Dear Source,
At the Town Meeting called by Senator David for St John I spoke out against the barge fees that VIPA is set to impose beginning October 1. I was quoted in the Daily News briefly and I'd like the opportunity to expand on those remarks.
I said that St John was not an island of millionaires. Indeed, most of the over 100 people crowded into the legislature that night were people holding two or more jobs. I have the advantage of having been able to retire early on a very limited income, and I chose St John to be my home, but most of these folks have not had that luxury. Many of them were "bahn here" and had no choice in the matter. Yet, VIPA seems to be singling out St John to pay their way when our sister islands have not been given that luxury. Mr Brin even stated that St Croix did not have any special levy to pay for the Abramson pier because "St Croix is a disadvantaged area". Are we to be penalized because OUR economy is not in the toilet? How can they say we are not being singled out?
The fees proposed for the passengers will not be implemented until the Red Hook terminal is completed. After 30 years of not completing the Enighed Pond project which has been paid for over and over by St Johnians and others they still plan to charge us a surcharge to pay for it before it is completed. Before it is even begun!? We are not being singled out?
St Johnians truly believe that we pay more than our fair share and the administration has yet to show otherwise, even though we were promised over 15 months ago that they would collect the data and could tell us in a year. We just simply do not trust St Thomas and what we are told by the government. With good reason.
St Johnians are more dependent upon the facilities of the port authority than any other group because we must of necessity travel through either St Croix or St Thomas just to get here. We are not a cash cow to be milked. We are a fiercely independent people who are dependent on our reliable barge transport and will not stand for being singled out to pay the way for a bankrupt government. This same government who requires us to go to St Thomas to conduct business. We do not use the barges for pure pleasure, we are forced to depend on them. We will not sit idly by and let the V.I. Port Authority finance themselves on our backs. Enough is enough!
John Fuller
St. John
