‘Pass the PSS budget’

Money, money, money! Such a touchy subject. Money isn’t everything, but it is a tool that makes our economic world go round. People with business knowledge and negotiating skills should make the extra efforts to focus on attracting investors here. Ben Fitial and others should already be congratulated for acting in good faith to meet with potential business investors to help guarantee an income for all of us, but more importantly, to make sure our children’s basic needs are met in the form of education.

We have many needs in the development of our economy to get it to where we would all be better off. Different people put different priorities on how to spend government money. Are the needs of tourism, public safety, medical facilities, etc., important? Yes, of course, but what happened to the education of our children? Has that been a priority of our government in the last five years? Since our government failed to pass a budget for education in the last five years, our children are still waiting in line to get textbooks, adequate building facilities like fixed restrooms and roofs that leak, let alone potentially dangerous roofs with termite infestation. With minimum insurance and potentially dangerous buildings and public health and safety scenarios, our legislators need to have some faith and pass the $50 million PSS budget that is required to get the job done. Most importantly, this money will secure and train adequate staffing to educate our children.

Even though the government is not primarily in the “revenue generating business,” some believe government workers and the general public could be more creative in effort to sustain and increase government revenue. One example is the use and creation of non-profit organizations to assist in governmental efforts. Another example is to pass laws that would help more. An example might be to allow the Mayor’s Office to pick up junk cars that have been sitting around for years as an environmental hazard and allow it or its affiliated non-profit organization to sell those junk cars for parts. The proceeds might go right back into fixing the Mayor’s Office’s equipment to allow them to continue picking up the junk cars and other trash/debris around the islands. Other ideas might include a very small percentage of funds to be used as incentives and/or rewards. Give a little and get a lot. Where there is a will, there may be a way to overcome obstacles.

Do government agencies need to streamline their operations? Absolutely, and yes, this includes PSS. Are the right people in government positions where they would be the most useful according to their experience and knowledge? No, not all of them. Do processes, policies and procedures need streamlining for efficiency and effectiveness? Many would say yes. Do government workers care if money is wasted? Obviously not those who are on the golf course during working hours.

For about five years, PSS has built schools to accommodate the increasing student population and decrease class sizes. Most of those classrooms are already full and it is time to build according to the needs again. No new budget has been passed to ensure that PSS gets the money it needs for educational materials, facilities maintenance and just plain operations. With the same five-year-old $37 million budget, two laws have been passed costing PSS a substantial amount of money that it has not budgeted. According to the law, PSS must now pay for their electrical usage and the increase in its Retirement Fund contribution. The increase in the Retirement Fund payments was due to other government agencies not paying their share.

This letter is simply to encourage all parents and concerned residents to push for the long overdue passage of the full $50 million proposed budget for the benefit of our children’s education. Our population will continue to increase, not decrease. In God we trust that our current and future government, business and community leaders would be mature enough to work together toward common goals. There should be more than enough companies and correct contact people in the world to make things happen to create win–win situations. We just need to find them.

Ray Austin
WSR/MHS parent
Saipan