Is federal takeover Inevitable? The Issue: Suggestion that the NMI prepares for a federal takeover because it is inevitable is a wrong assessment. Our View: It takes more than a wild assessment by an economist to compromise self-government in
From the outset, the motive of a federal takeover was economics where the complacent US Textile Labor Unions employed its muscles (money) to have its pet tigers do the jungle fighting for them by pushing for the imposition of US immigration and minimum wage laws. It’s the Achilles Heel to bringing the $1.2 Billion apparel industry here to its knees.
The labor unions weren’t prepared to see the Pacific’s Little David take on the fast aging and complacent Goliath. The clever use of “human rights” and the term “reform” have definitely grabbed media attention not that the fourth estate really did its homework with some sense of justice, but it was the fad of the moment and in a circle of a vicious “Dog Eat Dog” competition, fairness often takes second fiddle in favor of sensationalism. Nowhere have we ever heard the tiny sentiments of the permanent guardians of these isles. It has been the voice of paid foreign witnesses of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs. The Don Young probe would someday clarify these issues.
If there’s any sense of sincerity and fairness in instituting policy reform on human rights violations on an equal basis, then proponents (NMI’s detractors) would have started the long journey for a federal takeover of New York, all textile states and California where labor and wage violations abound. The Don Young investigation slammed the brakes on this well schemed issue in that it involved not only a propped-up case by OIA to justify its agenda, but it also included the alleged violation of the Hatch Act prohibiting federal employees from using their post for illegal political activities.
Interesting that while the NMI’s began sliding three years ago, the lead federal agency lost its agility to move-in and fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to “assist the people of the NMI attain a higher standard of living”. It did the exact opposite–play into a much hoped for demise–bankruptcy which would have made accomplishing its mission a lot easier. But it wasn’t to be and not when we have linked with the most powerful member of the US Congress, Congressman Tom DeLay of Texas, and the entire Congressional leadership. They know in their hearts and conscience that it is very un-American to treat the people of these isles like a disposable piece of property.
The NMI has come a long way in strengthening its democratic institutions. The pace not be to the liking of our detractors who never once had the decency to respect our rights to self-government. And we would never really know what’s down in the valley of our democratic institutions unless we are given the chance to walk through its ravines and thick dense forest as part of the greater American Economic Community. Despite the cuts and bruises that we’ve endured since 1993, we’ve never lost sight of the greater picture to uphold the principles of democracy so that we jointly allow the bells of freedom to ring loudly “…from sea to shining sea”. Si Yuus Maase`!