Legislators: Bryan’s SOTT address out of sync with realities of Virgin Islanders

ST. THOMAS — Members of the 36th Legislature came away with mixed reactions after listening to an exhaustive State of the Territory address by Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. Monday night with most agreeing it was out of sync with real experiences of residents and that it failed to mention a slew of problems plaguing the territory.

“It doesn’t reflect what you’re actually experiencing every day in the street. I have read the state of the territory, I listened to the state of the territory, and then I envision myself driving through Christiansted and it just doesn’t correlate with what you’re actually seeing,” said Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet, who ran against Bryan in 2022 to lead the territory. Senate President Milton Potter had a similar assessment, telling The Daily News following Bryan’s speech that “My concern is that I don’t think it is completely in sync with the realities of the average Virgin Islander in the street.”

Bryan expressed optimism that a number of legislators told The Daily News did not include concrete solutions to the problems Virgin Islanders face — such as ongoing healthcare conditions and the poor state of the territory’s schools. “Juan Luis [Hospital] is in a state of chaos. It was just glossed over. Lack of supplies, lack of staffing, and 13-hour wait in the emergency room,” Vialet said. “The only way that you can deal with problems is to admit that you have a problem; if you gloss it over, then it doesn’t work”