Editorials

If only IF you have sat through many Senate confirmation hearings, or have read the testimonies expressing support for government nominees, you would, by now, realize that the problems and the challenges that they have vowed to “address” for the past four decades are still bedeviling us — despite t…

They were against it before they were for it IN a recent media conference regarding the administration’s tax-hike proposal, the lt. governor said “even the U.S. Congress always talks about a tax hike.” True. Many of its members are usually in favor of raising taxes. But other U.S. lawmakers prefer …

This is a stick up LISTENING to the recent budget discussions in the Senate chamber was like eavesdropping on a meeting of pickpockets. Here we have government officials talking about taking more of other people’s money — whether those poor saps like it or not. Why? Because the government, “under n…

What’s what THE CNMI Labor secretary said it is unlikely that the U.S. Congress would act anytime soon on the repeal or modification of the “touchback” provision, which requires hundreds (thousands?) of CWs to “exit” the CNMI, all at the same time, for “at least 30 days” before their contract…

Don’t ACCORDING to the Finance secretary, the administration has “reduced executive branch employee hours to 72 hours per pay period, vacated rental spaces, disconnected phone lines, returned vehicles, canceled contracts — all to cut costs.” Clearly, not enough, but it’s a start. What about the Leg…

Talking away, again WHEN the price of a commodity or service goes up, we usually buy less of it or seek alternatives. When power rates go up, however, we complain to our elected officials. We tell them to “do something.” Elected officials, for their part, will meet with CUC and relay their “sufferi…

It’s every agency for itself IN the ongoing House budget lamentations (a.k.a. hearings), almost all government entities have complained about their lack of funding while acknowledging that the economy is bad, and the government is not collecting enough revenue. Now if they truly believe that they d…

Don’t muddle the issue THE main problem with the CNMI workforce is not “culture,” but arithmetic. There are not enough local workers for certain jobs involving construction, trades, hotel and restaurant, caregiving, healthcare, etc. — the very same jobs that are also in demand in the states and oth…

Are we there yet? THE last time the CNMI found itself in an economic sinkhole, the then-newly elected governor, who promised “Better Times” as a candidate, had to remind the Legislature that “the Commonwealth is facing an unsustainable economic emergency…. I regret to say that the nature and extent…

The government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem “When a business or an individual spends more than it makes, it goes bankrupt. When government does it, it sends you the bill.” — Ronald Reagan WITH Typhoon Mawar long gone and recovery efforts on Rota now ongoing, CNMI officials should h…