Finding funding
ELECTED officials have been making donations to the youth and the elderly while implementing village projects that will benefit community members.
Right on.
But what made these donations, these projects possible? Press releases? Speeches?
Availability of public funds. Specifically, revenue from investors who are (still) doing business on island.
Today, amid the economic uncertainty here and abroad, what are the main concerns of many residents? Job security, medical referrals, health care, public safety, utilities, cost of living, education, the retirees’ pension fund, paved roads, homesteads, among many other things.
And what makes these possible? Press conferences? Hearings? Meetings? Op-eds?
Again, the availability of public funds generated by the economy.
And how many elected officials are discussing specific ways to improve the economy so the CNMI government can continue providing the services and programs that many voters consider as entitlements?
As for reprogramming funds — it presupposes their availability. So where are those funds? The local economy is down. The CNMI government is not collecting enough local revenue, and once the ARPA funds are all gone, across-the-board austerity and other cost-cutting measures may have to be implemented again.
Is there a consensus among lawmakers and the administration on the source or sources of funding that can be reprogrammed? In other words, what agencies, programs, services and personnel will have less or none so that another can have more?
What about revenue-generating measures you ask. You mean government proposals to grab money from those who earned it, and then take credit for spending (squandering) all of it on voters. In this economy? And in an election year? Good luck with that.
By the way, was there ever an election year when candidates for office promised not to provide adequate funding for healthcare?
Vroom
THE Office of the Public Auditor has released its latest audit report on government vehicles and it includes the finance department’s response to the findings/recommendations and its “corrective actions.”
OPA noted, among other things, the lack of documents or information as well as noncompliance with a procurement rule that “requires agencies to properly justify their decision to purchase or lease a vehicle….”
OPA also stated that while the CNMI government implemented pay cuts and furloughed employees, it spent over $10.6 million on government vehicles in fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
There was, however, no comment from the Department of Finance regarding this “finding,” and no answers to the following questions: What were these vehicles? How many? Which departments, agencies or programs acquired them? Did the government spend local or federal funds?
Perhaps in its next report, OPA can also identify duplicative and/or redundant government offices, agencies and programs, the number of their personnel, and the “savings” in government costs if they are abolished and their employees are laid off.
That’ll be the day.
