As compact funds expire

At Issue: The review of expenditure of some $1.6 billion for the Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands.

Our View: The dilemma of deference to nation building vs. the declining role of the US federal government.

Nation building takes more than the declaration of independence of an island country. It entails the often painful element of goal-setting, accountability and the constant task of policy refinement.

We too had great hopes in the establishment of independent island republics in Micronesia in 1986. It included the Federated States of Micronesia, Republics of the Marshalls and Belau. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands established its constitutional government in 1978.

There are several factors which may have played a key role in the wasteful expenditure of hard-to-come-by grant funds from the US federal government. They include, among others, the apparent legacy that government is everything; thus, the expenditure of funds on salaries with funds from without. The public sector grew quicker by leaps and bounds over the private sector.

During the peak days of the former Trust Territory Government and Congress of Micronesia headquartered on Saipan, it was the dream of most college educated Micronesians (comprised of Palau, Yap, Truk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Marianas and the Marhalls) to head up north for a prestigious job somewhere in the seat of power.

This lofty goal, like employees in the NMI, ingrains the notion that success is being able to land a government job with all the perks paid for by private sector employees. The constant perpetuation of the royal bunch in government with funds paid for by other taxpayers needs serious review. As difficult as it may seem, the current economic doldrums ought to serve as a living example of all that may go wrong when the idea of success revolves around everything that is government.

That compact funds originates from US mainland taxpayers grants no excuse for the US Department of Interior to embrace a “hands off” policy. It should have stepped-in to institute getting the most mileage on funds that would prepare the FSM and the Marshalls to encourage lasting investments. Like it did in the CNMI, it was part of the problem that gave birth to a dysfunctional family to which it wasn’t willing to admit its failure.

The cargo cult mentality seems endemic throughout subservient or independent island governments, CNMI included. Replicating this airplane isn’t going to work either even with the strongest bamboo trunks. Thus, the obvious need to learn accountability in the expenditure of funds so that we all learn to live in both good and bad times. Si Yuus Maase`!