Dear Source,
The governor announced a crackdown on the personal use of government vehicles. This rule has been on the books for aeons, but I suppose it's a better-late-than-never situation. It may indicate that the governor is starting to address the problem of spending, after he shocked the territory last week with his shortsighted borrowing and tax increase bail-out plan.
I have some questions with regard to the governor's announcement. Why would Gov. [Charles] Turnbull put the burden of enforcing this rule on an already over-burdened Police Department? Are department and agency heads utterly unaware of the activities of those they supervise? Why aren't government employees checked when leaving the workplace and told to park up the cars they are not authorized to drive?
Our Police Department is dealing with a crime wave on these islands. The police should concentrate on murders, missing persons, robberies and burglaries and not the behavior of government employees. If department heads were doing their jobs, it would be a simple matter. Let's hold them accountable for a change!
I have one more suggestion. Set up a hotline for the public to report the misuse of government vehicles. There are 100,000+ sets of eyes out here that would be glad to assist.
Ann Herche
St. Croix
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