STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNOR JOHN P. DE JONGH, JR. AUGUST 14, 2014 Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. tonight acknowledged the kind expressions of Senator Gittens and other members of the Senate who have praised de Jonghs approval of early voting legislation for the upcoming general elections in November, however, the governor said a press statement issued tonight by Senator Kenneth Gittens decrying Wednesday’s veto of Bill 30-0356 is a clear indication that the lawmaker does not fully understand the legislation that he shepherded through the legislative process resulting in its passage by the full Senate. Section 1 of the bill repeals the subsections allowing the spouses of deceased Governors and Lieutenant Governors to receive a portion of their pension from the government. Section 2 goes further by ensuring that any surviving spouse already receiving benefits will continue to receive such benefits. This is because, the original limitation of the statute as it relates to eligibility and the date of passing for spouses of deceased Governors and Lt. Governor’s, combined with the fact that the benefits have already been acquired and have attached, results in special legislation for those spouses of Governors and Lt. Governor’s deceased between June 1, 2011 and the effective date of Bill No. 30-0356 should it become law, de Jongh explained. “Senator Gittens can continue to claim that this legislation was not targeted at me and at my wife but a close reading of the bill reveals otherwise. Essentially, one individual, Mrs. Luz Luis, (wife of Governor Juan F. Luis) is protected and anyone after the effective date of this bills passage, namely my wife and Mrs. Cheryl Francis, the wife of Lt. Governor Gregory Francis, are left out. What other motivation can Senator Gittens explain for this legislation other that he clearly intended to target my administration? His claims about the dire financial situation of the territory amount to nothing more than political rhetoric as there are far deeper issues concerning the financial viability of the Virgin Islands that the 30th Legislature, inclusive of Senator Kenneth Gittens, has not even begun to address, de Jongh said.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:35:52 +0000
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