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We Have Been Robbed
Dear Source:
The US Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General and the VI Office of the Inspector General has concluded an audit of the V.I. Legislature. Among their many findings, the report states that "cash advances were routinely abused." This is a polite way of stating that the tax payers of the Virgin Islands have been officially robbed.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were reported to have been given out to Senators for trips and other "alleged instances of performing public duties." aka doing research in Denmark and Italy. No receipts were given for expenditures. In the real world of business, if you can't give a receipt for your expenses, you eat them.
And to add insult to injury, many of these trips never even occurred. The report found that several Senators took large amounts of cash, never took any trips and had the funds "stored in off island safety boxes" Several Senators, who have not been officially named, stated they would "pay back the funds, when this was discovered, but they have not." The reports go on to state that contractors were paid and bids accepted with no contracts and checks being issued and that the Legislature was "badly ripped off" as a result.
And, this bears the question, "why aren't these Senators named?" They are public officials and they need to be identified .We need to know names so we don't make the mistake of re-electing any thieves. Cash checks to one Senator totaled over $93,000! One check in the amount of $9050.00 was deposited into a relative’s account. And we wonder why our Legislature costs us over 15 million per year? We wonder why public employees have to take pay cuts to balance the budget. It's insulting and it's criminal.
And to add insult to injury, many of these trips never even occurred. The report found that several Senators took large amounts of cash, never took any trips and had the funds "stored in off island safety boxes" Several Senators, who have not been officially named, stated they would "pay back the funds, when this was discovered, but they have not." The reports go on to state that contractors were paid and bids accepted with no contracts and checks being issued and that the Legislature was "badly ripped off" as a result.
And, this bears the question, "why aren't these Senators named?" They are public officials and they need to be identified .We need to know names so we don't make the mistake of re-electing any thieves. Cash checks to one Senator totaled over $93,000! One check in the amount of $9050.00 was deposited into a relative’s account. And we wonder why our Legislature costs us over 15 million per year? We wonder why public employees have to take pay cuts to balance the budget. It's insulting and it's criminal.
The auditors "recommended" that the Legislature "adopt more stringent and detailed internal controls".
Are they all kidding? The recommendation is allowing the fox to watch the henhouse. This is not abuse of funds, this is theft of funds. Plain and simple, this is stealing the taxpayers, their hard earned money and we aren't going to accept this anymore. The public demands action and we want it fast. We want our money back and we want those that took it prosecuted for taking it.
Now that it has been discovered that we have been robbed, the public is watching very carefully to see who is going to be arrested for these thefts.
Are they all kidding? The recommendation is allowing the fox to watch the henhouse. This is not abuse of funds, this is theft of funds. Plain and simple, this is stealing the taxpayers, their hard earned money and we aren't going to accept this anymore. The public demands action and we want it fast. We want our money back and we want those that took it prosecuted for taking it.
Now that it has been discovered that we have been robbed, the public is watching very carefully to see who is going to be arrested for these thefts.
Maria Ferreras
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Right on, Maria!
Thieves belong in jail not continuing to run our government. Pay Back the money they stole? Give us a break. How likely is that? Put the thieves in jail! They deserve no less.