WAPA AGAIN???????

rokipatel,
As a newbie don't forget to register to vote. From your past posts it appears you forgot the due diligence required when a business and home are to be opened and purchased.

No lIzard i have not forgotten that the VI has a deficient water and power structure i Knew that what i am uphold is how an American Territory could be in that shape. Don't worry i wont forget to vote.

You go on down there Mr Custer...

😉

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. We try and tell people and then they get here and say -- This is AMERICA, it can't be like this. But is is. You either have to adapt or consider moving back to the mainland.

Trade _
Your response to my post just proves what I was saying; don't discuss anything controversial. Just accept it and shut up.
Maybe you're correct and nothing can be changed. But just saying "this is realism" and going on your merry way, without even daring to DISCUSS the problem, is short-sighted, at best.

And by the way, the sarcasm is unnecessary.

Oh, you're lecturing me about sarcasm? :@) Well, come on down & solve the problems. We can whine, discuss, gnash our teeth, tear our hair out & what good will it do? Please come down & do something since the rest of us have failed miserably. You only pop on here to wag your fingers so have at it. Your solutions for our short-comings?

When will you be coming here, by the way? This is a relocation forum.

I don't think that people are not willing to discuss the WAPA problems - it seems that most of this thread has been about it - most of the residents who have responded have just been realistic and have been dealing with the power problems for years - you have to find your own comfort level about having times of no power - if you read the initial post - roki didn't even know the power was out, he/she read about it in the paper according to that post. Some people have smaller generators and use them on occasion - some don't mind at all and have simple ways to deal with it. I doubt locals have their head in the sand about the situation but ' demanding ' the Government to change things only leads to more frustration so personal solutions whether it is a generator, ice and oil lamps, solar panels etc. is acceptance and realizing your own needs and meeting them.
Wapa has 2 generators not on line the last few days and is supplying power on a rotating basis so no one's power is out for too long - they must meet the demand of the stores running A/C with their doors wide open, the Govt. offices etc. all day but once the demand is lower after 5 PM - almost always they can meet it. Everyone should attend some of the Wapa, PSC, Senate hearings and learn some of the intrinsic problems - maybe someone has some answers or solutions that can help change things as we muddle along.

Hey Angela,

"Quote"
( and by the way, the sarcasm is unnecessary)

Now that's funny!

Thank you, Exit Zero, for your insightful and level-headed response. Certainly, I do not have the answers to those problems but I hope that someone else does, or at least works on possible solutions, to bring you islanders some relief.

Lizard - Glad I was able to make you smile!

rokipatel -
been there, done this.
I think some of you should go a lil' easier here, most have gone through this one way or another, just some of us handled it differently. And all the research in the world CANNOT prepare you for the "culture" shock of living in the VI...some of it is do to the lifestyle differences, but then a lot of it is do to the fact that we get frustrated and find it hard to accept that some of the most logical things just are not. What we may view as basic common sense, just isn't the same...Hang in there, but ya got to let loose of the anger inside or you will drive your self to an early grave. I did come to realize that it all feels better when you "work with it" an not against it.
Good Luck!

I have the impression that Ronnie, Trade, EE and a few others have been repeatedly making a point that seems to be making a 'whooshing' sound as it flies over the head of roki and angela... that living in the VI's IS NOT about making things "better". Let's face it: if you move to the VI's without doing your homework... or with the grandiose (and i promise you it is grandiose) idea that you and a handful of fellow complainers can turn one or more islands into the 'first world paradise' you would like it to become... then YOU CHOSE THE WRONG PLACE FOR THE WRONG REASONS. You will... and you should... ultimately throw your hands up in despair and go somewhere more appropriate to your idea of what the world is about.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not calling you 'wrong' or in any way a bad person. All I'm saying is that somewhere along the way you got swept into an idea of what is 'right' that has no basis in Virgins Islands reality. It reminds me somewhat of the kind of thing our current administration in Washington DC thinks is 'right' for America, whether America wants it or not.

