People sleeping in derelict vehicles ‘is the reality of the BVI’- Hon Walwyn
Hon Walwyn was at the time giving his contributions to the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Bill 2023, at the Continuation of the Third Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA).
The former Minister claimed that there were sections of the previously amended bill that offended his conscience.
He said the controversial bill being amended allowed any Minister who sat in the last House of Assembly to go to the treasury on a monthly basis to pick up $10,000. “Every backbencher is going to the treasury to pick up $8000, every month and they not working, when you have all these problems in the country.”
He said it was on that basis that he spoke out against the bill because it offended his conscience and the conscience of the territory.
People are sleeping in cars- Hon Walwyn
“You have so many people that can’t even make ends meet in this place. I don’t know where the government lives, if they live on Tortola, I don’t know where they live, because when you go around and see the hardship that people are having, hardship. [Do] you know how many homeless people we have in this country? People sleeping in their cars.
Hon Walwyn claimed that the Minister for Health will attest that “I am sure you get a lot of complaints about people telling you don’t move my derelict vehicle because that is where I live. That is the reality of the BVI.”
The “offending sections” of the bill have since been amended; however, that will not affect members who are already benefiting, or set to benefit from the controversial payment scheme.
Members to benefit have been given the option to voluntarily forgo their payments.
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) had said during the 2023 campaign trail that Hon Walwyn had already benefitted from the bill nicknamed 'greedy bill'.
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33 Responses to “People sleeping in derelict vehicles ‘is the reality of the BVI’- Hon Walwyn”
I really think that we are letting in so many persons in the territory who claim they come to work and they are staying with families. They stay there for a two days and then they have to leave. Having no where to go can't afford house rent or a hotel for survival they find an abandoned house, boat or vehicle and rest there. It's sad that they have to leave their country and find them selves in this predicament in another man's country struggling for survival. The struggle is real, people if you know you dont have jobs for these people if you know you can't accommodate your family or friends please leave them in their country stop presenting them with gold and you know you don't even have butter for your self. It is disheartening you are putting pressure on your self, the health system and the entire territory. Think about it when a person don't have they go into survival mode in many ways and can have a ripple effect on everyone including the territory. Take some time and consider your actions and ask your self if what you are doing is correct.
Businesses please if you know you cant afford to hire employees please stop putting in fake permits to try to get a friend into the territory be honest to your self. People life matters
Incidentally, homelessness is not unique to the VI [British]. For example, the US, the #1 economy in the world, , is supposed to be the land of opportunity, hope, optimism, etc, yet homelessness is a major problem in the US, especially in urban areas. We cannot just fling money at this problem. We must find the cause(s), develop strategies for solving the problem. This is a serious problem so let’s stop treating it like a political football to attain political mileage. Don’t you like politicians who are expert problem finders , critics, but inept problem solvers? Are not you sick and tired of being sick and tired of politicians whining, bellowing, chest thumbing about what is wrong but provide not solutions?
The “ greedy bill” is an example of the warped, exploitive, self-interest thinking, let them eat cake thinking, of opportunistic , greedy politicians. The greedy bill should not have passed in current state in the first place. People are pretending getting a conscience now when they get caught with their pants down. What a joke Premier leaving the opting out to receiving benefits up to greedy politicians. If any politician do, I will probably eat my leather shoes. The politicians are hoping we forget, knowing we are fast-food mentality, short-term thinkers. They trying to run the clock out. It is the electorate fault though , for they go to the polls, vote, and then go in hibernation. Instead of staying in engaged, holding politicians feet to the fire.
Come on man, that was tooooooo easy
Sorry you are mistaken.
Wheatley was deputy Premier in 2021 when the greedy bill was unanimously passed in the HOA.
Do you know that its rare for natives in other Caribbean countries to pay rent? Why? Because its a bit easy for them to own a piece of property and build a family home. Cost of living is not as high as it is here. They come here as a way to make money, which when converted in their money, it goes a long way. We locals sit and judge expats way of living in our country. When you ask 4 out of 5 if they own a house back home..the answer is YES! While the average local is struggling to pay rent and live day to day. There is no room or opportunity for equal opportunity in home ownership.
Dese gides geh catch wid dem pants down know dem crying crocodile tears buh conscience. Mehson, yu hear lie. 7 of the 13 who gleeful approve the legislation were first termer( Rymer, N. Wheatley, N. Smith, de Castro, V. Wheatley, Malone, Flax-Charles) were first termer; Fahie, Fraser, Penn, Turnbull, Maduro.Caines, and Vanterpool were already multi-termers. Most of these MSs would not even show up on time for HoA meetings. That is how much respect they hab for de people. Now dem want to collect $10K and $8k per month for serving a single term. Who vote Nay for the bill?? It is abuse, and highway robbery. A civil servants has to toil on average for 33 years to get a pittance. They must be real happy and jumping with joy for the politicians, you think? All of them politicians need a cutass with a cat-o-nine-tail for being greedy. Holiday, like to brag how he enjoyed cutting bad boys ass wid the cat-I-nine-tail so he can do the honors for he has the experience. Greedy, greedy, no conscience son of a b****$.
legal and illegal strategies being employed to beat the system and offer an advantage and opportunity to outside interests while locals are primarily occupied with being a hindrance to the progress of their own people. The days of easy drug money are over while your elected representatives make it harder to do business or make an independent living from farming fishing or industry while rum bars strip clubs drug dealing prostitution gambling theft and every other form of debauchery is on the increase. Envy jealousy ignorance and greed have cast the Virgin Islands into the Abyss....welcome back to direct colonial rule. Idiots.
I know people were sleeping behind the Tropic aisle wooden curtains so that’s why they were removed.
Don’t worry soon we will see those homeless people on a stage receiving belongership certificates.