Counseling for veterans has been scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the Veterans Affairs Office at #2C Contant on St. Thomas.
Counselor Valentina Rodriguez will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 774-6100.

I congratulate our Virgin Islands Democratic Party officials – Attorney Derek Hodge, national committeeman; Attorney Arturo Watlington, state chairman; and Terrance Joseph, St. Croix District chairman — on the election results: Five candidates elected on St. Croix and two on St. Thomas, and a delegate to Congress as well. Whatever your plan and platform were, it counteracted the individual campaigns of candidates who were pitted against each other in the present election system.
This is the opportunity for seven Democrats to work together on one platform, designed to assist a Democratic governor to raise the Virgin Islands out of the depths of economic distress. The alternative is not pleasant to imagine. The Democrats elected are more business-friendly and better prepared and supported by a larger body of the electorate than any of the other elected individuals or parties.
The objectives of any legislative organization in the V.I. must be very clear now. The economy must be radically improved and revenues to the government must be increased, while government is downsized and expenditures are cut to provide the necessities.
If the Democrats do not or cannot organize the legislature, we are left to waffle and grope as eight or more independents with eight or more individual plans for survival bash prospective investors, abuse institutions of government, insult fellow U.S. citizens, and attack and fight each other, as they have done in the past.
The time is now to enact "numbered seats." Political organizations and other organized voter groups need to be strengthened, and now is a good time. Independents, accountable to no one, cannot be permitted to continue to ruin our economy, our institutions and our government.

Editor's note: Arnold M. Golden is a veteran Democratic Party political leader on St. Croix.

Counseling sessions for veterans have been scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, NOv. 30, at the Veterans Affairs Office in Estate Richmond, Christiansted.
Counselor Valentina Rodriguez will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 773-6663.

Financial officers had no good news Tuesday for lawmakers trying to balance a 2001 budget. The executive branch revenue projections have dropped $15 million since Gov. Charles W. Turnbull submitted his $429.6 million budget proposal in July, leaving the budget at least that far out of whack.
The official revenue projection for 2001 now stands at $414.6 million, and expenditures at $429.6 million.
The biggest single factor in the drop was the Legislature's rejection of the administration's proposal to temporarily increase the gross receipts tax from 4 percent to 5 percent. Budget Director Ira Mills told the Senate Finance Committee that the administration had been counting on $111 million in gross receipts taxes. It has revised that figure to just $93 million.
Slight increases were made in some categories: individual income taxes from $205.2 million to $207 million; and trade and excise taxes from $18 million to $19 million. But it was not enough to offset decreases in others, including a drop in franchise tax projections from $10 million to $6.2 million.
Senators voiced concerns that revenues will drop even further in the near future.
One worry is the pending District Court case that Gary Berne filed over how his St. Thomas commercial property has been assessed. Tax Assessor Roy Martin and Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull said they believe that a ruling against the government could directly or indirectly apply to all property—commercial and residential—throughout the territory, and substantially lower the amount of property tax collected. Neither would cite a dollar estimate.
Another consideration is the loss of the Foreign Sales Corporation industry. Mills said estimates of the revenue loss range from $7 million to $10 million but that it will not effect 2001 revenues.
Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Berry said the 2001 budget is now $29.7 million under year 2000 expenditures and said the Legislature will be trying to bridge the gap.
"We are bringing cuts," she said.
Mills said the administration cut spending for departments by at least five percent "in the first go-round" on the proposed budget and then another 3 percent to 6 percent.
Berry also said majority senators have been caucusing, trying to reach consensus on revenue measures. The process is difficult, she said. Nevertheless she predicted her committee will finish with the budget by Friday or Monday at the latest.
Meanwhile, Mills told the committee that the administration wants to reestablish the tax study commission to look into revisions of the tax code.
He also provided them with a written opinion from Attorney General Iver Stridiron that it is impossible for the administration to comply with the balanced budget act that the Legislature passed last year.
Stridiron said the law requires the governor to certify the average of the prior two fiscal years' revenues for the purpose of determining the total appropriations permitted in the upcoming fiscal year budget. The task is impossible because the data is not available before the legally required deadline for the submission of the coming year's budget, May 30.

Financial adviser Rudolph Krigger Sr. will retire from public service at the end of the year, according to a statement Tuesday from Government House.
Krigger, assistant to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull for fiscal policy and economic affairs, submitted his resignation in October to be effective Nov. 17. But Turnbull asked him to stay on the job until Dec. 31 to complete certain projects, the statement said.
Turnbull said that Krigger "agreed to assist me at the start of the administration during a very difficult financial period for the territory. He made it clear that he never intended to stay for the entire period of the administration."
Krigger has worked in government for nearly three decades and has served as executive assistant and director of banking and insurance, chief of staff of the V.I. National Guard, and Finance commissioner.
Krigger's resignation, and his replacement by St. Thomas businessman Kent Bernier, has been rumored for weeks but government officials have been mum about it.
Tuesday's statement did not indicate whether Krigger will continue working for government in any capacity after Dec. 31.

