Dear Source:
A July 20th article stated – During Thursday's meeting, senators said they were concerned because a contract for a third-party fiduciary has yet to be awarded, even though negotiations with one unspecified vendor have been ongoing for the past few months. "It seems as if we keep spending money on the same things all the time," Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste said. "Like the third-party fiduciary–we've made appropriations for this before, and yet we still don't know what's going on."
An August 1 article stated – A recent press release from Gov't House OMB Director Mills said negotiations for the 3rd party fiduciary was still in process". In attempting to address surfacing rumors, this article also said- Berry stated, "To dispel these rumors of a potential conflict of interest, the names of all the companies involved in the process should be released".
An August 2 article says – the release from the Committee to Elect Richards and Jackson says since March 29th, Property and Procurement Commissioner Biggs letter stated a selection on the bidders had been made. It also added, clearly, there can be no conflict of interest. The Committee to Elect Richards and Jackson release referred to Berry's comments as "disingenuous," and a "malicious attempt to malign" Jackson's character.
What seems to be clear, is the left hand of Gov't doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Why did it take a candidate's election committee to inform us all? Why wasn't OMB's Director aware a decision was already made, before the recent press release? To whom was Bigg's March 29 letter addressed to? Why weren't the senators and public aware of this yet either? Why didn't anyone come forward to clarify this situation to the senate when the meeting took place back in July?
It is apparent that the senators, not only Berry, have been trying to get answers on this problem in the past months. Berry stepped up to the plate to dispel rumors when they surfaced. Does the committee not know what the word "dispel" means? The attempt to have rumors dispelled and an attempt to be malicious are two very different things.
Ross and Berry's platform have focused on the need for transparency in Gov't. A situation like this magnifies why transparency is needed. If such an important decision like this has taken place months ago and yet the senate, OMB, or the public has been made aware of it, we do have some serious problems in our hands with the way things are conducted.
If this information had been released at the time a decision was made, no rumors would have surfaced. This is August. It's been over 4 months a decision has been made. We the public, should not be hearing the results of such an important decision from any candidate's election committee. Where did it go wrong with the Gov't officials who knew the decision had been made and not informed us all?
Carol Berry
St. Thomas
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