More importantly, at this fragile juncture in our respective histories both as a nation and as a commonwealth — a time wrought with sense of panic and general uncertainty about our economic futures – party politics have, in fact, awakened the American consciousness that maybe “something is rotten in the state of (our great nation).” So, what’s new and why so ‘much ado’?
First off, any further debate on federal health care reform, especially from where I stand on our little speck of the world, really would be an exercise in futility. I have neither the prowess nor the will to open that can of worms. I do, however, feel compelled to facilitate continued discussion about local House Bill 17-45, the Pay Reduction Act of 2010. I note with great interest that all, save one, of the Republican caucus in the House voted against the measure and I applaud, albeit silently, those that did. I suspect that the author of this bill is well-intentioned and he, along with those that voted in favor, are doing what they think is best for our community, so this is not intended to be an assault on those persons, but rather to respectfully disagree and to offer my views on the matter.
With all due respect, I find the bill flawed both on face-value and on general principal. For starters, any cuts to employee salaries paid via federal grants will not translate to a savings for the CNMI government’s general fund. Said funds may not be co-mingled and we cannot receive federal funding for one purpose and subsequently divert it to another. Actually, strike that — it wouldn’t be the first time that federal funds get misappropriated, so we know the powers-that-be can do it, but it does put our federal funds at-risk. At best, we’ll end up with a surplus of restricted federal funds subject to revocation by the granting agencies. Where is the good in that?
Wouldn’t it better to have those funds churning in our local economy rather than being held up in some make-believe savings account?
Additionally, and let’s take the special education program as an example, cutting the working hours of special education staff poses an immediate threat to the program in terms of its funding, but more importantly in terms of the mandated services for students with disabilities. The proposed pay-cuts will have a direct, negative impact on our population of students with disabilities because the SPED program is funded wholly or in major part through federal funds. While I’m on the topic of students, any assertion that teachers do not actually work full days and therefore should take the pay-cut is completely off-base — find me a teacher who works less and I’ll find you someone who shouldn’t be teaching. At present, the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems Inc. has fielded several calls about the possibility of pursuing injunctions and other court actions to preserve the already scant services available to our children with disabilities should this law be enacted.
What bothers me most about this bill, and I suppose this will take me back to some basic Right versus Left wing ideologies, is a clause neatly tucked in the third page of the bill which reads, “If this law is enacted, the governor is requested to rescind notices of furlough issued to employees of the executive branch on February, or thereafter.” For emphasis, the Act will reduce the number of hours for those currently employed and bring back anyone who had previously been laid off.
For reasons including but not limited to those stated above, it appears that this Act may, when all is said and done, have the net effect of employing more people in government, jeopardizing our federal funds and stifling our disability-related programs for little to no actual savings at all. Ultimately, in typical liberal fashion, it’s more about the government distributing wealth rather than generating it. And, like the federal legislation on health care reform, it reeks of the ever-growing, socialist sentimentality which plagues our stability and our fortitude as an American people. Pray, my fellow citizens, that we can see fit to repeal and replace — “to enact or not to enact, that is the question.”
For more on disability-related programs in the CNMI or on the rights of individuals with disabilities, please feel free to contact NMPASI at (670) 235-7273/4 [voice], 235-7275 [fax], 235-7278 [tty] or check us out on-line at www.nmpasi.com.
JIM RAYPHAND
Executive Director
Northern Marianas Protection
and Advocacy Systems Inc.
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