In her annual address Tuesday, Delegate to Congress Donna Christian-Christensen reviewed her 1999 accomplishments, outlined an ambitious agenda for the coming year and, almost as an afterthought, threw her hat in the ring for a third term.
"Yes, I am running for another term," said Christensen, after describing a range of initiatives aimed at bringing in more than $500 million in federal funding over the next five years.
"By our calculation, and we are still counting, in fiscal year 1999 more than $150 million came to the territory," Christensen said. "The package for fiscal year 2001 and beyond, which we propose, would add up to $500 million or more, hopefully over a period not to exceed five years."
The delegate said the fate of her funding proposals will very likely hinge on who wins the presidency in November. Christensen, who supports Vice President Al Gore, said a Democratic victory would help her efforts. A Republican win wouldn’t bode well for the territory, she said.
"Past history with Republican administrations would indicate they wouldn’t be the best for the territory," Christensen said. "Either Democrat [Gore or Senator Bill Bradley] would be OK."
Among her main goals for the coming year:
– Assist Gov. Charles Turnbull’s efforts in having the Federal Emergency Management Agency forgive the territory’s $200 million debt.
– Request a reimbursement from the federal government on the $12 million the territory pays out each year for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
– Continue efforts to have the federal government extend empowerment zone-economic community designation to the territory.
– Work with the Gasoline Excise Tax Commission to return taxes that may be due the territory.
– Seek a special appropriation for money owed to territorial hospitals by Medicaid.
– Assist the V.I. Port Authority in securing funds to complete the St. Croix runway extension and the Enighed Pond project on St. John.
As for 1999, Christensen pointed to success in having the excise-tax cap on V.I. rum lifted. The move, retroactive to July 1999, extends to December 2001 and will bring the territory an additional $30 million to $34 million, she said.
"While it is still not all we asked for, it does give us additional time to work toward having the entire cap lifted permanently."
Christensen said she had also succeeded in expanding duty-free benefits to manufacturers of jewelry, primarily on St. Croix. She said three new watch and jewelry manufacturers were preparing to open on the Big Island.
At the height of the watch industry a decade ago, between 1,000 and 1,200 people in the territory were working in the field, she said, noting the number was now down to 200 to 300. She said that figure could double once the new companies start up.
Finally, Christensen, a doctor and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus’s Health Braintrust, mentioned her efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in the territory and win funding for the Children’s Health Insurance program. From October 1999 until 2002, the Virgin Islands will receive $900,000 a year to cover the needs of children whose parents cannot afford private health insurance but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.
