Local music artist alleges 'discrepancy' with Govt cheque
Speaking out in a video captioned 'Fed up is a huge understatement right now...' posted on his Facebook page today March 24, 2016, Dirk Walters alleged that he spent almost one hour in the bank waiting to encash the cheque only to be told that he could not get the money.
“I woke up happy this morning...happy. And now I just stood up in the bank for nearly an hour on my injured leg, just to not get through with these people that owe people for so long now,” said the clearly frustrated man.
He said that he has been making calls to inquire about his payment but to no avail. “If y'all don't get back to me today with my money, trust me, I going to expose y'all. I'm going to take a picture of the cheque...and post on Facebook because y'all must stop being disrespectful to local musicians. This ends now!” he said in the video.
When Virgin Islands News Online called Walters, he said he preferred not to comment as he was awaiting word from the authorities on his payment. He said only that there was a 'discrepancy' with the cheque.
Local artists have been given the royal runaround with regards to the monies they earned performing for Festival 2015 even though Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith and Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn promised that those vendors would have been paid by Christmas 2015.
Attempts to reach Minister Walwyn regarding the allegations by Dirk Walters proved futile up to post time.
A slew of local musical performers that this news site spoke with all said that even though they had been paid in some instances for East End and Carrot Bay Festivals, they were owed for Road Town and were receiving no assurances about when they will finally be paid.
The public continues to severely criticise the Government of the day for their seeming neglect of local performers in the wake of growing Government spending in various areas inclusive of the Tortola Pier Park, a new $92,000 Cadillac Escalade for the Premier and a $7 million 'subsidy' to BVI Airways to enable that foreign owned airline to make direct flights between Miami and Beef Island.
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48 Responses to “Local music artist alleges 'discrepancy' with Govt cheque ”
You are correct in saying that jam band was popular so they would expect a certain amount of clout. Let's say for example that jam band could come up here and hold down $10000.....well a local band might take 2 or three thousand dollars. My point is a local band may not be as popular of pull as many people as your beloved jam band but prices have in fixed as a result of these differences. So.. In your head does this mean they should not be payed or have to wait ridiculous lengths of time to be compensated? I find your comment to be very insulting. What I hear is that any band lesser than jam band ( and this just your opinion), should not get paid or should have to wait for payment for upwards of half a year while yo beloved stt bands have already taken BVI money back home and spent it.
Another thing.................. I doubt that you are the best at whatever you do. What do you do really? While we're at it............ I'm a local musician. I can admit that I am one of the best in the areas of music that I deal with ......... I can't be the best in all areas. But would you suggest that the many people that ask me to play for them every week not pay me cause I ain't jam band. THEY ASKED ME TO PLAY.
Same thing for Dirky dem, SOMEBODY TOLD THEM TO SHOW UP AND PLAY!
So back to whatever you do. I hope that you are the ultimate best at what you do because..................... According to your own comments you deserve not pay or a very delayed pay if your not the best in someone else's eyes or if you're not jam band quality.
Dirky can't get over the fact that he is a has been and will never be again. Boy go sit your punk sk**t down, god bless facebook or some of us would have lonely lives. smh
Treat yourself with respect and whomever will have to oblige.
Vibe will play for whatever whenever.... Payment will come in due time.
It's evident that you guys know but you still opt to play every year them fuss every year. Next!!!!
If a group works they should be paid and that's that. Pay Dirk. I am a JamBand fan too doing the Jamrobics
famous US bank. Hanging on to it, while the US bank it is drawn off of, confirmed it was good weeks before.
Telling the local depositor/customer they had to get the check cleared first. And that's with a GOOD check!
Guess which bank?