Levons rebukes Wheatley, Flax-Charles over ‘greedy bill’ votes
There is simply no excuse or redemption for lawmakers who participated in passing the Retiring Allowances (Legislative Services) Amendment Act, 2021 which is sometimes referred to by members of the public as the greedy bill.
That was the position adopted by Ninth District candidate for the National Democratic Party (NDP), Coy Levons when contestants for the district faced off in a debate last Friday.
The controversial retirement package allows first-term lawmakers to, among other things, be paid a full two-year salary, even if they are no longer in office. Its provisions were met with vocal opposition by a small group of residents at the time, but lawmakers were unmoved and no changes were made to the law.
The issue has become a focal point of the election campaign ever since it was raised by former lawmaker, Myron Walwyn, with legislators now seemingly falling over themselves with promises of repealing the law and making attempts to distance themselves as beneficiaries.
A little tweaking
Incumbent District Representative, Vincent Wheatley, argued for the bill to be kept in place with minor adjustments and noted that it had been in discussion for decades. He said fearful lawmakers previously refused to enact any legislation, expressing that “the public will kill them” if they sought to look after themselves and better their living conditions. “We watched retired politicians suffer, lose their land, lose their houses,” Wheatley argued. “The bill came from good intent. Now, if the bill needs some tweaking, I have absolutely no problem tweaking that bill.”
Wheatley further argued that the bill was also designed more so, to protect future young politicians from victimisation and not to benefit the current crop of lawmakers. “After public life, you won’t believe the kind of treatment persons may mete out against you; because when you’re making decisions, you’re going to make enemies in that process and some persons can’t wait for you to be out of office to give it to you. They can’t wait. That’s how people are.”
I’ve had to assist former legislators with utility bills
Shereen Flax-Charles, who shifted her allegiance to the Progressive Virgin Islands Movement (PVIM), acknowledged voting for the law but confessed that, in hindsight, the Act needs to be repealed. She argued further that she had lobbied for a contributory pension fund for lawmakers and said the law is being broken around the territory because many employers simply do not have a pension plan in place.
She also acknowledged having to assist former legislators with utility bills, arguing that some have been unable to find jobs after serving as lawmakers because they are now considered politically exposed persons (PEPs). “Don’t don’t pay attention to what persons are saying,” Flax-Charles urged. “Get the facts because legislators really don’t make a lot of money. The PSs (Permanent Secretaries) are the ones that really clean up.”
No good intent
But Levons was adamant that there was no good intent on the part of legislators who helped pass the bill into law. “Let me put it to you quite blunt… the strategy of appointing a deputy [premier] to be able to take out of the bill the maximum amount of money shows me that the bill was not intentionally designed to help the legislator. It was designed to facilitate the movement of money,” Levons argued.
He pointed to the current Pension Act, which he argued only requires a small amendment that should rightly include public servants and lambasted lawmakers for not paying long-delayed public servants’ increments, even as they sought to enrich themselves through the ‘greedy bill’.
“How dare you sit down here and tell me that the civil servants don’t deserve to get paid, but you set the thing in motion for politicians to take out all the money,” Levons argued. “No, no, no. Stop your nonsense. Coming before the people, telling the people ignorance about good intention, Mr Vincent. No. I rebuke you with that kind of concept.”
He added: “You put your signature to the bill, Honourable Shereen. You put your signature, Honourable Vincent. Don’t come with no lame excuses about ‘we need to reform’. If it needed reform, why one of you didn’t stand up and say ‘me ain’t signing the bill’?”
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Your leader vote for it to
I had enough of hearing about this greedy bill. What about the abuse we are getting from banks. What about the cost living issues in the BVI. What about so many other issues that needs addressing that really matters and are negatively affecting the lives of the majority of people in the BVI.
