THE CNMI’s ranking government officials say they are in favor of increasing the teachers’ salaries, providing “more support” for small businesses, more funding for public safety and public health. And now according to the Tinian senators, the government is also considering a possible bailout for Tinian Dynasty. All this requires funding, yet no one, so far, has disclosed how the government will get the money to back up its promises. Meanwhile, new statistics show that almost all economic indicators are still down or are declining further, but apparently no one on Capitol Hill notices and no one wants to discuss specific and forceful measures that will immediately stop the CNMI’s economic hemorrhage. It seems that CNMI government officials still believe that Band Aids could stanch the bleeding.
However, wishful thinking—like timidity—is no longer an option for the government. As early as five months ago, the new administration and the new Legislature could have immediately directed their attention toward the single most pressing problem facing the CNMI. Several major pieces of economic and revenue raising legislation should have been in place by now. But the administration and lawmakers are easily distracted by peripherals, and despite all their grandiose talk, it appears that no one has a clear idea of what they want to do. There are speeches about the need for a “strategic view,” but no strategic actions. There are promises to prioritize this and that, but precisely because CNMI government officials have so many priorities, they seem to have none at all.
The government can no longer afford to lurch from one mini-crisis to another. The CNMI can no longer survive another set of do-nothing leaders. Since 1998, there has been only one crisis that requires all the talent and all energy that the administration and the lawmakers can muster, and that is the economy. The economy is the proverbial elephant in the middle of the room but no one on Capitol Hill seems to be paying attention to it. If there is only one person in the government who should, it has to be the governor. He has to focus. He will be constantly tempted or even urged to tackle every small issue and every “emergency” that turns up randomly, but he should only pay attention to what is vital.
We already know what the CNMI’s biggest problem is, and for the past four years government officials have done nothing but to discuss publicly and privately what they think should be done about it. Last November, CNMI voters chose new leaders that promised less talk and more action. These leaders know what their mandate is. They are firmly in control and they can do what should be done.
What are they waiting for?
