Government needs to grow some balls — Lorna Smith
Territorial At-Large Representative Lorna Smith has criticised the government for not having what she colloquial termed “the balls” to exercise its authority over a landowner who evicted the state from a location used to store derelict vehicles.
Since being forced off the land, the government has resorted to using an alternative and temporary site in Pockwood Pond to store the vehicles. However, during a community meeting in Sea Cow’s Bay on Thursday, January 24, hosted by Deputy Premier Julian Fraser and Minister for Health and Social Development Vincent Wheatley, residents from the Third District, along with Smith, raised concerns about the vehicles’ current location.
One resident argued that the vehicles posed both health and financial risks, suggesting that property values in the area could suffer during appraisals.
Minister Wheatley explained that the vehicles were moved to Pockwood Pond after the owner of the previous site demanded their removal by December 2023. He added that the government is actively seeking tenders for a new location and hopes to resolve the issue by February 2025.
Smith calls for stronger action
Smith, however, strongly criticised the government for complying with the landowner’s demands without securing a suitable alternative. She argued that the government should have exercised eminent domain, which allows the state to take private property for public use under specific conditions.
“I want to know when this government is going to grow some balls and exercise what they know is eminent domain,” Smith declared during the meeting.
“The derelict vehicles were in a location, and yes, the owner, I’m sure, said he wanted them removed by a certain time,” she continued. “But until you could find a location that was suitable, they could have stayed there if the government had the balls to do what they needed to do.”
Admitting that invoking eminent domain might not be a pleasant course of action, Smith expressed doubt that the issue would be resolved by the February 2025 deadline. She urged residents to advocate for the vehicles to be moved back to their original location.
“I think it is a disgusting sight from land and on sea, and I have to say I have no faith in this thing about February 15 being the date for moving them,” said Smith, who previously served under the sitting government as Deputy Premier. “They need to be moved back from where they were until you could find a suitable location.”
Government defends its efforts
Minister Wheatley responded to Smith’s comments, reiterating that the government is actively seeking a long-term solution but ruled out returning the vehicles to their previous location.
“I did not say I’ll move it by February 15; I said I’m trying. I do not have a site as yet, [but] I’m looking seriously for a site,” Wheatley said. “Moving them back to where they were is not an option.”
Wheatley also noted that the government is considering properties that could serve broader waste management purposes and said he would keep the idea of eminent domain in mind.
Tenders issued for new location
The government has issued a tender, dated January 23, seeking a 12-month lease on a property for derelict vehicle storage. The tender follows reports that the previous landlord had blocked access to the site over non-payment.
Separately, the Department of Waste Management has issued a tender for maintaining the current derelict vehicle site, with plans to process up to 600 vehicles and scrap metal. The submission deadline for this tender is February 12, 2025.
Residents and officials alike remain divided on how best to address the issue, as the derelict vehicles remain an eyesore and a contentious point of debate in the community.
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Didn’t this issue come about because of nonpayment of rent?
The landlord mi son was paid.
Maybe the Govt should have exercised its eminent domain powers to store the vehicles on on the expensive properties that Lorna owns – there is plenty of room on the one at East End that she used to rent to the Governor.
Showada sure had some balls to fire your ra** so stop there talking pi**
Someone’s been paid to truck the scrap , and obviously will be paid to move it again “where there’s muck there’s money” A pointless waste of our taxes, what will our own HOA representatives imaginations come up with next to drain the public purse to F&F!
This same lady joined the VIP to put them in power. Only because they fire her now she talking against them. She is self serving. You could have seen that from her campaign to her joining VIP after her colleagues helped her to win to now she talking bad about the government only because she got fired. I don’t trust her and she will not be getting my vote. A leopard never change its spots.
Lorna go sit down.
Honourable Lorna Smith, ma’am, balls are the weakest part of the man’s body. Now you know why nothing is getting done. On the contrary and with all due respect to you, according to the late Betty White, grow some pu$$¥, see what it goes through from conception to childbirth? Dear Government, take note!
