Equilibrium & the Lost Concept of Service Equilibrium is very simply the balance between any given power

or influence. It suggests a state of balance between opposing forces. Good & Evil, Positive & Negative, Hot & Cold, Debit & Credit, Vice & Virtue are examples. An increase in the power of one side will disrupt the desired balance, leading to changes in our general state of being. All too often, the change to re-achieve equilibrium is involuntary, undesirable, and at times, violent. In the Virgin Islands, the imbalance between government and the private sector is significant, similar to California, Greece, and even our federal government. Government is demanding an ever larger piece of the economic pie, forcing imbalance. Private industry cannot keep up with governments institutional appetite for spending and wasteful practices. The state of being we are experiencing is manifesting itself via a dwindling tax base, poor basic services, crime, bad infrastructure, high prices, inflated bureaucracy, etc. The signs of imbalance, ethical decline, and dysfunction are all around us; are we paying attention? The private sector, which is the main source of government funds, is in a steady state of deterioration due to government excess. Government counters by raising taxes and fees which serves only to further squeeze business. The private sector cannot compensate; it either sheds jobs, relocates to avoid the increased overhead, or closes; making the tax base smaller. Public sector borrowing (issuing bonds) another way the government attempts to maintain the balance. The federal government, another source of territorial funds, is broke, borrowing 40 cents out of every dollar it spends. National debt is $15 trillion and climbing. That is not sustainable. Our territory is broke, and the number of people looking to government for survival is increasing every day. Yet there are many examples of failed leadership in government, and sadly, too many public examples of the appearance of impropriety, cronyism, and corruption.

Equilibrium & the Lost Concept of Service We have to bring our territory back into a state of sustainable equilibrium. That requires embracing a concept that has been long forsaken by those we trust with public office: Dedication to Service. We recently celebrated Veterans Day; military personnel, unlike many elected officials & bureaucrats, inherently know that service will not enrich them. Service in that context has a completely different meaning. Our Territory needs the same motivation & dedication to service that many veterans have demonstrated, so it can be applied to securing the future of our beloved US Virgin Islands. There is a crisis of confidence relative our electoral process and towards many of the current crop of politicians & bureaucrats who claim to have the publics interest as foremost on their respective agendas. At all levels of government, we have significant and very public examples of elected officials & public servants who have lost sight of what service really is. On the other side of the spectrum, theres an increasingly vocal & growing protest movement pushing back against the imbalance. The solution is to stop kicking the can down the road. Reintegrate the concepts of integrity, transparency, and service back into the way we govern and do business. Eliminate the selfishness that is now so pervasive in government and focus on selfless service. The biggest obstacle we have to overcome is getting government to recognize the value of service, a basic concept inherent to business survival; then give power & choice back to the people, instead of growing and serving only itself. A vibrant private sector that produces taxpayers is desperately needed to effectively silence the protests and growing unrest; bringing us back to a desirable state of sustained equilibrium. Again, only a prospering & profitable private sector coupled with responsible government dedicated to service will promote the desired equilibrium. Bigger government bureaucracy only promotes an unsustainable societal imbalance. We need to restructure government, lower taxes, then get government out of

Equilibrium & the Lost Concept of Service the way, letting the magic of free enterprise bring our local economy back into proper balance. Thats the concept of service & equilibrium voters envision every time we enter the voting booth. vince danet St Thomas, VI vincedanet.org