The reaction includes refusal to hire nonresidents or, in the case of the United States, foreigners, to perform low-wage jobs that U.S. citizens refuse to take. The argument runs like this: unemployment runs high and foreigners are taking up jobs that U.S. citizens should have; therefore, close the doors.
In a small community like the CNMI, this kind of approach to problem solving is having a devastating effect. Retail, wholesale and government revenues rely on volume sales for operations and profit, and this means there has to be a reliable and large customer base. As the administration spends its energy shrinking the nonresident population in advance of what it claims a federal takeover will achieve, the economy pulls back even further.
The social toll is significant as job loss looms large for the government sector as well. But none of this stopped the administration from submitting a higher FY 2010 budget — premised on reduced contributions to the Retirement Fund. The problem with this administration is that except for a handful of department heads, and advisors or assistants to the governor, no one has any idea how to solve any of the difficulties facing the commonwealth.
And that is now the CNMI people’s problem.
Stop the destruction in Marpi
THE Department of Public Land is undertaking an ambitious project to clear 62 hectares of pristine area near Suicide Cliff — for homesteads. In that area, there is no access to power, water or sewer lines, which will cost millions of dollars that this government doesn’t have. As thousands of residents and businesses suffer from high utility costs, taxpayers ought to be asking why the government is willing to destroy a tourist attraction and a huge conservation area for a costly project when it can’t spend any money on technology adjustments or even partially subsidize the cost of delivering power to homes and businesses. It is plain nonsensical and betrays, once again, the government’s complete lack of planning and foresight, which has brought this once thriving community to hard times.
After first rejecting and later embracing the federal monument project, local government leaders now seem unable to protect conservation areas. Suicide Cliff is a tourism site and increasingly becoming a desirable recreational area for residents as well. It is a huge swathe of untouched area crisscrossed with home-grown bicycle trails, government designed walking and hiking trails, and historic and scenic sites. Tourism is the CNMI’s remaining industry and Suicide Cliff is the only remaining large unspoiled place on Saipan.
Why should the government destroy that area? And why are lawmakers not saying anything about this issue?
The plan
THE 180-day federalization delay is an opportunity for the CNMI to prepare for the inevitable and make the necessary adjustments now.
The administration, however, is already on election mode, and so are the lawmakers. The plan, therefore, is to…wait. The CNMI, as usual, would rather be acted upon than act.
Ordinary citizens and the private sector, however, cannot afford to sit idle. They must anticipate the socio-economic changes that federalization will bring. They should, for example, monitor the progress of the “master plan” that the commerce department promised to release based on the discussions at the recently held economic summit.
Politicians come and go and it should be the main task of those who care about the long-term prospects of the local economy to look ahead and do what must be done in light of the coming changes.
