For the past two to four years this type of news re-occurs over and over and over again.
How far can we go in order for something to happen and change course?
CUC’s cost of power continues to play an important role in damaging the economy.
The cost continues to be in question and yet remains unresolved.
The CNMI’s leaders should question the cost and outline how that cost should go back to normal.
We don’t need a scientist to point out that the high cost of power here in the CNMI includes the mismanagement and corruption in CUC’s past administration.
The cost of fuel has gone down and yet our fuel surcharge remains ludicrously high.
A businessman can easily recognize that CUC is planning to recover their loss by charging the consumer an overpriced power cost.
But why should the consumer be burdened with such an amount?
If CUC was not associated with the government, it could have filed bankruptcy, cleaned up its act, re-structured, and re-organized into a better and efficient organization without overpricing its rates.
Unfortunately for the consumer, two bills were signed into laws that allowed CUC to jack up its cost.
Thanks to the feds, we’ve eliminated part of CUC’s problems.
Now who is going to take care of the remaining problems?
The two bills signed into law should be reversed because now we know their actual purpose: “Keep CUC afloat so they can buy more RYDLYME.”
Because of mismanagement and corruption, the cost of power has ballooned to what it is today.
Businesses continue to close down despite their efforts to stay afloat.
They cannot jack their prices ridiculously high like CUC because they are responsible businesses and they don’t want the consumer to suffer. They would rather close down and relocate.
A lot of our own local residents have left the island and also admitted that the cost of power is just too much.
A lot of CUC customers are on promissory note, lay away or I owe you plan or simply awaiting disconnection if not disconnected already.
A large number of residential and commercial customers are currently on dispute and refuse to pay the ridiculous fuel surcharge.
The regular folks like myself cannot afford anything else.
Paycheck comes out and everything goes to CUC.
I cannot pay rent, I cannot buy food, I cannot buy gas, I cannot do anything basically but work to pay CUC.
Not many people go to the stores, to the restaurants, or are buying new cars because all our money is tied up to paying CUC.
The CNMI is suffering because of the downturn in the economy but CUC is 90 percent of the reason.
Now that election is coming up, what lies are we going to listen to again?
I guarantee, he or she who has a clear plan on how to resolve this CUC fiasco will win the election.
You ask why?
The solution to CUC will be the turning point of the CNMI economy and the people not only want, but MUST get out of this suffering orchestrated by CUC’s fiasco.
Candidates, you’ve been briefed; do not stray away from this issue.
Show us your plan and it better be real. If it is, YOUR NAME will be written down in CNMI history as the person who lifted the people out of their economic misery and suffering.
ALFRED SABLAN
Dandan, Saipan
