Economy

Francis Agrees St. Croix Is Falling Behind But Struggles to Detail Immediate Economic Growth Plan

Independent Senate candidate Bianca Acevedo-Francis agreed Wednesday night that St. Croix is falling behind, but when pressed repeatedly on what she would do as a lawmaker to generate immediate economic growth, her answers centered on disaster recovery activity already underway, medical tourism, recreation, and broader calls for transparency and accountability rather than a detailed legislative plan. The discussion took place during V.I. Consortium’s Election Cycle interview series, which is being held ahead of the Democratic primary election in August and the general election in November. The interviews are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as the Consortium questions candidates on major issues facing the territory. During the interview at the company’s Five Corners studio, Ms. Francis was asked whether she agreed with Senator Kurt Vialet’s recent assessment that St. Croix is “dying slowly.” Mr. Vialet had used the phrase earlier in the week while discussing the island...