Checks and balances are not optional
CREDIT to Sen. Manny Castro for helping the public better understand how a bicameral legislature functions. His statement, which we published on Wednesday, echoes The Federalist Papers’ enduring argument for a second legislative chamber — a safeguard against the people’s “temporary errors and delusions.”
This form of government is not designed to function with maximum “efficiency,” but rather with deliberation, checks, and balances.
As Sen. Castro has pointed out, the Senate has no obligation to pass bills simply because the House of Representatives approved them — and vice versa.
In the case of the House bills that triggered the current legislative hullabaloo, did the House conduct public hearings before acting on the measures? Were CUC, CPUC, or other experts consulted or given the opportunity to provide comments? If not, why not?
Last week, the Senate PUTC Committee, chaired by Sen. Castro, held a public hearing and invited CUC officials and the author of the House bills to submit testimony. Based on the comments from CUC officials, these appear to be deeply flawed pieces of legislation. Some may even argue that they reflect personal animosity. Whatever the motivation, they would not benefit ratepayers. If the author believes otherwise, why engage in a very public dispute with someone whose support is crucial to advancing his bills?
What the CNMI needs now, in any case, are fewer officials prone to “sudden and violent passions” and more like Sen. Castro — officials willing to “ask difficult questions, seek expert advice, identify unintended consequences, and make informed decisions.”
Cut MVA, pay the price
OVER a week ago, MVA reminded lawmakers of a CNMI economic reality that they ignore at their constituents’ peril. Tourism remains the Commonwealth’s only industry and the primary engine of the local economy. Its success directly benefits businesses large and small, their employees and families, property owners, and the government jobs and services that residents depend on.
In the past, the local economy flourished largely because of tourism. Today, as MVA has pointed out, the Commonwealth is grappling with economic stagnation and the long road to typhoon recovery. Under these circumstances, reducing MVA’s funding will not save the CNMI money; it will cost the CNMI money.
Some have long argued — dating back to the Trust Territory era — that the Commonwealth should diversify its economy and stop “putting all its eggs in the tourism basket.” Fair enough. Build a technology hub in Garapan or turn Kagman into an agricultural powerhouse. But until those ambitions become reality, tourism remains the CNMI’s economic lifeline.
When tourists do not arrive at the Saipan airport, money stops flowing. Hotel rooms sit empty. Businesses lose customers. Employers reduce hours or lay off workers. The government loses Hotel Occupancy Tax and BGRT revenues that help fund pensions, payroll, public safety, healthcare, and education.
A government cannot sustain itself by taxing a shrinking economy. In the CNMI’s case, growth depends on attracting outside dollars. That is precisely what MVA is tasked with doing. It promotes the destination in a highly competitive global tourism market and helps support airline service through incentives. Airlines do not fly to Saipan out of goodwill; they fly where routes make economic sense.
Air-service stabilization funding is the fuel that keeps carriers committed to the Northern Marianas. If MVA’s budget is slashed, airline incentives will inevitably suffer. If carriers reduce service or leave altogether, any short-term savings achieved on paper will be overwhelmed by the economic damage that follows. Once an airline abandons a route, restoring service can take years and cost far more than maintaining it in the first place.
Tourism funding should be viewed exactly as MVA describes it: not as an expense, but as an investment.
Lawmakers should understand what is at stake. Starve MVA, and you starve the economy. Starve the economy, and there will be less revenue available to meet the government’s obligations to the people of the Commonwealth.
Protect MVA’s appropriation. Allow it to continue promoting and improving the destination, stabilizing air service, and strengthening the tourism industry that remains the CNMI’s most important source of economic activity and public revenue.
Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the NMI Society of Professional Journalists’ Best in Editorial Writing Award and the NMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/.
