77.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommentaryOpen forumSenator, Taking a Contribution From a Gambling Connection Is Wrong

Senator, Taking a Contribution From a Gambling Connection Is Wrong

Dear Source:

Senator Rivera O’ Reilly accepts a hefty $1,000 contribution from Front Row LLC, a crony company closely affiliated with VIGL; the company now set to operate slot machines at the race track on St. Thomas and St. Croix.

“I am not for sale,” O’ Reilly states in a May 31 Daily News article, she goes on to say, “how am I supposed to connect whatever the name of the company is to VIGL”

The $1,000 check to the senator’s campaign is illegal and in violation of the VI code which specifically prohibits that type of donation from an affiliated party related to a company like VIGL that holds a casino gaming license. The object of the law is to prevent undue influence.

Senator, you have an ethical and moral responsibility to the people to be informed, to know who is giving you checks and why. Ignorance is no excuse.

Our honest Abe senator, who professes not to know what her left hand or right hand are doing, voted in the wee hours of the morning on the nefarious Rancino bill. Without public scrutiny, without meaningful due diligence and at the behest of Governor Mapp. She voted to award a 20- year exclusive contact to VIGL to operate slot machines at the race track on St. Thomas and St. Croix. She voted in favor of a company with no track record, all based on fantastical promises peddled by Governor Mapp for his special interest legislation.

It has been reported in the media that Southland Gaming has paid the government well over 100 million since 2003, and has the exclusive contract to operate video lottery terminals in The St. Thomas jurisdiction including the race track.

As a result of the senator’s vote, Southland exclusive contract has been voided and they are out of the race track, a jurisdiction they have the legal rights to under the terms of their current contract.

Southland’s charitable giving to all the three islands since 2003 has been astronomical and in excess of $1 million dollars. Southland gaming pays gross receipts taxes while VIGL has been exempted from paying gross receipts under the bill senator O’ Reilly voted for.

Revenue to small business owners and bars, who participate in the VLT program overseen by Southland Gaming have netted millions in revenue every year. Southland unlike VIGL has a proven track record of success since 2003.

Furthermore, it is illegal for an affiliated party of VIGL like Front Row LLC to give campaign donations. By contrast Southland Gaming can legally make campaign contributions and has never hidden that fact over the years.

Senator stop grand standing, with comments like “I am not for sale,” and get off your moral soap box. I don’t think the public believes for a moment your vote on the VIGL bill was not influenced and carefully orchestrated with Governor Mapp?

This was not the only time Senator O’ Reilly has worked in cahoots with Governor Mapp.

She co-sponsored a tax bill to cover the sins of the senate and executive branch for their extravagant and wasteful spending.

To make matters worse, rather than advocating and enacting fiscal reform, Senator O’ Reilly launched an attack on businesses across the territory in what appears to be an attempt to divert attention away from her ill-conceived tax bill, which is now killing jobs and hurting small businesses and the families supported by those businesses.

Senator, we are aware you have not taken a pay cut or enacted meaningful legislative spending reductions or fiscal reforms.

Hypocrisy shows no bounds when it comes to self-serving and double- dealing politicians.

William Olson, St. Croix

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Precious Commenter (“hypocritical? eh….maybe!”), what difference does it make? If it is the truth, what matter the source? Is corruption in government OK as long as it isn’t discovered? We are all harmed by corruption, not just the author of this piece, regardless of the author’s connections to any entity.