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On federal minimum wage
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Posted on Nov 01 2000
The Issue: Another successful exclusion of the NMI from the ruinous federal minimum wage.
Our View: The issue is far from over and it is up to the CNMI to constantly work Capitol Hill.
Each step of the way to stave off application of the federal minimum wage, we come a bit too close for comfort in ascertaining exclusion of the CNMI.
This last effort, again, came too close for comfort and we owe tons of Si Yuus Maase` to the Friends of the Commonwealth for their success in our bid for exclusion.
What’s the simple message on this issue?
That the CNMI isn’t represented in the most powerful chambers on earth makes it mandatory that we retain the services of a powerful lobbyist to handle this issue from A-Z. It’s worth the taxpayers money to protect our economic freedom from total ruination.
At the same time, we also need to persuade our national policy makers to commission a study–using its investigative arm or GAO)–to determine, once and for all, the impact of federal minimum wage on a fragile island economy. This should be the next most practical thing to do in order to put this matter to rest.
We should also convey to our detractors that while our national economy enjoys unprecedented growth, the CNMI can only salivate at all the opportunities that descend across the country in terms of wealth and jobs creation. We are thousands of miles away from mainstream American, therefore, the benefits of our robust national economy has never trickled down to this side of the Pacific divide.
The study we recommend should enable both sides to come to terms with this issue once and for all. In the meantime, working Capitol Hill in the manner that we do today isn’t an option but a must! This should be understood for there’s no other way except to employ the services of a professional lobbyist.
It makes sense to spend a couple million dollars to protect our investments in the billions of dollars. Si Yuus Maase`!
