King Gov's Extravagance

Amen, Speed1dy!

While Mapp many have some good ideas, past history provides insight into future behaviour. He will outspend DeJongh by $100K if he keeps the $12,500 rental just for his 4 year term. By $700K if he should be re-elected. Hope he doesn't decide the need to renovate the owners property while he's there.

I'd like Mapp to be a great governor. It's what the people of the Virgin Islands deserve. While he has some good ideas, whether they will translate into being beneficial to the people of the VI and improve our islands and our lives, remains to be seen.

So far, with the resignation of Soroya Coffelt, his extravagant rental and increase in salaries, private plane charters back and forth to STX,
his inauguration extravaganza, failure to be current on his taxes, and other things, I am not, thus far, impressed.

You can't cry broke and then not take actions to curb spending, needlessly, including his own on taxpayer dollar.
He does seem to be saying, "Do as I say, not as I do."

If he spent $12,500 a month on cleaning Catherineberg, it would be ready for occupancy in no time at all!

When Turnbull was gov there was a stink about his living in a rental that was costing $7000 a month.

There is a home in Nazareth owned by Ashby, assessed in excess of 2 million. It has 7 years of property taxes unpaid, for almost $50,000. think this is 'the house"??

Ought to send that query to local newspapers.

10. Rural's receipt was a recovery of money that they had loaned to Prosser/Vitelco.

I have never heard of recovered funds being taxable.

The company to which we and the government pay innovative phone and telephone bills has not paid taxes.

Who owns the house that Mapp is renting for $12,500/month. Is he related to them?

miss justice you can not be serious. there was no silence. people were complaining left and right about the past governors 500,000 for 2 terms. and they are complaining about this governors 600,000 for 1 term. so what the heck is your point

red herrings, all the way. -_-

The company to which we and the government pay innovative phone and telephone bills has not paid taxes.

Which comment (as was your original on the subject posted earlier) simply indicates that you have not a clue what you're talking about. It seems that if the names, "VITELCO" and "Jeffrey Prosser" and, "Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative" were mentioned in your presence, your reaction would be a blank stare.

It's unfortunate that you really believe the hyperbole and misinformation you toss out so blithely but I've noticed many times that you latch on to one small fact and then put a major spin on it to turn it into a mountain of bull excrement.

Who owns the house that Mapp is renting for $12,500/month. Is he related to them?

The home, according to sources, is owned by Jimez Ashby, owner of A-9 Trucking and VI Recycling Company. The massive structure appears to be a new construction with newly paved driveways, manicured grounds, and modern fixtures.

The two companies Ashby owns have identical telephone numbers listed, as shown by the screen grabs immediately below. A screenshot of Mr. Ashby’s LinkedIn profile is also included.

On April 23, 2014, the V.I. Waste Management Authority board approved contracts and amended existing ones. On that date, the board approved a retroactive $138,000 payment to A-9 Trucking for services rendered at the St. Thomas landfill between March 2011 and April 2011; a three-year contract for scrap metal management in the St. Thomas-St. John District by V.I. Recycling, for a cost not to exceed $2,933,366.84; and a retroactive $95,650 payment to V.I. Recycling for services rendered for scrap metal management from March 2012 through May 2012.

The government contracts, however, are not suggestive that Gov. Mapp has colluded with Ashby, as Ashby had been doing business with the V.I. government years before Mapp took office.

Here's the link to the article with pics and links:

http://viconsortium.com/featured/governor-mapps-12500-monthly-st-thomas-rental-revealed/

The owner if this property is making a hell of a lot of money off of his contracts with Wasteful Mismanagement Authority. One would hope his taxes are up to date.

According to this op-ed by Paul Murphy, Gov. Mapp should be paying rent and personal security out of his own pocket. Not to mention that DeJongh should be reimbursing the VI government for his expenditures from his Mafoliegate fiasco as well as having the VI have an independent Attorney General that puts the public's welfare before that of any government official.

It's a great opinion piece and I hope everyone will take the time to read it:

http://viconsortium.com/opinion/op-ed-government-officials-fringe-benefits-fool-me-twice-shame-on-me/

Solution:
Evict all the agencies and staff at Government House in St. Thomas.
Retrofit the rooms to accommodate living quarters. (Use another $500,000 just like we spent on the home of Gov. Him-that-cannot-be-mentioned)
Rent a series of offices to house the newly evicted agencies.
Retrofit and build out those offices with fax, phone, Internet, cubicles, security, handicap Ramos etc.
Pay rent of $20,000 per month.
Do not renew the $12,500 Monthly 6 month short term lease on Mapp's temporary digs.
Happy now?

