Breaking the deficit paradigm

The truth of the matter is we are facing the biggest financial challenge since the creation of the Commonwealth. We can only overcome this challenge by thinking outside the box (breaking the paradigm). We must cut cost and create new revenues if there is to be genuine hope with light shining at the end of this ordeal. Creating new revenues is what will really save us in the end, as cutting cost is necessary to stop the bleeding but the therapeutic challenge requires finding new sources of revenues, as we can’t just write a law to make money—it takes real work! Only cutting cost will never erase the deficit nor will it give any real hope for our future!

Some may not believe it but this is a great time for a full reset of our government, boards, and commission that will allow the CNMI to function more cost-effectively and more prudently at all levels. For too long the public service appointments to boards and commissions have been treated and paid like they were full-time jobs in the tens-of-thousands for only meeting once or two twice a month! These political appointments have been nothing but that—political emissaries who don’t earn nor deserve the extraordinary amount of the money they are being paid. If these board and commission members where actually doing something qualitatively and quantitatively to increase production and/or revenues, they would really be earning these large salaries but they are just meeting, deciding, and voting. Teachers do more real work than any of the board and commission members for less pay.

Heck, the five-member cannabis commissioners are making $55,000 a year, yet in one year they only met nine times and the most they have met is 18 times in one year, while only bringing in less than $50,000 a year. The Casino Commission, who are the highest commissioners paid at over $70,000 a year, are the biggest culprits of this overpaid practice, as they also only meet to make decisions and vote. The pathetic thing about this Casino Commission is they haven’t lifted a finger to fight for our money ($77 million), not even filing a lawsuit on behalf of the people but watching everyone else who is owed money collect on the sale of IPI collateral equipment. CEDA is another agency that is supposed to be leading our economic reforms, but we have spent millions every year just paying salaries and getting virtually no returns. MPLT is another board that isn’t worth the paper that created the board, having done nothing to help NMDs since the creation of the board; just collected money and voted on cosmetic policies.

WE the people have been getting robbed by these appointees and it was all by design of the GOP to pay their people, which mainly allowed them to stay in power. How else could Ralph have gotten over 6,000 votes without the help of emissaries in very high places? But while the agencies can still function without a secretary, the CNMI cannot continue to function without new revenue sources. Thinking outside the box dictates one temporary solution being to ask for a one-year volunteer force to come forward to serve on these boards and commissions for free just so we can get new governing legislation over these boards and commission and the money to pay them. How many present board and commission members will volunteer to stay and how many other public servants will come forward to offer their services will be interesting to see. We can separate the greedy from the civic-minded who just want to serve and help.

It’s truly time to generate legislation to govern the salaries of all the boards and commissions at a more reasonable rate, as these people are supposed to be performing a public service, not full-time employees. We need a full reset of these boards and commissions to break the existing paradigm and I won’t suggest an amount but it should be a standard across all boards and commissions. I don’t blame citizens for taking these appointments and their salaries, but I do detest their loyalty to Ralph and the GOP over their task and the people, especially the Casino Commission who didn’t even try to protect nor lay claim to our money in court. But we can’t react like children who only live in the now, as our leaders must have the fortitude, foresight and reforms to not only cut cost but to also prepare for the future. Fix the boards and commissions and cut costs but please address both ends of the deficit candle that is burning and take some small measures to put out one end by creating new revenue sources that will pay off immediately and in the long run.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman III, Saipan