EDITORIAL: Territory on Auto-Pilot—Pomp, Circumstance, and the Stench of Neglect

CRUISING ON AUTO-PILOT: The luxury ship Insignia in the harbor, but it's an overflowing garbage bin that gets the last word. A potent visual metaphor for the U.S. Virgin Islands government—all high-end aspirations, but currently stinking of municipal neglect on the Frederiksted Waterfront. The "Lazy Reporter" is watching. 🚮🚢

By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff

FREDERIKSTED — Yesterday, Government House was all smiles. Governor Albert Bryan Jr. welcomed Ka’Nylah Scatliffe, a bright student from Charlotte Amalie High School, to serve as "Honorary Governor for the Day." There were mock press briefings, proclamations signed, and plenty of talk about "leadership" and "shaping the future."

It was a lovely, ceremonial day in St. Thomas.

But back on planet Earth—specifically at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted—the actual leadership of this territory was nowhere to be found. As the luxury ship Insignia dropped its gangway to unleash 700 high-value guests into our "American Paradise," they weren't met with ceremonial grace. They were met with the roar and stench of Marco’s garbage trucks parked squarely on the public sidewalk at 10:00 AM.

The "Fire Chief" is AWOL

VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe—a former Fire Chief who was once instrumental in putting out the lights at Jeffrey Prosser’s Innovative Communications—seems to have lost his sense of urgency. Dowe knows how to move when there’s a political fire to fight, but when it comes to the slow-burn infrastructure failure on the Frederiksted Waterfront, he’s nowhere to be found.

As a 'Fire Chief,' he should know that you don't wait for the building to burn down before you check the hydrants. Yet, here we are, with 700 luxury guests arriving to the 'smoke' of a 10:00 AM garbage truck because the man in charge is effectively sleeping at the station in St. Thomas.

While the governor plays house with honorary titles, our visitors are dodging trash compactors and dining with feral chickens at Polly’s. It’s a health code violation, a logistical failure, and an insult to the people of St. Croix.

LEADERSHIP 101: Honorary Governor Ka’Nylah Scatliffe spent her day at Government House learning about "public service" from the Bryan administration. One wonders if her briefing included the current logistical meltdown on the Frederiksted Waterfront, where VIPA and DPW failed to coordinate basic trash collection for the arrival of the Insignia. It’s a steep learning curve for any aspiring leader: in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the "ceremony" is polished, but the actual infrastructure is running on auto-pilot. 🎓🏛️🚮

The Trillionaire Test

We talk a big game about attracting the world’s first trillionaires and global investors. But Elon Musk doesn't do "ceremonial." He does results. If a SpaceX launchpad smelled like an overflowing bin and was littered with dead palm fronds, heads would roll.

In the USVI, no one’s head rolls. They just get shinier in the St. Thomas sun.

It is time to take this territory off auto-pilot. One hand doesn't talk to the other, and nobody seems to care until they are exposed in the Free Press. If we want to be a premier destination, we need a Governor—and a Port Director—who understands that leadership isn't a photo op. It’s making sure the trains (and the trash trucks) run on time.

Job Description: Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands (Non-Ceremonial)

Required immediately for the Big Island.

• Requirement #1: Empty the Trash. Must possess the radical ability to ensure garbage is collected before the tourists arrive.

• Requirement #2: Operational Literacy. Must be able to coordinate between VIPA, DPW, and the Health Department so roosters aren't the primary health inspectors at waterfront restaurants.

• Requirement #3: End the "Auto-Pilot." Ability to work a full day without needing a high school student to fill in for ceremonial purposes.

• Requirement #4: Accountability. Must be willing to eat "humble pie" when the press catches you sleeping at the wheel.

The "Lazy" Reporter will be watching. ---