Or buy DeJongs house and use it as the new government house.

As is usual, MJ as Mapp's most ardent and strident defender and supporter cannot see the forest for the trees and misses the whole point of the op-ed piece by Paul Murphy.

The point being made is that no governor should be using public funds/taxpayer dollars to live or enhance anywhere other than that which is the " established residence" of a governor of the Virgin Islands. That any governor that wishes to have private security do so at their expense, that there are tax ramifications for those fringe benefits that are mentioned in the op-ed to anyone receiving those benefits, that the governor's salary go towards those personal expenses and that an independent VIAG is an absolute necessity to avoid conflict of interest where the public good is placed before that of a governor that appoints said VI Attorney General.

It's past time to halt the gravy train at taxpayer's expense.

The IRB should be auditing every employee of the VI government including those elected. Anyone who drives a government owned vehicle home at night, including police officers, should be paying tax on these perks. "Should" but "won't".

Quite frankly he never used mold as an issue. He had a kind word for old. Mold can be removed quickly. I doubt there is any there. It's a well ventilated house. I really don't know the real reason why he won't stay there.

i want to know why mj is blaming the "mold issue" on the last governor for the governors residence

i want to know why mj is blaming the "mold issue" on the last governor for the governors residence

There never was a "mold issue" there and MJ's scuttlebutt on the subject is exactly that - no more and no less than a lot of the other "information" she disseminates.

In Friday's Daily News they said he said (no quote) that he could not live in "official residence in Estate Catherineberg because of problems caused by mold and neglect." Page 3 under Rental House Expense.

Guess we need recording of press conference to determine what he actually said.

I usually don't chime in on controversial subjects, however, I can't remain silent on this one...so, MJ, Catherineberg is mold infested and unliveable?? Then friggin' FIX it!! That is possible, you know. There are professional companies that do just that! Fix it and reside there when on STT. And, how the hell is $12,500 "par for the course" for a governor of a financially struggling territory?? Furthermore, alluding to anything less than that being a "housing project" is utterly ridiculous!! Currently, there are several places on STT for rent that are "worthy" of an elected official and the highest one is $7,900, furnished with a pool and a lovely view. Personally, I think THAT is too much money for the taxpayers to pay for our elected official $4,000-$5,000 may suffice. And "security" is part of his reasoning for needing to spend $12,500?? Give me a break!!!! Get off your high horse, Mapp, and quit acting like you are King of the VI!

Quite frankly he never used mold as an issue. He had a kind word for old. Mold can be removed quickly. I doubt there is any there. It's a well ventilated house. I really don't know the real reason why he won't stay there.

Maybe he doesn't like the neighborhood. 😉

lol

Here is another commissioner's salary that's getting bumped up:
"In speaking of personnel costs, Sen. Novelle Francis Jr. asked about Farrell's salary.

Farrell said if he is confirmed, he will be making $105,000. His predecessor was earning $85,000, he said.

Francis questioned yet another salary bump for a commissioner position when the government is complaining that it has no money."

http://m.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/fire-service-choice-advances-as-senator-warns-there-is-no-money-tree-1.1836784

Isn't the legislators pay supposed to be equal to the lowest paid commissioner?

More than one person just got a raise.

He can't fit his ego in Govt House or Catherineberg so had to find a place large enough for his belly and his ego.

Mitch McConnell looked perfectly fine in the Govt House photo. Most governor housing is old and lackluster by today's standards, but most seem to appreciate the historical significance and choose to live in those dwellings.
.
We need an independent assessment of both properties so we can either rehab existing property for governor use or request Congress amend Organic Act to allow purchase of new governor's residence or set maximum rent public will pay.

All the Realtors should post properties in the $4,000 month range so people can see the extravagance they are paying for.

So far, only the VI Consortium has posted photos of the remote, secluded, gated, expensive property.

Mapp is making DeJongh look modest.

The point of the op-ed by Paul Murphy was that if a governor chooses to live elsewhere than the governor's house, then he pay out of his pocket and his salary. None of this should be subsidized by the public.