On the fuel surcharge and other increases

Just as working families finish counting their pennies to see what’s left of their income (after paying for the recent fuel surcharge fee increase), another increase assaults their pocketbooks—an appreciable increase in basic commodities such as food, basic household goods, and grocery items.

The fuel surcharge fee has brought working families to their knees. The increase in basic goods may have left many prostrated and with tired faces on the ground. They are hoping and praying that, politics aside, the BB administration would approve the proposed repeal of the fuel surcharge fee to grant them some badly needed financial relief.

As taxpayers try to deal with more financial assaults on their wallets, the BB administration is reportedly inclined to veto the fuel surcharge repeal authored by Rep. Tim Villagomez. This tiding sends strange and unsettling chills into every household across the Marianas. It would seem to me—and I am sure all taxpayers share my sentiment—that the planned veto isn’t the way to ease the hardship and suffering of tired working families.

The fuel surcharge is the direct result of negligence by this administration. It simply failed to remit the government’s utility bill of more than $11 million. Instead, it deliberately chose to use millions of our hard-earned taxpayer funds for extravagant travel, high-priced consultants, a Rose Bowl Parade, and salary cap violations. Is it fair that taxpayers suffering from crushing increases left and right are forced to pay this administration’s failure and negligence?

Imagine the trauma of having to juggle family pocketbooks without having anything left for savings and investments. Imagine trying to figure out how else to pay for the first family home, family car, real estate, life and health insurance and medical bills. Finally, imagine your child who doesn’t qualify for the school lunch program going to school without lunch money. These are working family obligations that must be budgeted and paid for, come hell or high water. And these are the very obligations that the administration opted to turn into greater hardship against working families. Don’t you people have any appreciable understanding—any compassion—to help families deal with the constant assault of bad economic times? Times made far worse by an inept administration without sufficient compassion for struggling families and the working poor?

John S. DelRosario, Jr.
Koblerville