They’re kidding, right? The Senate couldn’t be so out of touch that it approved a bill giving government workers a grab bag of benefits the government can’t afford and which aren’t available to mere citizens. Could it?
The amendment offered by Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen" will allow any longtime V.I. Government employee to take two years off work with the government paying full health insurance and pension contributions for the jobs that are not being performed. Money going out for work not being done. Hansen’s amendment was tacked on – almost without discussion – as a last-minute amendment to a bill the unanimous Senate approved Thursday.
It stipulated that any employee who has accumulated five or more years of government service can take up to two years, but not less than one year of voluntary leave without pay “for any purpose whatsoever without losing seniority and shall have the right to return to his employment.”
It is an extension of a measure included two years ago in the Stabilization Act, and it considerably sweetens the deal. That law – passed as a temporary, emergency measure – created an incentive for employees to take a leave of absence in order to reduce involuntary layoffs due to budget constraints. The 2011 law required employees taking advantage of this benefit giveaway to “return to work on or before October 1, 2013.”
Hansen’s amendment extends this automatic two-year leave with government-paid benefits until Oct. 1, 2016, and creates an obligation for the government to pay an unknown amount in employer and employee health and pension contributions for employees who are not actually performing any work. It also requires the government to pay not just the employer contribution for health insurance and retirement pensions, but also the employees’ own contributions.
Even if that little-commented on measure made sense two years ago, times have changed and the economic situation is even shakier. For one thing, the original measure was passed before Hovensa announced it was ceasing refining operations in the territory.
On Wednesday Gov. John deJongh Jr. challenged the Senate to stop business as usual and face up to the hard decisions that have to be made in a territory where the budget is millions of dollars out of balance and the economy is still reeling from the body blow of Hovensa’s action, and the islands are facing a potential loss of its fuel supply. The governor pointed out that a further reduction of the work force is almost inevitable, just one of the hard choices the legislators will have to make if they want to stop the fiscal bleeding.
Senators protested that deJongh’s comments were unfair, but judging from their action Thursday, their words don’t mean much. Their vote Thursday spoke volumes about their real priorities. Sadly, it was no real surprise. Our senators just don’t get it.
At Hansen’s behest, the Senate continues to use the General Fund as a gift bag to dole out benefits to placate a group of potential voters and ignore the harsh realities of the territory’s economic misery.
No one even attempted to explain why government workers deserve such an unparalleled benefit. We respect government workers, who do hard jobs and mostly do them well. But the Senate’s action seems inexplicable when other workers are struggling just to get and hold jobs, and many more can’t even find one. If you – a store clerk or a dental hygienist or a legal secretary, for instance, or, let’s just say it, a news editor or reporter – wanted or needed to take two years off of work, would you expect your employer to continue paying your benefits and hold employment open for you until you returned? If you asked, can you imagine your boss’s reaction? Would the boss laugh or throw you out on your ear?
This legislation isn’t just ill considered – it’s casual larceny of the taxpayers and a slap in the face of every person in the territory, anyone who works or tries to work, anyone who counts on the government to remain solvent to keep schools open, roads repaired, streets patrolled, anyone who has been forced to leave the islands by the poisonous economy which the Senate seems unwilling to take seriously.
During Friday’s Senate session a motion to reconsider the vote failed by a vote of 6-7. We are counting now on the governor to veto it, and can only pray that a majority of the senators come to their senses and uphold the expected veto. But frankly, we aren’t too hopeful that will happen. Because our senators apparently just don’t get it.
I’m sorry but I beg to differ regarding your commentary of the VI Legislature. They do get it….the whole shebang. They get a great salary, even better retirement along with knowledge that they will get another comfy government job once their finished tearing the flesh off of the taxpayer. But yet we the people just sit back and watch our home turn into what has been nationally mentioned as a welfare community. It was just reported by UVI that less than 19% of Virgin Islands have a four year degree under their belt. Does this not disturb anyone that we are being left behind to earn a minimum wage while we elect people to positions that are only out for themselves. Legalize prostitution, legalize marijuana , borrow money, give us more time in office this is what our money is paying for. You will never hear about a resolution to reduce them to only seven or that they have brought any major economic benefit to the islands. It’s all about their egos and back pockets year after year….yet we continue to smile and wave to them like trained buffoons when they come around.