Marlon havent done a thing in District 8! All I. Seeing is a bunch of tent like Shed on the beach of long Bay beach Beef Island . We need a. Innovated leader to tackle District 8. Thanks to Irma Our Beach can be used by Tourist and persons can get an incóme Kedrick refused to build a bathroom at the Beach. He kept it down for a long time.He did this to please the white folks at Little Mountain. They complained that music was disturbing them at the beach!!!!!
Coy is nothing more than a big c*n man! You put on a big show during the debate because you know the people would react! Yet you on the team with Marlon who signed the Greedy Bill and Myron who got paid from the Greedy Bill and you campaigning with them up and down fooling the people telling them NDP is the best! Con man
@ Big Actor,
Do you not think that they have spoken about this already. You people who just come and listen to certain partsof politics does get me hott.
I listened to HOA when they were discussing the greedy bill. Yes Marlon voted yes, but he did speak up about the parts that needed to tweak. Upset that he still voted, however the bill would have passed without his vote. The HOA members were already given a pension after 2 terms of service and that is what Myron got. Stop being clouded by VIP and their foolish talk. Learn the constitution and standing orders. Myron have not collected no funds that was put in the greedy bill. The first set of persons that will get would be the first term candidates.
So he dont rebuke Marlon too?… Ayo deaf nobody who could vote on it voted against it!
What was Mr Vanterpool,spin on the subject?
But Coy Marlon voted for the Bill too! You need to call him out. Don’t let him off the hook.
Coy is trying to play the intellectual with his scalability and practical nonsense. Like those two words will save the world.
The reality is his colleagues are all involved in the hot mess.
since you think Coy talking scalability and practical nonsense you should ask to have a debate with him and find out.You know some of us have a lot of book sense but no common sense he has both.
This is trouble right here in the HOA o ce elected. Lol
Keep them far away from from the treasury..Its Amazing how the Wheatley sit in Cabinet all these yrs and had no objection to anything…
That agree with this retirement package. Many other politicians and President are offered similar package. What these people putting years of stress for being called all hours in the night. Being called a sell out and was once praised then call a dog like most dud Andrew fahie.
If I was in I would of never asked to change it nor would I bash it.
Obama and all other senator’s are still receiving monies after x amount of Years of service.
Tortolian does really over at times. If the governor ain’t making noise about it. I wouldn’t
The COI went towards stopping them robbing the treasury illegally , so they thought they would find a way to do it legally.
What a disgraceful , appalling bunch they are.
Lets get rid of them all and have a clean start.
It’s not about stopping the bill from going through or not VIP had majority it was going to pass regardless once head coach wished it… its the mere fact that the ONE thing all of them can hold one head on regardless of party is screwing the taxpayers with this unsustainable retirement plan for themselves.
Flax Charles stayed with them for the entire 4 years. Now acting like she is the victim and trying her almost best to gain PVIM acceptance. Where is your integrity woman.??
Coy levons means well for thiscountry and he know whats he is saying. For years teachers, customs, immigration and police can b fairly paid according to constitutio s nut yet u ha e these wolves paying them self quadrouome the hard working public servants who dont even que half of that money after making 25 or 33 years. Sont talk abouttheir i crements 6 years behind. Shame on u. The headifthe national security dont even care cause their race comes here and get well paid. Slavery in diplomatic way.
So what is it that Coy proposes to do about the alleged abuse of the Government Vehicles on Anegada by his two brothers? They using them as it the vehicles are their personal vehicles.
the gorventment does not provide fuel for nun of the those automobiles they pay out of pocket to put fuel in them and when them cars was down they were you using there personal car to do government work so go siddug
Based on your reasoning, if we built an international airport like NY ‘just because’ that would be ok? A word of wisdom goes (1)’don’t begrudge what others have, because you don’t know what they do to get it’ Another one says ‘Don’t try to be like others, be yourself’. (1)This could be good things or vice versa. US presidents have oversight for how many ? what? who? They print what? The burden of war or peace rests on whose shoulders?
(2)Let’s not try to be like others because that dress or pant does not fit our body type.
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation