USVI voters express election hopes and fears

ST. CROIX — Over the past few weeks, the U.S. Virgin Islands has become increasingly adorned with posters, both large and small, each promoting a different candidate in the election. With less than 24 hours until Election Day, Consortium reporters wanted to find out what voters thought about their choice of representatives and about the political environment in general.

We spoke to three St. Croix residents and here’s what they had to say.

“I want to see the difference,” said Shanda Ramnarine, a Virgin Islander with Trinidadian roots. “The struggle is real and… as far as I can see there is not much improvement.” Ms Ramnarine says she is actively involved in the political process, having taken part in party primaries earlier this year. One of her main problems is the ongoing accounting crisis in the VI Department of Water and Energy. She says whoever sits in the 36th Legislature must urgently address this issue. Another problem is the slow pace of introducing retroactive payments to former government employees. “My husband worked in government for over 30 years. He died and we are still waiting to receive this retro money that was provided.”

For too long, Ms. Ramnarine said, legislators have talked too much and not taken enough action on key issues facing Virgin Islanders. “We’re tired of this. We want to see change,” she said, pointing to the plight of the homeless and elderly. “You keep them in mind when you want them to vote,” she warned lawmakers. “Do we ever go out there and visit and find out what their needs are?”

Despite her frustration with the slow pace of progress on St. Croix and the Virgin Islands as a whole, Ms. Ramnarine was pragmatic about the prospects for change. She recognized that it is up to citizens to put pressure on their elected officials—not just when they begin campaigning, but throughout their tenure. She urged young voters not to be discouraged, noting that change takes time and effort. “There is always hope, and with hope comes change,” she noted.

While Ms. Ramnarine waits until Tuesday to vote, Charles D. Peters, an award-winning photographer and renowned architect, has already done so. He told the Consortium that he usually votes earlier to avoid crowds and to guard against a potential emergency.

Mr Peters said he was positive about this year’s slate of candidates. “I’m quite happy with what we have,” he noted. “I’m pleased with the level of intelligence we have on the books, on both sides of the aisle.”

Mr. Peters’ top issues include “funding, education, agriculture and health care – those are always my top concerns.” He believes some of the lawmakers he has supported over the years have done a “fantastic job” on these key issues, but Mr Peters admits there is still more work to be done.

St. Croix’s recent lack of sustained economic growth is due to one important factor, Mr. Peters said. “First, we lost population growth. We’ve lost big investors, big time, and we’ve lost a lot of talent, there’s been a brain drain.” He believes that focusing on promoting entrepreneurship on the Big Island can help combat this problem.

Like Ms Ramnarine before him, Mr Peters had a similar message to young voters. “The status quo won’t change overnight,” he said, urging people to tune out the noise and focus on the issues that matter to them. The voting culture also needs to change, Mr Peters said. “We can’t just say I’m going to vote for him because he’s my friend, he’s my cousin… he’s my this and my that.” The key, Mr. Peter said, is awareness and understanding of the issues facing Virgin Islanders. “The people who vote need to be educated,” he said, suggesting that younger voters sit with their elders and discuss policy and strategy when it comes to deciding on the leaders they choose.

Eloy “Venti” Nielsen is another early voter who decided to do so to avoid the crowds. “I don’t have to fight all the people handing me little brochures and stuff,” he joked. His main issue is the economy. “I think we could do better,” the man said. whose name adorns the Christiansted bypass. He believes his selection of candidates is up to the task. “I think they are capable of making the right decisions, or at least developing laws that could do so.”

Another big problem is the state of the region’s road infrastructure. As the former director of the Virgin Islands federal aid highway program, Mr. Nielsen says, “it pains me to see the state of the roads right now.” He argues that St. Croix is ​​not getting enough attention. “As far as I understand, we don’t even have an assistant commissioner of the islands, which is absolutely ridiculous. Looks like it’s all over in the St. Thomas office.” Noting that St. Croix has “twice the amount of roads” than St. Thomas, Mr. Nielsen said elected officials need to stop treating the Big Islands as “sort of an outpost.”

While acknowledging that the executive branch of government has primary responsibility for the territory’s day-to-day governance, Mr. Nielsen believes Karas lawmakers can do more to protect their island. “They could hold (the administration) much more accountable than they are doing now,” he said. “The only way things will change is if you put pressure on them.”

However, Mr Nielsen said responsibility for this pressure could not rest solely with legislators. “You and I, the voting public, are not putting enough pressure on the administration. We are too tolerant of what is happening.” He called for more public oversight of elected officials and said the public should hold their representatives accountable “all year and every year,” suggesting that the formation of citizen committees could help channel that public oversight. “People need to be more active, more vocal. These are the types of things that put pressure on decision making.”