Editorials

How not to stay on topic EARLY this year, the new House leadership, in a self-congratulatory mood, declared that the BOOST hearings conducted by the previous House (which they also led) “were highly successful in exposing corruption and mismanagement.” Several legislative fact-finding hearings “res…

Where the wind blows THE sponsor of the internet gambling bill said they will conduct public hearings “to see if the community” supports the measure. Here’s a better idea. Conduct public hearings not only to hear the comments of the individuals who will show up for such events, but also to learn mo…

The usual SOME ratepayers are (again) complaining about their CUC bills, specifically for power.  They (once again) blame the Fuel Adjustment Charge. Elected officials, as usual, nod their heads, and have met with CUC officials to loudly and publicly tell them to lower utility rates. As if that’s a…

You can’t ignore basic arithmetic THE CNMI government’s main problem is not really the bad economy, but its refusal to make significant spending adjustments based on the actual revenue it is collecting. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the CNMI had three main tourism markets: Korea with 249,211 arri…

A stick up, basically SAIPAN Chamber of Commerce and HANMI officers met with House members recently to follow up on a letter that the business organizations sent last month to the governor, the congressional delegate, and the Legislature’s presiding officers. The letter was about the precarious sta…

Cut and cut cleanly ELECTED officials say there is a need to “raise revenue” to pay for the government’s obligations, but no one, as far as we know, has publicly asked: What are these obligations, and why should the government continue to meet them even when it’s running out of money? To be sure, t…

Kick it real good AS one of their proponents has admitted, the proposed tax hikes aim to prevent job losses — in the CNMI government. Yes, the same bloated government with redundant or duplicative departments, divisions, offices, agencies, programs and services. The tax hikes would not actually fun…

Uninstructed lawmaking THREE things to remember when discussing the CNMI’s current (latest) financial and economic crisis: 1) Public policies will always have consequences that are unintended or unforeseen. 2) “Solving” a long-standing “problem” usually results in a new — or worse — problem. If we’…

Master plan THIRTY-THREE years ago, MVB — MVA’s predecessor — came up with a 10-year “action plan,” which stated that the local tourism’s impressive growth since 1976 took place “without the benefit of a comprehensive plan or policy….” Hence, the need for a “Master Plan” to ensure the success of an…

Taxation 101 THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce and HANMI’s nine-page letter to CNMI leaders provided free and insightful observations and advice that all elected officials should consider. They need to be told that today’s “challenge is one we have faced before — declining government revenues, diminis…