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June 21, 2008 GOVERNOR RETURNS TO THE TERRITORY HAVING CONCLUDED MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON
Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. wrapped up a three-day trip to the nation’s capitol on Thursday afternoon following a meeting with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. Both officials discussed a range of key economic development initiatives, the energy crisis, air transportation, various National Park issues and progress being made in the St. John School-Estate Grange land exchange. "I thought it necessary to meet the Secretary on these key issues and to thank him for taking a personal interest in the St. John school issue which has included his providing a $200,000 technical-assistance grant to conduct various studies at the proposed school site in Estate Catherineberg.”" DeJongh had previously announced this technical assistance grant during his press conference with Senator Jay Rockefeller when the St. John School-Estate Grange land exchange concept was unveiled. The Governor also briefed Kempthorne on progress in acquiring the Estate Grange property, as well as the Virgin Islands government’s strategy to develop significant tourist attractions on St. Croix. The Secretary reaffirmed the Interior Department’s commitment to assisting the Government of the Virgin Islands in resolving this decades-old unresolved school issue. "The technical assistance grant was a good way to demonstrate that we are serious and the timing was right." During his visit to Washington, deJongh also met with the territory’s closest congressional allies, including Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, (D.-NY), Senator Orrin Hatch, (R.-UT.) Senator Jay Rockefeller, (D.-WV.), Senator Mike Crapo, (R.-ID.), Senator Jeff Bingaman (D.-NM.) and V.I. Delegate Donna Christensen. The three days of congressional meetings covered a range of economic development initiatives, the EDC program, the Tax Extenders bill now being debated, and the rum tax rebate. DeJongh also presented the redesigned Alexander Hamilton Award medallions to Representative Rangel and Senator Crapo, the 2006 award recipients. On Thursday afternoon, deJongh traveled from Washington, D.C. to Chicago for a Democratic Governor’s dinner with presumptive Democratic Party Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. In Chicago on Friday morning, deJongh and the nation’s democratic governors met with Obama to discuss political strategy and party fund-raising. DeJongh returned to the Virgin Islands Friday night. |
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