DeJongh's latest screw up - no buses for school

You know, you are kicking a lame duck. Why don't you save your energy for the next candidates? Who will step up to the plate?

What's ironic is that everything you attribute to the Governor's failings and everything you accuse him of is simply repetitious of the past under previous administrations. And, yes, even the interruption of school bus services for lack of payment ...

i was under the impression that the gov could not do any thing without the senates approval? if true, then whose fault is it really.

US Virgin Islands...soon to be the Greece of the Caribbean, since we're likely already worse off than Spain.

Although I support Govenor DeJongh on most issues, I do wonder how our government can be so inept as to allow the situation with the bus service company to degrade to the point that they suspend service. Of course, this assumes that the company did provide advance warning that they would take this action if they did not receive at least some partial payment so there was time to work out some agreement that would allow service to continue. While I believe the majority of the Senators (and most politicians) are self serving buffoons, I don't see how this specific issue can be blamed on them.

Wouldn't the head of the DOE or DOF also bear significant responsibility for this fiasco?

Wouldn't the head of the DOE or DOF also bear significant responsibility for this fiasco?

http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/04/30/st-croix-school-buses-stop-running

If they were to get rid of all but 5 senators, that would free up more than enough money,

Wouldn't the head of the DOE or DOF also bear significant responsibility for this fiasco?

http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2012/04/30/st-croix-school-buses-stop-running

So after reading the article. If I understand it the simple version is this:

DOE gets an allocation for 10.6 mil for 2012.
On 1/27 OMB notifies DOE that their allotment reduction for 2012.
Then around 1/31 DOE (Education Commissioner LaVerne Terry) sends a letter to OMB requesting a reduction in allocation to 4.5 mil.
And in a 2/2 in a senate committee hearing the DOE officials were specifically asked if they had funding for buses and they chose not to respond that there was any funding issues.

So according to simple logic - the fault lies with the DOE. Another shining example of the inability of a government department to correctly budget and manage funds.

Heads should roll at the DOE.

Funny how we constantly blame the incompetent & corrupt mindset of the culture, unless it's political, then the culture isn't to blame, the guvna is. My guess is that "bus-gate" is only the tip of the iceberg. What the island needs is a benevolent dictator.

Funny how we constantly blame the incompetent & corrupt mindset of the culture, unless it's political, then the culture isn't to blame, the guvna is. My guess is that "bus-gate" is only the tip of the iceberg. What the island needs is a benevolent dictator.

Maybe when Jean Claude Duvalier's corruption trial is over and done with he'll pop over here to throw his hat into the ring. I can think of a few of our longtime politicos who'd no doubt welcome his benevolence in grandly rewarding those who pledge their support.

Funny how we constantly blame the incompetent & corrupt mindset of the culture, unless it's political, then the culture isn't to blame, the guvna is. My guess is that "bus-gate" is only the tip of the iceberg. What the island needs is a benevolent dictator.

Benevolent dictator - now you're talking my kind of job! 😎

BTW - I made no reference to culture nor politics. I stated that it was another example where a government department was unable to budget and manage funds. We see no end of examples. Audits of the Legislature, VIPD, etc. etc. continue to provide factual evidence of miss-management, yet there is little accountability at the end of the day. That is why it is an endemic problem that needs to be addressed.

i was under the impression that the gov could not do any thing without the senates approval? if true, then whose fault is it really.

1. The governor did not ask the senate for more money.
2.And his OMB Director did not allocate the originally appropriated funding.
3. Stt buses were paid.
4. The money he stole to upgrade his residence plus interest would have paid the overdue balance.

the senators approved him "stealing" money to upgrade his residence didn't they

the senators approved him "stealing" money to upgrade his residence didn't they

Two of them "approved" it after the fact. There was no funding legislation passed and you can find no Act #. The ones that support the governor have outstanding tax issues and their spouses have high paying do nothing jobs exempt unclassified and serve at the pleasure of the govna. Approval of theft after the fact does not imply legality, but it confirms complicity.

Step back and think about what is going on. Not paying the bus company will be followed by another issue. Then another.

There is enough money coming in to run all of 120,000 people in the VI. This is a small city on the main land. In the main land there might have a paid mayor, there might be some freeholders who are part time and there needs to be some adm stuff like tax collectes, etc. Our governor gets paid more than the mayor of NY! MORE l Let alone the small difference in population.

Here are my observations:

The people make out better when the senators ARE not in session. The senators had the oppertunity to reduce the number of senators. But that is like have the fox watch the hen house.

The government has gotten SO BIG with so many people employed that it can never support itself. There are more people on the government tit than ANYWHERE in the us. Including Washington DC. What does that say about us! We let them get away with this. And many are a part of the problem.

The answer has been to borrow more money.

Then borrow more money to make government bigger. Oh, now we need more money to support our bigger government. And on and on.

All of this needs a re look.

When they can borrow no more, and have taken the last dollar possible from the tax payers then, and only then might things change.

By the way you could use the same thoughts on our wondeful US government.

Billd

Billd - I agree. The USVI got that way under the eye of the Dept. of Interior. They have a desk officer in DC and a field officer in STT. I've complained by email multiple times but never get a response. I guess I'll need to call them for some real dialogue.

As for the USVI budget. It is about $1.4B; with around 40% coming from the Fed. Gov.t. So, every US Tax Payer should be outraged at the glut, mis-management and free-loading.

i agree with bild