Several preachers on Palm Sunday took the opportunity to address the present situation in the territory.
Trouble is, they were preaching to the converted! The big crooks can safely sit in church and nod agreement, but the young punks carrying out the crimes are nowhere near the church.
I was almost at a loss for something to write about this week — mainly because there is so much!
It is reported in the online media that government has agreed to drag racing! Not so! A consultant with a vested interest (he was paid $96,000) has said it could be viable, but that is not the same thing. It is said that the project would not be funded by government, and that no site has been suggested, so I hope any private investors have as much trouble getting a piece of land out of government as the Humane Society of the BVI has been having for at least 15 years! Bye-bye, drag racing!
But then, we Virgin Islands residents don’t really care about animals, do we? There are many examples of this attitude: allowing the dolphinarium (with sloths) against a lot of opposition; now agreeing to a lemur colony; and dumping our pets’ unwanted offspring at the Humane Society’s door with no note or contribution.
We don’t care much for our history either, do we? I don’t think there was a single Virgin Islands native at the recent excellent lecture about the territory’s ancient fortifications.
Medical schools
It is also reported in the opinion media that “medical schools are coming.” What rubbish! And another $500,000 down the drain. Governments don’t go out looking for such facilities to come and set up in their country — unless of course it could be tied in with management of the new expanded hospital.
As I said last week, why does the minister of communications and works only “hope” that the road repairs will start “next week.” And still no value given for the Nanny Cay wall?
Reading between the lines again, the Jost Van Dyke Community Centre work has stopped, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Culinary Arts Centre has stopped, and the West End Ferry Terminal has stopped — not to mention the greenhouses, incinerator and hospital. It won’t be long before there is no money for government salaries! Mark my words. But never fear: The premier is off to the royal wedding! Are you reminded of Nero?
We apparently have a bus service running (good), which I don’t remember reading about before, and only now because the operator complains that taxis are running ahead of the buses and charging the same low rate. They learned something from the United States VI, then!
How many armed robberies is that now? The bloggers seem to be blaming our seconded United Kingdom police officers, but I thought they were here to specifically help with unsolved murders? I understand that several of them have been solved, but, because of our wonderful moral, religious, and upright society, there is little hope of empanelling a jury, or getting witnesses to testify, and thus no hope of conviction. What an indictment of our moral attitudes!
Accomplishments?
Ministers and representatives are trying to tell us of all their accomplishments, but I don’t think anyone believes much of it. They are talking about the few thousand dollars they allocated for their districts, but the territory needs millions of dollars of spending on infrastructure — millions that have been available but have been squandered.
No reflection on the nice lady interviewer who I thought wanted to interview me about my financial knowledge, but I have just been interviewed for the census — which was supposed to have taken place on June 10, 2010! Still, that is better than the 2001 census, when no one came into my area at all.