Dear Source,
I thought the op-ed piece by Dr. Frank Schneiger was a great editorial and encapsulated better than I ever could, a lot of what defines the present dilemma of the VI. I hope he doesn't mind if I refer to it as I speak at different venues here (with credit, of course). Let me share with you something I drafted to be a part of a campaign brochure, before I was alerted about the article;
"I will always have faith in the people of the Virgin Islands to achieve and succeed. I see my role as one of providing leadership, guidance, of breaking down the barriers that divide us, helping us to believe in ourselves, and working to make available the resources we need to realize our hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future."
Schneiger's piece was more than informative, hopefully those of us who read it (including myself) will be moved to act on its premise. Indeed, I see our REAPZONE (Rural Economic Adjustment Program) process which was to begin with focus groups this week, but was postponed by Debby, as a part of doing just that. The purpose is to begin a process of strategic community planning as a first step to becoming a REAPZONE or Empowerment Zone, but I often tell my staff, even if all that happens is that we come together as a community to plan, that alone would be worth the effort. Hopefully we can soon get these already long delayed meetings back on track.
As they say on CSPAN, "Thanks for the Source"
Donna M. Christian-Christensen
Editor's note: To read the full text of the op-ed piece click here.
