JUST the other day, I read something in the newspaper that caught my attention. I was very surprised to see that the governor had increased salaries for a couple of government positions. I am a teacher with the Public School System and we have not received any annual raises for the last three years. We are under the impression that as a result of austerity measures, annual increments are not possible. PSS is not the only government agency that is suffering from austerity measures. The Department of Public Safety has also announced that it will no longer allow overtime for its employees.
How does the government go about deciding which agency or position will receive an increase? Is it determined by a first come, first serve basis?
Educators, police officers, fire fighters and nurses are just a few of the lower paying jobs that continue to be affected by budget cuts. As public servants, we strive to serve the commonwealth to the best of our knowledge and abilities. We educate. We protect. We serve.
Higher education is always encouraged and there are individuals who choose to take the extra effort to further their education. When we apply for jobs, our qualifications are questioned and our college education and years of work experience are considered. We are confined to a pay scale and are not able to bargain for our salaries. We are placed on steps and levels and slowly work our way up to the top of the ladder. However, due to the financial crisis that we have been facing, some employees have been stuck at a certain pay level for years. Unlike some political positions that have lower job qualifications with salaries that are as competitive to or even higher than those which require college degrees.
Currently, I am in school and working hard to receive a master’s degree in hopes that one day I will move up financially. It saddens me to learn that there are some individuals in government positions who are not required to get a college education yet make more money than I do! I, too, have heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” If this is true, especially for the people of the CNMI, we should encourage high school graduates to learn more about who their family members are instead of encouraging them to earn a degree. Is this truly a concept that we want to teach our future leaders?
ROBIN LIZAMA PALACIOS
Koblerville, Saipan
