By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Edito

Support the runoff initiative

WHEN politicians are perceived as increasingly becoming irrelevant to the lives of the people they supposedly serve, the people will organize themselves and take matters into their own hands. This was an awful trend in California 20 years ago, a classic case of popular sentiment run amuck, whose ill effects were felt for years and are being reversed only now. In the CNMI, so far, the suffering public is more restrained and citizen groups are carefully targeting issues which, in their collective view, are ripe for action.
One such issue involves the holding of runoffs in gubernatorial elections. An initiative is now being circulated and its proponents are hoping to get the required number of signatures to place it on the ballot in November. We urge voters to support this initiative petition.
The collapse of the CNMI’s two-party system and the constant intramural bickering within the parties are clear indications that public dissatisfaction is high. The people no longer believe that the parties are responsive to the CNMI’s needs. Hence, the increasing number of politicians willing to run for office — with or without the endorsement of a political party. The danger here is that for at-large positions, candidates with less than 30 percent of the popular vote can run the government. This, in turn, generates its own distortions. Because the ruling party and administration do not have the backing of the majority of voters, they will lack the broad-based support required for carrying out painful reforms that are absolutely essential in these most difficult times.
The first step toward meaningful changes is to make their implementation possible. The CNMI needs an administration that has the support of its people so it will have a better chance of finally doing the things that need to be done.

Real government transparency

VOTERS should also support another initiative which aims to make the Open Government Act applicable to the Legislature.
Signed into law in 1994, the Open Government Act makes, with appropriate limitations, documents and actions available to the general public. The underlying principle is a good one — that government should be transparent.
But some lawmakers oppose the application to themselves of the law they passed, arguing that their financial records can be obtained from the Department of Finance. The Open Government Act, however, is much broader than that. It requires that all matters, except those protected by privacy and other legitimate confidential issues, are and should be accessible to the public.
To promote transparency, which is an essential element of good governance and accountability in government and commerce, the Open Government Act should be made applicable, wherever appropriate, to all branches of government.

No to new taxes

THE secretary of Finance anticipates an additional shortfall of $6 million, most likely requiring more cuts than earlier projected.
Clearly, this administration has inherited the bad practices of the past. Its predecessor did not understand finances or the economy, neglecting both until it was much too late. With a cooperative AG, the previous administration provided the legal basis for bad policies, saddling its successor and the community with historic overexpenditures of public funds, as the GAO, the non-partisan audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, disclosed last month.
So now, the Fitial administration has no choice but to make cuts. How it will do so is of considerable interest to government employees, businesses and other members of the community — particularly those aware that this executive branch is handicapped by its own bad policies and limited talent pool.
Recently, the secretary of Finance floated the idea of increasing the tax on incomes above $60,000 — as if this sum represented great wealth. There are two-income households with several children grossing $60,000, but they are struggling with fixed debt, like mortgages, car loans, health care and high utility bills.
The administration seems to think that increasing taxes on ordinary wage earners is acceptable. It is not. Garment manufacturers enjoy full protection from most taxes and further tax increases, and while no one is advocating that this industry be eliminated completely — the market will make that decision — the administration must remain mindful that fairness is critical in these difficult times.
Taxing the already taxed working class is not the answer. The previous administration raised taxes indirectly by raising the fees for most government services. This administration has followed suit instead of addressing the real reason for this government’s bankruptcy — its mammoth size and wasteful spending habits.