Candidates from all camps were out feeling the pulse of villagers in \u201chouse-to-house\u201d visits recently. The old farts (incumbents) are the more pensive bunch. They find it difficult justifying their existence much less re-election, plastered with an abysmal record and persistent failure!<\/p>\n
Most young voters have openly declared they want change. You\u2019re talking about 60-plus percent of total voters bolting against incumbents. This opens up opportunities for seasoned and trusted independent candidates for a perfect shot of a seat in the 20th NMI Legislature.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m angling for the opportunity to talk to political neophytes. It\u2019s a good time to test their perception, understanding, and depth about policymaking. I\u2019m talking about substantive policy formulation people. Let\u2019s see what\u2019s up your sleeves! Learning to say \u201cbiba\u201d isn\u2019t the beginning or the end of serious policymaking. I\u2019m talking policymaking not policing!<\/p>\n
Granted, the building and strengthening of strong governance entails a protracted process. The fallacies of a democracy are also part and whole of this process. At any rate, the work requires visionary leadership, integrity and a set of realistic plans. You\u2019d also begin to see why the corrupt and druggy types amongst you must go!<\/p>\n
Villagers\u2019 trail<\/strong> It\u2019s a new culture between political lapdogs and rich bosses dancing the waltz so punch drunk of their power as to even trash village-level sentiment against it. It\u2019s the tyranny of the politically powerful against the very people who placed them in office. Dios mihu!<\/p>\n Even at the get-go, is there really sufficient CIP funds earmarked to accommodate major strides in growth in and around the shoreline up north? I know water is problematic up there. Was this issue taken into serious review?<\/p>\n Recalled in the late sixties my partaking in a lawsuit against the TTG in the planned use of Puntan Muchot for a luxury hotel or what\u2019s now the Hyatt Regency. Its historic significance was buried and overwhelmed under tons of talk about revenue generation or economic development.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, it was the historic role it played as the landing ground of fishermen and traders who\u2019d take intermittent rests regrouping before the next trip into the open waters. It was the center of food gathering for local families who\u2019d catch land crabs or pull nets with family members for the next meal. It was our last prime land and venue of familial sustenance. It\u2019s gone!<\/p>\n I remember walking into the same swampland with neighborhood kids catching land crab for dinner. On our return to CK, we\u2019d help families pull in nets to the shore. The family patriarch would share the catch with us as we head home at sunset. It was our historic relationship to the land and sea that investors never saw as significant and an integral part of our way of life. Their message is riddled with condescension and inconsequence.<\/p>\n Yes, it was the prime beaches taken from the indigenous people to build their hotels \u201cmy father and I once knew\u2026singing kanaka blues.\u201d Sad the passivity with which we\u2019ve embraced defending what\u2019s ours! Herein we begin to see, in perspective, the essence of Article XII! Or this could well trigger a far more proactive set of voters hence. Yes, we can recapture what\u2019s ours!<\/p>\n Infrastructure vs growth<\/strong> Here in the NMI, it\u2019s done differently or on an ad hoc basis. We welcome all investments as though basic infrastructure would instantly descend in various targeted areas of growth. Sadly, the Boysis on imperial Capital Hill begin to realize that something\u2019s amiss, big time, too!<\/p>\n As investors begin setting-up shop, the magnitude or size of their plans would eventually come into full view prompting villagers to ask: would there be enough water for everybody\u2019s use? Are there sewer and power systems in place for the expanded need? Would not a rushed judgment result in the displacement of both investment and wellbeing of villagers? <\/p>\n Would it not delay timely wealth and jobs creation? Haven\u2019t we learned due diligence to prevent unbridled growth from retarding the very goal sought from the very beginning? <\/p>\n Minimum wage debate<\/strong> But then in the mid-\u201980s we attained financial solvency with tons of revenue. We even told the U.S. Congress (and I was there when we declared it) no more grant funds.<\/p>\n Subsequently, control of immigration was denied the NMI in 2008 that ended the $1.2-billion apparel industry. It equally robbed the NMI of its revenue base. Today, we\u2019re bankrupt! I fought against it strictly in the belief of the NMI\u2019s economic freedom. The decision from DC was otherwise!<\/p>\n The crash into the valley of insolvency confirms, time and again, of the fragility of an island economy that is resource-poor since time immemorial. Has the NMI\u2019s elected elite buckled down to think this issue through in order that there\u2019s sustained revenue source for our expanding needs? Why has it conveniently skipped the ominous warning that anything could derail our allegedly \u201cplenty money to go around\u201d claim? <\/p>\n Or is this too difficult for the \u201csolutions driven\u201d team to render initial apprehension for it may bounce them off their comfortable nest? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Candidates from all camps were out feeling the pulse of villagers in \u201chouse-to-house\u201d visits recently….<\/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":[3601,257,67,50],"class_list":["post-236703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-ck","tag-nmi","tag-people","tag-power"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236703","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=236703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236703\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe recent approval of a measure by politicos to rezone the seaside of San Roque Village is a perfect example of the elite joining hands with rich friends to fortify their culture.<\/p>\n
\nGrowth in neighboring Asian countries depends on how quickly their governments could emplace basic infrastructure like water, power, roads, and sewer system. Their emplacement instantly gravitates new investments that lends to economic growth. It provides the stability to generate both wealth and jobs creation anchored to a master plan of sort.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m not particularly enamored by statutory imposition of minimum wage. I\u2019m convinced it should be dictated by the strength of the local economy.<\/p>\n