BOTTOM UP GOVERNMENT - FRONT PORCH POLITICS
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
COMMON SENSE
ADDRESSED TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS
On the following interesting
SUBJECTS.
I. Thoughts on the present State of Virgin Islands Affairs.
II. Of the Reform of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.
III. Of the Establishment of Municipal Government in the Territory.
MISSION STATEMENT
ORGANIZE AND TRAIN COMMUNITY ADVOCATES THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY
VOTER EDUCATION — COMMON SENSE**
NON-POLITICAL VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
NON-PARTISAN GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV) CAMPAIGN
*BOTTOM UP GOVERNMENT
Bottom Up Government = Power And Respect This Year (PARTY 2026)
An unregistered unorganized unaffiliated network affiliation of like-minded VI
inhabitant/advocates.
**COMMON SENSE
A pamphlet published by The Christiansted Revitalization Planning Task Force stating the cases for WAPA reform and establishment of municipal governments in the US Virgin Islands.
Foreword
The 2026 USVI General Election will be a major turning point in citizen rule of the Government and its Agencies instead of continuing to be ruled by the existing colonial civic and public infrastructure, …or it won't.
A Civic Leadership Advocacy Initiative has been launched by the Christiansted Revitalization Planning Task Force to create a parallel campaign to the 2026 General Election — advocating for citizen and voter support and candidate pledges to implement the initiative in the next VI Legislative
Session.
It's time to consider two serious grassroots initiatives generated among Crucians who have been brainstorming solutions — no grants or expensive consultants involved:
I. WAPA Reform
Break up the territorial monopoly. Replace it with member-owned Community Rural Electric Cooperatives financed through federal programs already available to the Territory.
II. Establishment of Local Governments in the USVI
Incorporate Christiansted, Frederiksted, Charlotte Amalie, and Cruz Bay as municipal corporations with elected town councils, local budgets, and community-scale accountability.
A Pop-Up Studio and Administration Office at the Comanche Hotel have been donated to the Task Force by Club Comanche, Inc. for campaign production, distribution of materials, and small planning meetings.
The BUG Project
The U.S. Virgin Islands has one of the highest electricity rates in America, no incorporated towns, and a legislature elected at-large — accountable to no one neighborhood. Bottom Up Government (BUG) is a citizen-driven, non-partisan civic initiative demanding two structural changes before the 2026 General Election.
THE PROBLEM — TWO INSTITUTIONS
GVI (Government of the Virgin Islands) — 15 at-large senators. No municipal layer. No community has its own elected local council, zoning board, or public safety board.
WAPA (Water & Power Authority) — A vertically integrated monopoly, no member ownership, chronic rate increases. Ratepayers pay ~43¢/kWh. Deferred fuel deficit exceeds $147 million.
WHO WE ARE
An unregistered, unorganized, unaffiliated association of like-minded VI inhabitants and advocates. A VIG (Voters, Issues, Education, GOTV) party. Non-partisan. Founded by the Christiansted Revitalization Planning Task Force, June 2026.
The TEA Act
WAPA has failed. For decades, residents and businesses have paid among the highest electricity rates in the U.S. while receiving unreliable service and zero ownership stake in the utility that controls their lives.
WHAT THE TEA ACT DOES
The Territorial Energy Authority Act — drafted by the Christiansted Revitalization Planning Task Force — restructures WAPA into three separate entities:
HOW IT GETS PAID FOR
USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) low-interest cooperative loans
IRA Direct-Pay Tax Credits for renewable energy investment
Green Bonds for capital infrastructure
$4.7 Billion in already-secured federal energy infrastructure funds
WHAT COOPERATIVES ALSO DELIVER
Member-owned broadband via existing WAPA poles and easements
Arrearage forgiveness — clean slate for billing errors
Forensic audit of WAPA propane conversion before ratepayers pay
Renewable energy transition — solar, wind, submarine cable
What Is Devolution?
Devolution means transferring authority, ownership, and accountability from
a central government to smaller, community-level institutions — closer to the
people who live with the consequences.
WHAT DEVOLUTION MEANS FOR YOU
GVI: Senators focused on territorial policy. Local issues decided locally.
WAPA Power: You become a member-owner with voting rights. Your co-op, your rates, your board.
WAPA Water: CRECs assume water distribution customer service — bills, outages, and service calls handled locally, not by a territorial call center.
Local Government: Four towns get elected town councils, local zoning, and a community budget.
CRECs: Lower rates over time. Renewable energy. Broadband. Clean-slate billing.
Two bills. One voter mandate. A generation of change.
The Municipal Corporations Act
The USVI has no incorporated towns. Residents of Christiansted, Frederiksted, Charlotte Amalie, and Cruz Bay have no elected local council, no municipal zoning board, no community budget — no government closer than the territorial legislature, elected at-large and accountable to no local
constituency.
WHAT THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT DOES
The VI Municipal Corporations Act of 2026 creates a legal framework for communities to voluntarily incorporate as municipal corporations with:
An elected Town Council (5–7 members)
An appointed Town Manager (professional administrator)
Enumerated powers: zoning, local permitting, municipal public safety, parks, local economic development
Dedicated revenue: local business fees, property tax sharing, grant authority
SAFEGUARDS BUILT IN
No new pension obligations — municipalities cannot create defined benefit plans
No debt without territorial approval — prevents Puerto Rico-style collapse
10% reserve fund required — fiscal floor mandatory before incorporation
Oversight Board — annual scorecards, 5-year legislative review
WHY IT MATTERS
Municipal government is an economic development question. Faster local permitting, place-specific land use policy, investor-friendly governance clarity, and community pride generate real economic returns for visitors and residents alike.
To volunteer for the Just Fix Dem! Team, email "Interested in the Initiative" with your contact information to: Learn More · Get Involved · Read Common Sense
