The big stink Beaconites have been hearing complaints about the sewage-smelling water that has been washing over the road near Road Reef Marina in recent days. They hope government officials …
COMMENTARY — Writer envisions VI of 2030
Imagine a scene from the Virgin Islands of the year 2030. Maria put on the new headset her parents had given her for her 10th birthday, adjusted the controls on …
COMMENTARY — Post-Covid economy pondered
Covid-19 — not any type of stimulus — will determine the length of recession, the trajectory of recession, and the type of economic recovery the world experiences. Stimulus in the …
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for ‘failing’ NHI
What is wrong with our legislators? We all know why the National Health Insurance system is failing. It’s because the private medical facilities increased their fees by around 300 percent …
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EDITORIAL: Legalise it. Then regulate it, and choose partners wisely.
As we have stated before, we support the House of Assembly’s recent decisions to legalise gambling and medical marijuana in the territory. However, we caution that both sectors should be …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (July 2, 2020)
Library plans As summer approaches, a Beaconite is saddened by the thought that students in the territory still don’t have access to a public general library. She warmly remembers the …
COMMENTARY — Pot, gambling seen as distractions
Legalising gambling and the growth of cannabis are unlikely to produce strong revenue streams since we have no great competitive advantages in fields already crowded with more experienced players within …
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COMMENTARY — ‘Super premier’ proposed for UKOTs
In a world ruled by superpowers, small countries and territories controlled by the agendas of powerful states like these majestic Virgin Islands must aim for greater power for their people …
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COMMENTARY — Name change proposed for college
I would like to add my two cents to the local Black Lives Matter, black history conversation by proposing a name change of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College to …
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EDITORIAL: Traffic reforms have promise, but tweaks will be needed
The jury is still out on the overall success of the recent traffic changes in Road Town, but we applaud the government for trying something new in order to tackle …
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EDITORIAL: Black Lives Matter fight hits home in Virgin Islands
In the weeks since the world watched a white police officer kneel on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the response to Mr. Floyd’s death has rightly …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 25, 2020)
Questions and answers A Beaconite was glad to see in last week’s House of Assembly session, coming on the heels of the eighth and ninth sittings the week prior, opposition …
COMMENTARY — VI urged to tackle discrimination
The Black Lives Matter movement is prompting the Virgin Islands to look at both racial injustice abroad and discrimination at home as global protests continue around the world against police …
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COMMENTARY — VI urged to prepare for 5G
We might view contemptuously United States President Donald Trump’s attempts to revive the US coal industry against global moves towards cleaner energy, but he gave an enormous boost to the …
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 25, 2020)
Black lives matter A Beaconite is a first-generation Asian American in a family of immigrants. Her elders came to the United States in the 1980s, worked hard and settled down. …
COMMENTARY — As ‘second wave’ of Covid looms, call made for widespread testing
The current international news related to the pandemic points to the scary fact of a second wave of the infection. Are we prepared? Sometime before Easter, a friend (who happens …
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COMMENTARY — Pastor opposes gambling law
It has become extremely necessary for me to revisit the subject of gambling given the present climate of the territory. The Virgin Islands is at the crossroads of history and …
COMMENTARY — Long-time letter writer returns
Hi there. Are you wondering where I have been? Right here with you, under lockdown. When the flights stopped and the Beacon could not distribute its print edition for a …
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EDITORIAL: Coming constitutional review should look to independence
At a time when the Virgin Islands’ relationship with the United Kingdom is increasingly unpredictable and fraught with tensions, we are glad that the government is launching the long-promised constitutional …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 11, 2020)
Scooter ban It’s no secret that irresponsible and noisy scooter riders have long been a nuisance and danger in the Virgin Islands. Last week, a new curfew order enacted a …
COMMENTARY — Region urged to ‘ditch the superpowers’
It is time for the Caribbean and various other regions of the world to ditch the superpowers as leading lights of global security and prosperity. The Covid-19 pandemic, trade wars, …
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COMMENTARY – Need seen for telecom taskforce
In 1983, Tom Crowe reported enthusiastically to the Virgin Islands government on the prospects for computerisation reducing the territory’s dependence on tourism (see my May 28 commentary titled “‘Commuting home’ …
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EDITORIAL: Consumer Protection Act is a big win
Kudos to the government for working closely with the opposition to finally pass consumer protection legislation, which Virgin Islands leaders have been promising for more than three decades. The achievement …
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EDITORIAL: The good, bad and ugly of the economic stimulus
After months of delays, in late May the government finally unveiled a comprehensive economic stimulus package designed to help the territory through the coronavirus pandemic. We are glad that leaders …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (June 4, 2020)
Paperless, please House of Assembly Speaker Julian Willock mentioned earlier this year that one of the HOA’s goals is to go paperless. As the world is working out innovative ways …