Governor’s Press Conference on Waste Management
Authority
December 1, 2007
to listen click play below
After the Governor’s press conference on November 30th
you could hear a collective sigh of relief
throughout the Virgin Islands.
The Governor took a firm position that the Waste
Management Authority was out of control
demonstrating the type of leadership that the people of
the Virgin Islands deserve.
Clearly, Lorin Kleeger, the hearing examiner for the
Public Service Commission laid the
groundwork for any reasonable thinking person stating
that the rates that were set by this rogue
authority were ill-thought out, unreasonable and would
bring the Virgin Island’s economy to it’s
knees.
From the tone of the Governor’s press conference and his
obvious dissatisfaction with the Waste
Management Authority and its proposed rates, there is no
question that he was busy working
behind the scenes to turn this issue around. It is also
obvious that the PSC was looking to
Government House for political direction or cover in
handling this hot potato thereby side-stepping
a clash between the Executive and Legislative branches
of government.
We were pleased when the PSC took ques from Government
House & Atty Kleeger and soundly
rejected these proposed rates.
It was our position that the rates proposed by the Waste
Management Authority would be deadon-
arrival when it reached the PSC. And further, it was our
position that the Governor had to step
into the middle of this issue and take the Waste
Management Authority to the woodshed.
We now look to the Legislature to finish this process
and rescind the enabling legislation that
created the monster known as the Waste Management
Authority.
Senator Norman Jn-Baptist has indicated that he is
moving early in December to do just that.
We’re also pleased that Senate Majority leader Celestino
White, Sr. has denounced the Waste
Management Authority and its fees with some rather
strong language. It is also come to our
attention that Senate Minority leader Ronald Russell has
been working behind the scenes with the
administration and supports a solution to this issue.
We call upon the legislature to support Senator
Baptist’s initiative and to not let this issue get
bogged down in a majority/minority conflict. This is an
opportunity for the 27th Legislature to
demonstrate leadership by putting their constituents
first. This should be passed with 15 solid
votes and it is our hope that the Governor looks upon
this legislation favorably.
By his press conference it would appear that the
Governor is thinking of moving the
responsibilities of waste management back under the
Department of Public Works where the
funding source could fall back under the General Fund
and where the commissioner works solely
at the pleasure of the Governor.
We stick firmly to our position that the best way to
fund the waste management issue is to move
away from the tax & spend approach and to move towards a
self-funding approach, embracing a
recycling model as well as bringing Virgin Islands
residents in as stakeholders.