CNN Stimulus Money and Paradise

What does that mean for us

Thanks FL Barrier Islander - I watched it, interesting story.

spee1dy, Sorry, I was half asleep when I watched it.....I use CNN to drag me kicking and screaming out of slumber....and if I tried to quote from the story I'd probably miss some good points. Maybe CNN will post the story online later (it's not posted on cnn.com right now as far as I could find).

Thank you FLBI

The gist of the spot was, basically, 'We're sending money to WHERE???' and our public officials tried to justify it (and lamely, at that, I might add....IMHO)...but, hey, it's OK cuz Puerto Rico has received more than 20 of the States....they also said that, of the money that has been sent to us so far and the amount of jobs created, that the jobs are paying $127,700 each...how do I apply? I know that I haven't received a Stimulus Check yet, either...so, to me, this whole Stimulus thing is nothing but a bunch of BS...I haven't had any benefit, one way or another...

my wife and i are in the researching stage of a permanent move to STT. when she saw this piece on CNN this morning she asked why i don't just try to get one of those jobs.

LOL

if it was just that easy.

The worst part of this report is that they start out by saying the money wasn't going to the "United States," then admit that we are "American's" but still never use the factual reason that someone in the states might be upset about us getting money: none of our taxes here are paid to the Federal Government. If you are going to do a story attacking the distribution of stimulous money to the VI it seems like that should be the central tenent of your argument.

If I had time I'd send a video in documenting the state of our roads and say "while we may not deserve the stimulous money this is far from a paradise that couldn't use it." I belive the bypass is being completed now as a result of the stimulous funds which is a good thing.

However, I REALLY hate the way the Governor said we are "entitled" to the money. How are we "entitled" to other peoples money? I just hate that word, the "entitlement" mentality here is a huge problem that keeps us down.

Sean

I imagine a lot of the money is going to never ending road construction on the east end of STT. It's everywhere!

Hey, send some of that cabbage here to pothole city in St. Croix! Hess road is horrible, the La Reine shopping center parking lot looks like it was hit by cluster munitions it has so many deep craters, and the intersection in Gallows Bay washes out every heavy rain and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

So many geographically challenged people have no idea that the Virgin Islands are part of the US and we are citizens. People know more about Cuba than the VI.

I am so against the VI borrowing more money for operating expenses.What about 1 day a week or month furlough for Gov't employees. All a we citizens are dealing with the economic conditions and the govt just keeps rolling along like there is no tomorrow

If you build roads properly, you don`t need to Ph(_) (k with them every couple years.
Yup even dump trucks fully loaded don`t tear up properly made roads.

Every time a road repair job comes up, it`s done poorly either w/ bad prep, or just a skim on top.
Usually there is some connected gov`t crony involved in the road repair.

I`ve been here more than 20 years, I`m not sure if I`ve seen ANYthing done/built properly here!

Regarding entitlement,IMO not only are we(the USVI) not entitled to other peoples money from the states,but the folks whom feel they are entitled here & in the states are one of the major reasons we are in the fiscal mess were in!

I have a very big problem with bailing out wall Street & those unwilling to work.
The huge unemployment benefits package are keeping many from even looking/wanting to work!
It seems Obaminamics isn`t working...

http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2010/02/15/entitled-to-a-five-bedroom-house/?test=latestnews

DUN.
There is a cost /benefit component of all construction, with unlimited funds or unlimited slave labor roads could be built to last almost forever. the real world means do what you can with what you have. Heavy trucks put a strain on any roads.If we built roads like the autobaun we would be building them for tanks.

http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/17/u-s-virgin-islands-getting-130m-stimulus/

Dante~ Thanks for the post. Interesting report by CNN, though still confused. They saw all the shine, but none of our very real problems. We are NOT entitled to this money, but it sure helps... at least it could if it weren't all in some government idiot's pocket.

DUN
can you say job security

I didn't think the feds should have send the USVI government $$$ for us to get our individual stimulus money, since we don't pay federal income tax. But I sure did cash the check!!

What check?

I didn't think the feds should have send the USVI government $$$ for us to get our individual stimulus money, since we don't pay federal income tax. But I sure did cash the check!!

DUN.
There is a cost /benefit component of all construction, with unlimited funds or unlimited slave labor roads could be built to last almost forever. the real world means do what you can with what you have. Heavy trucks put a strain on any roads.If we built roads like the autobaun we would be building them for tanks.

So if you need to rebuild it every 2-3 years, it cost the same in 10 years to do it right the first time, just you don`t have that.
You have this $hit!
So, your solution is "there`s not enough $ to do it right, but there`s always enough $ to do it over & over& over...

well it does also create jobs, haven't you seen the crews of 7 standing around while 1 guy/girl patches the hole! (the same hole year after year!)

Dun,
I'm not saying I agree, but that's the way it is. You can find cross sections of our interstates compared to the German autebaun, big difference. The idea that road crews need work should not be discounted. If people really wanted good roads they would be privately built and charge tolls. In the end you get what you pay for,with union "labor" being the exception then its less.

Dunn......Mon,wheres de job security for da poor road labors if dey just fixed it right de first tyme......

I heard the money will be used to pay down the government's WAPA bill.........not. :X

The Governor noted that USVI hosts thousands of tourists from the mainland every year. Some of that stimulus money will go to improving the infrastructure that sustains the tourism sector.

Moreover, there are many people in the VI who are living below the poverty line.

That "Gee whiz" figure of "$127,700 each" is highly misleading. The number of jobs (the denominator of the fraction cost/jobs) will go up, and the "Gee whiz" figure will go down. Certainly, there will be some overhead inefficiencies, but that is true regardless of the program.

The stimulus plan is in stark contrast to the Hoover administration's view that the markets, left to themselves, will recover in the long run. John Maynard Keynes replied, "In the long run, we're all dead."

It remains to be seen what the effect of the stimulus plan will be in the coming year or two. Already, the US economy that was declining by about 6 percent per year at the end of the Bush administration is now growing at about 6 percent under the Obama administration.