“Business as usual” must NOT be the motto of the current government of the U.S. Virgin Islands!
This territory has received enough Federal funds to have created a self-sustaining, self-governing entity by now. Alas! There are so many failing facets to the infrastructure of the islands that one wonders why anyone would want to live here, if they compare what exists in other Virgin Islands or other small islands, such as the following:
· Effective drainage of rainwater to prevent, nullify or lessen
o the threat of dangerous (and sometimes deadly) flooding during hurricane season
o the corrosion of public roads – current repairs are cosmetic, thus newly paved roads last no more than a month [St. Croix’s Hannah’s Rest road lasted a week.]
· Limitation of the number of motor vehicles imported to the island to
o prevent and lessen auto accidents
o prevent and lessen illegal import of guns and drugs
· Creation of an effective method of disposing of derelict motor vehicles – a scrap metal industry could be created by the collection of all the derelict motor vehicles on the island [A current total estimation is approximately 50,000 derelict cars throughout the island.]
· Speedy repair and revitalization of island schools – Current USVI public schools have no or limited air conditioning, which not only cools the classrooms making learning less stressful, but also keeps the air circulating and not stagnant. There are often water safety issues, as lead, mold, mildew and other contaminants cause schools to close because drinking water is unsafe.
· Strict utility regulation – the current electric and potable water company, WAPA, has a terrible reputation in the community, as being a “greedy, unscrupulous money gouger,” by overcharging and either mis-reading meters or estimating on the high side. Everyone on the island is affected, but especially hard-hit are the poor, the elderly, and the disabled.
· Maintaining a high literacy environment – why have the libraries on St. Croix been closed for so long?! The library is the center of learning for most individuals. It is the place for research, for community outreach, for continuing the human skill of reading. The internet and the cell phone do not provide a quiet, dedicated space for learning and studying. Every psychologist knows that each human activity must have a specific place for that activity in order to achieve maximum success. The kitchen is for cooking. The dining room is for eating. The bedroom is for sleeping. The living room is for getting together in a family activity or greeting and entertaining guests. The school room is for learning. The LIBRARY is for studying, mentally organizing facts and committing those facts to memory.
· Provide adequate sidewalks throughout the island – the disabled have been crying out for this for years. But, you senators continue to ignore that walking is the only means of transportation for many of the island residents. [As I often walk along Centerline, I am frightened that I may stumble against the stones, broken fragments of tree roots, and unforeseen holes in the ground – and fall into the road, in the path of a speeding car!]
· Provide alternative transportation to the public – In St. Croix,
o the Taxi Union has made it clear that they don’t want competition from franchises such as Uber, Lyft and our home-grown “Uba”. However, they are not always available when pedestrians need transportation and, most importantly, they can be very costly.
o The public bus system VITRAN runs at very inconvenient intervals, and does not operate past a certain hour in the evening or on Sundays. This being mostly a church-going community, many non-mobile persons want to attend Sunday church service, but must rely on those persons with motor vehicles to assist them in getting to church. [If there were better and more available public transportation, there might not be such a need for so many cars. This island might truly be a “quaint paradise,” as some guidebooks like to print.]
· Excellent medical care – People have a right to good medical care. The US Virgin Islands are not known for good medical care, not to mention “excellent” medical care. Recruitment of skilled medical personnel has been easy when they are presented with competitive salaries and living in beautiful warm surroundings. However, when these skilled medical personnel come up against antiquated hospital equipment, antiquated thinking about medical care, procrastination, and bureaucratic arrogance, THESE DOCTORS, NURSES AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS LEAVE THE ISLANDS! If any stay on the islands, there is often the development of private practice. However, there is still the need for a hospital with modern equipment and modern technology.
· Payment to those agencies that provide free medical care and free food to the elderly, the indigent and the disabled – Recently, MAP has been denied by healthcare providers because those healthcare providers are not being paid for their services. What is happening?
There are many more issues of concern for the progress of these islands, especially after the results of the recent U.S. Presidential election. This letter has only touched on a few that have been ignored or not acted upon with urgency by previous senators. Our Congressional representative, Stacey Plaskett, has done well in getting Congress to fund our needs on these islands. But what have we done with these funds?
If there are not enough skilled laborers to (for example) repair the roads, we need to educate our young people so that there is a workforce existing on the island. Why did so many people rely totally on the oil refinery industry for revenue? Fast money did not compensate those persons affected by the environmental hazards created by the refinement of oil on our little island of St. Croix. Some of those persons have succumbed to cancer, heart and liver ailments, lung disease. Others are still struggling with health challenges.
Also, when our young people go away to learn new ways of doing things and they come back to their home of the Virgin Islands to share that knowledge either in teaching or economics or technology or engineering, they should be greeted with open arms, not pushed away by pompous older heads who operate on what used to be.
Lastly, why are there seven senators for one small island? In 2019, there was a referendum to reduce the number of senators. The referendum was quietly swept under the rug, and not many citizens knew about that voting opportunity. If there are effective senatorial committees, such as the Ways and Means committee and the Oversight and Accountability Committee, then these committees should make sure of the senators’ effectiveness. The citizens of St. Croix island have not seen the justification for seven senators, as evidenced by the number of write-ins in this last election.
If you are still reading this letter, I thank you for your attentiveness. But, I urge you to consider – when you cash your next large paycheck – if you have truly earned that paycheck, if you have really taken care and are taking good care of your constituents who put you in office.
Yours sincerely,
Philippa Smith-Tyler
4224 Sunny Isle Senior Housing
Christiansted, VI 00820
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this opinion article do not necessarily represent the management, staff and employees of the Virgin Islands Free Press and are the sole expressed opinions of the writer. Letters To The Editor submissions can be made to: uberman63@gmail.com .