Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen said today that she is pleased that the Legislature voted favorably on the Turnbull Administration's bond proposal. But the delegate cautioned it should not create a false sense of security about the territory's current financial crisis.
Christensen emphasized that the borrowing measure is only a short term solution which could provide a badly needed stimulus to the private sector while also giving some badly needed relief to government workers, but only if it is used for the specific purpose for which it was authorized.
Christensen said that her bill, H.R. 2841 to give the territory the authority to float the bonds for "any public purpose" is currently in the U.S. Senate and is expected to pass that body sometime this week.
"Because of our persistence in continuing the dialogue with members of the Senate, as of today, all Legislative "holds" have been lifted which means that the bill can pass at any moment.
The Delegate said that despite last week's bellyaching in the legislature's
Finance Committee, which had the effect of slowing down the process of
getting HR 2841 through the Senate, she was pleased to see that the Legislature finally stepped forward to avoid the financial collapse that would otherwise have been imminent and unavoidable.
"I hope that the Legislature will now continue to direct its attention to the difficult task ahead of putting in place measures that will begin to reduce spending and the deficit, and begin to get us on the road to economic health. I will continue to fulfill my role and provide leadership on the Federal level, and hopefully we can move together cooperatively for the benefit of the territory," the Delegate concluded.

I, too, understand the angst concerning the recent poll results indicating a
lack of confidence in the local government and a preference for a federal control board. I also understand the position of the Source, that a Federal control board will be insensitive to local needs.
I don't wish to state an opinion on this subject one way or the other, but do strongly encourage anyone interested in this topic to seriously study the recent history of the District of Columbia.
After decades of mismanagement, a withering tax base and fiscal problems inherited from the federal government and exacerbated by the unique responsibilities of being the nation's capital, the district lost its investment grade rating and was in a severe fiscal crisis.
With Medicaid spiraling out of control and court orders mandating improved care for the children, the mentally ill and the elderly, the budget deficit seemed intractable.
Additionally, Mayor Marion Barry did not inspire confidence in the Congress nor in the Republican congressman from Virginia presiding over the sub committee overseeing the district's fiscal affairs. Barry succeeded at playing race and "home rule" politics for some time but the end was clearly in sight.
President Clinton enacted a Federal Control Board in 1994. The board was comprised of many notables including a former Federal Reserve Bank governor.
The control board hired an aggressive Harvard-trained lawyer, Anthony
Williams, to serve as chief financial officer.
Williams served solely at the discretion of the control board and not the mayor. In addition, the Federal Control Board had authority in all fiscal matters, including budgeting, spending and borrowing. In so doing, the Federal government neatly turned a strong mayoral form of city government into a city manager form of government. The benefits of the latter being city managers are professionals trained in public administration and city management, while elected officials need not necessarily pass that same standard.
Williams was aggressive, cut dead wood throughout his finance operation, brought in talented people and made sweeping changes. Plus with the power of the control board to back him, Williams was free from political responsibility actual or implied.
With this freedom and his hard work the district balanced their budget, regained an investment grade rating, regained access to the capital markets, regained home rule and Williams ultimately replaced Barry and is currently the mayor of the district.
Given these strong accomplishments the control board was disbanded and the District was allowed to control its own destiny again.
The challenge is to learn lessons from the cities that have come back from the brink of financial disaster – Philadelphia and the District of Columbia are two clear examples. A control board need not be a bad thing, the district is a clear example of that.

Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen welcomed three Virgin Islanders to Capitol Hill Tuesday to participate alongside hundreds of other students in "Voices Against Violence: A Congressional Teen Conference" sponsored by the House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt.
The goal of the two-day conference is to involve young people in a nationwide debate on ways for legislators and others to prevent youth violence.
The students and members of Congress will develop ideas for working together to tackle youth violence, both nationally and in local schools and communities.
>From the U.S. Virgin Islands the student participants are:
* Danton Durand – 11th grade, All Saints Cathedral School
* Michelle Aponte – 12th grade, Country Day School
* Okori Christopher – 12th grade, Wheaton High School, Wheaton, MD
(Virgin Islander who relocated from St. Croix)
They are chaperoned by Myron Corbett, a teacher at Charlotte Amalie
High School and Rosalind LaRocque, Assistant Principal at Central High
School.
