Educating legislators
One of the reasons the Financial Services Implementation Unit — the government agency charged with spearheading reforms to the financial services industry — was created in late 2015 was to educate the population about the financial sector.
That noted, a Beaconite suggests that the FSIU might want to start by educating legislators. The Beaconite writes this after reading the 2017 report on the deliberations of the Standing Finance Committee. In one of the SFC sessions, Financial Secretary Neil Smith was providing legislators with a rundown of government’s budget, and he noted that incorporation rates declined during 2016. At that point, according to the report, someone asked what incorporations are. “[Mr. Smith] explained that new incorporations were new companies included in the registry,” the report states. The person who asked the question isn’t named in the report, but is almost certainly a lawmaker since the legislators ask the questions in SFC sittings. Given that legislators play a crucial role in crafting the laws that govern the financial sector, the Beaconite finds this most unsettling. Clearly, the FSIU still has much work to do.
New firefighters
While standing on the porch of the office on Tuesday, a Beaconite noticed a group running down the road from the direction of Peebles Hospital. Soon, she recognised Chief Fire Officer Zebalon McLean leading them. They were all new recruits, he said, and they wore yellow hard hats so they could be easily seen by motorists. The reporter sees the recruits as a good thing for the future of firefighting in the Virgin Islands, and she hopes they stick to it.
Media relations 101
A Beaconite would like to let readers in on a standard journalist custom should they ever find themselves in the sad, wretched situation of being interviewed by one: If you ask to see the story before it’s published, any reporter at a respectable publication will say no. They’ll likely agree to fact-check information, but handing an interviewee the keys to an unpublished story is malpractice. Any person with the slightest shred of an ego would be tempted to argue for a revisionist slant on every one of their not-so-perfect, but probably harmless, quotes, and in the occasional case when someone says something not so harmless, no journalist wants to let them get out in front of it. Additionally, as extra advice, never instruct a journalist to “make sure the story is positive.” While this Beaconite would never be so spiteful as to highlight any small negative detail in response to such an authoritarian request, other more vengeful reporters may give in to such temptation. If the story is positive, the story is positive. There is no need to try and cement it with a toothless demand, especially considering you could risk igniting an opposite reaction.
For the animals
A Beaconite would like to send a shout-out to local animal welfare group PAW.
The non-profit, which fights against animal overpopulation by spaying and neutering cats and dogs, recently celebrated its third anniversary, and has fixed almost 800 animals. On a similar animal-friendly note, the Beaconite would also like to remind readers that the Humane Society’s annual Gaming Night fundraiser in Nanny Cay is coming up on Saturday. She encourages everyone to attend, as it’s much cheaper than an actual trip to Las Vegas.
Sporting opposition
Two Beaconites who often play basketball at the Belle Vue gym were pleased to see Opposition Leader Andrew Fahie there on Sunday morning. Though he was dressed in a button-down shirt and slacks, Mr. Fahie, who had arrived with a group of student dancers, opened his collar and joined in a game of three on three. Beaconites appreciated his enthusiasm, and hope that he noticed the condition of the gym’s floor: Though it was refurbished a few years ago, some boards are loose again, and they need to be replaced soon. The gym is a valuable resource for the community, and keeping it well maintained could do a world of good.
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