i]Don't Stop the Carnival wasn't written 5 years ago. It wasn't even written 10 or 20 years ago. It was written when this 'old timer' fell in love with the islands as a boy in 1965. And it's description of island life was true many years before that. It is in my opinion a GOOD thing that the Virgin Islands didn't become MORE of a haven for rich 'Yuppies' in the '80's and '90's ( though one might be justified in saying the islands should be renamed the 'Madonna Islands' because whatever resemblance they have to being 'Like a Virgin' is disturbingly ironic). Still, in spite of all that, the Caribbean retains the character of the people that lived here long before the USA made a deal with the Dutch to improve its 'national security' during a war we have long since forgotten, without which the USVI would not be connected to the United States at all.

The bottom line is that Herman Wouk's words... which were incredibly perceptive... portray a perfectly valid philosophy and not a disease. Some people don't WANT to sacrifice a culture or a way of viewing life in favor of "better economic conditions". After all.. in the 43 years since Wouk authored his book (at the very least) -- and the last 8 years in particular -- the continental United States has been SUCCUMBED by the idea of sacrificing everything else.. the environment, civic infrastructure, corporate loyalty, what-have-you... for a handful of false Gods with names like 'GDP', 'Free Trade' and 'National Security'. Moreover, for every time our nation's leader has admonished our country to forsake doing some admirable thing because it would 'not be good for our nation's economy', we now seem to be paying for heeding that advice in spades.

There are cracks in the infrastructure anywhere you look in the richest country in the world. Bridges are collapsing, roads are in disrepair, schools are failing and good-paying jobs are leaving the country. Food and energy prices are rising while home values are falling, and the Hydra of high interest rates, high inflation and slow economic growth is about to resurge in a way that hasn't been seen since a decade after Wouk's book was published. My personal perception is that the USA has not become a notably healthier place for my son to grow up over this time.... nor will anything done in the name of monetary policy over the past 40 years or so create a better world for his children... if there still is one then...

Yes, WAPA is a disaster right now... but so is the rest of America. WAPA's problem stems in part from the addiction to oil we never dealt with back in the 1970's, and in part from a government who is spending far too much, isn't taxing in accordance with its budget, and isn't paying its bills as a result. Does any of this sound familiar? Yet for the US Virgin Islands no one can say this is a new phenomenon. It is only the latest variation on the way things have been for generations. The carnival will not stop because WAPA is charging too much to keep the lights on. The people will still be dancing in the streets. And when the pain gets great enough, the people of the Virgin Islands will figure out a solution on 'island time'. Hopefully the rest of America will do the same... at the pace of continental drift.

The idea that achieving some 'standard of living' which should be measured against Omaha, Nebraska or Atlanta, Georgia or even Eugene, Oregon is -- frankly speaking -- arrogant in the sense that things are 'better' in these places and misguided in the sense that they can be expected to stay that way as the Global Economy matures.

In the meantime, the people who live in the Virgin Islands will look at their bill from WAPA and sigh, and go on limin'. Or they will leave, depending on their attitude.

Very well said, Sailaway, Maybe that point will stop whooshing. 🙂

Sailaway,
The USA didn't make a deal with the "Dutch" it was "Denmark"!

Yes, Lizard... Quite embarrassed since I've actually written an article on that one... I caught a number of errors and tried to change them but too late... for example it was unfair to call it a war we've forgotten about... just one we've forgotten the lessons of. Worse yet I think my attitude sounded too judgmental when I really do understand the frustration of all those who come to the islands and then leave again instead of adapting. Don't know what came over me... sometimes the words rush into my head faster than I can type and I don't look at what I wrote carefully enough before posting... Ah, well...

Believe it or not complaining and bringing problems to light is how change starts. If you are ok with the problems or believe nothing will ever change, why bother responding to the topics? Why not just let people discuss whatever it is they want to discuss?