More than 350 teenagers from across the country will participate in the Teen
Conference which will feature a variety of workshops on issues such as
violence in the media, peer mediation training and hate crime prevention
strategies.
MTV, the Children's Defense Fund, the Department of Justice, politicians and
celebrities will participate and lead many of these discussion groups.
"In light of the negative news that tends to surround our students
in public and private schools, I am very pleased to welcome these students
to Washington, DC," said Christensen.
"All of the schools were invited to participate and unfortunately our representative from Central High School was unable to attend, but this is an excellent opportunity for our students to represent the territory's needs in addressing violence in the schools and the community," Christiansen added.
"I look forward to tomorrow's regional meeting in which all of the
students will interact with Members about their concerns and draft a Youth
House Resolution on violence, and hope that we can all benefit from the
information that will be shared in the next two days.

Government offices are closed, school classes canceled, price gouging warnings are in effect and boaters are cautioned to seek safe havens for their vessels as Hurricane Jose moves closer to the Virgin Islands.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull announced Tuesday afternoon that all government offices and schools would be closed Wednesday. Essential government employees are expected to report to work.
Turnbull also instituted a price freeze on food, water, beverages, health and medical supplies, rents, construction materials and services, clothing, furnishings and all other essential goods and services.
The University of the Virgin Islands has canceled classes for Wednesday and until further notice, but employees are asked to come in and secure their work areas.
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources issued a warning to boaters to seek shelter in any of the available safe havens around the islands. Boaters are also warned not to stay on their vessels during the storm.
DPNR Commissioner Dean Plaskett said boaters need to file a hurricane float plan. He said officers would be available to assist boaters.
In keeping with the warning theme, Andrew Rutnik, commissioner of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, said anyone appearing to price gouge during the price freeze would be subject to fines and imprisonment. Rutnik asked consumers to report any incidents of gouging and to save receipts from all purchases.
"It is imperative that consumers save their receipts so that a thorough investigation of price gouging" can be done, he said.
As of 8 p.m. Jose, the 10th named storm of the season, was located at 15.4 north longitude and 59.6 west latitude, 405 miles southeast of St. Thomas. The storm was packing winds of 75 mph with higher gusts, and was expected to gain strength before reaching the Virgin Islands.
For more details on Jose's approach click here .

Following is a listing of activities that had been scheduled to take place in the next few days that have now been postponed or canceled due to Hurricane Jose. This list will be updated as additional information becomes available.
– The St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association has postponed its Moonlight Madness dinner dance, auction and jazz jam that was to have been held on Saturday night at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort. It will take place at a later date to be announced, and those who have purchased tickets should hold on to them for use then.
– Bellows International has called off its Coors Light 10th anniversary party at The Old Mill Wednesday night that was to have featured Black Entertainment Television personality Rachel Stuart as special guest. Bellows marketing director Suzie Warren-Ervin says it will be rescheduled later.
– The Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John has postponed its fund-raiser cruise aboard the Kon Tiki that had been set for Saturday night. EAST plans to hold the event a few months from now, but meantime those with tickets may take them back to the place of purchase for a refund.
– The two-night Caribbean Gospel Concert that was scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights at Palms Court Harbourview has been postponed to Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 29. A spokesperson for Jubilation TV/Channel 56, the event sponsor, says those with tickets should hold on to them for the new dates.
– The St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council has postponed its annual meeting, which had been set for Thursday evening in Tillett Gardens. A new date will be announced later.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico at 5 p.m. today, and as of 8 p.m. the center of Hurricane Jose was located at 15.4 degrees north latitude and 59.6 degrees west longitude, or about 400 miles southeast of St. John.
Roy Ward, spokesman for the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said the 5 p.m. coordinates of the hurricane coincided with projections from 12 hours earlier. He said Virgin Islanders can expect winds of at least 34 mph by around 11 a.m. Wednesday, building up in the afternoon, with the center of the storm expected to pass through the region about 12 hours later.
Ward advised Virgin Islands residents to "take all necessary precautions." Long lines at service stations from mid-afternoon until after dark were testimony to drivers' determination to top off their tanks while the pumps were in operation, and supermarket parking lots were well filled as shoppers completed 11th hour provisioning.
