It was Veterans Day at the Legislature Wednesday. The Committee on Labor and Veterans Affairs favorably reported out bills to create a veterans' multipurpose center, a veterans' cemetery and a veterans' medical clinic, theater, military museum and memorial complex, as well as bills to provide free ambulance services and emergency care to veterans and to extend the number of free classes National Guard members may receive at the University of the Virgin Islands.
Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel, chairwoman of the committee, reminded minority caucus members who questioned the cost of some items that there are 10,000 veterans in the Virgin Islands who have family and friends who "will swing with them especially at election time." Minority senators abstained on several of the measures; all received the support of all majority members of the committee.
The committee held a bill that would extend the minimum wage to tipped workers in small businesses. Currently businesses with gross receipts of less than $150,000 are exempt from paying tipped employees the regular minimum wage. Prime sponsor of the bill, Sen. Celestino A. White Sr., said he will meet with representatives of the Hotel and Restaurant Association to get their input on the measure.
In other action, the committee approved a bill that would require the government to use all revenues (primarily income taxes) collected by the Internal Revenue Bureau this year that are in excess of amounts collected in fiscal year 2000 to give government workers' their step increases. Although he is not a member of the committee, Sen. Carlton Dowe offered an amendment to the bill to add to the pot 50 percent of delinquent property tax collections.
Majority Sens. White, Norman Jn Baptiste, Donald "Ducks" Cole and Samuel voted for the bill; minority Sens. Lorraine Berry, Vargrave Richards and Douglas Canton Jr. abstained.
"Who would be against money for the workers?" Richards asked. But, he added, "is it realistic?"
Berry argued that the committee should hear from the government's financial officers to see whether there really will be any money available.
But White said personal appearances weren't necessary since "documents are here. The statements are here."
Referring to some of those documents and statements, Dowe said that Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull testified in budget hearings that property tax collections were up in 2000 by 18 percent over 1999 collections and that there is $67 million outstanding. Moreover, Inspector General Steven van Beverhoudt wrote in an audit that when taxpayers' property was put up for sale to cover delinquent property taxes, 71.6 percent of them came up with the overdue taxes.
Samuel offered a bill to transfer the former Virgin Isle Hotel to the Office of Veterans Affairs for use as a veterans multi-purpose center, including medical and rehabilitation services and a convalescent home. It also authorizes the governor to make a land swap or use the right of eminent domain to take 10 acres of land for use as a veterans' cemetery. It makes two $500,000 appropriations from interest on government bond revenues, one for each project.
Minority bloc senators joined majority senators in unanimous approval of a bill to establish a Military Museum and Veterans Memorial Complex. Jn Baptiste, a primary sponsor, said "we have investors waiting to assist us" in the project. He said the complex would not only honor veterans, it would also be a tourist attraction.
The bill requires the government to donate land for the complex from any of seven sites: Estate Old Bethlehem Works, Estate Negro Bay, Estate Downings, Estate Body Slob, Estate Barren Spot, Estate Concordia and Estate Diamond. It also sets up a nonprofit corporation to run the facility.
Funding for the project is to come from corporate donations, private and personal donations, federal grants, federal turnkey programs and appropriations by the Legislature.
