The top three speeches, which we published last week, made compelling arguments and, as this event was a speech competition, I’m sure the winning students also scored additional points for their delivery. The third prize winning speech seemed to be something actually written by a senior high school student based on her own thoughts and personal experiences, while the speeches of the two other winners were packed with research and, consequently, were more informative.
It was the grand prize winning speech that zeroed in on the CNMI’s main problem: “We expect our government to do more than it can or should do.” This is undeniable. And yet the same speech contradicted its main point by also claiming that the CNMI has a “generous” tax system, and that tax rebates “are essentially welfare checks that deprive our government of revenue it needs to provide essential services.”
This is wrong. One of the few good things about the CNMI government is precisely its tax system. And tax rebates are not welfare checks. They are not dole-outs like food stamps. They are taxpayer money being returned to taxpayers. The rebate system allows you to keep most of the money you earn. The government is not deprived of anything. It actually gets an interest-free loan from taxpayers who are now made to wait for the return of their own money. This government’s essential services, moreover, should be adequately funded. It is strapped for cash not because of tax rebates — which it hasn’t been paying on time for years now — but because of the ever increasing payroll of its personnel and all the other related expenses: Retirement Fund contributions, health insurance, offices, equipment, phones, computers, vehicles, gasoline, utilities, travel, etc.
And if a bloated government is the problem, how can providing it with more revenue be the solution? More revenue for this government will result in more hiring. I’m not stating an opinion. I’m pointing out an ongoing reality. So, no. Don’t touch the tax rebate system. But the government must stop its wasteful spending habits. It must live within its means.
There is, in any case, nothing new about the arguments made by the winning students. These have been discussed many times before in countless editorials, op-eds, conferences, forums, meetings and other gatherings over the years. The sad part is that now, even the kids are aware of these problems and there is still nothing being done to solve them.
And yet the CNMI has all the laws and rules and regs it needs to run an orderly and clean government. It has a Constitution that requires a balanced budget every year and the retirement of the deficit. It has laws earmarking certain funds for certain purposes only. It is obligated to pay the Retirement Fund regularly. Conflicts of interest are supposed to be disclosed. Transparency is supposed to be observed. Only the qualified are supposed to be appointed. Citizens are not supposed to condone officials who violate the laws. Voters are supposed to elect only the deserving. Officials are supposed to work for the betterment of the CNMI and not just their family and friends.
And yet the state of the CNMI continues to get worse.
Last year, it was clear that the commonwealth needed a new direction. It could not continue with the old ways. It needed new and fresh ideas — new leaders. In the general elections, 64 percent of the electorate wanted a new governor. But there was a runoff, and when the incumbent skillfully deployed his office’s extensive and wide array of powers, he found out that a lot of supposedly disappointed voters were willing to give him another chance…at the right price, of course: government jobs, payment of CUC bills, commutation of sentences, new contracts and the list goes on.
In other words, whenever a citizen thinks of the commonwealth and its long-term prospects, his heart is usually in the right place. But when he starts filling out the ballot, he also has to consider his and his family’s livelihood. The government, after all, is the main employer of CNMI voters, and the main contractor for many businesses.
And so in the runoff, slightly over half of the electorate ended up re-electing the same chief executive who had brought the commonwealth to its knees. They chose to retain an incompetent governor who happened to be a savvy politician — someone who knew their and their families’ immediate needs.
And so now, we’re again talking about how bad the state of the CNMI is, and the need for real and urgent changes.
This reminds me of another quibble I have with the AG Cup’s grand prize winning speech, specifically the point it made regarding “parasitic politics,” which was how it labeled transactional politics: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. The more accurate biological term to describe the relationship between voters and elected officials is “symbiotic.” Voters and elected officials in the CNMI feed off each other.
Hence, although everyone knows what the problems are, not a lot of people are thrilled with the solutions.
Nonessential jobs must be cut? Sure. Except mine, my wife’s or my kids. There should be government paycuts?
Absolutely. But don’t touch my pay or those of my wife or my kids. The Retirement Fund must be paid on time?
Of course! But, again, not at my or my family’s expense. A lot of government services can be privatized and many government offices can be shut down without affecting critical public services? Right on! But…
You get the picture.
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