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The Economic Recovery Plan of 2015 is published by the Friends of Donastorg-Torres 2014 and is the official platform for the Adlah A. Donastorg for Governor and Angel A. Torres for Lieutenant Governor campaign.
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5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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Adlah Alphonso Donastorg, Jr.was born on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to Adlah
A. Donastorg, Sr., of St. Thomas, and Josena (Aponte)
Donastorg of Puerto Rico. Reared in Paul M. Pearson
Gardens and Estate Annas Retreat within a bilingual family,Senator Donastorg is rooted in his Latino heritage and is
uent in Spanish. He attended Lockhart Elementary School,
Tutu School, Ivanna Eudora Kean, and Charlotte Amalie High
Schools. He completed his secondary studies at Bassett High
School in La Puente, California.
He attended the College of the Virgin Islands with a major in Business Administration and a
concentration in Management and attained his Bachelor of Science in Business Management
degree from the University of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. He also holds a Certicate in Non-
Prot Financial Stewardship from the Harvard University School of Government in Boston,
Massachusetts.
Senator Donastorg began his career with the Legislature of the Virgin Islands in January 1996
and served seven terms through January 2011 within the 21st 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, and
28th Legislatures. He was an active, inuential, and prolic leader serving as Senate President
and Chairman of the Committees on Planning and Environmental Protection, Finance, and
Government Operations, as well as Liaison to the United States Congress, where he worked
closely with the United States Congress to address Federal grants and programs earmarked for
the U.S. Virgin Islands. During his tenure, he spearheaded major efforts including:
Reducing WAPA bills by orchestrating the removal of the Streetlight Surcharge;
Mandating a full rate investigation and formal hearing on local phone company
rates;
Streamlining functions within the Department of Finance;
Conducting three successful audits of Government Departments;
Ensuring timely income tax refund payments;
Establishing a minimum pay scale for Government workers;
Amending the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands;
Increasing the penalty for animal cruelty;
Establishing environmentally-friendly legislation such as the Virgin Islands Oil
Recycling Program, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act;
Preserving Virgin Islands cultural resources and artifacts through the
Antiquities and Cultural Properties Act; and
Increasing transparency and accountability through spearheading the rst
Federal audit of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands.
5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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Angel Antonio Torreswas born in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to
Jorge Torres and Rosa Linda Alejandro, both of St. Croix.
He is a proud 3rd generation Crucian Puerto Rican and he
is committed to the continued development of his native St.Croix. Raised in Estate La Grande Princesse, he attended
Juanita Gardine Elementary School, Elena L. Christian Junior
High School, and graduated from St. Croix Central High
School.
Reared within a family of police ofcers, Angel embraced his
mission of dedicating his life to serving and protecting others and embarked on a career of public
service and safety. He spent 18 years with the Virgin Islands Fire Service from 1996 through
2014 and rose through the ranks from a Fireghter, to a Corporal Fireghter, to a Deputy Fire
Chief, to the Fire Chief of the District of St. Croix, where he was responsible for the efcient
operations of the four re companies of the District, including:
Establishing review and evaluation procedures to assure consistent control of
functions throughout the District;
Developing a plan of implementation for the objectives and goals of each
company;
Maintaining responsibility for the administration, scal management, planning,
evaluation, and training of all companies and their members; and
Liaising between other Departments and agencies of the Government of the U.S.
Virgin Islands, including VITEMA, Police, Health, and the Ofce of the Lieutenant
Governor
In addition, Chief Torres served as President and Vice-President of the Virgin Islands Fireghters
Union, helped assure the safety of Vice-President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden during their family
vacation in St. Croix, and was selected to serve on the Public Justice and Bureau of Corrections
Committee of Gubernatorial Transition Public Assessments by the DeJongh / Francis
Transition Team. He holds certicates in Agency Labor Management, Managing Conict in theOrganization, Legal Issues and Disasters, Using Performance Measures for Day-to-Day & Long-
Term Management, Supervising for Effective Performance and various incident management
certicates from the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA).
5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
Our Economic Recovery Plan of 2015 is a comprehensive plan that focuses on Prosperity for All
Virgin Islanders. As your Governor and Lieutenant Governor, we plan to:
Stimulate Economic Development
Create a business-friendlyenvironment with quick and efcient governmental
agency support to encourage the creation of new businesses and attract and retain relocating
businesses.
Enhance the Economic Development Commission (EDC) Beneciariesprogram to
increase its competitiveness with competing programs, increase the number of new participants,
and increase the retention of existing participants.
Revitalize our marine industrythrough the revision of marine regulations and
implementation of innovative programs to increase private and for-charter vessel trafc in the
Territory.
Encourage the development of innovative new industriesincluding lm, music,
nancial services, technology, and aquaculture industries.
Support the development of a multimillion-dollar research and technology
industry to increase the amount of Virgin Islands based rms who qualify to receive local and
foreign technology contracts and encourage the circulation of these funds within our Territory.
Support new aquaculture venturessuch as shrimp, tilapia, and other sh farming for
international and domestic export.
Support local farmersto establish and sustain large-scale farms to provide goods for
our Territory and for international and domestic export.
Provide technology training and other initiatives to increase regional and internationalelectronic commerceto attract and circulate additional external dollars within our Territory.
Revitalize workforcewith technology, entrepreneurial, and other skills to prepare
them to meet the needs of existing businesses and governmental agencies and to attract
businesses from abroad.
Improve Energy and Other Infrastructure
Explore public-private partnerships, low-cost technologies, and the use of sustainable
alternative sources of energy to improve efciencies andlower energy costsfor individuals and
businesses.
5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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Invest in measures to address the current conditions of our roadsand to
effectively maintain them in the future.
