In her biweekly column, “State of the Territory,” former Sen. Janelle K. Sarauw delves deeper into issues of concern for V.I. residents.
In recent weeks, the Governor of the Virgin Islands has once again turned his ire toward the Legislature, a pattern that has become all too familiar whenever he is met with disagreement, delay, or debate. This time, his frustration follows public scrutiny of a proposed salary increase for the Office of the Governor. Rather than engage in respectful discourse or acknowledge the legitimacy of checks and balances, he has responded with open hostility, lashing out at the very branch of government tasked with oversight, deliberation, and accountability.
Let’s be clear: no one should be surprised that questions are being raised about a pay increase at a time when many Virgin Islanders are struggling to afford basic necessities. That is the Legislature’s job: to vet, to question, to deliberate, and when necessary, to say “not yet” or even “no” if the rationale does not align with the public interest. This is not dysfunction. This is democracy functioning as intended.
The Governor’s repeated attacks on the Legislature, however, reveal something more than a political spat. What we are witnessing is a fundamental misunderstanding, or perhaps a willful disregard, for how representative democracy is designed to work.
We must not forget that Governor Bryan is the titular head of the Democratic Party in the Virgin Islands. He presides over a government in which his own party holds a supermajority in the Legislature. In any functioning democracy, this would be considered a gift, an opportunity to work collaboratively to pass meaningful legislation and advance a shared agenda.
Nationally, when Republican Presidents have had a Republican-controlled Congress or when Democratic Presidents have held a Democratic majority, it has been viewed as a strategic advantage. These leaders understand the value of party alignment, not as a weapon against dissent but as a foundation for progress. In fact, it is during these moments of political alignment that nations often see the most sweeping legislative achievements. And when there are internal disagreements, those are handled through negotiation, not by publicly scorning their own team.
But in the Virgin Islands, the tone is markedly different. Instead of embracing collaboration, the Governor routinely undermines legislators who do not fall in line. Rather than building consensus, he defaults to condemnation. And rather than valuing independent thought, he treats dissent as betrayal. That is not leadership. That is not the posture of someone seeking to unify or govern. It is the behavior of someone who demands submission instead of accountability.
Let us be very clear, disagreement is not treason. It is the bedrock of every strong democracy. Our system was never intended to be one in which the executive reigns unchecked. The Virgin Islands, while a territory, is still part of the American democratic tradition, one grounded in a philosophy of three co-equal branches of government: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. Each branch has a role, and more importantly, each serves as a counterbalance to the others.
A Lesson in Democratic Governance
This is not merely procedural. It is historical and philosophical. The framers of the U.S. Constitution, having just escaped the overreach of monarchy, deliberately designed a system that fragments power in order to preserve liberty. That structure was not just copied into our own Revised Organic Act, it was essential to it.
Take President Lyndon B. Johnson, for example. Despite a Democratic-controlled Congress, he still had to earn support for his landmark civil rights legislation. He lobbied, persuaded, and worked within the system. That is the difference between executive power and authoritarianism; the former accepts limits, the latter rejects them.
Or consider President Ronald Reagan, a conservative icon, who often governed with a Democrat-controlled House. He once said, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20 percent traitor.” That is how healthy democracies operate: through compromise and mutual respect, not through unilateralism.
In recent days, the Legislature has done precisely what it was elected to do. Senators asked difficult questions. They pressed for justification. They weighed fiscal priorities. Their hesitation around a salary increase for the Governor is not petty, nor political. It is principled. And it shows the system of checks and balances is not just symbolic, it is active and alive.
People Before Party
Some senators may choose a different course than the Governor. That is not betrayal; that is representation. Elected officials owe their allegiance to the people first, not to any political leader. When every voice in the room sounds the same, democracy falters. The people of the Virgin Islands do not need a Senate filled with yes-men. They need independent thinkers, courageous voices, and principled dissent.
And to the Governor: respect must be earned, not demanded. Support cannot be expected simply because a senator carries the same party label. Unity cannot be built on intimidation, silence, or fear. When the Governor derides his own Legislature, he undermines the very democratic legitimacy he claims to uphold.
Temper tantrums are not policy. Petulance is not governance. What the people of this territory deserve is mature leadership, mutual respect between branches, and the kind of humility that recognizes disagreement as a strength, not a threat.
A Call to Recenter Democratic Values
True leadership welcomes challenge. It embraces pushback. It values the perspectives of those willing to say, “I see it differently.” And when those differences arise within the same party, they should be seen as opportunities for growth, not reasons for condemnation. And so, the next time the Legislature pushes back on the Governor’s agenda, the public should not panic. They should pay attention. It means the system is functioning. It means no one person can override the collective will without scrutiny.
The moment we begin to conflate dissent with disloyalty, or questions with combativeness, we begin to erode the very principles on which this government rests. This is not Washington, D.C., but the tenets of democracy are not confined to the mainland. The Legislature did not fail the people by asking questions. It fulfilled its duty. Democracy, in its true form, is often loud, slow, imperfect and absolutely essential. And it is working, whether the Governor likes it or not.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
