I heard about the call for comments in the news on increasing the minimum wage, and there is so much here that I don’t know where to start. I think …
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July 26, 2023
March 8, 2023
COMMENTARY — More ideas offered for Constitution
In previous commentaries published in the Beacon on Feb. 9 and 23, I addressed the significance of the ongoing constitutional review to the future political socioeconomic development of the Virgin …
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February 22, 2023
COMMENTARY — More ideas offered for next Constitution
In a previous commentary published in the Beacon on Feb. 9, I started sharing my thoughts on the constitutional review and why it is laying the foundation for the best …
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February 8, 2023
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for new Constitution
I am glad to be alive for such a time as this. When I read about our national heroes like Hope Stevens and Howard R. Penn and how they wrote …
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November 16, 2022
LETTER — Call made for roadwork
Recently, I concluded that somewhere over the years we stopped engineering roads and settled for roadways that are cousins to obstacle courses. Potholes, which are the least of the problem, …
August 17, 2022
LETTER — Previous ‘reforms’ seen to fall flat
As I’ve watched the implementation of the Commission of Inquiry reforms unfold, my mind took me back to 2003 when I joined the public service at the Ministry of Finance. …
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June 22, 2022
COMMENTARY — Gov’t urged to up civil service pay
Since watching the recent press conference where the governor and premier discussed overdue police service increments, I have been waiting for the wider conversation. Payment of increments should be step …
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April 28, 2022
COMMENTARY — Waiting on UK response to COI
I am not surprised by the timeline published by the governor for the publication of the Commission of Inquiry report, because from his first announcement I estimated it would take …
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March 30, 2022
COMMENTARY — Turning ‘learners to leaders’
I had the honour this month to participate in an important dialogue about how we prepare our students for life. The discussion centred around two questions: “Preparing learners to be …
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March 16, 2022
COMMENTARY — Call made for gender equality in VI
International Women’s Day is a marker in our calendars to cause us to pause and recognise the accomplishments of women and girls. This year I felt it was important to …
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January 19, 2022
COMMENTARY — VI urged to review 15-year plan
Virgin Islands family, question for you: “What do you envision our beloved Virgin Islands will look like in 2040?” I will be in my 60s, and I most definitely want …
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November 24, 2021
LETTER — ‘Enough is enough,’ writer says
This week as we marked the 72nd anniversary of the 1949 March, when our ancestors walked Main Street saying, “Enough is enough,” we find ourselves having to stand up against …
November 17, 2021
COMMENTARY — Questions asked about UK, VI speakers
I have observed lately that we like to take our cues from the United Kingdom to give reason for our decisions, so I went and researched the role of the …
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November 3, 2021
COMMENTARY — Value of planning explained
Picking up from where I left off recently about a national development plan, let us talk about the value of planning. If you missed that article, it can be found …
October 13, 2021
COMMENTARY — USVI’s 20-year plan seen as example to follow
There has been a “talk shop” over the last 20 years about where we want to see our territory in the future. Two decades later, we are still talking. I …
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September 29, 2021
COMMENTARY — Call made for ‘legacy’ mindset
I have been hearing the phrase “young democracy” in conversations lately when referring to the Virgin Islands’ development. I am not sure when the “birth” of the territory is being …
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September 1, 2021
LETTER — COI viewed through history lens
I recently shared this with some friends during a conversation about the ongoing Commission of Inquiry. I view the COI through a historical context, where our foreparents built this territory …
August 25, 2021
LETTER — Call made for more women in politics
As a woman in politics, I have been listening intently to the recent discussion about women leaders and the merits of an all-female Cabinet. I believe in life there should …
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August 11, 2021
COMMENTARY — Call made to return to ‘roots’
A few mornings ago, as I thought about current local affairs, a map of the Virgin Islands popped into my mind with the words “We the people” on the back. …
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July 29, 2021
COMMENTARY — Alarm raised over border security
It is not breaking news that the Virgin Islands is surrounded by water and so there are only two ways to enter the territory: by air or sea. From childhood, …
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July 21, 2021
COMMENTARY — Call made for love, kindness
I have been pondering the tone of the current public dialogue, and it hurts my heart to see how we have come to a place where 1) People’s identities are …
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February 17, 2021
COMMENTARY — Governance questions posed in light of ongoing inquiry
In August 2020, I wrote a commentary discussing the Constitution being a tool for good governance, and it turned out to be a prelude to current affairs. The launch of …
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September 2, 2020
COMMENTARY — Constitution seen as a means to an end
We find ourselves in thought-provoking times and not just because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This December will mark 70 years since the local legislature was reconstituted and local elected representation …
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August 21, 2018
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered to find Festival’s ‘roots’
Every year leading up to and after our August Emancipation Festival, there is plenty of commentary and critique over what has transpired, and this year has been no exception. What …
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