Tale of government utility bills

A decision to disconnect utility services of delinquent government agencies (with the exception of PSS and CHC) is bad tidings for these isles. The cumulative debt is about $12 million.

It isn’t this issue that I find troubling as much as what it reflects in terms of how the local economy has fared since four years ago. The other issue pertains to wasteful attitude of government resources.

If government agencies have piled-up $12 million in utility debt and can’t remit payment on a timely basis, perhaps the real news is that the local government is basically bankrupt.

Adding fuel to this quiet financial meltdown is the previous legislature’s fiesta-like attitude of “business as usual”. Its neglect and arrogance have begun haunting the administration since day one for having spewed out protectionist measures against the business community.

This is exactly what I’ve warned the royal misfits since six years ago. In other words, every year wasted in the “politics of worry, arrogance and mañana” is translated into three years of delay, the subsequent net effect being economic hardship, especially in the business community and at the village level.

It’s worrisome and troubling that this grand sense of neglect and arrogance has finally translated into more businesses closing their doors as we head down towards year’s end. I can’t imagine what would we be dealing with when more businesses close shop.

Between locals, stateside, Pinoy, Chinese, Japanese and others have quipped of the devastating effects of protectionist measures right smack in the middle of a deepening crisis. Essentially, we have dug up our own graves to fast forward our economic demise.

The inability to read the signs of the time have indeed curtailed any hope of expansion of current investments in these isles. Ironically, the same misfits are preaching for fresh and lasting investments. Well, nice try! But no investor in his right mind dares infuse his hard-earned money into an archipelago riddled with policy instability.

Paradigms (approaches) have changed and while the rest of the global community struggles to secure globalization, we’re stuck with fueling policy instability from within as though the Asian crisis and Interior’s federal takeover agenda aren’t enough. Can’t we, for once in our lifetime, put our heads together to resolve our grand inadequacies at least on policy matters?

On Sen. Kumoi’s diatribe

Whether Sen. Kumoi’s likes it or not, it is my solemn duty to blow the whistle where dangerous tinkering of issues come close to putting the future of our people in harms way.

My recent assessment of the GOP’s primary wasn’t a criticism but, more of an observation of the rumblings between the two camps. It was gathered from both sides of the political divide. It goes to illustrate that you have a serious problem with reading comprehension as to miss the point completely. But then what else is new?

Conflict of interest? You once served as executive director for CUC. Weren’t you dishing jobs to your failed CM Fabricators all the while when you were at the helm? Isn’t this a real case of “conflict of interest?” Eh, the general public has caught up with your antics and you really have nowhere else to go, right?

Was it your company or a friend’s who billed the local government twice for rental of a bulldozer or backhoe, pointed out in an audit. How could a single equipment be in two places at the same time? So much for protecting the taxpayers money, yeah? Noticed your penchance for foot in mouth?

Eh, CUC needs money! How about leadership by example?–i.e.., pay up your debt of some $280,000? Let’s see our lawmaker follow the law for once in your life, yeah? Only foolish violators subscribe to the view that the collar of their office grants them absolute immunity, true or false?