By Zaldy Dandan – Variety Editor
Inexcusable
DPS says it is “on alert for the social consequences of disrupted livelihoods, particularly in households already struggling to meet basic needs.” Fair enough. But we hope DPS will also remind the public that, say, the suspension of food stamps is not an excuse to commit crimes — and that those who do will face legal consequences.
DPS — and the rest of us — must insist on individual accountability and personal responsibility. We must view crime as a voluntary choice; otherwise, all poor people would be committing crimes while all rich people would be paragons of virtue — which we know isn’t true.
Here’s another “fun fact” that DPS may want to share with the public: the CNMI crime rate when the economy was booming, especially in the 1990s. Spoiler alert: it was high — perhaps because there were so many “targets” (tourists and businesses) for burglars and thieves.
Let us, in any case, give credit to the overwhelming majority of local people who, though struggling in this economy, remain law-abiding because it is the right thing to do.
They say ‘revenue raising’; we say ‘pick pockets’
THE governor’s Fiscal Reform Committee is discussing several cost-cutting measures — hiring freeze, work-hour reduction, reduction-in-force, travel freeze — that should have been in place, and should have remained in place, since the administration was sworn in almost three years ago.
Inevitably, the committee is also “looking into” revenue-generating measures — that is, tax hikes — even though, over the past several years, business community leaders have repeatedly and patiently explained why imposing additional burdens on already struggling businesses and taxpayers is unlikely to result in additional revenue. The opposite, in fact, may happen: if taxes go up, prices will go up; sales are likely to go down; businesses will make less; some of their employees could lose their jobs; and the government will end up collecting less.
The Fiscal Reform Committee should also be reminded that CNMI consumers and taxpayers include government employees whose hours have already been cut. You are not doing them any favors by raising taxes that will ultimately be passed on to them and other members of the public.
In any case, many politicians and elected officials like to talk about “sustainability” while saying absolutely nothing about how unsustainable the CNMI government is — overstaffed, overextended, overreaching, and overspending.
Everyone is facing economic hardship. CNMI officials must prioritize their spending, live — for once — within their means, and keep their hands to themselves.
Zaldy Dandan is the recipient of the NMI Society of Professional Journalists’ Best in Editorial Writing Award and the NMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/.