Platform

Platform for Progress: 2022-2026 and Beyond

Our campaign is focused on transparency and inclusion. Our combined years of legislative experience and over forty years of service as educators in our public schools and the University of the Virgin Islands solidify and demonstrate our commitment to bring our islands into the future on a stronger foundation. Together we can face and overcome the many challenges that have plagued our beautiful Virgin Islands for decades. We will employ a more unified system of governing by utilizing all of our combined resources more efficiently. We believe this can be accomplished through collaborative partnerships between Government departments as well as with non-profits and private industry.

Health, Human Services, Hospitals, Aging, Disability

Fully staff and equip the Behavioral Health vans to provide care to our homeless and mentally ill population. The vans will travel to the patients in their neighborhoods and dispense medication and provide basic health care.
Work collaboratively with nonprofit organizations to create/expand housing options for our increasing homeless community and develop transitional/reintegration programs in an attempt to reduce recidivism.
Make Home/Healthcare services to assist caretakers a priority by ensuring that that there are adequate providers within the Medical Assistance Program to meet the growing continuum care need.
Work collaboratively with the Delegate to Congress to aggressively lobby for permanent parity with MAP benefits, and Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility (TEFRA) rebasing. Recruit more physicians to the Territory, ensure that the Dept. of Health thoroughly utilizes the loan repayment programs and J1 Visa to make relocating to the Territory more attractive.
Return basic healthcare services to the public education system.

Education "Cradle to Career"

Reevaluate the use of Common Core State Standards by developing Virgin Islands State Standards that utilize National Standards while incorporating the uniqueness of the Virgin Islands and college and career readiness in the development of those standards.
Focus on the development of basic skills in K-3rd with the goal that all students will be able to read on grade level by third grade and have acquired basic level math skills. Implement Progress monitoring that charts the student’s academic performance at the beginning of the year and the end of the year.
Establishing high school magnet programs for the fine arts, second languages, STEM and music programs in schools. Place a greater emphasis on art and music feeder programs.
Establish an athletic program that incorporates the Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation. Elite athletic students will have the opportunity to train on a higher level through the proposed Sports Academy
Address learning loss by designing a reading and math basic skills program. Allow greater site-based management that empowers school administrators.

Public Safety & Criminal Justice

Employ and utilize an integrated technological infrastructure system.
Revisit the conditions and curriculum of the Youth Rehabilitation Center by offering access to a greater variety of vocational and educational resources, provide adequate wrap around services to include extensive mental health and career counseling.
Strengthen federal partnerships by actively working with key federal departments to understand the urgent need to reduce drugs and weapon shipments between the USA and the Virgin Islands. Require the VIPD to deploy more community policing initiatives.
Employ all restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders.
Reform existing police practices and work with the legislative branch to fund completing the long-awaited crime lab.

Jobs & Economic Development

Thoroughly reassess the role of the Economic Development Authority and the Research and Technology Park ensuring that tax breaks are felt throughout the larger community that have the greatest need.
Utilize federal dollars slated for economic development to build out the infrastructure for the South Shore Development’s tax-free zone to include light manufacturing and transshipment port. Hire urban planners to develop long term plans for our towns and harbors utilizing the adopted land and water use plan.
Restructure the Dept. of Agriculture for greater economic development and food security. Utilize the Economic Recovery Fee for the redevelopment of shuttered hotels by fully implementing and marketing the Enhanced Hotel Development Act.
Fully implement the apprenticeship program and maximize use of Federal dollars slated for workforce development.

Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, Public Works

Fast Track critical projects and ensure the administration establishes a prioritized list of projects.
Improve relationship with Federal agencies and utilize public/private partnerships.
Improve the processes at Housing Finance Authority to fast track all disaster/pandemic related programs, i.e., Emergency Rental Assistance, Envision Program.
Create an Office of Resilience and Recovery

Affordable Housing & Development

Implement the First Time Homebuyers Act. (Act 8465) and create partnerships with private developers to build Moderate-Income affordable apartments with subsidies to keep it affordable for the moderate-income renters.
Explore the possibility of non-judicial foreclosure for home loans that includes protection for homebuyers.

DPNR, Environment

Move a final comprehensive land and water use plan through the Senate.
Aggressive overhaul of Waste Management Authority and its practices.
Aggressively recruit qualified personnel, DPNR enforcement officers and planners.
Assess our regulatory standards ensuring they are backed by environmental/scientific research and best practices.
Restore and revitalize environmental areas impacted by natural disasters and development.
Utilize all local and federal dollars in an expeditious and efficient manner.