Feb. 11, 2003 – A second wave of demonstrations protesting the introduction of video lottery gaming to the territory is set for this weekend's Agriculture and Food Fair.
At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the Virgin Islands Action Coalition — an organization that has spearheaded opposition to video lottery terminals on St. Croix — reiterated their resolve to pressure politicians to repeal the law making VLT's legal.
On Saturday, the opening day of the Ag Fair, coalition members will be at the fairgrounds dressed in black to signify their protest of VLT's. They hope they will not be alone
"We're asking the public to show support by wearing some form of black," coalition member Terrence Nelson said.
"Our children's future cannot and should not depend on video lottery terminals," he said. "We find they are dangerous, and we are asking all public, private and corporate citizens to be on top of our government officials."
Senate President David Jones, a St. Croix lawmaker long on record as supporting the introduction of VLT's into the territory, came under fire from VIAC members. "It says something about his character that he wants to depend on something so dangerous to bail out the Virgin Islands," Nelson said. "It shows our youth that it doesn't matter how you get money, as long as you get it."
According to proponents, VLT gambling will bring an estimated $15 million a year into the V.I. economy.
The new law allows video lottery operations only in the St. Thomas-St. John district, while casino gaming is legal only on St. Croix. However, casino interests have squarely opposed their introduction even on the other islands. The developer of St. Croix's planned half-billion-dollar Seven Hills Resort and Casino at Robin Bay has said the existence of VLT's anywhere in the territory could scare off investors.
At least 32 organizations in the territory, most of them on St. Croix but including both Chambers of Commerce, have come out in opposition to the machines. Among their points of argument are that the machines are unregulated and that they will attract few tourist dollars because they may be placed in areas not frequented by visitors.
"VLT's have come to represent a new strategy and tactic by some of our elected leaders to allow Very Lucrative Thiefing," Chenzira Kahina said, reading a statement from Per Ankh Inc., which supports the coalition's efforts. Per Ankh is a spiritual assembly and educational organization that advocates truth, justice, order, balance, harmony and reciprocity.
Kahina said video games do not generate jobs, economic development, educational outreach or real estate taxes for the territory. Rather, she said, "VLTs are a cannibalistic and predatory form of gaming that prey on our community while benefitting only a few individuals who are not genuine members of our local community."
V.I. Action Coalition member Yoki Hanley, who also is a member of the Crucian Coalition, said scores of businesses on St. Thomas have applied for licenses to set up the gambling terminals. About 60 applications have been filed, she said, but some are from establishments seeking multiple machines.
Hope Gibson, who has also been active with the V.I. Action Coalition, said only two St. Croix senators, Raymond "Usie" Richards and Norman Jn Baptiste, have openly taken a stand against VLT's.
"We have no intention of just sitting back and waiting for something to happen," Gibson said.
But in the 25th Legislature, nothing is what has happened since Jan. 22, when Gov. Charles W. Turnbull sent the Senate president a bill repealing the VLT enabling law. Turnbull asked Jones to bring the measure before the Committee of the Whole or assign it to a standing committee; he has done neither. Over the last two years, the governor three times vetoed legislation making VLT's legal. On Dec. 23, the 24th Legislature in its final session overrode the third veto.
On Friday, Turnbull called a special session of the Senate to convene on Wednesday, but he did not include his VLT repeal bill among the items on the agenda. When a special session is convened, it must address only the matters specified in the calling of the session.
"Is the governor a liar?" Gibson asked. "He has told us he would do something about this. If he's concerned about this, he needs to show it."
The V.I. Action Coalition wants Turnbull to call another special session to deal with the video lottery issue. Meanwhile, Attorney General Iver Stridiron has said he will take another route.
Stridiron said last week that he would seek an injunction to halt the operations of Southland Gaming, the mainland company that has a contract with the government to operate VLT's in the territory, and that he would ask the court to determine whether the contract is valid. He said the motion should be filed by Wednesday.
The V.I. Action Coalition is proceeding with its demonstration plans for Saturday at the Agriculture and Food Fair, nonetheless. And on Saturday night, the coalition is hosting a reggae party at the United Caribbean Association building in Frederiksted across from Buddhoe Park. Admission is free, Nelson said.
On Jan. 31, at a rally organized by the coalition at the bandstand in Christiansted, about 300 persons protested the gambling machines.
For more information, call Nelson at 719-1464, Kahina at 772-2220 or Gibson at 773-3673.
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