April 17, 2003 – Members of the United Virgin Islands Action Coalition have asked the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate the initial contract and recent settlement agreement between the local government and Southland Gaming, the company hired to install and operate video lottery terminals in the St. Thomas-St. John district.
At a press conference Thursday on St. Croix, group members also announced that they plan to encourage government and private-sector employees to stage a work stoppage beginning Emancipation Day, July 3.
They also called for the recall of two St. Croix senators, David Jones and Emmett Hansen II.
Dr. Chenzira Kahina said the group has "exhausted local remedies" for dealing with government corruption and on Thursday morning submitted documents to U.S. Attorney David Nissman's office for review.
Kahina said the group requested an opinion as to the validity of Southland Gaming's contract with the V.I. government and the settlement recently reached between the two parties.
However, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that "under no circumstances do they plan to get involved as far as a political intervention is concerned unless there is clear jurisdiction," Kahina said.
The group is outraged at a 7-7 tie vote by the 25th Legislature this week that defeated a bill to repeal legislation legalizing the terminals, commonly known as VLT's. The legality issue fell into the Senate's lap after the local government and Southland Gaming reached the agreement settling the company's lawsuit asking that its contract be declared valid and the V.I. government's countersuit asking that it be ruled null and void.
Attorney General Iver Stridiron had refused to divulge the contents of the settlement until Monday, when he provided the document to the Senate in compliance with subpoenas.
Terrence Nelson, UVIAC member and leader of Our Virgin Islands Labor Union, said Thursday that the secrecy of the entire ordeal appears unethical. "There's something wrong with this picture," Nelson said. "Any clear-thinking person can see there's something wrong."
Wednesday's vote saw two of St. Croix's seven senators, Hansen and Jones, voting against the repeal measure.
Nelson said the integrity of Jones's longtime support of VLT's is questionable. "Jones and Hansen have breached the trust of the people on St. Croix and made a mockery of the will of the people," the union leader said.
The United Virgin Islands Action Coalition is circulating a petition calling for Jones's recall. Kahina said anyone who has petition signature sheets should take them to the OVILU office at Watapana Mall. She said it is unclear how many signatures are needed to effect the recall, but "if the process is held up, we'll revisit it and do it again."
Nelson said the best way for people in the territory to demonstrate their dissatisfaction and bring about change is to participate in the planned government shutdown in July. "Let us shut the government down and make demands," he said. "Do not go back to work until the demands are met."
People on St. Thomas and St. John should take part too, he added.
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