Government financial advisor Rudolph Krigger Sr. will retire from public service at the end of the year, according to a statement Tuesday from Government House.
Krigger, assistant to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull for fiscal policy and economic affairs, submitted his resignation in October to be effective Nov. 17. But Turnbull asked him to stay on the job until Dec. 31 to complete certain projects, the statement said.
Turnbull said that Krigger "agreed to assist me at the start of the administration during a very difficult financial period for the territory. He made it clear that he never intended to stay for the entire period of the administration."
Krigger has worked in government for nearly three decades and has served as executive assistant and director of banking and insurance, chief of staff of the V.I. National Guard, and Finance commissioner.

I congratulate our Virgin Islands Democratic Party officials – Attorney Derek Hodge, national committeeman; Attorney Arturo Watlington, state chairman; and Terrance Joseph, St. Croix District chairman — on the election results: Five candidates elected on St. Croix and two on St. Thomas, and a delegate to Congress as well. Whatever your plan and platform were, it counteracted the individual campaigns of candidates who were pitted against each other in the present election system.
This is the opportunity for seven Democrats to work together on one platform, designed to assist a Democratic governor to raise the Virgin Islands out of the depths of economic distress. The alternative is not pleasant to imagine. The Democrats elected are more business-friendly and better prepared and supported by a larger body of the electorate than any of the other elected individuals or parties.
The objectives of any legislative organization in the V.I. must be very clear now. The economy must be radically improved and revenues to the government must be increased, while government is downsized and expenditures are cut to provide the necessities.
If the Democrats do not or cannot organize the legislature, we are left to waffle and grope as eight or more independents with eight or more individual plans for survival bash prospective investors, abuse institutions of government, insult fellow U.S. citizens, and attack and fight each other, as they have done in the past.
The time is now to enact "numbered seats." Political organizations and other organized voter groups need to be strengthened, and now is a good time. Independents, accountable to no one, cannot be permitted to continue to ruin our economy, our institutions and our government.

Editor's note: Arnold M. Golden is a veteran Democratic Party political leader on St. Croix.

Government financial advisor Rudolph Krigger Sr. will retire from public service at the end of the year, according to a statement Tuesday from Government House.
Krigger, assistant to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull for fiscal policy and economic affairs, submitted his resignation in October to be effective Nov. 17. But Turnbull asked him to stay on the job until Dec. 31 to complete certain projects, the statement said.
Turnbull said that Krigger "agreed to assist me at the start of the administration during a very difficult financial period for the territory. He made it clear that he never intended to stay for the entire period of the administration."
Krigger has worked in government for nearly three decades and has served as executive assistant and director of banking and insurance, chief of staff of the V.I. National Guard, and Finance commissioner.

Counseling sessions for veterans have been scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Veterans Affairs Office in Estate Richmond, Christiansted.
Counselor Valintina Rodriguez will answer questions on benefits, claims, pensions and compensation.
For more information call 773-6663.

Financial officers had no good news Tuesday for lawmakers trying to balance a 2001 budget. The executive branch revenue projections have dropped $15 million since Gov. Charles W. Turnbull submitted his $429.6 million budget proposal in July, leaving the budget at least that far out of whack.
The official revenue projection for 2001 now stands at $414.6 million, and expenditures at $429.6 million.
The biggest single factor in the drop was the Legislature's rejection of the administration's proposal to temporarily increase the gross receipts tax from 4 percent to 5 percent. Budget Director Ira Mills told the Senate Finance Committee that the administration had been counting on $111 million in gross receipts taxes. It has revised that figure to just $93 million.
Slight increases were made in some categories: individual income taxes from $205.2 million to $207 million; and trade and excise taxes from $18 million to $19 million. But it was not enough to offset decreases in others, including a drop in franchise tax projections from $10 million to $6.2 million.
Senators voiced concerns that revenues will drop even further in the near future.
One worry is the pending District Court case that Gary Berne filed over how his St. Thomas commercial property has been assessed. Tax Assessor Roy Martin and Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull said they believe that a ruling against the government could directly or indirectly apply to all property—commercial and residential—throughout the territory, and substantially lower the amount of property tax collected. Neither would cite a dollar estimate.
Another consideration is the loss of the Foreign Sales Corporation industry. Mills said estimates of the revenue loss range from $7 million to $10 million but that it will not effect 2001 revenues.
Committee Chairwoman Lorraine Berry said the 2001 budget is now $29.7 million under year 2000 expenditures and said the Legislature will be trying to bridge the gap.
"We are bringing cuts," she said.
Mills said the administration cut spending for departments by at least five percent "in the first go-round" on the proposed budget and then another 3 percent to 6 percent.
Berry also said majority senators have been caucusing, trying to reach consensus on revenue measures. The process is difficult, she said. Nevertheless she predicted her committee will finish with the budget by Friday or Monday at the latest.
Meanwhile, Mills told the committee that the administration wants to reestablish the tax study commission to look into revisions of the tax code.
He also provided them with a written opinion from Attorney General Iver Stridiron that it is impossible for the administration to comply with the balanced budget act that the Legislature passed last year.
Stridiron said the law requires the governor to certify the average of the prior two fiscal years' revenues for the purpose of determining the total appropriations permitted in the upcoming fiscal year budget. The task is impossible because the data is not available before the legally required deadline for the submission of the coming year's budget, May 30.