CNN Stimulus Money and Paradise

I suggest they start by building some secure public bathrooms for tourists in STX. As far as I know they have almost nowhere decent to go use the bathroom in F'sted or C'sted unless they happen to be in a restaurant. Talk about being inhospitable...

The Governor noted that USVI hosts thousands of tourists from the mainland every year. Some of that stimulus money will go to improving the infrastructure that sustains the tourism sector.
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Growing 6 percent ? Maybe the goverment but not the private sector jobs or businesses. We are not out of this mess by a long shot. Any business owner I know including myself sees Decline more than incline. But maybe you can enlighten me where you see that 6 % growth. Wall st ?

There is a very large public bathroom across the street for the Fort C'cted, I have never heard of any security problems there.

Lizard is correct, perhaps better signage though would be a good idea for the tourists as I didn't know it was there for quite a while.

I thought there was a public restroom as you get onto the peer in Fredericksted as well.

Sean

I thought there was a public restroom as you get onto the peer in Fredericksted as well.

😀

Long day! Make that long week!

Sean

In the USVI, the primary purpose of government is to hire and pay government workers. Therefore, frequent, poorly-done road repairs is the correct approach.

poorthang,

"The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States expanded at an annual rate of 5.70 percent in the last quarter. The United States Gross Domestic Product is worth 14204 billion dollars or 22.91% of the world economy, according to the World Bank." http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=USD

Virtually every recovery is a "jobless recovery." After a recession, employers try to get more hours from remaining workers; this saves money on benefits, especially health care insurance. This is why we see the productivity rate rising faster than unemployment rate is falling. At the point that it becomes too expensive, they start to hire new employees. In the most recent quarter, as GDP grew by 5.70 percent, the unemployment rate fell from 10.0 to 9.7 percent. Still too high, but it's a step in the right direction.

"Growing 6 percent ? Maybe the government but not the private sector jobs or businesses." Most of the new jobs have been in the private sector, with the temporary services and retail sectors leading the way.

"We are not out of this mess by a long shot." I agree. We have a long way to go to get back to full employment and a healthy economy.

@Edward Although I like your enthusiasm and optimistic view please read the rest of the article you posted . The devils is in the details. When our economy is based roughly on 65% on consumer spending and the consumer is beat up as bad as they are ...... that will give a whole new definition to your jobless recovery.Businesses are afraid to spend,consumers are afraid to spend and until that changes hang on. Every time they post one set of numbers(Govt), seems like they always come back and revise them.The propaganda machine is not broken. 49 states have snow and Global warming is supposedly here? We just have a different point of view, still like your posts though! Best to you.:D

Public bathrooms are no joking matter!

There are none at Cane Bay, but the beach is filled with cruiseship tourists every other weekend and some mid-week days. I can only imagine what the bathrooms at EATS look like.

btw... all those people are going to destroy that area. It simply can't handle it. Is anyone in charge over there?

The good thing is that the Cruiseship industry can have a big effect on this subject. All they have to do is complain and we'll see a restroom and maybe even get the northshore road cleaned up, especially the section between the marina and northside road. It's filthy with litter, and I'm embarrassed for our island when I see the tour buses roll down that stretch of road.

...and maybe even get the northshore road cleaned up, especially the section between the marina and northside road. It's filthy with litter, and I'm embarrassed for our island when I see the tour buses roll down that stretch of road.

Which marina? Salt River Marina? Which area exactly? I sometimes pick up roadside litter in my neighborhood around Salt River. Maybe I'd better get out there again soon!

...and maybe even get the northshore road cleaned up, especially the section between the marina and northside road. It's filthy with litter, and I'm embarrassed for our island when I see the tour buses roll down that stretch of road.

Which marina? Salt River Marina? Which area exactly? I sometimes pick up roadside litter in my neighborhood around Salt River. Maybe I'd better get out there again soon!

STXBob, what a good soul!
Too bad we have these very good souls doing the job the government gets paid to do!

If I was Govenor, I`d be "what the hell are the maintenance people doing?
I`d go over & tell them to stop F(_) ( in around with their cell phones & get to work or we`ll CUT employees & hire those who will work!

Our taxes(for the most part) go to lazy people who don`t want to work.
This includes the federal government these days!

If they really want to spend some money to good effect on tourism they need to invest in a couple of gates for the STX airport - or at least another tarmac/ramp pad area and access door to the terminal. Then they should heavily try to recruit a discount air carrier to offer daily service to STX.

A couple of plane loads of tourists each day who spend an average of 3 -7 days on island is going to generate a LOT more tourism revenue than a ship a week of tourists who disembark for 8 hours and buy next to nothing (because their food is free on the ship, they're encouraged to buy alcohol onboard, and their are next to no tourism activities available for purchase once they get ashore.) A tourist who comes by plane is buying hotel stays, restaurant purchases, rental car, knick knacks, etc.

...and maybe even get the northshore road cleaned up, especially the section between the marina and northside road. It's filthy with litter, and I'm embarrassed for our island when I see the tour buses roll down that stretch of road.

Which marina? Salt River Marina? Which area exactly? I sometimes pick up roadside litter in my neighborhood around Salt River. Maybe I'd better get out there again soon!

Past the Salt River Marina going towards Morningstar and Northside road.