By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Editor

THE way the Commonwealth Ports Authority wasted taxpayers’ money typifies how this now bankrupt — because bloated and wasteful — government has been conducting, for lack of a better word, “business.” Nobody can run a business the way the CNMI government has been operating and remain in business for even a month. There is no company that can remain afloat by hiring unqualified but well-connected employees and paying them salaries verging on the obscene, for work that is either mediocre or worthless.
CPA, we now know, paid thousands of dollars to its $225-an-hour legal counsel for basically waiting for his turn to speak during board meetings. It was only recently that CPA realized they could let the lawyer talk first during meetings so the agency wouldn’t be billed for an additional two or so hours. CPA’s former counsel got $430,000 in fiscal year 2006 alone.
CPA’s then-executive director “retired” at the end of 2005 to collect his 30 percent bonus, which would no longer be given after that year. He was then hired by CPA as a “consultant” so he could do the same job for, more or less, the same amount of money. A few days ago, his successor indicated that other CPA personnel could have done what their consultant had been doing for the agency, and that if they still do need the consultant, they can hire him on a per project basis.
In other words, CPA could have saved a lot of money a long time ago if only its officials wanted to. CPA has to run out of money to realize that it shouldn’t waste money.
I am not singling out CPA. I wish I were, but what is happening there is happening in every nook and cranny of CNMI, Inc.
As a rule, no one in the government has any qualms about spending money that is not theirs to begin with. That is primarily the reason why this government is bankrupt and why throwing more money at it is like putting out fire with gasoline.
What this government needs is not more revenue, but less spending.
And this is why the second most ridiculous comment I’ve heard about the horrible House bill that will cut your tax rebates is that it can help fund public services. No it won’t. The bill was introduced by lawmakers who want to raise your taxes so they can look good to government employees (i.e., voters) who do not appreciate the 10 percent paycut earlier imposed by the same lawmakers. The bill has nothing to do with raising revenue for public services. It’s just another election year, feel-good measure that solves nothing while creating more problems.
The only way to raise more money for essential public services is for this government to stop wasting what little it has on non-essential personnel, travel, cars, utilities, etc.
Rep. Candy Taman’s legislative initiative abolishing municipal councils is the right step to take, and he should be commended for having the guts to introduce H.L.I. 15-15. Such is the sad state of local politics and governance that it takes courage to propose something that should have been done long ago.
There is no need for municipal councils. The few tasks they’re supposed to be doing could be done by the legislative delegations. But a former council member claims that “giving the people a voice in local affairs” outweighs the need for austerity measures.
To which I say, Ha? The people of the CNMI have a governor, lt. governor, nine senators, 18 representatives, three legislative delegations, four mayors, scores of departments, bureaus, agencies, commissions and boards — but they won’t have a “voice” without the municipal councils?
On Saipan, the council’s primary job is to hand out resolutions commending anyone who lives here. And I mean ANYONE. Yet the council still found a pressing need to hire a “consultant.”
If CNMI lawmakers care for the people that they have vowed to serve, then it’s still not too late to show that they do by passing H.L.I. 15-15. It is a proposed constitutional amendment which means that it still has to be ratified by voters.
Now those who say they value the “voice” of the people should also be willing to hear it.

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