EDITORIAL: The Balkanization Boogeyman: Is it Time for an ‘ABC’ Model in the USVI?
The Jewel of the Seas docked at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted this morning. While Royal Caribbean’s older fleet once favored a stark, clinical white, the "Radiance-class" ships like the Jewel have evolved. From a distance, its glass-heavy superstructure and updated hull coating can take on a sleek, metallic-gray hue—mimicking the modern "monochromatic" look popularized by Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages. (Photo by John McCarthy / St. Croix Sun)
FREDERIKSTED — In the early 1990s, I had an exclusive telephone interview with Governor Alexander A. Farrelly. Though a proud son of St. Croix, the V.I. Code mandated his residence in the capital of St. Thomas—a legal requirement that has long served as a tether, ensuring the executive heart of the territory remains across the water.
During that call, Farrelly spoke with the precision of a scholar about the "Balkanization of the Virgin Islands." He feared that a push for more local autonomy would fragment our collective power. But decades later, as I monitor the morning discourse on former Senator St. Claire N. Williams’ radio show, it is clear that "unity" has become a one-way street.
The Luxury Villa vs. The Waterfront Park
We have seen the residency law weaponized against the taxpayer before. Former Governor Kenneth Mapp famously claimed Government House was "uninhabitable," moving instead into an exorbitant luxury villa in Estate Nazareth—and later the Ritz-Carlton—on the public’s dime. While Mapp was charging taxpayers for upscale meals and incidental alcohol, “his” people paying the bill were struggling with a crumbling infrastructure.
Contrast that "luxury" with the scene I witnessed today on the Frederiksted Waterfront. A female VIPD officer was personally picking up litter and discarded paper in the park near the promenade. It was a noble act of service, but a tragic metaphor: While the St. Thomas "power brokers" and their executive residents live in the clouds, our local officers are left to do the literal dirty work to keep our island presentable.
A VIPD officer, equipped with blue sanitary gloves, pauses for a "street-level" briefing with a local vendor as the Jewel of the Seas begins its disembarkation. While the centralized government in Charlotte Amalie focuses on the macro-budget, the success of a cruise day in Frederiksted depends on these micro-interactions and the "plans for the day" made by those actually on the ground. (Photo by John McCarthy / St. Croix Sun)
The ABC Alternative
Perhaps the "Balkanization Boogeyman" is no longer the threat it once was. Instead, we should look to our neighbors: the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao).
Within the Dutch Kingdom, Aruba and Curaçao operate as autonomous countries. They aren't "Balkanized" into weakness; they are empowered into prosperity. They manage their own tourism budgets, their own taxes, and their own destiny. If St. Croix operated under an "Aruba Model," we wouldn't be begging for our fair share of a $200 million tourism pie—we would be baking the pie ourselves.
Conclusion
Alexander Farrelly’s warnings were grounded in a different era. Today, the residency law and the centralization of power in Charlotte Amalie have created a system where St. Croix is a "silent partner" in its own exploitation.
Even a disruptor like Elon Musk understands that a massive enterprise cannot thrive if its most vital hubs are starved of resources by a distant, bloated headquarters. St. Croix doesn't need a "Puppet Governor" or a Ritz-Carlton residency; we need the autonomy to pick up our own mantle of leadership—and our own trash.
SUMMARY: In an exclusive 1990s interview, Gov. Alexander Farrelly warned against the "Balkanization" of the USVI. Today, Publisher John McCarthy argues that from Mapp’s Ritz-Carlton stays to the current $200 million tourism gap, the centralized "St. Thomas model" is failing. Is the autonomous "ABC Islands" model the answer for St. Croix?
Coordinating the West End strategy: Two local residents and tour operators confer near the Verne A. Richards Veteran Memorial Park on the Frederiksted Waterfront Promenade. It is a testament to the Crucian spirit that despite St. Croix often getting the "short end of the stick" in tourism dollars, the local stakeholders continue to lead from the front. (Photo by John McCarthy / St. Croix Sun)
