Aranza’s alleged obiter dictum

The Issue: Statement by OIA Director Ferdinand (Danny) Aranza of the fate of the apparel industry here.

Our View: The issue that OIA should concern itself with is substitute industries, not the departure of this sector.

The people and leadership of these isles know full well how the apparel industry here has helped the local coffers when nothing else works as a direct result of the Asian crisis.

It took the CNMI a while to understand its (garment industry) role and contribution from wealth and jobs creation, shipping and the emergence of other businesses and residual benefits because of the presence of the apparel industry here.

Logically, the question isn’t the “quick exit” of the apparel industry from the CNMI as much as industry substitutes through concerted efforts between the federal government and local leadership. And it wouldn’t surprise the CNMI if OIA simply doesn’t have a realistic alternative in preparation for the exit of the apparel industry from the CNMI. It never has, anyway!

OIA has a history of being ill-equipped with realistic economic alternatives even with its vicious agenda to kill the apparel industry here serving as the point team of US labor unions. It went all out to defend the whimsical agenda of labor unions while neglecting its fiduciary responsibility towards the CNMI.

It isn’t our intention to vilify OIA unnecessarily, but enough is enough and the recent statement by Mr. Aranza is a typical viewpoint of mediocrity. Surprising that they now walk around as though they weren’t a part of the federal takeover agenda. OIA’s package of ruination started in 1993 at the same time that the intergovernmental agency organization came under discussion. OIA chose to stick to the former.

Perhaps it was OIA’s “Plan B” (formation of the intergovernmental agency) in the event federalization fails. Now we see fresh starts from OIA in an effort to pare down damage control or the obvious loss of trust and confidence in its role and functions in the development of these isles.

The apparel industry will be here for many years to come. In the meantime, we doubt there’s anything that a lame duck administration could do to regain the trust and confidence of the people of these isles. Si Yuus Maase`!