Ronnie Skelton suggests move to help struggling pensioners
As concerns mount over the plight of government pensioners across the territory, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said he is open to considering an emergency injection of funds to assist those struggling to make ends meet.
In recent weeks, the issue has gained renewed attention, with legislators pressuring the government to provide relief for retired public servants whose fixed incomes have been stretched thin by the rising cost of living.
During a recent House of Assembly sitting, At-Large Representative Ronnie Skelton questioned the Premier about measures being taken to adjust pension payments. In response, Premier Wheatley said a careful analysis is underway as part of the broader public service compensation review.
He explained that the review committee is currently exploring a number of options to determine the most appropriate way to apply increases to the pensions of former civil servants and their surviving spouses.
Skelton, while acknowledging the Premier’s explanation, argued that pension adjustments should have been implemented at the same time that salary increases were approved for active civil servants. “It doesn’t take years to do it,” he said, noting that pensioners across the territory are aware that increases should already have been made.
The Premier explained that no increases were granted in the usual way because of a wider pension reform effort currently in progress. He said any increases would be applied once that process is complete.
Skelton, however, suggested a temporary measure to ease the burden on struggling pensioners: “I wonder if the Premier would be willing to take a step that happened in the past, because some of these pensioners are in trouble and need relief. While you wait for the results [of the review], would you be willing to give a cost of living adjustment in the meanwhile?”
Premier Wheatley responded positively, saying, “Coming from a former Minister of Finance, I take that as a sound suggestion that can be further explored with the Ministry of Finance. I will sit down with the Financial Secretary to see if it’s something that can be done at this stage. Of course, we have a report coming in June, and that can also be informative on next steps.”
Government pensioners are among the most vulnerable groups currently facing hardship due to the high cost of living, alongside seniors and single-parent households.
Recently, Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn and members of the Opposition Alliance criticized the Premier for previously suggesting that pensioners consider second jobs to cope with rising expenses. Walwyn described the comments as insensitive and said they offered little reassurance that the pensioners’ concerns would be addressed anytime soon.
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I wonder what wake him up from his slumber. Oh! Election coming up soon. SMH
Remember Ralph. We use to say he was sleeping in the house of assembly. Ronnie is behalf as a leader should, and he should not lose any of his humble personality just yo make noise. He should speak up at all times when it becomes necessary.
A family member making excuses for the incompetence. A leader don’t do no work? A leader must have no plan for how he will lead the opposition? A leader must not know how to file a simple vote of no confidence? A leader must go form his own party after he loses his party elections? A leader must dissolve the same party he formed without telling its members and his other colleagues? If that is leadership then we are in trouble.
Don’t forget that Social Security pensioners need help to!! Up our payout!! We hurting too!!
Stop wasting OUR MONEY on stupid projects and take care of us!!
Minister Vincent Wheatley said in the HoA that SSB pensioner payments will also be increased.
agreed. 1000000000%
Ronnie was told by sowandie to wake up and read this script to give the NDP relevance since the alliance was cutting the VIP a$$ in the house and on issues, that external audit of bank of Asia and $5 million USD put into it after reports of the bank folding up is going to cost the VIP government,so sowandie and Ronnie and Marlon uniting on the indigenous entitlement philosophy, and so they are supporting each other with NDP one man Marlon saying and internal audit is the way which will not be public, we already see natalio agenda to control the HOA from taking corrective measures or discussion against his beloved darling, that is power.
I dont agree with your statement, but I absolutely do agree with the unification of the indigenous Virgin Islanders holding one head. especially as it relates to the leadership of this country. We dont have anywhere to go. Myron could go back Antigua. Lorna could go back Anguilla. We have no where to go. So yes please let the indigenous link-up strategy, even across party lines, happen! And yes absolutely we should be entitled in our own home! I make no apologies about that! My kids can open my fridge in our house, but if your kids are visiting, they better ask permission to go in my fridge. My kids have that entitlement as they should! NO apologies!
