FIRST off Mr. Vice Speaker Justo Quitugua, no one in PSS, including the commisioner, is “highly paid,” or are earning the “big bucks.” No one. A person with a master’s degree and 30 years experience is capped at about half of what people like you just wasted on a lobbyist, $47,000.
As the salary guide is constructed now, I won’t make another dime for six more years. There are no “in step” or “within grade” salary increases. Be responsible and read the actual salary guide where it clearly says that before you spread disinformation. Principals work 12 months for barely more money than teachers, and frankly, you would be insane to take a principal or vice principal’s job when weighing the salary versus the hassle and time requirements. There is a reason a few principals returned to the classroom, retired young or simply left the system. Principals are especially underpaid here.
Instead of bashing the people who act as surrogate parents, teach children to read, write and count, yet are routinely punished for these good deeds, how about spending some time focusing on real waste in government? For starters, how many government officials went on junkets to Hawaii a few months ago? Did a single tangible benefit come from that? How many elected officials went to Washington to keep fighting to keep the “working poor” poor? Who just spent $90,000 for a lobbyist to try to keep the poor poor? Who is paying Jesus Camacho $4,000 per month for writing pro-administration letters during the campaign? Who allowed the CPA attorney to charge the government around $500,000? Who did nothing while the old MPLA partied on the taxpayer dime? A congressman’s job is oversight and supervision, so you might be better off focusing on those things where there is actual waste and leaving PSS alone to handle the mess Capital Hill created, enabled and perpetuates.
I will be actively reminding every teacher on this island of your recent comments near November when you are hopefully sent packing for this needless slap in the face to all teachers and principals in the commonwealth.

JEFFREY C. TURBITT
Dandan, Saipan