It’s still the economy
THE economy — specifically, its dismal state — remains the CNMI’s top issue, if not the only one that truly matters. All the “goodies” that elected officials and other politicians promise are only possible through revenue generated by the economy, whether the CNMI’s or America’s.
The current administration, now in its third year, offers a head-spinning “solution” that involves begging for more federal dole-outs; trying to squeeze a drop or two of water from the rock that is the Japanese tourism market; and — despite a teetering economy — higher taxes and fees.
We need better and more economically sensible ideas.
Needed: A realistic budget
THE governor has until July to submit a supplemental budget for fiscal year 2026, which starts on Oct 1. Considering the persistently low tourism arrivals and hotel occupancy rates, it will be interesting to see whether the administration sticks to its original projected revenue — which is over $20 million higher than the FY 2025 budget.
In reviewing the administration’s budget proposal, lawmakers, for their part, should be more diligent and thorough — and they should insist on a budget that reflects not the government’s wishful thinking, but its actual revenue collections.
As for businesses and other taxpayers — they must remain vigilant. Many elected officials are economically tone-deaf and are under the delusion that they can beg, borrow, or tax their way out of the financial hole their favored policies have created.
On Capital Hill, in any case, many self-described “fiscal conservatives” of the past now support tax and fee increases. Their ill-advised and harmful “revenue-generating” measures should be consistently opposed — and their proponents given the electoral boot.
A (probably) viable cost-cutting idea
THERE is one cost-cutting measure that lawmakers can pass without causing much grief among the CNMI’s largest voting bloc — government employees and their families. We’re referring to a legislative initiative that would reduce the number of senators from nine to six and designate the lieutenant governor as the Senate’s presiding officer, who would vote only in the case of a tie. Under this setup, Rota and Tinian members would still comprise the majority, even if the lieutenant governor is from Saipan. A corollary measure would reduce the number of House members from 20 to 12.
As the Marianas Economic Roadmap has pointed out, based on the 2020 Census, the CNMI “experienced one of the greatest rates of population decline in the United States.” There is no doubt that the population has further declined since then. The CNMI has more lawmakers than its shrinking population can justify.
To be sure, less funding for the Legislature could mean more funding for other government agencies. However, fewer lawmakers could also mean fewer pieces of bungled legislation.
Well, we can hope, can’t we?
