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St. John Is Big on Proposed Government Change

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Sept. 16, 2005 – Senators at Friday's Senate Rules and Judiciary Committee meeting gave high marks to the nearly 60 people who attended a meeting on bills to ask the U.S. Congress to let the territory come up with plans for municipal government and other matters.
"Tonight we have the biggest crowd coming out to testify," Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone, committee chairman, said.
Similar meetings held this week on St. Thomas and St. Croix each only attracted seven individuals.
"The two bigger islands didn't show this kind of support," Sen. Ronald Russell said.
Many of the approximately half dozen people who testified at the meeting supported some form of municipal government.
"Municipal government is the panacea for the Virgin Islands," Juanita Canton said.
She said that, in the absence of real government, the territory has muddled through years of mismanagement.
However, Lorelei Monsanto said she opposed the idea of municipal government.
"It's another feeble attempt at muddying the waters," she said.
She, as well as a few others, pointed out that voters already approved a measure to reduce the number of senators, but the senators chose to ignore their wishes.
Monsanto asked how much money was in the "St. John general fund." There is no such fund, since all money generated on St. John is grouped with that from the other islands.
She also wanted to know how much it costs to pay for the government agencies that have a St. John presence.
Sen. Lorraine Berry, who sponsored the bill to petition Congress, said each island would have a charter commission to work out the details of what the island wants in the way of municipal government. That charter will then go to the voters for their approval.
"If you don't agree with what the commission develops, vote no," she said.
She said, although a Constitutional Convention is planned for 2006, residents need to start thinking now about what St. John wants.
Berry also sponsored a bill to ask Congress to change the number of voters required for an initiative to take effect.
Currently, it takes 50 percent plus one of registered voters; a figure she said had never been reached in previous initiatives because many registered voters do not come out to vote. She proposed to change it to 50 percent plus one of the people who vote in that election.
"We need to make sure when people go out to vote, their vote counts," she said.
The third bill under discussion asks Congress to allow voters to decide where they want the territory's seat of government. It is currently on St. Thomas.
Russell, who sponsored this bill, said that making St. Croix the seat of government would give the island an economic boost.
"St. Thomas is overcrowded, congested and has no room for expansion," he said.
He said St. Croix has room to allow for an expansion of government.
Sen. Craig Barshinger also attended the meeting although he is not a committee member.
Committee members Sens. Pedro Encarnacion, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, and Sen. Celestino White were absent.
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