Dear Source:
I read your article "Governor's Team Makes Case for New Property Tax Rate Structure" and breathed a sigh of relief. It appears that this issue is being looked at in detail by our Executive Branch.
What I found particularly interesting was the information from our Legislative Branch- specifically Senator Shawn Michael-Malone.
He is quoted as saying, though he has not come up with the formal document, "he owns the topic" of property tax reform because he has submitted a bill request into The Legislature.
My question is this: Is this "ownership" the same kind of Legislative "ownership" of the ghost Senator who has blocked bill #6905 which as we all remember was done in a sneaky, last minute, underhanded manner without Public knowledge or awareness, a few days before the Turnbull Administration's last days in power last year?
If it is, it is long due for us as Citizens to scrutinize this practice particularly in a year where we have delegate representing the people's best interests in writing a new Constitution. We still do not know which Senator "owns" this blockage. The truth is if we did, he/she would be out come next election!
There is something very wrong with this picture and practice. Transparency and openness in Government MUST be a priority for The Virgin Islands if we are to have accountability and true democracy. Our Executive Branch is thankfully demonstrating this. Our legislative branch is not. This ignoring of the citizens response of absolute disdain for fat, unwarranted raises given the awful financial state of our Territories will not go away. Of that our Senators can be sure.
The clock is ticking.
It is now almost December…that means only 11 more months…approximately 44 weeks until our next Senator's election. Personally I can't wait to send a very loud and clear message to our present Senators. If they were smart, they would start surfacing out of an apparent hiding position and address this issue now while they still have the chance. Where is the leadership for the good of the people of our Islands within our Legislative Branch?
The silence continues to be deafening. The people are waiting for someone in our Legislative Branch to step up to the plate and move a repeal of Bill #6905. We have woken up, and the truth is we do not like what we see.
Bonny Corbeil
St. John
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