Editorials

‘There will be furloughs’ REGARDING the governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address, Rep. Ed Propst on Tuesday said: “To pretend that we’re not in a financial crisis or that we will not face one soon once the ARPA funding runs out is…dishonest, and we’re pretending that everything’s perfect when i…

Here we go again THE proposed tobacco (and sweetened beverages) tax hike is unlikely to raise additional revenue or improve public health. Moreover, the unintended consequences could create other if not bigger problems. Smokers, for example, could switch to cheaper brands. Smuggling and a thriving …

No to tax hikes THE fiscal year 2023 budget law does not include the tobacco and sugar-sweetened beverages tax hike provisions offered by the House because its conferees could not cling to such an ill-considered proposal without risking a partial government shutdown in an election year. But some Ho…

Budget bunkum HOW can you as a lawmaker assure “the people” that you “work for them” when you can’t or are unable to prevent a partial government shutdown that could result in pay cuts for many people? As we write this, the budget bill, which was submitted on April 1st, is still with the Legislatur…

Who’s to blame? Who else! LAWMAKERS have seven days to pass the fiscal year 2023 budget bill. Ideally, the bill should have been on the governor’s desk already to give him enough time to review the measure; but, as usual, lawmakers can always make several excuses, valid or not, while blaming someth…

Pass the budget bill on time THERE are 14 days left in the current fiscal year. The budget bill passed by the House remains pending in the Senate. Without a new balanced budget enacted into law on Oct. 1st,  there will be a partial government shutdown. The first — and so far last — time that happen…

Progressive regression IT seems that all elected officials and candidates for office are “pro-business,” especially small businesses. (Incidentally, are they aware that most, if not almost all, big businesses started small? For example, Walt Disney Co. With assets of over $200 billion, it is one of…

Can kickers  THE fiscal year 2023 budget bill passed by the House includes a provision that would increase the tobacco tax to $4.75 from $3.75, and impose an additional 15% tax on “tobacco substitute or chewable tobacco product or other smokable or snuffable substance, material or product, other th…

To the rescue! ACCORDING to the Office of Personnel Management’s desk audit, the Department of Corrections needs more personnel. Corrections, which has about 90 officers, plans to hire 39 cadets once they graduate from the Corrections Academy in October, but the department’s commissioner said they …

Don’t just say it; do it GOOD news for the CNMI: • a new inter-island airline, Marianas Southern Airways, has launched its inaugural flight; • the resumption (fingers crossed) next month of the Japan-Saipan direct flights; • FEMA will provide the Commonwealth $16 million in Covid-19 reimbursements;…