OIA must deliver impact funds The Issue: The federal government made a commitment to defray impact of the compact expenses of local governments. Our View: OIA must make good on its commitment and remit the estimated $28 million owed the CNMI

However a commitment made by the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) even without securing US Congressional approval nor the sentiments of affected jurisdictions (Guam, CNMI and Hawaii), it’s a deal OIA made to which it must fork out the estimated $28 million in impact of the compact funds owed the CNMI.

The plummet in local revenue generation triggered by the Asian Crisis (and continuing), coupled with instability wrought by Interior’s agenda of a federal takeover, has turned the issue of scrounging nickels and dimes right here in paradise from push to shove. It knew the ravaging effects of the economic downturn since three years ago, but it (OIA) never came in to offer economic stimulus packages in order to fulfill its fiduciary obligations.

It retreated seemingly convinced that bankrupting the local government may accelerate fulfill its (OIA’s) agenda of bringing the CNMI to its knees on immigration and minimum wage. It didn’t pan-out as speculated. The CNMI got out of this war well and alive however bruised by all the bashing hurled against it by faithful detractors who are even willing to compromise the democratic process. It is a racist policy at best given OIA’s inability to ascertain equal application of federal laws, a policy of mediocrity at worse the net result being the loss of confidence and trust in the federal government’s insidious agenda.

The people of these isles are very compassionate given our strong religious upbringing of fairness to our fellow man. We don’t relish to current situation where we now must turn push to shove so to tell our brothers and sisters from the freely associated states that they must leave. Their migration was driven by economic opportunities here during the boom years of the late eighties so encouraged by OIA’s commitment to defray the added expenses to local government in services provided to them.

OIA must pay for its obligation with equal vigor and agility it took in its failed attempt to derail and compromise the democratic process here. We look forward to the resolution of this issue soon. It’s one scaffold underneath a ruined bridge OIA must rebuild to reconstruct a soured relationship. Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!