Dear Source:
I come to you not for any political gain, but as a witness to political pain. I come in behalf of our youth. Our youth already have an addiction to electronic games.
As a counselor, a large part of my job consists of counseling our youth on how to utilize their free time effectively. Playing video games is not an activity that can empower their minds. Therefore, with the availability of VLT's in areas that are frequented by our youth (including the race track) VLT's gives our youth the incentive to try their luck at padding their pockets instead of popping the game.
The lure of leaving behind Game Boy, PS-2, Game Cube, X-Box to transition to the big leagues of VLT is a temptation most youth would find hard to resist. But where would our youth get the money to play VLT's? With the unemployment rate so high, it will certainly not be with their paychecks.
Bagging at the local grocery store cannot support a VLT addiction. However, there is another way to pay and play. That is "by any means necessary." With the high crime rate we face in our territory, I would hate to be the next victim of a robbery just for the sake of our youth wanting to play VLT.
Let's keep VLT's out of reach of our youth. Let's seek revenue that will add employment opportunities, tourism, housing, hotels, recreation facilities, and major entertainment attractions. If the source of "new revenue" cannot benefit St. Croix or be regulated by the agencies we have established to do so, then we need them to take their "dirty money" out of our territory.
No more late night hearings to discuss an issue that was already settled at the poles. The voters of St. Thomas said Casi-NO, St. Croix said Casi-YES. No more "behind closed doors" settlements that cannot be shared with the voting public. No more lies saying that a judge agreed to a settlement that was never presented.
Let us have transparency in all contractual agreements. Let us have legislatures comprised of lawmakers, not lawbreakers. Let us have democracy.
Oneida D. Granger,
St. Croix

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