In a passionate speech extolling the virtues of the Virgin Islands, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas Anthony Babauta promised to work towards improving the quality of island life. Babauta, in his first official visit to the territory in his current capacity, addressed the Senate Committee of the Whole Thursday morning.
Born and raised in Guam, a Pacific island and a U.S. territory, Babauta is all too familiar with the benefits and challenges that encompass island living. He spoke of the blessing of growing up in a small island community where you know everyone and everyone knows you. “However,” said Babauta, “the easy familiarity we have with one another lends to feelings that everything should be plain and simple and that there are easy fixes for many of the problems which confront our islands – struggling education and health care systems, the high cost of living, bumpy roads or safe neighborhoods.” He stressed the need for everyone—not just political leaders—to work together for solutions to our problems.
One of those problems, the need for securing clean, dependable and affordable energy for the Virgin Islands and the nation’s insular areas, is on the forefront of his office’s agenda. Insular Affairs, along with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is embarking on the Energy Development in Island Nations project, also known as EDIN. The Virgin Islands was singled out for the pilot project, funded by $31 million in federal stimulus money, which will eventually deliver utility-scale wind power to WAPA.
After Babauta’s remarks, V.I. senators were eager to discuss a number of issues, including rum revenues and the concern that the dollar amount received by the territory may be reduced. Taking notes as he conversed with senators, Babauta said he had no plans to advocate for lower rum tax revenues.
Senators also pressed Babauta on the territory’s right to receive tax revenues on gasoline produced at Hovensa and exported from the territory. While Babauta stated he was not familiar with the specifics of the gasoline tax, he promised to work with the territory on that particular issue. Sen. Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly suggested that we should also be receiving revenues from the exportation of petroleum coke, a by-product of the gasoline-refining process, also produced at Hovensa.
Another bone of contention with senators was with the National Park Service, namely the government land deal that gave the park service property in Estate La Grange on St. Croix in exchange for land in Estate Catherineberg on St. John for a much-needed school. Likening it to colonialism, Sen. Neville James said, “I find it unacceptable that we had to swap land in order to construct an educational facility.”
O’Reilly then implored Babauta to look into the housing communities currently controlled by the federal government, describing abandoned buildings that stand empty and deteriorated and deplorable conditions at Whim Gardens for the Elderly on St. Croix.
Babauta declared that his tenure in office will be devoted to service of the Virgin Islands, stating, “We can make the change, and it can be done on our watch.”
Babauta will be in the territory until Nov. 23 and will spend time on all three islands.
