I READ an article from Friday’s edition dated Jan. 12 titled “Wage Hike Passes U.S. House.” In that article I took some lines to use as example for this article of mine which read “Unlike the U.S. economy, the CNMI’s economy is not strong enough to sustain a sudden minimum wage increase without suffering from inflation or unemployment.” It further read that the bill’s inclusion of the CNMI and whether our weak, fragile and vulnerable economy can sustain such a sharp and steep set of wage increases. Then it also read that some fairly large businesses have assured that they will no longer do business in the CNMI if the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. So with what’s transpiring, the Legislature described the minimum wage measure as “drastic and potentially catastrophic.”
With the above mentioned, we can imagine how the thousands and thousands of people as well as businesses in the CNMI felt when the power increase, the every other Friday holiday as well as the 10 percent deduction of salaries were proposed. Many of the said mentioned were opposed and unprepared for such a sudden move knowing very well that it’ll only bring hardships, complaints and the most obvious question of all. Why? Passage of the bill has brought many families and businesses to sustain the sharp and steep increase. Even though the thousands and thousands as well as businesses felt then that the-would be increase was drastic and potentially catastrophic.
The minimum wage increase for the CNMI will definitely give a huge blow to those fairly large businesses considering that they’ll be in a double whammy situation. I personally feel your concern. But as for the thousands and thousands struggling to pay the power increase, the minimum wage issue will definitely help pay for power bills as well as recover many losses from the every other Friday holiday as well as 10 percent deduction. The thousands and thousands as well as businesses are facing and dealing with the situation head-on. I guess our Legislature will have to ride the ride that drove us to where we are now and where we’re going.

JESSE MUNA VILLAR
San Vicente, Saipan