Dear Source:
For those interested in learning the history of the "legislature," you can access this by going to www.legvi.org. Go to "History" and read. Here you will find how this body came to being and how it has "morphed," 27 times, to what it is today.
I'm not sure if the delegates to this constitutional convention have the authority to change the "body" of the legislature, but I'm hoping it does or somebody else does. What's apparent after reading the history of the legislature is, we don't need 15 senators. I'm not sure we ever needed that many. Five would be enough! Two from St. Croix, Two from St. Thomas and one from St. John and no one AT LARGE!!!
Here's my reasoning: Getting rid of ten Senators would save the government over $20 million/year in salary, given the amount of people that work for it and the amount of paper this body exudes (maybe more than 20 million?). It would also drive down the pension liabilty to GERS, which is a major concern.
I believe these Islands are in "a state of emergency" financially and in every other way, and no one, not even the tooth fairy, will assist (not even the federal government). So what do you do? You have to cut the fat and you have to cut from the top down.
This will not go down well with those in power, but they have temporary power, just two years, it's the people who have the power and somehow, all this must change.
What we really need are more police on the streets and a better educational system. Removing ten Senators will provide the capitol needed for this and more. I don't know any other way, nor does this "Legislature"!!!!
George Hollander
St. John
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
