Solving V.I. cash crisis

Call Saudi Arabia.

Have one point person in each government department responsible for grant compliance. If they see a grant is on the way to being lost, they must be obligated to report it to the newspapers so the public can see who or what is causing us to lose the money that has been given to us, well in advance of it being lost. If not, that person is fired.

I think WAPA or the V.I. government should look into buying at least part of the refinery and continue refining on a smaller scale. It would save some of the jobs and continue to supply less expensive fuel to the V.I. Almost everything needed is already on the island.  

Next month, the real estate tax bills for 2009 will be sent out. If as in the past only one year's bill is sent out over a 12-month period, this means that the 2010 real estate tax bills won't be due until sometime in 2013, and the 2011 tax bills won't be issued until 2014. Regardless when they are collected, all past due real estate taxes have to be paid sooner or later.

What if the V. I. Government offered a substantial discount (perhaps 15 percent to 20 percent on the 2010 bill) as an incentive to those real estate owners who are willing to pay both their 2009 and 2010 tax bills during 2012? This is not a long-term solution, but will bridge the immediate cash shortfall.

Legalize medical marijuana and tax it. It saved California from financial disaster, and it will do the same for the V.I. In addition, there are the medical befits of this treatment. 

Why do we need all these senators? We should only have 9 senators rather than all these senators who do nothing and get a payroll check every week and every month. Puerto Rico is cutting down.

The people that will be losing their jobs, we need to work on their resilience. The economy is going to hurt, eventually, but they are going to hurt first.

I recommend the book, "Who moved my cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnson. It has some good ideas for building resilience. I know some people who've been laid off, and they are very, very depressed. Let's worry about our people first.

My suggestion immediately to overcome the issues that St. Croix and V.I. are facing is that number one, we look at the sun 365 days out of the year. St. Croix has a huge land mass of buildings and dirt that are not being used.

To eliminate unemployment, I feel we should immediately contact the poultry industry. Hatchery service.

They could contract with government and local farmers to set up poultry houses to raise the hatched birds. Also, we have land here which they could contract to plant corn, hay and other vegetables to feed the birds. Then you have another industry for people to pick up birds and take them to a processing plant, which would employ more people than HOVENSA employed.

The plus side of it for the poultry industry is that they can operate 365 days a year, they don't have to slow down because of the weather, and that will also help with importing and exporting. Also, we could approach the cereal industry.

Right now in Maryland, the poultry industry imports workers from Haiti.

That could be an immediate influx of revenue.

And you don't have to offer EDC benefits, you just offer them to come here to operate 365 days a year and don't have to give them all those freebies.

Medical marijuana or decriminalize possession.

Many states have passed a medical marijuana law or have decriminalized.

1. Save money in the justice system.

2. Save money on incarceration. 

3. Our teenagers are being arrested and their future is being ruined, they cannot get good jobs due to prison records.

4. Our citizens can grow up to 6 plants, like in the green triangle in California, thereby creating some income.

5. Land values have appreciated in the areas allowing medical marijuana.

6. Possibly increase tourism.

7. Free up our police to concentrate on more important matters.

8. Possible increase in tax revenue paid into the VIBR.

9. Collect money from fines if decriminalized.

Lets be the first in the area and be progressive about it. Let's use California as an example

What is needed is to keep the refinery operating and it's revenues and jobs to the Virgin Islands continuing. There is no lack of refinery products needed in the world today, in fact the needs will increase in the future.

The news has stated that the present HOVENSA oil refinery is losing money, is inefficient, etc., as it is operating and competing with newer refineries refining the oil with cheap natural gas, etc.

So, my idea is for the VI government to lease the refinery, then lease it again back to a country that has lots of oil that can afford at cost to run the refinery on oil and needs more refining for the oil it has.

My first choice would be to contact Brazil, Venezuela, both close to the V.I., after that Nigeria, if necessary.

I   live in Thomson, Ga., but I am genuinely concerned about Crucians. I love St. Croix. I want to help do more than the praying I've been doing. I do pay property taxes on the island and am trying to move there in the next few years.

I want to believe that "when one door closes another opens" and "it's darkest before the dawn" that "necessity is the mother of invention." I think beautiful St. Croix should re-direct itself to self-sustainability, which boils down to food and medical care.

Thanks to the progressive-thinking sustainable farms on St. Croix, the island has some notoriety for organic food. Why not encourage chemical-free growing to sell to the growing population of consumers opposed to genetically modified foods, processed foods and chemically poisoned foods. If there is ever a swing away from wholesome growing then the island hasn't lost anything because the food can stay at home. It serves a double purpose.

Second, the hospital must find self-sustainment. Whether it's reforming island health care with volunteer hours from able-bodied patients receiving care, attracting more versatile staff who can handle varied surgeries and procedures to prevent the mainland from biting into the profits or transitioning more swing beds to generate cash flow, the hospital needs stabilization as its purpose is fundamental.

Finally, capitalize on the fact that fewer people have visited St. Croix than the other sister islands. Since my husband is a surgeon, I know medical groups are always looking for compelling locales to host customized continuing medical education programs. The groups provide the professionals, St. Croix simply needs to market itself to these groups, specialize in entertaining and educating docs from the mainland. Could St. Croix raise funds by contacting billionaires, charitable trusts and via grant writing to initiate a Caribbean Children's Hospital? 

Perhaps pitching some networks about a St. Croix reality show documenting how the current struggle can't break a nation of strong Crucians could entice people with bigger ideas and fatter wallets.

I will continue praying and offer my help to you. 

Sign up for Text Alerts

Sign up for e-mail newsletters