Many questioned my loyalty to the “party,” called my public statements a breach of trust and downright disrespectful to party officials and the Tinian leadership. I damaged quite a few friendships, gained respect from a few and was the hot topic of the coffee shops for a couple of weeks.
Needless to say, in a smaller community like Tinian or Rota, it is very difficult to take a stand, right or wrong, without severe repercussions because there is never a time when what comes out of your mouth will not be taken as a personal offense or a direct attack.
With that being said, come what may, someone has to say something about the recent transactions at the Tinian Municipal Council and the allocation of funds in Tinian as prescribed by the CNMI budget.
Over the last couple of months, we have watched the saga of the deliberations over the CNMI budget. With all the pandemonium, all that everyone wanted was for a budget to be passed so that people can get back to work.
As a result, people forget to read the fine print. Interestingly enough, the Tinian Municipal Council, while the whole of Tinian was being cut, got a substantial increase in their budget. From a bare bones budget, the Tinian Municipal Council now has the capacity to hire a political advisor, under professional services contract, not to exceed the amount of $50,000 per year. Perhaps what is far more interesting is the fact that the political advisor is the Senate vice president’s brother who went on a shrimp fact finding expedition with the chairman of the council. The shrimp expedition is public knowledge as they’ve put out a press release. I’m a part-time wahine and I’ve been to Kahuku. There isn’t anything there that Tony Pelligrino and an $84 round-trip ticket to Saipan couldn’t answer.
The real issue is the large increase in allocation to the Tinian Municipal Council. In a year of deep cuts to Tinian’s budget, of which essential services are not spared and are asked to sacrifice, the council’s budget went from $36K to $138K. On any given Sunday, when essential departments are not being cut and the overall budget of Tinian is not being downsized and people are not being asked to sacrifice their already meager earnings, there would be no point of contention. The fact is, this allocation had to come from somewhere and it didn’t come from someone else’s pockets. Somewhere in San Jose got squeezed so that someone over the rainbow can get a job. I can’t state it any other way because that is how the facts have presented themselves to be and it needs to be put out there for everyone to know.
So, the next time you go to the Tinian Health Center and the Department of Public Safety, two of Tinian’s most critical departments, and find it to be lacking, ask yourself what that $100,000 at the Tinian Municipal Council can do. The next time you go to some department on Tinian whose services you require but cannot get any kind of attention because they are running on a skeleton crew and budget, ask yourself what that $100,000 can do. The next time you complain about a department not providing whatever program you are used to that benefits the whole community, ask yourself what that $100,000 can do. The next time you stroll around the village and find the grass to be taller than your two-year old, ask yourself what $100,000 can do. The next time you need medical supplemental assistance and they nickel and dime you, ask yourself what that $100,000 can do. The next time your kid receives their scholarship assistance and it can only pay for a couple of books, ask yourself what that $100,000 can do.
It is what it is but what should it be, is the question. I’m not asking anything of anyone other than just to think about it.
Happy Coffee Talks!
KIMBERLYN KING-HINDS
Part-time Wahine,
full-time Chamorita
