In the spring of 1993 we told the U.S. Congress no more grant funds confident we generate enough revenues to meet all our needs. It was a celebrated announcement no other territory has done. It coincided with Nippon investments peaking at that point in our development.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, investors subsequently decided to walk with their luggage to airplanes and headed home. We didn\u2019t see this coming though self-inflicted. Expansion of private industries fizzled as we quiz, as though ignorant, what happened?<\/p>\n
Towering arrogance mouth-off against well-meaning major Nippon investors was uncalled for. Sad that it resulted in the combined colossal loss of more than $14 billion! We ignored that good relations facilitate delivery of lifetime savings for investments here. It requires mature leadership with finesse. We rendered it sterling adolescency!<\/p>\n
How could we brag about economic self-sufficiency when we don\u2019t manufacture anything at all worth selling at the global market? It\u2019s a case of intransigent arrogance gift-wrapped in ignorance. The result is woefully devastating: Nippon investors said, \u201csayonara\u201d.<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t the exit of Nippon investments a matter of life especially amidst a double whammy? Is there solid substitute for exiting investments beyond nervous hand wringing and looking intelligently confused? Humiliating!<\/p>\n
Expansion of private industry is the holy grail of revenue generation. Without it we\u2019re stuck with what\u2019s left or would have been gone by the time we collect our old zories with tube inserts to move about. It compromises economic agility! It cuts heavily into current public services. Isn\u2019t one plus one two?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no such thing as a cradle to grave entitlement. You earn your dues from A-Z! Amidst the lull where are we headed? Perhaps there\u2019s a suspect plan somewhere that hasn\u2019t been publicly shared for one reason or another? Am I being intolerant of the process or a bit simplistic?<\/p>\n
Whatever the case may be the foundational issue is one of re-establishing and fostering good working relations with key Nippon investors. I welcome the strength of their investments in the islands. Please, don\u2019t bid us sayonara as yet.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Junkets:<\/strong> How grand the Internet that cuts trips for public officials in what\u2019s known as \u201cfrivolous junkets\u201d. At least Da Boysis have learned that we don\u2019t own a government-run airline and so they\u2019ve stayed home.<\/p>\n In Washington, however, there\u2019s now \u201cAir Pelosi\u201d mocking the umpteen trips abroad by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to places like Afghanistan, among other venues. Talk about splurging on taxpayers\u2019 hard-earned contributions.<\/p>\n The Washington Times reported that in 2010 that Pelosi\u2019s jet travel cost the Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period\u2014$101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.<\/p>\n That is a lot of mullah just to avoid doing what she\u2019s supposed to be working on in DC. It is an ego trip that is completely irrelevant with her mandate!<\/p>\n Then she asserted that people who enter the country illegally doesn\u2019t mean they have broken the law. Excuse me! Isn\u2019t illegal entry a violation of law Ms. Pelosi? It\u2019s simple syntax!<\/p>\n Halo? We have 29 lawmakers on the hill and it piques my interest what do they have up their sleeves to make-up for the $14 billion loss from the local economy. Additional taxes aren\u2019t the answer either to make up for the loss and not when 15,000 employees are stuck in the filthy swamp of poverty income!<\/p>\n If we don\u2019t hear anything solid to deal with this loss then it confirms my view that we no longer need a bicameral legislative body that is literally dysfunctional at best, waste of taxpayers\u2019 money at worse. Weren\u2019t the basic functions of government established some 40 years ago? <\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Trade jobs:<\/strong> Some 50 years ago was started at then Hopwood Sr. High three program areas for students to take and explore: academic, commercial and vocational. If you\u2019re college material you stick to the first, someone who wants a job immediately after high school you opt for the second; the same goes to the third option.<\/p>\n And so trade skills development started years ago. Why then do we consistently find problems filling these jobs? There was the new upward mobility of our people facilitated by our becoming a permanent part of the U.S. in 1978. A lot of our young folks relocated to the US mainland where opportunities in education and jobs abound. To stay here would be a retarded choice.<\/p>\n Relocating in the interest of the education of their children is most admirable. No greater price than a good education for posterity! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the spring of 1993 we told the U.S. Congress no more grant funds confident…<\/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":[],"class_list":["post-292975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292975","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=292975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}