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Posted on Sep 15 1999
Human rights activists, Interior officials, U.S. Democrats and labor union officials should take note: American Samoa is paying substandard wages.
According to a report compiled by the Pacific Island Development Center of the University of Hawaii’s East-West program, the minimum wage for American Samoa’s government workers amounts to a mere twelve cents per hour.
The report, which was published in the Honolulu Advertiser (September 13 issue), went on to state that the minimum wage in American Samoa’s dairy products industry is only three cents per hour. Three cents per hour!
Those in the tuna cannery industry fared much better, however–receiving a whopping three dollars and seventeen cents per hour!
Adjusting for food, transportation, housing, medical and other expenses, the CNMI, by sharp contrast, pays very near the federal minimum wage.
Too little, too late
Two months before their terms of office expire, members of the CNMI House of Representative have suddenly turned keen on education. In a last ditch attempt to attract votes, a House committee is proposing additional funding for the CNMI college financial aid program. This–after they cut college grant funding levels in half while virtually doubling their own largess.
Too little, too late, I am afraid. Throw the rascals out.
A true ‘partner’
As election day draws near, more and more politicians are speaking of a “partnership” between government and private business, totally ignoring the true meaning of the word “partnership.”
In a partnership, two (or more) parties have more or less equal say in the decision-making.
Not so with big government. With big government, politicians and bureaucrats arbitrarily intervene in the affairs of private businesses. The businessman often has little or no say in the matter.
In a partnership, two (or more) parties pool resources, talents or abilities, toward the achievement of some common objective. With big government, the government contributes nothing except directives, often misguided. More often than not, all government does is collect a percentage of the profits.
Some partnership. Some racket.
