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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommentaryOp-edMosler Running for Governor?

Mosler Running for Governor?

First, to all the USVI graduates from the elementary schools, the high schools and UVI, and to all of you in the numerous shools, colleges and universities throughout the US and the globe- congrats!!!

Next, this is the second of my proposals that I will be working on should I be the elected Governor of the USVI.

My first press release detailed my proposals for refinancing all USVI debt at much lower rates of interest, which will save us
well over $50 million per year in interest expense and also allow us to reclaim at least $175 million currently sitting idle in reserve
funds that will no longer be required.

My second proposal is to replace our current ‘at large’ system of representation with what is called ‘districting’.
I am proposing a reduction in the number of our Senators from 15 to 7. St. Croix and St. Thomas will be divided into three districts each- east, center, and west (with regard for not dividing neighborhoods)- with each of those six districts electing one Senator to represent it in the legislature. There will continue to be one Senator from St. John, with no change in how that Senator is elected.

Benefits from this change include each USVI resident having a single Senator who is responsible and accountable for representing his district, rather than the current arrangement where all 7 Senators equally represent their district of St. Croix or St. Thomas, which has resulted in little or no direct accountability, particularly at election time.

The Organic Act was imposed on the USVI by Congress, and specifies the operations of our government. Congress has periodically amended the organic act, and this change will require an additional amendment.

In past years I have personally spoken to members of Congress who have visited St. Croix, and who, after discussion and analysis of the difficulties imposed by the current system, along with how my proposal addresses these issues, assured me they would support this measure if formally presented to them by the USVI government.

I will begin this process with the US Department of the Interior, which, from prior discussions, also indicated that they would support this amendment if formally requested by the USVI government and would work with us to ensure Congress passes this amendment to the Organic Act.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. A number of years ago, Mr. Mosler’s company took over $6000.00 of my money as payment in full for a lot of the Mexican tile he brought to St. Croix. It was put aside for me to await installation in the home I was renovating. When I later went to load it up for installation it was “gone.” with little apology, his foreman explained that it had been sold to someone else and that I had to settle for a lesser grade tile of a different style. He offered no discount or refund. At this point, I had no choice but to accept the other tile as I did not have the kind of deep pockets Mr. Mosler had. But this did not stop me from contacting Mr. Mosler by email to see if he could fix the situation. His response was curt, off topic and rude. He took NO responsibility for the situation and offered nothing in the way of remuneration. I later was told he was, at the very same time, laying his own floor in his home on St. Croix and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was, in fact, my tile (admittedly, this is conjecture). Regardless, in my direct, personal, experience of this man, he is insincere, callous and rude…a narcissistic man of privilege who uses his advantage at the expense of others without a care in the world. Beware USVI.

  2. Mr Mosler leaves no justification for reducing the number of senators, which disproportionally favors the STT- STJ district. I could understand cutting their budget, their salaries, or making them part-time, but I do not understand cutting the amount of representation. Additionally, by supporting sub-districting, he would remove the right to vote for more than one senator. He is trying to make sure that the people from East End run this territory, but is not stating that outright.
    And by the way, he is rude.

  3. Mr. Mosler gave ample justification for reducing the number of Senators, and explained the benefits. How the previous commenter can leap from sub-districting to east-enders running everything just highlights how little to poster understands about the process that works in every State in the country. Districts are drawn based on population distribution. I expect at best, the entire east end would get only one Senator. Why does the poster want to support so many overpaid Senators, none of whom are directly accountable to any specific citizens? As it is, the election process for Senators is a farce. Would the poster also like to be able to post 7 votes for the same candidate? It is the previous poster who is rude – just look at the next to the last statement.