Today it is almost impossible to speak to an issue without being considered Political.

Just like how it is becoming to be more and more difficult to function without a credit card or being in debt. I have been told by a lender, that if you are not in debt, how would we know if you are honest.

What! Pretty soon The Mark.

I feel the most positive benefits from this past election has been all of the many ideas, projects and proposals presented by the aspirants.

When questions were being solicited from the community to pose to the candidates; my question submitted was: who, when, what, where, why and how to get Bills stuck and lost in committee to be processed.

My understanding is that an idea, project, proposal has to be submitted within the oversight committee. Then, it has to be drafted into a Bill formate to be presented to the Legislature for approval, to be passed in to Law or for funding.

Having served on boards and having submitted several grant proposals over the years with many approved, I have a good sense of the process from both sides.

One issue I can speak to is the rejection without feedback to how to improve submissions. What often happens is rejected concepts and ideas are applied to other's proposals or they are just dumped.

To the issue of transparency: why is it not public information to what proposals (Bills) are locked in committees, when were the Bills submitted, who submitted the Bill, who vote for or against the Bill and why the deadlock.

Will this newly elected Legislature, the first branch of government, take what has already been submitted, improve on them with all of the many suggestion proposed or will it be business as usual, advancing self interest at the expense of the community at large?

Many would like answers to these questions.

Ivan Butcher II
St. Croix