It’s only a problem because afluent people live in Haver’s. What about when they have mess all over the other parts of the island? Where was Lorna and the others then? See what we have to deal with in this place? Things are only urgent or necessary when it impacts certain people. The point is Irma was 7 f**king years ago, 7 years! There’s no reason why we should have those twisted pieces of metal on island until now. The land owner had all rights to get them off his damn property. Someone needs to go down there and light the entire thing on fire. We have no shame! The Govt needs to be negotiating with a receiving party and sortying a barge ASAP to get all of them moved from here, not seeking another location by Feb 2025. It seems the issue here is not about respecting EVERYONE but pandering to the afluent few on that particular hill. Get the f**king garbage off the island NOW and stop playing with people’s investments and health.
Agreed!
Why do we still have these derelict cars and vehicles on Island after all these years and then instead of seeling the scrap metal off island, we pay to move them across the island.
Who is responsible for this foolish waste of resources and money?
Why do we still have these eyesores on the island!
Why are our roads still so bad eight years after Irma?
This government does little to very little for the people.
https://www.bvibeacon.com/700-plus-derelict-vehicles-removed/
You had me thinking you had sense until you say, light derelict cars on fire…guess you want them black to blend in at night atleast until they start rusting again, but good rant!
I hope she was telling the Doc this when he give away money for the plane and run the country into the ground!
If the opposition think they know Lorna they will find out about her again. Lorna care only about Lorna. Look at the family history – Mark jump from one party to the next numerous times. Juggy who is their cousin did it to. Now Lorna did it and will do it again if she a way to get ahead. No loyalty! All for their own benefit and for them to be in power. If you all ain’t see it you ain’t going see it again
Land by the Admin building and the Pier park is not being used except as a container park.
Anywhere in Road Town, no one would notice.
Pockwood Pond is already an eyesore. QEll park is not looking like it is maintained, maybe there. Let the Governor look at it. Would fit in with the unfinished road, the trash car parks and container stores and construction site left over from the hospital build last century.
Spooners Hill where the old peoples home didnt go.
South Sound where the Greenhouses didnt go. The college where the Greenhouses came and went and grew nothing.
Cane Garden Bay Beach and White Bay Beach instead of unsightly rows and rows of chairs. Be much more interesting and natural. Would fit in with the rest of the VI surroundings, where derelict cars, containers and trucks are found at every turn.
Sea Cows Bay. Fraser and friends have almost completely filled it already. Push it into the sea and cover up the sea bed instead of all the dirt that is pushed over our mangroves and corals.
Put them inside the Rupert Briar Cliffe Hall. Ah, that’s gone already with no plan. Put them where the RBCH was. Anegada where the failed solar project should be. Trellis Bay to cover up the toilet block welcome centre eyesore. Encourage people to keep them in their yards with the other derelict vehicles. Or just leave them littered along the highways and in car parks.
Put the racecourse to good use.
Pay a guy in Puerto Rico to take them away and then set them on fire. Park them next to houses on Joes Hill and make them look occupied. Pile them on the beaches and in waters at Peter Island, Oil Nut, Little Dix, Guana, Biras Creek as VIslanders can’t use them anyway.
The HOA there is not much of use or value there.
Pile them on landfill that has already destroyed the seabed and mangroves, destroyed the beauty of the VI, the environment, the peace of residential areas, destroyed the beautiful views of local residents. (Ah, you are already going that. All good then.)
Lorna is extremely disappointing…….
Imminent domain with Ashley?
Y’all sure know how to choose your battles.
Good luck with that one. Ashley would turn this whole place upside down if y’all try and pull that on him.
But I get it, Lorna just had to say something for the sake of saying something knowing, nothing will come out of such idea. Wheatley said he’ll keep imminent domain “in mind’. Puhleaseeeeee. None of y’all would dear go to Ashley with that, including LORNA.
Politicians think they’re talking to fools. I heard Wheatley last night saying he don’t know who the directors or owners of the company that owns the land are knowing fully well Shan owns it. Those voicing their opinion last night knows who owns it but this politician doesn’t?
Load the derelict vehicles on a powerless steel barge anchored near Pockwood Pond. When the barge is almost fully loaded sell the scrap steel to an industrial steel mill in Trinidad or elsewhere in South America. Charter an ocean going tow boat to tow the barge to the buyer. Unload the scrap steel at the buyer’s facility then tow the empty barge back to the BVI and begin loading derelict vehicles for the next voyage to the scrap steel mill. Continue this process until all the derelict vehicles in the BVI are GONE!!
Everyone knows that this lady’s assertions have nothing to do with unsightly vehicles. Instead this is all about anything to embarras the premier and his administration.
