Dear Source:
We on St. Croix would like to thank our friends on St. Thomas for sending over our new hospital yesterday. I saw on the front page of the paper a photo of the huge white “van.” Now I know the reason for our new hospital to be on wheels is so that when CMS comes the next time it can be driven to some remote location so they can’t find it. I also understand that if CMS spots it, a large sign can be dropped from its roof saying “food van” journey cakes, tacos and callaloo. If they can’t find it, they can’t judge it.
Now Dear Reader, this is cheaper for St. Thomas then fixing our current hospital. You must give them credit for seeing that it is less expensive to send the rolling hospital to you than keeping JLS going. The St. Thomas Senators feel that we can get along with band aids even if we need surgery. Remember it’s St. Thomas’s money, why should they send it to us.
This all sounds funny but it is not. As we all saw last week, when the Senate was asked to provide the necessary funding to meet CMS requirements so we can keep our certification, all seven St. Thomas senators voted no! If there has ever been any doubt that they are for STT when it comes to fairly sharing the resources that vote should have answered the question. The VI government has an incredible $1,200,000,000. Did I get the right number of “o’s”? One billion, two hundred million dollars in total in our budget. This is more than anywhere on earth for a hundred thousand people. There is plenty of money to care for our hospital. The problem is it is often misspent on less important things.
What can we do? For one thing let us be sure we elect St. Croix people who do not have a debt to STT. If St. Thomas gives money to STX candidates then they are beholding to them when critical votes are taken. We must have loyal Senators in office for us to have any chance of a fair share of the budget. In the meantime, have STT provide the money we need to meet the Federal requirements for our Hospital. Please have a heart so that we may keep our hearts going.
Bob White, St. Croix