In my last piece, I spoke about the crossroads before us — the choice between continuing with broken systems or building a future worthy of our people. Today, I want to speak about solutions. Not promises, not slogans, but a roadmap based on what works around the world, guided by the values of wellness, education, leadership, and listening.
Making Power Reliable and Affordable
The unreliability of WAPA has defined life in the Virgin Islands for over 50 years. But we can change that. Within three years, we can stabilize and modernize our grid by:
• Investing in renewable energy at scale — solar and wind backed by battery storage, as islands from Aruba to Hawaii have done successfully.
• Partnering with private utilities and regional experts to audit WAPA, cut waste, and establish transparent billing.
• Diversifying energy sources to reduce dependency on imported oil, bringing down costs and ending the cycle of blackouts.
Reliable power is not a luxury — it is the foundation for every household, every school, every hospital, and every business.
Restoring Our Schools and Building Trust
Every year, we hear that schools are ready, only to see closures weeks later due to mold, broken bathrooms, or a lack of air conditioning. That cycle ends when we:
• Establish a transparent facilities management plan, with independent oversight and quarterly reporting.
• Dedicate resources to preventive maintenance — not just emergency fixes.
• Tie budget approval to clear, measurable results so funds are spent where they are needed most: classrooms, teachers, and safe environments for our children.
Great schools aren’t just about buildings; they’re about dignity, stability, and the future of our children.
Strengthening Healthcare at Home
For two decades, too many patients have been forced to leave St. Croix for treatment. To fix this, we must:
• Recruit and retain nurses and doctors through competitive pay, housing support, and professional development opportunities.
• Modernize supply systems so hospitals are never short of basics.
• Forge partnerships with medical schools and global health organizations to bring specialists here, rather than sending our people away.
Healthcare must be about access and trust. Families should not have to pray for a medical flight just to get care.
Rebuilding Infrastructure with Purpose
Our roads are unsafe. Infrastructure must be treated as a priority, not an afterthought:
• Launch a dedicated road-repair and safety program, modeled on best practices from small island nations that build with resilience in mind.
• Seek partnerships with federal agencies and private investors to ensure projects are funded and completed on time.
• Integrate climate resilience into every project — because every dollar spent should last.
Driving Down the Cost of Living
Our people pay three times more than the mainland U.S., competing with Switzerland without enjoying Switzerland’s benefits. To change this:
• Reduce energy costs by fixing WAPA — lowering bills for families and businesses.
• Incentivize local agriculture and food production to cut reliance on imports.
• Streamline shipping and port fees to make goods more affordable.
• Support small businesses and cooperatives that keep wealth circulating locally.
Lower costs of living will not happen overnight, but every step — from cheaper electricity to stronger local food systems — brings relief.
Building a Thriving Workforce and Attracting Investment
Jobs are the heartbeat of any community. We can build a thriving workforce by:
• Establishing training programs tied directly to growing industries: renewable energy, healthcare, technology, and construction.
• Partnering with global companies to create local career pipelines.
• Creating conditions that attract Virgin Islanders back home: fair wages, quality schools, safe communities, and opportunity.
Investment follows stability. When bills are paid on time, when budgets are transparent, when energy is reliable — businesses come. And when businesses come, our children don’t have to leave to find their future.
Choosing the Right Side of History
The road ahead is difficult, but the choice is clear. Do we continue patching a crumbling wall, or do we build a foundation strong enough to carry us forward?
St. Croix can have reliable electricity within three years. We can have schools that open and stay open. We can have hospitals that care for us here at home. We can have roads that are safe to drive and a cost of living that doesn’t drive our people away.
It will take courage. It will take accountability. But it can be done. And together, we can place St. Croix on the right side of history.