Not funny
IT’S been three months since the governor announced that the retirees should receive their holiday bonus, preferably before Christmas. Lawmakers, including those who couldn’t (still can’t) wait to oust him, agreed. The retirees deserve a bonus, they said, repeatedly, as if they’re trying to persuade themselves.
Today we’re halfway through the third month of the new year and the retirees are still waiting for their bonus.
Meanwhile, their elected officials want us all to know that they really appreciate the retirees who should really receive their bonus ASAP. Really.
On Capital Hill, however, no one’s budging from their starting position regarding this issue. And that position is, “We’re right and the other camp is wrong.”
At this point, we don’t believe that they want the retirees to get a bonus. Otherwise, shouldn’t the retirees have received their bonus already?
Reading the media statements from both camps reminds us of certain religious scholars (or nutcases) debating theological questions, and endlessly spewing chapters and verses from the holy books to “win” what is essentially an unwinnable argument.
As for the politicians on the Hill, it seems that what they actually want is to be vindicated — and to make the other guys look bad.
The retirees just want to get their bonus.
Which “everyone supports.”
As British novelist Samuel Butler once (supposedly) said, “Man is the only animal that laughs and has a…legislature.”
Budget agonistes
FOR fiscal year 2023, the judiciary is requesting a budget amount that is more than double its current funding level as indicated in the CNMI government’s FY 2022 budget law. Why? Because the judiciary says a huge budget increase is what it truly needs to “run effectively.”
Similar government entities will, more or less, make the same sales pitch in the forthcoming budget hearings, and for once we’re hoping that a lawmaker will ask the following question:
“Why is it that the CNMI government has a lot of employees (over 5,000, autonomous agencies included), but every year most if not almost all agencies say they’re understaffed?”
It is a general election year, and so we expect more political preening and posturing, and finger-pointing and hand-wringing during the budget deliberations. But we’re also hoping to hear discussions about the local economy and how to revive it, and possible new funding sources once the ARPA well finally runs dry.
Less talk, more walk
IN the daily news section, you will, now and then, read about 1) public health problems; 2) officials talking about public health problems; or 3) officials talking about the need for more funding to “tackle” public health problems.
If you turn to the sports pages, however, you will usually learn about businesses that are tirelessly making donations to sports organizations, events and/or athletes. You will get to know the parents, the children and the other members of the public who, every week, are participating in a sports event. Baseball. Basketball. Volleyball. Martial arts. Tennis. Table tennis. Golf. Badminton. Bodybuilding. Weightlifting. Swimming. Canoeing. Running. Darts. Pool. Cycling. Triathlon. Athletics. Soccer — lots and lots of soccer: for kids, teens, moms, dads, uncles, aunts, etc.
Covid or no Covid, so many CNMI community members are out there, having fun, staying fit. They’re too busy leading a healthy lifestyle to complain about the few who don’t.
