David Jones made a motion to go into Committee of the Whole so the body could take testimony from witnesses. The motion failed along majority/minority lines.
Hansen than told Liburd: "This is the height of irresponsibility without the governor's financial people here to answer questions. They were here; this is totally and completely irresponsible." Hansen and the other minority senators then walked out.
The sole non-aligned senator, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, then accused the majority of running a kangaroo court. But, in a moment of levity, he added, "I'm happy to see you're supporting my bill. You're running the Legislature with not even nine — with eight." After that reference to his far-from popular bill to reduce the size of the Senate from 15 to nine members, Donastorg, too, walked out.
Liburd told his remaining majority colleagues: "Too often propaganda is spread, and that's what you just heard. Motions fail and motions pass. They just picked up their marbles and left. We are here on behalf of the people's business, not self-interest."
At his press conference Monday, Turnbull announced a financial windfall of money from the Internal Revenue Bureau. He said the money had been collected from taxpayers in the top personal income bracket who had been attracted to the territory by the Economic Development Commission (formerly the Industrial Development Commission).
While the governor met with the majority bloc before the press conference, minority senators protested that they had no chance to study the measure. Some said on Friday that they still had not even seen the bill before the special session, and they had questions for the governor's financial team. As soon as the session was over, the minority senators announced they would hold a press conference later in the afternoon.
Along with putting government employees on step beginning Oct. 1, the bill passed Friday provides incentives to unions to waive any retroactive money owed and/or certain rights.
It also calls for allocating:
– $2.3 million to the Public Works Department for a summer school repair and maintenance program.
– $390,000 to Public Works for V.I. Carnival cleanup.
– $13.6 million for increased health insurance premiums and a deficit in the pharmaceutical plan.
– $350,000 for a court-mandated master and special master to review property tax bills, and to fund the Foreign Sales Corporation Task Force.
– $400,000 for books and supplies for the summer enrichment program and the coming school year.
The bill also provides money for "other purposes." Those undefined "purposes" grew steadily throughout the afternoon as senators piled one amendment atop another.
Sen. Adelbert Bryan once again made one appropriating an extra $1.5 million for the Legislature, and topped it with another for $500,000 to repair the District Court building which houses the Senate post audit division. The governor had vetoed the budget increase earlier this year, telling the senators they already had "sufficient" funds.
Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole offered an amendment to an amendment requiring the IRB to provide the Legislature an itemized accounting after the expenditure of every $2.5 million.
The flurry of amendments also would:
– Authorize the governor to reopen negotiations with the American Federation of Teachers locals to increase entry-level salaries of public school teachers.
– Appropriate $500,000 to the Education Department for teacher training and recruitment.
– Appropriate $9 million to the IRB for revenue collection improvement, staff training and contracted work to improve processing.
– Appropriate $1.2 million for parking facilities in Cruz Bay, St. John.
– Appropriate $50,000 to Public Works for St. John Festival cleanup.
– Provide $210,591 from the Homestead and Home Loan Fund as a 10 percent match to the $2.1 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation for infrastructure of the Castle Burke development on St. Croix.
– Require the Health Insurance Board to submit at least three bids to the governor with recommendations no later than 180 days before an existing contract expires.
– Require government salary increases to be paid no later than Oct. 18, and retirees' annuities to be paid no later than Aug. 31.
Voting for the bill and amendments were the majority bloc — Sens. Liburd, Dowe, Bryan, Cole, Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, Norman Jn. Baptiste, Norma Pickard-Samuel and Celestino White.
According to Sen. Douglas Canton, who cited an opinion from the Legislature legal counsel, the V.I. Code mandates that only germane amendments applying specifically to the legislation at hand may be made in a special session of the Legislature.

June 15 — The St. John Property Tax Office has temporarily changed it's operating schedule due to staffing problems in St. Thomas. The tax office will discontinue its normal five day work week and be closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays until further notice.
A press release from the Lt. Governor's office stated the St. John office will close three days a week to allow the one St. John employee to work in the St. Thomas tax office.
Normal operating hours in St. John will be 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday.

June 15, 2001 – No matter what your race, physical appearance, sexual orientation or other characteristics may be, you have stories that define you as an individual. But they may or may not be heard by the mainstream media.
That was part of the message syndicated newspaper columnist Leonard Pitts brought to about 20 news media professionals at Chickie's Place on St. Thomas Friday as he talked about creating a more diverse environment in the media. His appearance also was telecast live to journalists gathered at WSVI/Channel 8 on St. Croix.
Pitts said the media are "gatekeepers" who in part determine which stories are heard and what aspects of a community are covered.
The media need to improve diversity by opening their doors to people of all shapes and sizes in an effort to reflect the communities they represent and tell the stories of all who live there, he said.
"We are the ones who put skin on stereotypes and faces on fears," Pitts said. "Our job is to introduce America to itself."
Lack of minority news media personnel has long been an issue. Pitts said the way to change that is by reaching out to minorities — advertising in publications they read, recruiting at colleges and schools they attend, encouraging them to pursue careers in journalism.
"If you want folks, you have to go where they are," Pitts said.
Additionally, he said, editors and upper-management executives need a better understanding of how to utilize the minority journalists they have already hired.
Editors too often restrict minority reporters to covering minority issues, he said, despite interests and expertise the writers may have in other areas.
As an example, Pitts pointed to his interest at The Miami Herald in covering stories about the Titanic after the hit movie about the ship's sinking came out in 1999.
He said he told his editors: "I know there were no black people on the Titanic, but think of me when you assign those stories"
Pitts said the news media can play a role in dispelling people's stereotypes about cultures or individuals they know little about, or they can be a force in creating them.
Even "if the stereotype is meant to be a compliment, it is still a stereotype," he said. "It is still a noose around the neck of someone's individuality."
Locally, he suggested, the news media could encourage young people to pursue journalism careers by going into the schools and talking to them about the field. Recalling that he had known young writers who wanted to be poets, he said he told them:
"The only poet making money" is Maya Angelou, "and she's a professor."
Pitts was visiting the Virgin Islands to speak about fatherhood as part of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Fatherhood Collaborative and to talk about his book "Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood."
The luncheon event was sponsored by the Virgin Islands News Association, a recently formed group of professionals in the print and electronic news media and related fields.
The goals of the association are to encourage ethical standards among journalists and media organizations in the territory, ensure freedom of information from public officials and oppose all actions that infringe on such freedom. The association also is committed to encouraging young Virgin Islanders to pursue careers in the news media.

June 15, 2001 – St. John Festival kicks into high gear this weekend, with nightly events to get residents and visitors into the spirit of "Heritage, Culture and Fun for Festival 2001."
Winston Wells Ball Park is the place to be for all three attractions — Salsa Night at 8 p.m. Friday, the annual Calypso Show at 8 p.m. Saturday and the Princess Show at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
And the pace picks up after that, with more and more to see and do as the full-to-overflowing festival schedule moves toward the Fourth of July finale.
To help St. John Source readers keep track of what's happening when and where (and whether it's paid admission or free), we've posted the complete Festival 2001 schedule on our Things to do page. We'll be updating the article as new information becomes available, so you can refer back to it as often as you like.
If you have further festival details, or updates to what we've posted there, please e-mail them to source@viaccess.net, or fax them to 777-8136.