Mapp Vows To Hit Opponents Hard, Some ‘Very Hard’

In response to a question posed by Consortium reporter Wyndi Ambrose, who asked Governor Kenneth Mapp whether he expected his announcement of the restart of oil refining at the former Hovensa facility to play a role in voters’ decision at the ballot box on November 6, Mr. Mapp unleashed a lengthy statement as to why the Mapp-Potter team should be given a second chance.

He also said his opponents would be hit “hard” and “very hard” without explaining what that meant.

We thought you’d like to read his quote in full, so we’ve reproduced most of it in the text below.

“I expect to work very hard for the voters and the community, the nonvoters as well. And the people of the Virgin Islands will make their decision on who they think is best prepared to manage their affairs. And that’s really all we can do. We been given the opportunity in January, 2015. We have created, we think, really strong relationships with our federal partners. We’ve created extremely good relationships with the private sector, we’re shepherding investments into the community that are growing the public sector, growing the private sector, driving higher wages in the community, and now, really being at the forefront of rebuilding the infrastructure of the territory.

“This isn’t happening because it’s one or two guys, or people at the helm just saying go do this and go do that. This is happening because we are able to sit down and work together to work with folks, create alliances, to encourage folks and to convince folks that the Virgin Islands is a place to invest.

“St. Croix had two flights from Miami; St. Croix is now entertaining flights from Fort Lauderdale, from Charlotte, from Atlanta. You go to the airport on any Saturday, there are five jets on the ground. St. Thomas equally the traffic is heavy. So it’s an effort of the team, the administration, all of us being involved, to really sit at a table and work with private, public and federal folks to make things happen.

“And so the voter that you’re asking me about, Osbert and I are going to make an impassioned plea to keep our jobs, there’s no question about it. Some of our opponents are going to get hit hard and very hard, but that’s, well, politics, right? But at the end of the day the voters will decide who they believe is best prepared, experienced and trained, in managing their business affairs, because that’s what this is about.”