UPDATE: 'We cannot support everyone' - Premier Smith
This was the response given by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith when he was faced with the question of his NDP government throwing a black towel on the Latino Poker Run.
Premier was at the time fielding questions from reporters as he sat with them for one of his feedback press conferences held in the conference room at the Premier’s Office on May 29, 2014.
The activity was forced to be cancelled for this year due to the lack of financial support according to the organizers who had also cried shame on the local government body for their failure to support the event.
Premier Smith told reporters that the government supports activities that would increase tourism activities in the Territory. He said however, they have to look at its gravity and other factors before making a decision to assist financially.
The Hispanic community in the VI is said to be of a large population and rarely are there any activities that target them directly. The Latino Poker Run was seen as one that had the potential of pulling a very large Hispanic and English support but a signature of the VI embracing all cultures that makes up the Territory.
See previous story published on May 26, 2014:
Latino Poker Run Fest postponed
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Information reaching Virgin Islands News Online is that the BVI Latino Poker Run Festival scheduled to be hosted next month has been postponed.
CEO of Virgin Islands Entertainment, Mr Devon U. Osborne, confirmed the latest development today, May 26, 2014 with this news site.
According to Mr Osborne, the event has been postponed as a result of “unforeseen logistics and shortage of funds to cover production cost”. Mr Osborne expressed a desire to have the issues resolved and inform stakeholders of a new date for the event which was initially set for June 19-24, 2014.
Osborne noted that his group will continue to look for new avenues by which to raise the necessary funds to cover the production costs of the event.
He further expressed that his team had explored every avenue to obtain the necessary funding to pull off the event, including making many written, oral and public requests for the current BVI Government administration to offer support in the form of financial assistance.
“We also investigated the possibility of obtaining a loan,” Osborne stated, while adding, “most importantly we partnered with the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.”
“Needless to say that none of these avenues were successful and we concluded that it would be best to postpone the event this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the CEO extended an invitation to persons interested in becoming shareholders and or investors of the event in order to bring it to fruition next year.
Earlier this month, Osborne had questioned the lack of support from the Office of Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith for assistance in pulling the event off and had complained of being stifled.
“I feel like if I am being stifled. I feel like I’m not being able to progress and I don’t know what is the reason. All I want is help,” he had told this news site.
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30 Responses to “UPDATE: 'We cannot support everyone' - Premier Smith”
since CNN show us off and didnt mention about the tourist board. It was embarrasing
but it was the truth. It stand on its own legs.
We run this country but if you are not with us you are against us.
Better luck next time Mr. Osborne.
N..... Don't Progress!
You had a better chance being an ice cube in hell!!!
IMO, I wouldn't underwrite it either.
The problem with this production is he thinks people are stupid!!! Every big production starts out small, he with no experience in anything He want to start out with a half a million dollars? It's not postponed it's dead!!!
He has time now let's see if he gets his land right and gets a loan. He will never get a loan on his own land he simple wants to use Tax payers dollars to take chance with.
Want all get none and that long Antigua boy should understand what that mean.
NDp must go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I see where Mr. Osborne was coming from because if you have to use the media to get answers from these fools well I believe he made the right move even though it was not clear to us the people what was the break down cost of his production.
To add more fuel to the fire, when you ran for office you were out there asking everyone for support but now you cannot support everyone. What a government for the people.
The money is only for the ndp family so this administration must go immediately.