Dear Source:
Donna Christiansen should be about securing more autonomy and recognition for the territory and not trying to subjugate a people who presently have no real voice in national affairs. She is meddling in local affairs and although well meaning she is really humiliating the citizens of the V.I.
I was born and bred in the V.I. and am well aware of the problems and challenges of the islands. However, the people there are no less smart or competent than U.S. citizens anywhere. New Jersey where I now reside has a budget deficit of 4 billions and no one is calling for a CFO.
Let the governor govern and the legislators legislate. When people go to the polls and vote for their representatives, they should be represented by their elected officials and not some unelected czar who is accountable to no one. The House's Committee on Resource or the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources should not be involved in making day-to-day financial decisions for the territory from afar.
It is a backward looking mentality that fosters actions like proposing a CFO bill. From slavery to emancipation to a possession to a territory to election of a governor and senators we have been moving on up. We should draw on the strength of the local folks everywhere for governance. Look homeward Donna.
Vernald Turnbull
Mercerville, N.J.

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