Dear Source,
The vote by eight Senators to give away 30 years of tax revenue show their lack of understanding of numbers and political reality. This purported quick fix of back wages owed government workers is not responsible nor vote getting. REMEMBER why Gov. Schneider was not reelected.
The juggling with funds and the false blame for our debt and the accusations of arrogance was not nearly the reason. Everyone saw an improvement of services, of road maintenance and noted storm guts cleaned for the first time since Governor King. He was a decent Governor.
He was not reelected because of giving tax break to Jeffery Prosser who used THE PEOPLE'S MONEY to buy newspapers and cable-television and to finance an attack on AT&T that is not in our community's interest.
I doubt if even St. Croix will reelect a single member of the
eight who voted in favor of this "deal" to the Senate -unless the Governor vetos this measure and it fades in memory. I know Rudolph Krigger and Juel Malloy are strong enough to counsel the Governor from repeating Schneider's fatal error. I hope so.
Gov. King reduced the Government from nearly 15,000 persons to
less than 10,000. Juan Luis, in order to be elected and re-elected, offered increases in salary, an early retirement program (with continuing obligations on our treasury) while replacing all retired with new personnel and by expanding the number of employees. It did not work.
Salary increases are possible only by reducing numbers of workers.
Bond issues to the tune of 700 million hid the problem and even then back
wages mounted. Gov.Farrelly borrowed another 800 million.
Have no illusion that 1000 acres of land will solve the back wage
issue. Or do anything for the majority of government workers.
It is solvable, the Senate has increased spending on itself to
almost 15 million per annum. Slash this in half. Cut purchases of office
equipment to 30% with a one year freeze. Sell all but a hundred Government
vehicle and create a van based transport system that works -preferably
owner-operated. Cutting inter-island travel expenses can be approached two
ways: Decentralizing operations so each island runs itself and to create
rapid cruise ship-sized inter-island transport with funds now available from
the highway funds' bridge program under a section called "moving bridges".
It is a goat head being offered us on a platter. Real solutions can
come only with self-generated insight into how the problem began and a
clear vision, the whole community can accept. Of the steps necessary to
arrive at a solution.
Giving away needed revenue is no solution. Pledge the taxes owed by
Prosser's companies for 30 years and see how much more than all of Carambola
that would be valued on the market.
If this bill passes I believe we must petition Washington to ammend
the Organic act so we can more easily pass referendums originated by
citizens.
Michael Paiewonsky, St. Thomas