It's not bringing anything to light. Everyone who lives here knows all about it.

My point is if you don't want to discuss it don't participate in the conversation.

I SAID IT !!!!!!!!!!!! Many weeks back i said in this forum that WAPA was in conversations with Puerto rico's ( Prepa) to make St Thomas part of The Puerto rico Electrical grid. There is already an underwater cable between the main Island of Puerto rico and Culebra all they have to do is extended to STT and WAPA will distribute the Energy. Puerto rico has more than ample reserves to power ST thomas 100 times over the PREPA system of Puerto Rico is consider the most reliable in the Caribbean by Far. The capacity of energy production is Puerto rico is great not only they use OIL for thermoelectric but a big portion of the grid is feed by Coal and Natural gas and a new natural gas plant will be in line in a couple of months in the west coast of Puerto rico. What hodges of Wapa is trying to do is to half STT and STJ hooked to prepa's grid and to buy energy for prepa at lower cost also this underwater cable will serve as a source of security and it will avoid the Rolling black outs like we experience for almost a week because Generating plant is falling into disrepair and there is no money for maintaining the old system. Also the plant run 100% on diesel type fuel which has gone up so far this year 30%. WAPA's Inability to supply reliable power is a concern to residents and Business . We have seen allot of Business and retailers move out of St thomas because the price of electricity and also the poor service they get.

Well, that would certainly be good news, Rokipatel. What do you think the rates would be if this happens - better, worse or same? If it's reliable, at least that would be an improvement.

My point is if you don't want to discuss it don't participate in the conversation.

Didn't you decide you weren't moving here so why is it important to you?

Trade i don't know if wapa is going to pass the saving to the customers. Prepa is cheaper than Wapa just to put it in Perspective is about 5 % more than FPL in Florida and about the same what they pay in New York city with conedison. The KW price in Puerto rico is very cheap what makes it somewhat more expensive is what they call oil adjustment but the government of Puerto rico heavily subsidizes oil and now Puerto rico is getting cheaper oil from Venezuela but energy production in Puerto rico by 2010 is going to be 50% natural gas and coal which makes it wayyyyyyyyy cheaper than Wapa, Right now is about 40%.

Well, that would certainly be good news, Rokipatel. What do you think the rates would be if this happens - better, worse or same? If it's reliable, at least that would be an improvement.

My point is if you don't want to discuss it don't participate in the conversation.

Didn't you decide you weren't moving here so why is it important to you?

I decided I'm not moving there at this time - doesn't mean my interest in the USVI has changed or that I'm not capable of participating in conversations about the islands. I would like to stay informed and I have come to think of you as a friend - I thought you would have done the same by now.

"...I have come to think of you as a friend - I thought you would have done the same by now."

I can't believe you're trying to make Trade feel guilty for speaking her mind! You've spent five weeks posting on this board and you think of another contributor, whom you've never even met, as your friend? Some people who post here may write friendly posts, but that is not the same thing as being your friend.

I tried thinking of a way David and the others might understand why we don't like newcomers telling us how to fix everything. As another poster pointed out we know what the problems are on a much better level and struggle hard to live with them and make things better. It is so not a easy way to live and deeply frustrating. When a newcomer says you guys need to fix it you are just point out something that is painfully, clearly obvious to us all. Until you've been in the trenches long enough and in David's case, at all, you just don't have the right to complain.

OR

Think of it as a small western town from the old movies that a newcomer comes to. The local are friendly on the surface but no one is really accepting you till you have paid your dues or proven you're sticking around. Doesn't mean we aren't all happy to give advice.

I wonder how electricity came to be available on the islands at all? Or why was it brought to the islands in the first place?
Do you suppose that someone that had experienced electricity elsewhere desired it to be on the idslands as well?
There must have been some real heavy and heated discussions over the massive change to the local culture and the way everything had been for generations before.
But discussions were had and electricity arrived.

Let the discussions continue.