True that
THE new administration and Legislature will mark their 100th day in office on Wednesday, April 19. And so far, they are doing what can possibly be done when dealing with the CNMI’s biggest problem: a declining economy that cannot generate enough revenue to help pay the government’s never-ending obligations to voters whose main employer is the same government.
In any economy, everything is interconnected, and in this economy in particular, the CNMI government, which is also the islands’ main vendor, is the main gear.
So far, the administration and the Legislature have already revisited the current fiscal year budget and are now making adjustments to reflect actual ARPA expenditures and local revenue collection. In one of his first press conferences after being sworn in, Governor Palacios stated that he would not raise taxes “because of the misappropriation [and] misdeeds [of] government officials.” That’s exactly what taxpayers — the business community included — needed to hear, and so far, the governor has kept his word.
He has also enlisted the help of Congressman Kilili in reaching out to other members of the U.S. Congress and other federal officials regarding the CNMI’s labor shortage and the federal bottlenecks delaying federally funded projects. Moreover, he has asked the U.S. military to be an advocate for the CNMI in the nation’s capital.
To help revive the islands’ only industry, tourism, the governor has met with Japanese government officials and travel executives to, among other things, discuss ways to promote the islands and make them a more attractive destination.
Lawmakers, for their part, are looking into the possibility of reviving the gaming industry, and determining how to do so.
At the same time, the governor has repeatedly stated what he first mentioned in his inaugural speech: “there are no easy answers and no quick fixes.”
It’s a statement that may disappoint many voters, which is also why we all know it’s the truth.
Ruth’s right
WE commend the governor and lawmakers for conducting press conferences to discuss their recent off-island travels. As our former op-ed writer Ruth L. Tighe noted 40 years ago, many of these official trips are unavoidable considering that the CNMI is a small and remote island jurisdiction, thousands of miles away from its main sources of income, goods and services. There is still no substitute for face-to-face meetings with officials and people whose knowledge, connections and/or decisions affect the lives of CNMI residents.
For their next off-island trip, however, CNMI officials should notify the public before they leave the island. The notice, through a press release or a media statement, should include the purpose of the trip; the itinerary; the duration; the costs; and the funding source. Once they’re back on island, they should still conduct a press conference.
Essential official travel, in any case, is not an additional expense. Funding for it is included in the government budget.
Legitimate travel, as Ruth would put it, is a legitimate expense.
