April 19, 2001 – From all reports, there was more talk than money flowing at a private party this week intended to bolster Democratic members of the Legislature.
A cocktail party organized by Sen. Lorraine Berry and St. Thomas businessman Neil Weiss and held at his home drew only about a third of the 30 or so St. Thomas private-sector movers and shakers who were invited, according to several sources.
Five of the six-member Democratic minority attended: Sens. Roosevelt David, Vargrave Richards, Douglas Canton Jr., David Jones and Berry. Sen. Emmett Hansen II didn't attend.
Weiss said Thursday the event was not a fund-raiser, but several people who attended said there was plenty of talk about the need for financial support. Discussion centered around the need for staffing since the Senate majority has drastically cut back allotments to the minority senators.
But senators got more criticism than anything, according to several sources.
"I would be surprised if anybody wrote a check," said one person who attended, asking — like others — not to be identified.
"This was the day after they voted against private property rights," said a business person. The reference was to the override of Gov. Charles Turnbull's veto of legislation supporting vendors at Drake's Seat in the dispute with the landowners. Three minority senators – – Jones, Canton and Hansen – – voted with the majority in overriding the veto.
"I was livid" over the Drake's Seat vote, said another person who attended the party.
"The minority doesn't even exist as a bloc," he said. "They're all over the place" in terms of how they vote.
"How can you ask us to support you when we don't know where you're coming from?" asked another party-goer.
Another attendee had more circumspect observations, calling the discussions "very frank" and suggesting that the criticism was not so much aimed at the Democratic senators as it was reflective of a disenchantment with the entire Legislature and with government in general.
Weiss said he believes the senators got the message that they need to stick together.
He said he hosted the cocktail party to allow for the exchange of ideas in an intimate setting, and in that light the event was successful. Scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, it lasted until 10:30 p.m.
"It was the agenda of the people of the Virgin Islands," he said.
And he offered to host a similar function for the Senate majority.