Senators have an incentive to give government employees more benefits, since government employees are a large voting bloc and will in turn re-elect these senators who will then receive more benefits. On this course, some day there will be no more money for benefits, and the government workforce will shrink to the point where it is no longer a large voting bloc.
Reducing taxes and regulations would lead to economic growth and help us out of the financial difficulties we face. Increasing payments to non-working employees will not.
It is unfortunate that the Senators refuse to balance the VI checkbook! This is the same path that Detroit took and eventually the local government was replaced by an appointed group. The Detroit local government did just as our Senators are doing, spent money on government workers they did not have. Now all those government workers are going to loose they pensions as Detroit is BANKRUPT!
Hate to say it but it looks like our local government is doing exactly what the Detroit local government did, SPEND SPEND SPEND. As happened in Detroit the US government stepped in and said, “The Local Government in Detroit is Not Capable of Managing the CIty” so we strip them of all their powers and we are now in charge.
Please, Senators, do not poison the well and eliminate pension plans for those who have earned it. Step up and do the right thing, BALANCE the budget. Yes it is hard and NO it will not be easy and YES some of the government will shrink, but protect those that have served to date! If you do not do it BIG BROTHER who sends us most of our monies will do it for YOU!
It is unfortunate that the Senators refuse to balance the VI checkbook! This is the same path that Detroit took and eventually the local government was replaced by an appointed group. The Detroit local government did just as our Senators are doing, spent money on government workers they did not have. Now all those government workers are going to loose they pensions as Detroit is BANKRUPT!
Hate to say it but it looks like our local government is doing exactly what the Detroit local government did, SPEND SPEND SPEND. As happened in Detroit the US government stepped in and said, “The Local Government in Detroit is Not Capable of Managing the CIty” so we strip them of all their powers and we are now in charge.
Please, Senators, do not poison the well and eliminate pension plans for those who have earned it. Step up and do the right thing, BALANCE the budget. Yes it is hard and NO it will not be easy and YES some of the government will shrink, but protect those that have served to date! If you do not do it BIG BROTHER who sends us most of our monies will do it for YOU!
Welcome to the freeness! Ahhh, feel good. Gimme gimme gimme. Feel good. What you say? No. Not for your you. You crazy. FOR ME! Welcome to the freeness!
Might this be considered …buying votes? Especially just before these senators put out a referendum to extend their terms to 4 years. What timing.
This when combined with a really cool t-shirt and a big free for all fish fry, all but guarantees votes – at least from the same “gimme gimme” voters who vote by name recognition in conjunction with anything free.
Aren’t you even the least bit embarrassed??
Copied and pasted to all to other media in my book..cant wait for some of the lawyers (real ones) and jounalists to weigh in on this chunk of trash. I will let you know.
Insane.
Now, I/we have heard it all……..
She gots to go……
I agree it is totally nuts to give such a benefit during these hard times. But what can the people do at this point how can the senators be controlled and made to respond to the needs of the people. There are so many people talking about the conditions but I never hear any plans to resolve the issues. We know things are bad.. HOW CAN WE ( the people) DEAL WITH THEM AND STOP BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. My only concern is that the VI survive and prosper. Anyone who does not help the VI must go.. get out of office.
I left my beautiful home of St. Croix in 2000, because of the economic crisis, partly due to the present legislature doing the same nonsense every legislature has done to this day. As I read what these self serving senators are doing now, it pains me and angers me even more that the same is happening today. Now, who is to blame? The people of the Virgin Islands are to blame! You keep electing the same crooks back in and they keep stealing our future and your children’s future. Shame on you! When are you going to wake up? Chucky Hansen was under investigation for corruption years ago and you re-elected her AGAIN! You reap what you sow. Until the people of St. Croix join together in harmony and one purpose, recall every Senator not working for the people, and stop electing dead beats into office, St. Croix will never prosper. Wake up, fight for your rights as citizens.