1) Reducing the Senate and House of Representatives. Have only two senators per island and one representative per precinct. Better yet, abolish either the House of Representatives or the Senate to have a unicameral legislature like Guam and other parts of the US. Check and balance is always the typical career politician’s excuse to this solution. Where are the so-called checks and balances? Our economy would not be in this shape if we had a true check and balance system. Laws would get passed faster and we would not need austerity Fridays again because of the drastic cost savings.
2) Abolishing municipal councils. We don’t need more lawmakers.
3) Reducing the monthly allowance that Rota and Tinian senators receive. They receive a $5,000 allowance each month because they work on Saipan. Let’s calculate the rent and flights. $800 per month for a decent house. $800 max for travel back and forth on weekends. $1,600 a month is all they need. ($5,000 x 12=$60,000) We currently spend $360,000 a year for their allowance when we should only be spending $115,200 per year maximum. Do not forget that they each get $39,000 per year on top of that.
4) Reducing the salaries of judges and agency directors. The minimum wage in the NMI is $4.05 per hour. Judges make around $130,000 per year. Reduce their salaries to $80,000 per year or reduce the number of judges we currently have. I bet at $80,000, they’ll stay. They are replaceable anyway. Most of them are just former lawyers. Many government agency directors make $60,000-$70,000 per year. I believe CUC recently hired a deputy director for $180,000 per year. HOLY $#!+. The senate is now trying to increase resident director salaries from $39,000 to $45,000. They need to practice what they preach when it comes to cost cutting. They first should reduce the salaries of agency directors on Saipan before increasing Tinian and Rota directors. Saipan, Rota, and Tinian directors should all get the same salary range. They should not make any exceptions when it comes to salaries. The exemptions that they keep creating should be considered pay discrimination.
5) When the government posts announcements in newspapers, it should only be in English only. They are spending on bigger advertisement space to include Chamorro and Carolinian language when everyone can read in English because of our educational system. If you can read in Chamorro or Carolinian, you can read English. The bigger the ad, the higher the price.
Remember those who create ineffective legislation and those who barely create any legislation. Don’t re-elect them. Vote wisely. Basta ma bota si primu yan si prima. Bota si malati yan gasgas. BIBA MARIANAS! Fanoge Chamorro para I tanota!
JESSE TORRES
Kagman, Saipan
