Mapp: No Bonds Right Now, V.I. Needs New Taxes to Sustain Budge

Tax, tax, tax - typical Dem game plan. Let me know how that works out. Cut spending, just like we would have to do in our house hold. Do we need new cars? How many employees do you need in your gaming commission? I don't remember the exact number, but you have one casino and a slot casino on STX. One person could do that job part time in my opinion. Get rid of gov't cars unless you are using them for official work business. You see them all the time on the weekends, I'm sure they weren't working Christmas and New Years Eve which was a Saturday.

Sell and privatize the hospitals.

Collect taxes that are not being paid.

Sell and privatize the hospitals.

And what would happen to all the people (the majority) who do not have insurance or who have inadequate insurance? If you want to have a two-tiered system, that is something for discussion. As long as you have a service (medical care) that some people feel they should get for free, there will be problems.

Privatize the horse racing track, the graveyards.
Right size the payroll.
Sell the cars.
Decrease the number of government holidays and administrative leave.

The majority of those residing in the VI have health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. Depending on what source you use 10-20,000 are without health insurance of any kind.

I suspect it would be hard to right-size the payroll without seriously jeopardizing the local economy, where government employment for life is an expectation for many.

The holidays and administrative leave certainly could be cut back and might impact the bottom line.

Cars are a point of contention that the government should deal with for optics - but would have little impact on the overwhelmingly large and growing debt.

Don't know much about horse racing in the VI.

The VI economic model is age-old, inefficient and broken. No one really wants to fix it. But I can't think of a better governor to suffer the consequence of imminent failure than Mapp.

Sell and privatize the hospitals.

And what would happen to all the people (the majority) who do not have insurance or who have inadequate insurance? If you want to have a two-tiered system, that is something for discussion. As long as you have a service (medical care) that some people feel they should get for free, there will be problems.

Privatize the horse racing track, the graveyards.
Right size the payroll.
Sell the cars.
Decrease the number of government holidays and administrative leave.

"The VI economic model is age-old, inefficient and broken. No one really wants to fix it. But I can't think of a better governor to suffer the consequence of imminent failure than Mapp."

It'd be great if he was suffering and agonizing over the consequences but he's living large at the Ritz, enjoying his new limo and 2 armored vehicles, employing dozens of relatives and traveling First Class with his high paid cronies, hither and yon, and feeding, feting and indulging his corpulant self for all he can get and will continue to do so.

He probably has stashed lots of cash to ease the financial burden of being the last of his kind. Feds should not be friendly to him, but who knows with Trump. They are two peas in a pod.

"The VI economic model is age-old, inefficient and broken. No one really wants to fix it. But I can't think of a better governor to suffer the consequence of imminent failure than Mapp."

It'd be great if he was suffering and agonizing over the consequences but he's living large at the Ritz, enjoying his new limo and 2 armored vehicles, employing dozens of relatives and traveling First Class with his high paid cronies, hither and yon, and feeding, feting and indulging his corpulant self for all he can get and will continue to do so.

Vs what the Feds have done over the last 8 years?

It would be nice if you kept your incessant whining over the POTUS-E confined to the thread in Under the Coconut Tree.

The only one whining about the blotus elect on this thread is you.

If VI gov has two weeks cash on hand they can only meet next payroll. Things will get interesting here. First Bank will not advance any cash unless new bonds are issued. Junk bonds.

The only answer is to completely remove every government official and start fresh with ones from the states. Locals have proven time and again that they are corrupt and not up to the challenge.

Just the sight of this overstuffed toad big mouth governor makes me wanna puke! He does not deseve the time of day & I hope the senators shove his "sin tax proposal" up his fat backside.

Not gonna happen.
That $150K that was "gifted"to our illustrious senator$ made sure they'd fall in line.The "setty fowl" just got her comeuppance.
Remember, our monarch bemoaned our impending financial crisis, then hired his buddies, family members, cronies, etc, and raised their salaries for jobs most not qualified for, while he sets family members up on important boards, fires qualified people who would oppose him, continues to spend our money on his personal and lavish lifestyle, so there you have it.
There shall be no checks and balances between the 3 branches of VI Government

Either vote, raise your voices to your representative, get involved or stfu.

I know how the government could fund it's next payroll. Since we have such close ties to Denmark and all of the socialists/democrats here want to mimic the Nordic countries we could follow their example.

Denmark just lowered the registration tax limit on new cars from 180% to 150% of value. So now for new vehicles which cost under $12,000 the registration tax is 105% of value and for over $12,000 it is 150% of value.

I bet he hasn't thought of this tax. He would get money and everyone would be forced to ride bicycles and VITran. The roads would need less maintenance.

http://www.thelocal.dk/20151120/whats-the-deal-with-denmarks-car-registration-tax

Get a grip on reality, Rotor.

Get a grip on reality, Rotor.

HaHaHa! That's very funny coming from you.

I have a strong grip on reality.
Hopefully, you, will eventually.

"If nothing is approved or put in place, he said, the government will have to take $110 million out of its budget this fiscal year, which could result in the closing of some government offices, furloughs, and a “curtailing” of government operations,..." Mapp said.

Like that would be a bad thing? I don't really want to see people unemployed, but we have a really high % of our population that is working for the government. Too high in my opinion. I'd like to see a bigger effort in collecting taxes from people who are not paying instead of making taxes higher for the people who are paying.

Cleaning the rolls of the government would be a good thing. There is nothing better for job performance other then possibility of loosing ones job. If half of the government staff was immediately cut the service would improve.

Legalize Pot. Would create industry-farmers, sellers, bakers. (Edibles are huge.) VI Could tax the heck out of it. Look at Colorado and Washington State. Problem solved.

Legalize Pot. Would create industry-farmers, sellers, bakers. (Edibles are huge.) VI Could tax the heck out of it. Look at Colorado and Washington State. Problem solved.

(tu)

Should be a sin tax everyone can agree on.

I was just having a funny thought about the current weed dealers going legit and trying to get a business license and paying gross receipts.

A look ahead for the USVI.
Official: Puerto Rico govt could collapse if no steps taken

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/17/official-puerto-rico-govt-could-collapse-if-no-steps-taken.html

I was just having a funny thought about the current weed dealers going legit and trying to get a business license and paying gross receipts.

(tu)

And that's why even though it's a no brainer, it will never pass here. Too many people making money off it already. It's unfortunate.

Nice letter to the editor about legalization today in the VI Daily News.