In a note issued to The Consortium on January 10, 2016, former Delegate to Congress and Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2014 USVI General Election, Donna M. Christensen, called Governor of the US Virgin Islands Kenneth E. Mapp’s comments to USVI Senator Janette Millin Young 'a disgrace to his office and beyond disrespectful to the senator.' Photo: VINO/File

United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Governor Kenneth E. Mapp has called USVI Senator Janette Millin Young a jackass, “setty fowl” and stupid for alleging that he is maliciously withholding her mother’s pension monies that the government owes, because she refused to vote for the ArcLight deal. Photo: VI Consortium/The Bahamas Weekly

She added: “They smack of sexism and Governor Mapp needs to say nothing more on this other than an apology to Senator Millin Young and the people of the Virgin Islands.”

Ms Christensen’s ire comes as debate about the governor’s comments has overshadowed other important announcements. The governor revealed to The Consortium that he will be announcing salary increases to some government employees on Tuesday January 12, 2016 and that a new government complex intended to house the Legislature and Supreme Court, was part of his administration’s infrastructure development plan moving forward.

But the remarks, made in a Facebook post on his personal page that has since been deleted, referred to Mrs Millin Young as a “jackass, setty fowl, a confounded liar and stupid.” Many have said on social media and on The Consortium’s website that those remarks were beneath the Office of the Governor, and that he should not have responded in the manner he did. Ms Christensen said a joint statement from the New Horizon Women’s Democratic Club and the St Croix District Committee of the Democratic Party was forthcoming, and revealed that the issue was a hot topic of discussion during a meeting and listening session held on January 10, 2016.

Even so, the governor stood by his remarks in a recent interview with The Consortium, stating that bribery is a federal offense that “people go to jail for,” and added that the senator was “crazy” for taking the stance that she did. Furthermore, he contended, Mrs Millin Young went to the media and made those accusations, a move that warranted a response from him.

The left-field firestorm started last Thursday January 7, 2016, following a press release issued by Mrs Millin Young, which included  the following remarks: “The fact remains that the governor and his commissioner of Finance repeatedly made calls to my mother, and the Finance commissioner called me, regarding a pending pension matter that concerns my father’s pension while the ArcLight agreement was before the Legislature, actions I find to be reprehensible.

“Despite the fact that Gov. deJongh and I disagreed on a myriad of issues, I respect the fact that he did the right thing before leaving office by separating my mother’s issue and our political differences. In stark contrast, Gov. Mapp and his administration have had a year to make the payments, instead, the administration chose to begin calling my mother and me while the ArcLight negotiations were going on to let us know that the payment would be released before December 31, 2015. The end of the year date is the same deadline imposed by the ArcLight negotiators to seal their deal.

“Why call me and let me to know monies would be on the way? Why call me about ArcLight and in the same breath mention the monies owed to my mother?” Mrs. Millin Young questioned. “Now Gov. Mapp has chosen to hold hostage a widower’s pension due to political reasons. This hurts because my father served this territory honorably for decades. I implore Gov. Mapp and Finance Commissioner Valdamier Collens to put aside political interference and to do the right thing by honoring the legally required pension obligation former Lt. Governor Millin earned from his tenure as lieutenant governor.”