Your kids are welcomed to visit and play and enjoy my house, but never forget that it is not your house and you have to follow rules that my kids do not. The second you dont like my house or my rules then please by all means, leave!
Very well said!
A great comment. But let’s not forget that the VI have rules that all are to follow and so will you in your house. Entitlement does not mean you are above the law, as some people think. It means the laws are written in a way that gives advantages but there are still laws and rules to be followed.
Entitlement does not mean that you can bribe and corrupt officials or politicians to do what you want like having Tinted windows or strip clubs or smoke in bars etc etc etc…….
But a great explanation or how rules can be different for different people. Thankyou.
Who can be so dense as to dislike the normal and greater implications of your comment? Fools and haters of us of course.
You sound like a fool. I don’t know who you are but I am ashamed for you. And the others who support your statement should also be ashamed but I suspect they don’t have any.
You are sick and need help.
You forget to include natalio Wheatley as an outsider who could run back to Puerto Rico where he was born or any USA territory.
rONNIE IS DOING WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO. STAY FOCUS RONNIE; FOCUSED AND LET THE YAPPERS YAP AWAY
Sowande can go back to Puerto Rico so don’t say “we”…say “you!”
The temporary measure is welcomed. However; the former LoP moves at a turtle pace and seems challenged by doing what’s right for the masses and not just his entitled followers. Seems RS has paused his hibernation and woken up somewhat refreshed with compassion on his mind?!? Wtf! As for the ‘indigenous’ B$ nonsense- ain’t nobody buying into that crap anymore. Those of ayo who past 50 and support this false ideology arr relics of the past and part of why the country is bad off as it is today with failing infrastructure and lack of investments. Bunch of morons…
Well, the Premier is not a relic nor close to 50 and he is the Minister of Finance. He is in charge of the Finance Ministry. The Minister of Communication and Works is not a relic nor near 50. The Minister of Education as well. The DG and everybody else are also young, young people. So why are the persons over 50 to blame? Because you are obviously praying to die young? Obviously you have a problem with getting old. Be careful what you wish for.
what exactly is he is doing because I have not seen anything out of him in two and half years. Point to one thing for me please?
mrALOOF HAS LOWERED HIS ATTENTION TO US / OR IS IT JUST ANOTHER ACTING JOB LIKE FAMOUS ( VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ) ❓️ THAT CAUSED EVERYBODY TO SCATTER ~ ) AND IT WAS THROWN IN THE GABBAGE / ANYWAY ONE GOOD THING SEEMS TO HAVE CAME OUT OF IT , AN * ALLIANCE * WAS FORMED , AND A SET OF HYPOCRITES STARTED TO PELT ROCKS AT THEM / BUT THEY ARE STANDING FIRM AND IS DOING WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WHEN MR ALOOF WAS ACTING LIKE HE OWNED IT , AND WAS MISSING IN ACTION EVEN BEFORE THE ELECTION / WELL HE SEEMS TO HAVE FOUND HIS VOICE AGAIN , AND HE SIDE KICK SEEMS TO BE GETTING HIS ACT TOGETHER / SO THE IMPLOSION SEEMS TO HAVE AWAKEN THE DEAD ■ ( HOPEFULLY THEY CAN PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER AND THROW THEIR DIFFERENCES IN THE GABBAGE AND UNITE AND WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY WITH ( I N T E G R I T Y ) REGARDLESS OF WHO GETS TO BE THE ( P R E M I E R ) HATRED AND ENVY ISN’T WORKING / ITS ONLY HURTING OURSELVES / WE ARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY ITS MORE THAN TIME TO GET RID OF THE CAVE MENTALITY AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE ~ WE ONLY LIVE ONCE ( STOUTH GORNE BUT HIS HIS AND OTHERS LIKE HIM – ACHIEVEMENTS LIVES ON ” ON POSITIVE SIDE , NOW ITS YA’AL TIME TO SHINE , THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE , SO STOP THE POWER STRUGGLE / BACK STABBING / TALKING WITH FORKED TONGUES / CORRUPTION ETC AND START THE CLEANSING OF OUR MINDS – BODY AND SOUL
THAT WAS GENTLE PUT
Spooners?
