Editorials

The government stiffs CUC, again AS a 2017 OPA report would put it, CUC was mandated to operate as an independent, businesslike corporation, but is continually subjected to political interference by the Legislature and/or whoever the governor is. It is highly doubtful that an independent, businessl…

All those years AT the recent “Industry Day” event hosted by NAVFAC, the governor said such gatherings “should have been held five years ago” — the year before the pandemic. At the time, the local tourism industry was still recovering from Yutu, and the governor was the lt. governor, having previou…

Budget agonistes LAWMAKERS have10 days to pass the budget bill sent to them by the governor over five months ago. Failure to do so will result in a partial government shutdown. But failure is out of the question, especially in an election year. In any case, those who have been following the budget …

What’s the rush? A HOUSE bill that would result in new government costs is headed to a bicameral conference committee, which will try to come up with a compromise version. H.B. 23-97 would “create a revolving fund” for the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission, and compensate the CPUC chair $1,0…

Unbelievable AT a recent public hearing, a senator asked the Finance secretary if she is “confident” that the projected government revenue can be collected if a construction tax bill becomes law. To her credit, she acknowledged that the projection was based on “high-level assumptions.” She said the…

Still no to tax hikes TOURISM numbers are still down, businesses and consumers are still struggling, and the government is still not collecting enough revenue to pay for all its obligations. For the administration and its allies in the House of Representatives, the “solution” is to raise taxes — in…

Article 12 and the local economy ARTICLE 12 of the CNMI Constitution can be repealed by voters — if they want to. But previous proposals to scrap it have gone nowhere, and the last time an elected official tried to amend (not even repeal) Article 12, it didn’t go too well. He had to withdraw his me…

They spend, you pay PERHAPS there is something about politics that makes many of its practitioners impervious to irony, even if it’s already staring them in the face. Recently, at a ceremony to swear in 16 new government employees, the governor told reporters about the government’s $3 million short…

Crickets WHERE is the chorus of lawmakers expressing “grave concern” over the deficit and government overspending as well as the lack of funding for medical referrals? These are also the same politicians who used to complain that bills were being passed without public hearings, and that their colle…

Pass the tissue, please  “To get ourselves back to fiscal stability, we must do so by exercising fiscal discipline…. The time to live within our means has truly come.” — Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, inaugural address, Jan. 9, 2023   IF, as the administration claims, the CNMI government’s goal is to red…