But because the CNMI refused to increase local rates when it had a booming economy, a federal law will continue to push wages up even with a new prevailing wage scale. The administration will keep things confusing by issuing its own study, paid for by the feds. This will benefit those already with jobs and the highly skilled workers. Everyone else will get priced out.
Meanwhile, the administration will continue to do what it has been doing these past five years: resist federal mandates, blame the feds and beg for more federal handouts.
How’s that working out for you so far?
Faith-based legislation
THE House of Representatives has concurred with the governor’s $102 million budget projection despite indications that actual revenue collection will hover between $90 million and $95 million. Tourist arrivals will not recover fully in 2012, ARRA funds will no longer circulate in the economy and the Marine relocation from Japan to Guam may not occur. Business closures and downsizing will continue, further reducing the tax base of this overspending government.
Not surprisingly, most House members accepted the governor’s budget figure because, says the speaker, “we don’t want to be pessimistic.” In other words, they prefer delusion to reality. Another House member says he believes the governor did not pull his numbers “out of thin air.”
So: no public hearings, no double-checking of figures, no oversight.
No leadership from the House of Sheep.
Dream on
POZZOLAN mining is again front and center as a new crop of “investors” drool over the billions and billions of dollars to be had for the millions and millions of cubic tons that will be mined and exported from that smoldering eco-tourism mecca way up north: Pagan. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in scarce government funds will now finance a feasibility study for developing Pagan and — why the heck not — Goat Island into “remote adventure spots.” It’s wildly appealing.
The slow plodding task of cleaning up the streets of Garapan, Chalan Kanoa, Dandan or Kagman, designing and then constructing better drainage systems, some sidewalks, pedestrian street-lights and parks — projects that will benefit residents and make these areas more attractive even for tourists in their buses can’t beat the lure of rehashing old plans to “develop” unexplored territory. “Consultants” will be hired, politicians will count chickens from nonexistent eggs and voters will believe them.
Governing apparently is as easy as buying a lottery ticket. The lottery, however, is also known as the tax on the stupid.