We would be in dire straights if this lady and her family were able to lead the country.
This Havers saga is no surprise to me. I saw this coming from some weeks ago when I was on a ferry and said it was only a matter of time before Havers’ residents kick-up. It it truly an eyesore.
BOI WHY DON’T YOU LEAVE THE LADY ALONE , POOR VINDY AND WALWYN IS YOUR TARGET FOR YOUR EVIL HATRED , NOW YOU FLEXING OFF ON LORNA , TO CREATE NEWS , USING ALL KINDS OF FAMCY NAMES ( LB – SMITTY GONARD ‘ STRUPES ETC ARE JUST A FEW THE LADY MADE THAT MOVE TO TRY AND GET THE GOVERNMENT ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD , BUT LOOKS LIKE YOU AND OTHERS LIKE YOU WOULD RATHER THE ” KILLING FIELD * WE ALL KNOW THE WANNABE OPPOSITION COULD NOT INIRMTE , AND THE 3RD DISTRICT REP HAS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS LAST MOVE , AND YOH COME BACK IN THE NEW YEAR SPEWING YOUR SH*TTY MENTALITY ON US AGAIN , / STAY BON YOUR YELLO SITE AND PLAY WITH YOUR PRECIOUS WIG, YOU SMELLING DUTTY
Where were the ones to blame for this mess in the first-place last night? The Department of Waste Management and its Director Soloman. They put the Government in this stupid Position. Not Paying the Landowner for almost 2 years as I understand obviously was asking for problems.
WELL THE LADY GOT FIRED FOR EXPOSING THE FLAWS IN OUR BOSS’S INCOMPETENCE , ONLY YOU CANNOT SEE THAT / BUT IN YOUR CASE , HE WAS RUTHLESS IN DROPKICKING YOU AND YOUR WIG OUT OF THE HOA , WHICH IS THE ONLY THING HE ACHIEVED , THAT WE CAN AGREE ON, AND ALSO , HE HASN’T DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE WILLARD PROUD , BESIDES AQUIREING THE TOP DOG POSITION ( AND THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT ) NOW HE ACTING LIKE THE
GENTLE GIANT THAT IS GONNA SAVE US FROM OURSELVES
According to the reports, those old vehicles are illegally on that site cause its reclaimed land and no permission for use was given. Somebody needs to answer for this Big Blunder. It’s just a bunch of jacka..es the government hiring and paying these big salaries.
Not only the men in Government don’t have rocky mountain oysters. Men in the BVI IS WALKING AROUND WITH DEFLATED ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS THAT A AIR PUMP CANOT SAVE WITH AIR. BLOW UP A BALLOON AND LET IT GO WITHOUT SECURING THE BALLON AND PSST. Men in the BVI DON’t have real balls, they have inflated balloon sacks. They always sit with their legs open to prevent the sacks from leaking air.
Good laugh for the day. But have to say. You are correct about the saggy loose air sacks.
F da gov and Lorna Hodge.
Lorna should have grown some balls then she would have become Mr.Smith and still wont have balls.
WE DON’T KNOW WHICH GAME YOU WERE WATCHING , BUT YOU MISSED THE WHOLE WHOLE SCENERIO BECAUSE WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION ❓️ THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO UNITE AND FORM THE GOVERNMENT , BUT WON’T / DIDN’T OR REFUSED , SO HOW CAN YOU BLAME THE LADY IF THERE WASN’T A SHIP TO JUMP FROM ❓️ SEEMS LIKE YOU GOT A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST THAT FAMILY , EVEN BEFORE MARK TOOK YOUR WANNABE ESTEEMED SPEAKER ( NOW) TURNED JUDGE – JURY & EXECUTIONER TO SCHOOL AND GETTING TOO NIG FOR YOUR BOOTS , THE OUR MASTER NAT-AL-EO WAS EMBARRASSED DROPKICKED YOU AND YOUR WIG OUT OF THE HOA AND EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF . AS WE WERE HAPPY TO BREATHE ” FREE ” FRESH AIR AGAIN , THANKS NATALIO
VENDETTA WITH THE FAMILY ESPECIALLY SINCE MARK TOOK YOUR WANNABE ESTEEMED SPEAKER & JUDGE – JURY & EXECUTIONER BACKS*DE YO SCHOOL