Prioritize the implementation of the Downtown Revitalization Projectand the
preservation of our historical structures and historical districts.
Explore mechanisms to lower the cost of inter-island transportationto encourage
more travel between St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Review and enhance waste management proceduresto improve the sanitation and
aesthetics of our Territory and establish a Territory-wide recycling program.
Explore the modernization and expansion of our airports and seaports to provide for
increased international air and sea trafc to the Territory.
Upgrade our playgrounds, increase our available parks and parkland, build world
class recreational and sporting facilities, and implement more pedestrian walkways and
bikeways for our outdoor enjoyment.
Ensure the continuedimplementation of the broadband initiativeto enable Virgin
Islanders and our businesses to capitalize on the benets of high-speed access and attract
additional businesses from abroad.
Reform Our Healthcare System
Partner with local healthcare providersto determine the most appropriate
implementation of the Affordable Care Act or another viable affordable healthcare solution.
Upgrade and expand our medical facilities to create a world-class healthcare system
that supports medical innovations such as telemedicine and establishes medical tourism for
specialized health treatment, providingin-Territory access to top-quality healthcare.
Implement a Territory-wide Health Promotion campaign to focus on disease prevention
and maintaining the overall wellness of Virgin Islandersto include free wellness program
participation for all Government employees.
Encourage the development of treatment facilities and support services for Virgin
Islanders with mental illness, physical disabilities, and children with special needsto
allow for their full integration into their home community.
Implement appropriate healthcare information technology to support new healthcare
advancements, ensure administrative efciency, and ensure top-quality, affordable, and
accessible healthcare for all Virgin Islanders.
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Invest in Our Children and Support Young Leaders
Prepare our students to be among the bestthroughout the region, the U.S., and
the world through the implementation of innovative curricula, pedagogies, and educational
technology.
Restructure current educational offerings to create academic centers for
professional, vocational, and performing arts careers and establish entrepreneurship
incubators.
Upgrade and maintain our educational facilitiesto remain structurally safe and
create a stimulating and motivating learning environment that encourages student success.
Ensure the availability of extracurricular activities, world-class recreational
and sporting facilities, and access for all children and families regardless of location and
socioeconomic background.
Create a PK-16 pipeline from preschool through the University of the Virgin Islands
through curricular alignment, dual high school and University enrollment, and partnerships with
EDC Beneciaries and other local businesses that allows ouryoung Virgin Islands talent to
remain home and become leadersin our communities.
Allocateadequate resources for the University of the Virgin Islandsto sustain its
continued growth, encourage future expansion to meet our increasing professional needs, and
ensure that UVI is recognized as the premier University of the Caribbean.
Create a database that matches young Virgin Islands talent living abroad with
available in-Territory employment opportunities to encourage them to return home and cultivate
a new generation of leaders in our Territory.
Improve Public Safety
Reduce nepotism, coercion, and corruptionthrough Operation District Trade
which rotates law enforcement ofcials between both districts.
Create a Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands mobile application that allows
community members to submit crime tipsand pinpoint locations of crimes in-progress
anonymously and discreetly via smart phone.
Ensure that law enforcement and rst responder ofcials are fully equipped with
upgraded equipment, enhanced training, and increased technologyand improve the
communication and coordination between them to increase the effectiveness of their efforts.
Focus on true rehabilitation of convicted offendersthrough skills training and byensuring that employment opportunities are available for them upon their release.
Implement New Innovations in Tourism
Create new and innovative tourism opportunities for each island with St. Croix as our
centerpiece for new tourism development.
Explore new tourist markets including South America, Asia, and Africa.
5/28/2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Recovery Plan of 2015
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Engage in specialized tourism opportunities that will also benet local Virgin Islanders
including medical tourism, sports tourism, event tourism, attractions tourism, and music
tourism,which will include an annual music festival featuring major artists alongside local Virgin
Islands talent.
Establish a Government for the People of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Enforce a transparent Governmentwhere all members must adhere to the highest
standards of ethical behavior as it relates to their responsibility to the People of the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
Implement and enforce accountability measuresto ensure that all governmental
branches and their agencies are held fully responsible for fullling their intended missions.
Create Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands mobile application and websiteto
enable the convenient completion of governmental processes and transactions and allow access
to information via smart phone and the Internet.
Increase governmental efciencyby connecting all agencies to allow for the
seamless ow and transfer of information throughout the entire Government.
Ensure a scally responsible Government through restructuring debts to achieve a
balanced budget and ensuring that funds obtained through the overpayment ofincome taxes
are returned to Virgin Islanders in a timely manner.
Create a customer-rst governmental culturethat places a premium on customer
service and employs a multilingual staff to remove language barriers.
Restore the Government Employees Retirement System (GERS)
Quickly identify and implement an infusion of capitalto address the current
unfunded liability and restore stability to GERS.
Encourage a thorough review of GERS to determine viable alternativesto its current
conguration and provide for its continued operation.
Strengthen U.S. and Caribbean Relations
Use our Puerto Rican heritage and uency in Spanish to reconcile the political
relationship and overall friendship between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Ricoto
increase economic exchange.
Establish strong and binding economic and political relationships between the U.S.
and British Virgin Islands and all nations throughout the Caribbean to position our Territory
as the premier economic and cultural hub of the region.
Strengthen the relationship between the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and
the U.S. Government to ensure that we receive the maximum amount in federal grants and
other federal support earmarked for our Territory.
Preserve Our History, Culture, and Diversity
Encourage the preservation of Virgin Islands historyand provide support for
cultural showcase and ambassadorship through carnivals, festivals, food, the arts, music,
pageantry, and other traditions.
Promote inclusiveness and respect for all Virgin Islanders and create opportunities
to celebrate and encourage cultural exchange.
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