Since the inauguration of the First CNMI Legislature in Jan. 1978, hundreds of laws have already been codified in the commonwealth. And look at us now.
Most of these well-meaning measures only made things worse or created new and bigger problems like the Retirement Fund’s unfunded obligations. Several of them cannot be or are not being enforced like the 1989 anti-littering act and the 1995 stray dog control law.
What the CNMI now needs are lawmakers whose primary duty is not to waste more paper and ink on bills and laws that everyone will eventually forget or ignore. Instead, they should listen to Senator Frica and examine the existing statute books, learn more about the history and background of these laws and assess whether they ought to be repealed, amended or enforced, for once. Lawmakers should stop reinventing the wheel.
“Often the new bill affecting current law is a knee-jerk reaction to the way in which current law is affecting a single constituent or a single event,” Senator Frica said. “Legislation such as this seldom deserves support. Legislation such as this is more common than I would like. Only by taking the long view, considering the effects of new laws over time, can a legislator make a wise choice about his vote.”
Right again. The bad news is that the senator is not seeking re-election. The good news is that voters will have another chance this November to elect lawmakers like her.
Lessons from the verdict
IF the recent spate of federal jury trials has taught us anything it is that federal crime doesn’t pay.
For public officials on trial the fundamental breach occurs with the violation of public trust. Monetary gain is almost secondary though important as recent verdicts illustrate. The pain wreaked on family and friends is no less severe than on the defendants at trial. The entire community suffers from a loss of reputation in the global marketplace, loss of confidence in public officials and the loss of public resources resulting from the crime. The community has a right to expect that its public officials and public servants are acting in the public interest.
There are, in short, good lessons to be extracted from these trials. And one of them is that in the CNMI, no matter who you are, there are huge consequences when you violate federal law.
Now if the people want to see their erring officials tried for violating local law, then they ought to elect an attorney general who is answerable to the public and not to the temporary occupant of the governor’s office.
The test
SEAGOING canoes sat in the lagoon for a few days after traveling hundreds of miles across the ocean. Their voyage is a testament not only to their phenomenal navigational skills but to this region’s traditional brand of self-reliance. Across the globe, the financial crisis has put nearly everyone to the test, only to find that individuals and whole countries aren’t self-reliant. Easy credit, deferred payments and mountains of debt have chained people to property and lifestyles that put entire families at risk.
Right now, the CNMI government, its citizens, local businesses and individual livelihoods are at tremendous risk. The people of the commonwealth must pay close attention to the long list of political candidates up for election in November, and choose only those who are able to move the CNMI from the precarious place that it finds itself.
Other threats
THERE are many threats, known, not immediately known and not knowable. The swine flu, like the avian flu, can slow the flow of tourists, affecting the CNMI’s numbers even more. A tremendous amount of resources has been aimed at dealing with a pandemic flu. Are we ready for it? This is an unexpected development and is a reminder that unexpected occurrences can have a significant impact on the community. The CNMI must plan for these and similar events — like the water shortages that will surely come following a dry season of the kind we are experiencing now. Are we prepared to combat fires with no water? Do we have contingency plans for this?
Discipline problems
THAT discipline problems at public schools are on the rise is to be expected given the underlying turmoil in the community overall. Craig Garrison offered a reasonable description of student disciplinary problems generally and a reasonable explanation for the spike in disciplinary reports from one particular school.
It seems, at least at this stage, that discipline is still a manageable problem at public schools. But what efforts are underway to keep the thousands of kids occupied when school is out for summer break?
Is anyone ready for the rash of vandalism that will occur in the first weeks of summer vacation? Are there part-time summer jobs or summer programs open to the island’s kids? And perhaps the more important question: Where are their parents?
