Sharie ‘Watchman’ de Castro challenges Hon Vanterpool on road works spending
de Castro, credited as one of the few young Virgin Islanders who have the guts to take on the politics of the day and other social ills affecting the Virgin Islands, moved to Facebook two days ago, challenging Minister for Communications and Works and Fourth District Representative Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool’s account of sending $12.8M on road works between 2015 and 2016.
“…that is how much the government has spent thus far of the $16M unsecured loan it borrowed from the Social Security Board for road works back in 2015 before the snap election. Where is the value for money?”
‘My heart literally hurts’
Hon Mark H. Vanterpool (R4), disclosed recently in the House of Assembly that his Ministry spent $12,294,866.03 as of November 31, 2016 on road works, leaving a balance of three million, seven hundred and five thousand, one hundred thirty-three dollars and ninety-seven cents ($3,705,133.97) in the loan fund as he responded to questions from Opposition Member Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1).
“I really wouldn't like to see what the remaining $3.7M will do! My heart literally hurts for my country!” lamented de Castro.
But according to what was revealed in the HoA, remaining funds will be used for further road works in Sea Cows Bay, from Manual Reef Marina to Ebenezer Thomas Primary School; Belle Vue, from Church of God Prophecy entrance to Spring Ghut; Baughers Bay, from PWD Junction to Baughers Bay Beach entrance; Waterfront Drive, below Road Town Jetty to MacNamarra Junction; Anegada main road leading to Cow Wreck Hotel and Beach Bar and Jost Van Dyke, from Rudy’s Bar to Foxy’s Restaurant bottom Road.
Community reacts
It didn’t take long after posting on Facebook for the piece to attract responses from other community minded persons.
An Gelle wrote, “This is the point where our generation steps up. We have all the right people for the 'reclaim BVI' job. #wordonthestreet.”
Beryl B. Vanterpool opined that $16 million will never be enough to re-design all the roads in the VI. “It will take more to get the kinds of roads that are needed, the VI needs a professional road engineer to design to remodel the kind of roads that are needed in the VI.”
Phillip Hines Jr wrote, “Sharie Watchman de'Castro, girl you done geh me wound da hell up! 16 mill ya say...these "officials" steady puttin the damn cart b4 da f**ggin horse! The WHOLE infrastructure of our DONKEY roads needs to be TOTALLY REVAMPED! Here is what they good at do in....in this order specifically....1)PAVE, 2)BUSS OPEN, 3)PATCH, 4)REPEAT. Dem man is drivin vehicles from the Jetson's time ah tings cuz I could tell ya, dem nah feel it like we ah feel it my girl! The whole damn road system here was built WITHOUT PROPER EXPANSION IN MIND! We building roads for little small car to pass when we have big trucks and safari bus take up both lanes of D road! We got laws in place where back hoe, excavator and other earth movers actually driving and blocking up traffic while their wheels actually FURTHER DAMAGE our poor likkle "roads" dem. I mean hey, i guess we should be thankful for something right? We as a people must STOP accepting this BELOW MEDIOCRE accountability and SUB STANDARD so called engineers we have and get with the rest of the MODERN WORLD.”
Devon Osborne said: “Continue to push on Sis! The people are watching and listening to you advocating strongly to stop the continued mismanagement of funds by this horrible NDP government team that is full of lip surface and no substance, just finding strategic ways to fatten their pockets that we the people continue to pay for. Hold them accountable so that they can be brought to justice even if it means the people of this territory ended up being the Governor, police, judge, jury, and jail wardens on election day since those entities are failing to respond to what is soooooo obvious.”
Standing on principles; Not looking for likes
de Castro described the issue as “Politics without principles! Wealth without work!” as she asked, “Where is the accountability? We have to speak up! I will stand on principle... even if I stand alone! I'm not looking for likes. I'm looking for people who love this country enough to publicly stand up, say enough is enough and demand positive change.”
A day later she quoted the great Martin Luther King Jr, "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right."
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42 Responses to “Sharie ‘Watchman’ de Castro challenges Hon Vanterpool on road works spending”
Kareem Nelson:
"I actually thought something similar the other day minus the figures because I forgot what they were. I asked my father if the shocks in political cars were specially engineered to offer special balance and bump free rides because it would annoy me everyday that this is my one job and it's not completed yet." #DontFixItForTheTouristsFixItForUs
Why didn't one of the former heads (Glasgow) whom is an engineer set standards for classifications of roads in the territory with standard construction details/designs? Construction issues are one thing but are compounded by poor design and maintenance principles. The rampant cronyism has given us the failing infrastructure and lack of value for money at a time when we need value to exceed what we presently achieve! Darker days ahead as the fledgling industries we depend on for revenues are stressed just like our poor infrastructure.
"Little girl please go sit down"? You might be one of those benefiting from "under the table" robbery of "the people's money".....but trust me; that money won't prosper; neither you if you are indeed indulging in such deception. Enough is enough!! These islands should have been much further than we are now. Too much greed; no accountability; and too much getting away with "high way" robbery. Either do the right thing or no doubt; exposure will come. These are our islands.....and whether or not it's our family or friends in these positions doing wrong; we need to speak out. Call right, right; Call wrong, wrong. The consequences affects us ALL!!
Ok. We spent approx $12.3M of the $16M loan from social security to reconstruct/redo roads. How much did taxpayers gets for $12.3M? Apparently not much, for the road condition is horrible. The condition is more Third World than First World. How many miles or number of square yards of work put in place? Did taxpayers get quality and quantity for their $12.3M investment? Did the taxpayers get value for money? Does the expenditure of the road loan needs an audit?
Moreover, the management of the road network needs to be revamped. A major cause of premature road failure is poor drainage, especially ponding on the roadways. Poor drainage is a nemesis of road design life, functionality, high quality and rideability. E. Leonard had two road construction and maintenance commentaries last year on another online periodical. Perhaps he can have them run on this site. Further, if we got so little for $12.3M what will be get for $3.7M? Probably not much.
A good road network is an essential infrastructure for economic growth, development, and sustainility. There are so few miles of road in the BVI that well trained Public Works personnel with the proper equipment should be capable of constructing and maintaining quality roads. The first order of business is to get a seasoned and experienced engineer, preferably a civil engineer, in charge of public works. No diss intended for Bummer. Public Works needs an engineer and badly. Under the current leadership Public Works has peaked. Roads have definite design lives but to get the life, assuming proper design and construction, an aggressive and well-resourced maintenance programme is needed. Furthermore, roads must be designed and constructed to safety and effectively carry the heaviest wheel load that will use use them.
I think I can answer that question......uuummmmm....NOBODY..... There are no standards or accountability in this place. The worse part to me is driving on a road that is about to be paved the next day or same day. That is madness in my opinion. I can the road ever be smooth or even??? The common sense thing would be to close and pave one lane at a time, while allowing traffic in only one direction if you must. Traffic fort he next lane should be redirected/re-routed. I swear these people don't think or don't have any common sense.
Don't leave one in there in the name of NDP. A LANDSLIDE for the contending parties whoever they may be with COMMON SENSE and a VISION for our beautiful Virgin Islands and its PEOPLE
Do you think any Tortolian could go to Anguilla,
no matter how long they lived there, and hold a cabinet position in the government. NO.
Only BVI ignorant so.
Is this a typo? I dint see VIRGIN GORDA anywhere there? We need road works too!
Until this happens, the BVI could kiss sound structural roads goodbye!