The CNMI\u2019s loss of credibility as an investment venue has dug a deeper and wider hole in the deepening fiscal crisis and economic depression at home. The only way out is to consciously chance what\u2019s known as \u201ccronyism\u201d to move things forward. And the elected elite fell for it. What is this beast?<\/p>\n
When government partners with a mega-venture to conduct business where the latter commands anything and everything from land to laws. Has this happened here? You be the critical observer. What\u2019s wrong with this deal?<\/p>\n
The government\u2014in much the same as Obama has done in Washington\u2014decides who are the winners and losers in basically all deals\u2014to move growth forward. The firm may not secure public funding but the influence it holds leaves everybody else at the door. Is this the right paradigm or approach to spurring economic growth? This policy started less than a decade ago, forcing Japanese investors and U.S. to head elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Again, you be the critical judge on this issue. You could use either simple common sense or inference to draw your own conclusions. As the NMI takes superficial celebratory comfort in its assumed wealth it equally ignores the receding revenue generation and the obvious budgetary shortfall it faces in the near and long-term. This is very troubling!<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not fixated on critical observations about the deepening budgetary shortfall to the tune of $150 million nor is it an issue for personal celebration either. Why does it matter to me? Stepping into the fiscal fault line translates to, yes, greater hardship among villagers. This is the very issue I find most troubling. How do we pay for retirees\u2019 pay of $40 million next fiscal year? Where do we scrounge funds like $86 million for CHC and PSS, not to mention other critical obligations?<\/p>\n
But then the quietude we\u2019ve demonstrated could well speak of our approving the reckless disregard of funds to ensure adequate public services are met on a timely basis. We shall see how this paradox on cronyism pans out.<\/p>\n
Now, while Japanese-U.S. investment may have receded we have in our living room a huge elephant now teaching the servile boys a new song. With coconuts gone, the boys have obediently reviewed the songs for their Christmas skit.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a bit convoluted and it is for this reason that it takes real leadership to sift through the maze to provide guidance what needs to be done in terms of working in new investments.<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t our collective fiduciary duty to ensure sufficient opportunities for our people? Would the newfound toy in cronyism do the job? Isn\u2019t this the seat of corruption in government?<\/p>\n
Fast and furious<\/strong> If \u201cfast and furious\u201d isn\u2019t domesticated, then there\u2019s a greater chance we would replicate the displacement of our Palauan brothers and sisters. The Chinese with tons of money came in buying anything and everything. It has even brought in its tour buses replacing locals in this business. Sad too that many have been displaced from Koror! Anybody home?<\/p>\n The agenda is humongous that includes cultural transition from tradition to their version of social responsibility. Interestingly, the firm uses our very own to create an agenda that would slowly destroy our heritage. It\u2019s a basic in anthropology!<\/p>\n Are muted silence and indifference the best answer we could render plans designed to displace the indigenous people permanently? Why would we want to close the barn door after all the horses have run out? Dizzying, huh?<\/p>\n Poverty of leadership<\/strong> My friend and I have also been peeping around imperial Capital Hill to see if there\u2019s anyone with leadership qualities that could bring the multitude out of fully designed abject poverty.<\/p>\n Declared Magoo: \u201cNone! What\u2019s his name, Raffy? He talks about poverty when his leadership suffers from poverty itself.\u201d Did he mean his lack of leadership or ill-conceived strategy? He\u2019s actually saying, when talking about poverty, we\u2019re broke!<\/p>\n Hooked on a feeling<\/strong> We still have yet to see a couple more of the elected elite line up for a day at Horiguchi and stint at a federal penitentiary. This begins with a certain melody and should end with \u201cSilent Night\u201d when one is alone pondering the fatal path of greed.<\/p>\n Today, we hear speeches about poverty. Yet just south of the NMI is Guam whose tourism industry is constantly expanding with additional international flights and investments in new hotels. Ours has gone Deep South. I\u2019m sure we\u2019re intellectually fit to discern the obvious anomaly in what\u2019s happening in our southern neighbor versus ours.<\/p>\n While not a fan of militourism\u2014military expansion and tourism\u2014it\u2019s interesting how it has expanded exponentially as we salivate for bread crumbs. Or is this a reflection of the mindset upstairs? I mean what have you done in real time to improve the wellbeing of families suffering miserably at your feet?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The CNMI\u2019s loss of credibility as an investment venue has dug a deeper and wider…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[56,580,257,67],"class_list":["post-215381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-business-3","tag-egypt","tag-nmi","tag-people"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215381\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWhile we mouth off superficially about indigenous rights and interests, our actions or inactions haven\u2019t been stellar standing up for what\u2019s ours! I liken the envisioned growth in casino and accompanying social scourge as the hard-to-predict volcanic eruption. But when it hits it\u2019s usually devastating on every front.<\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s the biblical passage of Moses leading his people out of Egypt into a better place. He essentially brought his followers out of slavery and poverty. He risked all to fulfill the command of God the Father. It\u2019s called leadership!<\/p>\n
\nThere\u2019s woefully quiet whisper among elected officials these days wherever they go: \u201cHooked On A Feeling.\u201d In other words, have the feds been knocking at your doors? Hmmm! That should be followed by \u201cSugar,\u201d you know, sugar daddy or someone paying for all your expenses for compromising your integrity. Dollar a beer is included for faithful followers.<\/p>\n