Dear Source:
What can the public say about a team of Senators that are in office and have no ability to lead in a time of crisis? The public is watching the confused inaction of the Senate in response to the Virgin Islands fiscal catastrophe. Passing a bill to authorize borrowing the funds necessary to maintain a level of cash flow to maintain the government and then voting not to provide the basis by which this essential borrowing would be repaid? Did anyone ever mention to you that no one will "lend you money without the commitment to repay that money"? Not coming up with any type comprehensive plan to cut wasteful spending that we all know occurs? Not offering to park up some of your personal fleet of cars for appearance sake? Wasting hours of your debate criticizing The Daily News for its coverage of your secret meetings, and attacking Senator Craig Barshinger for speaking some truth about these meetings to the public?
Do any of you have the ability to lead in a crisis? While you were in your "caucus," were you doing more than eating the food that the taxpayers should not be paying for? Did you do any thinking and strategic planning at all, or were you sitting there trying to figure out how to get re-elected?
Maria Ferreras
St. Thomas
Right On, Maria!
It is time for our Legislature to tighten its own belt and reduce their positively appallingly high salaries that THEY VOTED THEMSELVES with that portion of Bill 6905.
$65,000.00 was already considered high in 2003 but they deemed it necessary to give themselves an additional $20,000.00 annually to be the HIGHEST Paid Legislature with the exception of the STATE of California.
Based on their performance over the course of the last decade, they should have reduced their salary levels back $20K to $45,000.00 annually because they have not performed.
There is no accountability. They steal from the taxpayers, They waste our money on frivolous trips and pet projects, they made and continue to make horrendously bad decisions which we fund and are forced to live with, they NEVER BALANCE A BUDGET, they have led us into staggering debt and expect the taxpayer to continue be bled dry without a whimper.
News Flash Senators! We are bled dry and simply cannot afford to sustain you and the lifestyles you lead nor the bad decisions you make, anymore.
Cut your staff, reduce your salaries, pay for your own fuel, use and pay for your cell phones, pay for your own trips, park up gas guzzling SUV’s and sell them. Please! Pay for your own lavish luncheons while thousands of children in the VI live below the poverty level. That really is the height of insult to taxpayers that foot the bills.
We are still waiting to hear, months later, about OUR $6.9 MILLION DOLLARS that was “MISUSED” by the legislature and certain senators! Gee! I guess NO ONE NOTICED THEIR BUDGET WAS OVER BY $6.9 MILLION?
What our elected leaders do, they do for themselves and for the profit of those that can do for them.
There is no HONOR in SERVICE to the people that elect them. In fact, there is no service to the people, whatsoever!
I hope NONE of our present sitting senators plan on running for Governor because I wouldn’t give them a job to be a dog catcher.
What do we learn from this?
DO NOT ELECT THEM, AGAIN! EVER! IN ANY POSITION!