A coastal flood watch is in effect for the north and east coasts of the Virgin Islands, as is a heavy surf advisory for throughout the islands. Ferries between St. John and St. Thomas are scheduled to run as usual for the first half of Wednesday morning, then be interrupted until the storm has passed, a VITEMA official said.
Jose has been moving on a northwest to west-northwesterly track at nearly 13 mph. This motion is projected to continue for the next 24 hours, carrying the storm over portions of the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands, on Wednesday. Islands along the hurricane's path can expect rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, a National Weather Service report out of Miami said, and tides that are higher than usual, with "dangerous battering waves."
Weather is expected to begin deteriorating tonight, the weather service 5 p.m. advisory said.
The hurricane's maximum sustained winds, near 75 mph, were confined to a small area east of the storm center this afternoon. The estimated minimum central pressure was 992 mb, or 29.29 inches.
Jose appeared to jog a bit to the northwest or north late in the afternoon but was expected to return to a track between west-northwest and northwest. "It would be highly unlikely for Jose to turn immediately northward," the weather report said.
Some strengthening in the hurricane is forecast for the next 24 hours. Substantially higher wind gusts may be experienced in the more mountainous islands, the weather report said.
Earlier hurricane warnings remained in effect at 5 p.m. for Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Eustatius, Saba, Dutch Sint Maarten and Anguilla, while a hurricane watch for St. Lucia was discontinued. The French islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French St. Martin and St. Barth's were under a hurricane warning issued by France.
According to the National Weather Service, the overall cloud pattern in the region changed little from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday. "Because an upper-level ridge is forecast to move with the hurricane, further strengthening is indicated," it said.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico at 5 p.m. today, and as of 8 p.m., the center of Hurricane Jose was located at 15.4 degrees north latitude and 59.6 degrees west longitude, or about 375 miles southeast of St. Croix.
Roy Ward, spokesman for the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said the 5 p.m. coordinates of the hurricane coincided with projections from 12 hours earlier. He said Virgin Islanders can expect winds of at least 34 mph by around 11 a.m. Wednesday, building up in the afternoon, with the center of the storm expected to pass through the region about 12 hours later.
Ward advised Virgin Islands residents to "take all necessary precautions." Long lines at service stations from mid-afternoon until after dark were testimony to drivers' determination to top off their tanks while the pumps were in operation, and supermarket parking lots were well filled as shoppers completed 11th-hour provisioning.
A coastal flood watch is in effect for the north and east coasts of the Virgin Islands, as is a heavy surf advisory for throughout the islands.
Jose has been moving on a northwest to west-northwesterly track at nearly 13 mph. This motion is projected to continue for the next 24 hours, carrying the storm over portions of the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands, on Wednesday. Islands along the hurricane's path can expect rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, a National Weather Service report out of Miami said, and tides that are higher than usual, with "dangerous battering waves."
Weather is expected to begin deteriorating tonight, the weather service 5 p.m. advisory said.
The hurricane's maximum sustained winds, near 75 mph, were confined to a small area east of the storm center this afternoon. The estimated minimum central pressure was 992 mb, or 29.29 inches.
Jose appeared to jog a bit to the northwest or north late in the afternoon but was expected to return to a track between west-northwest and northwest. "It would be highly unlikely for Jose to turn immediately northward," the weather report said.
Some strengthening in the hurricane is forecast for the next 24 hours. Substantially higher wind gusts may be experienced in the more mountainous islands, the weather report said.
Earlier hurricane warnings remained in effect at 5 p.m. for Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Eustatius, Saba, Dutch Sint Maarten and Anguilla, while a hurricane watch for St. Lucia was discontinued. The French islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French St. Martin and St. Barth's were under a hurricane warning issued by France.
According to the National Weather Service, the overall cloud pattern in the region changed little from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday. "Because an upper-level ridge is forecast to move with the hurricane, further strengthening is indicated," it said.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico at 5 p.m. today, and as of 8 p.m. the center of Hurricane Jose was located at 15.4 degrees north latitude and 59.6 degrees west longitude, or about 405 miles southeast of St. Thomas.
