Junk bonds

The governor says borrowing $50 million is "imperative" but the senate majority leader says "continuing to borrow is not the answer."

New facilities should reduce and ultimately eliminate the authority's current $5 million a month operating loss.

Karl Knight worked as chief of staff for U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.

The Water and Power Authority got good financial news from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency but bad financial news from a federal court in Puerto Rico.

Falling occupancy figures, staffing shortages, and rising labor costs have elevated the sector's risk, with Greenwich Investment Management's bankruptcy yet another example of how the sector requires thorough credit analysis.

The WAPA board of directors says it is looking for a replacement who would start on July 1, when Andrew Smith says he will depart.

The authority's CEO said it has no money for facilty maintenance.

The governor should have involved the legislature earlier in decision making on how to give the Water and Power Authority money to make a bond payment, lawmakers said.

The state of emergency will let the governor use the central government's rainy-day fund to provide money to WAPA that semi-autonomous agencies of his government owe the authority. WAPA will use the money to make payments to bondholders and other creditors starting Tuesday.

Congress has taken no significant action on bills that would stop the depletion of the United States Virgin Islands' government pension system for 21 months.