Shame on you, as a seno8go few that heckling NHI you set up. This is worse that our diabetes!!!
To be fair, in the past surprisingly it has been Skelton responsible for implementing and advocating for some social and economic relief plans.
Oh snap big dawg wake up from Odinsleep.
Mr. Entitlement would say anything to get re-elected. He cares nothing about regular people. Next
We must institutionalize memory; of service, of empathy, caring, compassion, of a heart for the suffering; of an out stretched hand for the less fortunate and down trodden.
An urgent message to the Governer, Premier Mr. Natalio Wheatley and all elected officials and Ministers.
“Don’t forget that all Retired Civil Servants, (Teachers especially) and Social Security pensioners need help to!!
Up our payout!! We are hurting immeasurably!!
Stop wasting OUR MONEY by deprioritizing stupid non priority projects and take care of us!!”
HERE WE GO AGAIN -WITH THIS XENOPHOBIA SHIT / WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHATS BEST FOR VTHE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY ( WHERE WALWYN BORN ❓️ \ AND WHERE OUR PREMIER BORN ❓️ ALL YOU HYPOCRITES IS DOING IS PROMOTING EVILNESS AGAINST OTHER BLACK PEOPLE WHO SHARE THE SAME ANCESTRY/ AND AT THE SAME TIME CONDEMING OR DOING THE SAME THING THAT THE WHITE SLAVE MASTERS DID TO ( OUR ) ANCESTORS / DOES THAT MAKE SENCE ❓️ EH MR LOCAL BROTHER ? WE ALL LIVE ON THE SAME PLANET AND AS LONG AS YOU SRE A BLACK MAN YOU ARE AN ( AFRICAN ) YOU CALL OTHER OTHER BLACK PEOPLE ( ISLSND PEOPLE AND AT CERTAIN TIME YOU CALL THE SAME PEOPLE ( OUR CARIBBEAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS ) WHAT DOES THAT SAY ❓️ TAKE A LITTLE WHILE AND SEE IF YOU CAN
ANALIZE YOUR MENTALITY AND MAKE YHE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS , USING A LITTLE *COMMON SENCE * BRO
Hush you MS!
Rip Van Winkle awakes from his slumber!!
If Ronnie was Premier we would have been in a much better place..
Just like how the opposition was in a much better place when he was the leader? Ronnie is a waste of time entitled old man who has gone beyond his sell by date. Yes, he wants to be premier so badly that’s why he left NDP when he lost the party elections and now he run back there after he lost the leader of the opposition. That man is b**minded and entitled.
https://www.bvibeacon.com/hoa-okays-skelton-contract-worth-36k-monthly/
They don’t have to agree. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Ronnie was one of the best Finance Ministers we had in a long, long time. Simply put, he is a doer. If something needs to be fixed, he simply does it.
Everything seems to be broken in this country: Electricity, water, roads, projects (DDM Building, Central Admin Complex, Althea Scatliffe School,), education, health care to name a few. What is being done about it? Looking, but can’t see nor hear a thing.
To be honest, no work is being done it seems. We just see a whole lot of travel and talk. I will be kind and not mention parties and concerts. Focus is what we need, focus of the needs of this country.
As I recall it local businesses suffered greatly when Ronnie was finance minister. Remembered he was fired from that job by the people in 2007. Remember that Dr. Smith vowed to be finance minister and held on to that position between 2011 and 2018. If Ronnie was so good Dr. Smith would have given him back the position. The public themselves told Dr. Smith not to give him the ministry of finance again. Of course now you will come with another excuse. People voted him out when he was minister of finance so stop trying to re-write history.