No excuse for OPM error

The news about OPM missing the budget target for a straightforward and simple mathematically-driven pay adjustment for CSC employees’ pay is no excuse; this is clearly due to the incompetence of its director.

Missing a budget by $1.4 million is a public disgrace and the director should be admonished for the poor performance of a simple task. The taxpayers’ outrage register great concern on management capacity and doubt whether the basic function of the OPM is commanded and handled by a competent official. The irony is comically silent, because each legislative elected elites have no clue why OPM missed a budget by that unexplained range on a situation requiring very simple mathematics. The legislative overview hearing held just recently missed the point and the director left without a strong admonishment for a poor job performance. Thus leaving the taxpayers empty to what they deserve and value if competent work turns reality as normal and expected outcome by and from this government official.

The loop question to this, should an audit on how and what procedures OPM implemented for the pay adjustment scope of work be conducted to satisfy the truism of what went to employees’ checks. If errors crop and emerge in the initial procedural processes should that be resolved before any new funds is spent on completing the leftover cases selected and identified and given by OPM thus far. OPM’s method of calculation of the pay adjustment scheme should be made public so that we can examine how this simple math was done to derive the pay adjustment of affected employees and persons who have left CSC service and due payment under the pay adjustment law. The subsequent audit should clarify the accountability outcome of adjustments. In other words, where is the beef on what OPM is saying as to missing the target by $1.4 million? Allowing the director to continue performance below the waterline of the OPM boat is sanctioned stupidity. If anyone is at fault it is the director of the OPM.

The recent strategic planning training procured to improve the delivery of competent services to taxpayers is reason enough to place this director on the removal list or placed on probation for poor performance. Frankly, this is part of strategic planning where it addresses functional deficiency of the head of OPM. Hence, the OPM is an institution of the CNMI government charged to remove and dissolve “politics out of politics” of our structural government. By letting the taxpayers their field day engaging and satisfying their level playing field authority includes discharging the incompetent work performance by a poor and shorted performing government official. Which elected elite would come to the aid, rescue, and recovery of value and expectation of taxpayers who are paying the salary of this poor performing public official? We must say the wrong is not right by leaving this person to continue on this important constitutional laced job if our elected elites in the executive and legislative branches branded this issue as loose muffler of a broken engine.

Francisco R. Agulto
Kannat Tabla, Saipan