Roy Ward, spokesman for the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said the 5 p.m. coordinates of the hurricane coincided with projections from 12 hours earlier. He said Virgin Islanders can expect winds of at least 34 mph by around 11 a.m. Wednesday, building up in the afternoon, with the center of the storm expected to pass through the region about 12 hours later.
Ward advised Virgin Islands residents to "take all necessary precautions." Long lines at service stations from mid-afternoon until after dark were testimony to drivers' determination to top off their tanks while the pumps were in operation, and supermarket parking lots were well filled as shoppers completed 11th hour provisioning.
A coastal flood watch is in effect for the north and east coasts of the Virgin Islands, as is a heavy surf advisory for throughout the islands.
Jose has been moving on a northwest to west-northwesterly track at nearly 13 mph. This motion is projected to continue for the next 24 hours, carrying the storm over portions of the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands, on Wednesday. Islands along the hurricane's path can expect rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, a National Weather Service report out of Miami said, and tides that are higher than usual, with "dangerous battering waves."
Weather is expected to begin deteriorating tonight, the weather service 5 p.m. advisory said.
The hurricane's maximum sustained winds, near 75 mph, were confined to a small area east of the storm center this afternoon. The estimated minimum central pressure was 992 mb, or 29.29 inches.
Jose appeared to jog a bit to the northwest or north late in the afternoon but was expected to return to a track between west-northwest and northwest. "It would be highly unlikely for Jose to turn immediately northward," the weather report said.
Some strengthening in the hurricane is forecast for the next 24 hours. Substantially higher wind gusts may be experienced in the more mountainous islands, the weather report said.
Earlier hurricane warnings remained in effect at 5 p.m. for Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Eustatius, Saba, Dutch Sint Maarten and Anguilla, while a hurricane watch for St. Lucia was discontinued. The French islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French St. Martin and St. Barth's were under a hurricane warning issued by France.
According to the National Weather Service, the overall cloud pattern in the region changed little from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday. "Because an upper-level ridge is forecast to move with the hurricane, further strengthening is indicated," it said.

On a vote of 12 to 3, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's revised borrowing bill was passed by the Legislature on Tuesday.
The bill passed only after an amendment was added authorizing the Public Finance Authority to issue up to $300 million instead of the requested $130 million in bonds to fund a working capital loan.
Proponents of the amendment believe the larger borrowing will allow for measures to stimulate the economy, including paying past-due income tax refunds, paying vendors what the government owes and funding a retirement incentive plan.
The legislators shot down the original two-tier bill in a late-night session Oct. 1. In that vote, the bill failed on a 7-7 vote.
The administration has maintained all along that without the authority to borrow money, it would be unable to meet payroll starting in November. On Tuesday, Paulette Rabsatt, deputy assistant to the governor on fiscal policy, said the government was facing a $39 million shortfall by Nov. 18.
The bill authorizes the government to issue bonds to borrow working capital, which is conditional on changes before Congress to change the Organic Act.
The revised bill submitted by Turnbull for consideration at Tuesday's special session of the Legislature calls for a one-step bond structure as opposed to the more costly and complicated two-step process of the earlier bill.
Voting yes on the amended bill were Sens. Gregory Bennerson, Lorraine Berry, Donald "Ducks" Cole, Roosevelt David, V. Anne Golden, Judy Gomez, George Goodwin, Norman Jn Baptiste, David Jones, Almando "Rocky" Liburd, Allie "Allison" Petrus and Vargrave Richards. Voting no were Sens. Adelbert M. "Bert" Bryan, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg and Alicia "Chucky" Hansen.
Rabsatt indicated that the administration was confident Congress would approve the pending Organic Act change Tuesday. As of publication, it had not passed.
If Congress does not pass the bill on Tuesday, it must go back to committee on Wednesday for mark-up and then back to the floor of the Senate for a vote, according to a spokesperson in Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen's Washington office.

THE GRYPHON TRIO will return to the Main Stage at Island Center. This group appeared in 1997 and won the acclaim of music lovers on St. Croix. Their sensitive rendering of the classical composers moved the audience in a way rarely seen. This amazing Trio will not only perform in concert on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John but will also be the judges for the Vitelco Arts Alive Classical Music Competitions to be held in April on St. Thomas and St. Croix.
For a complete listing of Island Center events, click here.