CUC, which is under the governor’s office, can reduce its workforce by 1/3, which should result in greater efficiency and effectiveness. But no. The Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission, whose members are appointed by the governor, should have examined CUC’s management practices and demand cuts before approving the power rate hike. But again, no. The commissioners said they feel our pain before dropping a 29-cent per kwh increase on our heads.
Once again, the people end up subsidizing the government’s failure to pay its own power bills. It can’t pay because even though it wastes a lot of power its priority is payroll. Moreover, unlike ordinary consumers, delinquent government agencies usually never get disconnected. The Legislature is four months behind on payments but its “disconnection” lasted for 25 minutes only. The governor can always “request” CUC to consider certain agencies as “critical” and thus exempt from disconnection.
Small businesses, however, cannot keep up with the increasing monthly power rates and some of them will go under soon. Ordinary folks who happen to be voters can always seek help from their elected officials, but others will simply not pay. Some companies, for their part, will pass on the power rates, resulting in higher prices for goods and services, which will further depress the economy.
Once again, a nonsensical way of addressing a problem merely created more problems along the way.
Let it be, right?
Why he’s still governor
KNOWING that he could not compete in the 2000 Republican primary and win, then-Speaker Fitial abandoned the GOP (which he chaired), founded a new one named after the Covenant (whose ratification he opposed), and nominated himself for governor. He lost in 2001, but the winning Republicans’ gross incompetence allowed Fitial to stage the most amazing comeback in CNMI political history. He not only won the gubernatorial race in 2005, he also did what no other governor since 1985 had done before — winning a second term, which he accomplished despite the disasters he had inflicted on the commonwealth.
Like his predecessors, he promised jobs, contracts and favors to supporters and friendly businesses and, clearly, he delivered. Barred from seeking another term, he rejoins the GOP while keeping his other party on ice, for now. The governor is just too clever compared to any other politician in the CNMI today.
As part of this new realignment of forces, he wined and dined lawmakers at a hotel supposedly to discuss important government business in a closed door meeting. (Who among the legislators reported the cost of this luncheon to the toothless, clawless OPA as required by law?) The governor then flew to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The administration says this trip is privately funded. But the governor is also, supposedly, promoting the CNMI, which makes it official business. Moreover, he is a public official and the cost of this and his other trips should be disclosed, including the companies he met and why. This issue is all about transparency in the government, but, once again, the governed are too cowed to complain about the shortcomings of their elected officials.
There’s this story about the leader of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev, who, once in power, denounced the atrocities of his dead predecessor Stalin. In a public meeting, while once again condemning Stalin, Khrushchev was interrupted by a heckler in the audience: “Why didn’t you stop him?” Khrushchev, red faced, shouted: “Who said that?” Nobody in the room said anything. The silence was agonizing. “Now,” Khrushchev said, “now you know why.”
