Reportedly, the CNMI has \u201coverspent\u201d its recent fiscal year\u2019s budget by as much as $8 million. Appalling how this was overlooked after overspending a couple million dollars.<\/p>\n
Perhaps we could get rid of high-tech calculators and begin anew using our 10 fingers. A pencil with a huge eraser and handkerchief for our runny nose ought to do the job.<\/p>\n
Budgetary protocol requires supplementary funding request when the original amount is insufficient. It\u2019s all a matter of timely communication. It\u2019s still taxpayers\u2019 money that requires accountability!<\/p>\n
Moreover, the focus ought to shift to investments to generate additional revenue to meet expanding needs. This is the realistic answer in concert with prudent spending. It must be done constructively and proactively too!<\/p>\n
Revisit<\/strong><\/p>\n The issue brings forth the pertinent query: has our economy expanded, stagnated or gone south and do we understand its implications? Have we reset buttons to revisit investments for revenue generation purposes? If not, what\u2019s the realistic answer beyond complacency?<\/p>\n Understood the annual budgetary exercise where reasonable projections and allocations are made after thorough review. Unfortunately, more often than not earmarked expenses often overwhelm what\u2019s in our bank account. Not going to make any bones about it for it happens! Dealt with it before while still in government.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s a secret to solvency in perpetuity. I\u2019ll let you guess it while staring at it right here and now! <\/p>\n Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n I see both political parties are organizing to present planks on the campaign trail this election year. The incumbent GOP must answer any and all questions about its performance.<\/p>\n Vicious and testy political theatrics has begun and the Dems aren\u2019t giving the incumbent GOP any breathing room as shown in the recent hyperbolic exchange, an indication it\u2019s ready to flex its muscles.<\/p>\n Has the incumbent done anything to upgrade the poverty income level of nearly 15-thousand employees or \u201cnot yet, already?\u201d<\/p>\n The answer is obvious the question is why the obvious inaction? It\u2019s the heaviest issue the GOP must answer forthwith specifically, why did it skip it altogether? Negligence? It\u2019s good to see if the GOP could render reasoned articulation on this and other collateral issues.<\/p>\n Trade<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe re-establishment of trade relations between our country and China may well be a window of opportunity for our inclusion that would spur more economic growth here,\u201d according to Sen. Terry Santos. <\/p>\n \u201cThe proximity of the islands makes it a natural venue for more stateside business ventures to consider establishing here to deal efficiently with China\u2019s proximity,\u201d she said. \u201cMoreover, the market is not more than a day away by ship or less than four hours by air\u201d, Santos noted.<\/p>\n \u201cThe China market is huge and even beyond our comprehension but an opportunity for island leadership to converge and ponder how do we deal with it moving forward\u201d, she said. \u201cIt\u2019s wide open opportunity for economic growth for the islands be it on transient traded goods or on island investment.\u201d The issue requires proactive organization!<\/p>\n Thematic<\/strong><\/p>\n The word \u201cimpeachment\u201d has turned thematically redundant even with proof that Trump didn\u2019t violate the U.S. Constitution nor did he commit high crime on his own. <\/p>\n So Trump is convicted of political animus while Dems look around for a crime to fit it. Has American jurisprudence changed in recent past where one could be convicted without the commission and conviction of a crime? But it\u2019s all a collective effort to prevent a Trump reelection!<\/p>\n On the islands, it\u2019s the budgetary term \u201cshortfall\u201d that seems a popular term. It\u2019s when money managers find there\u2019s less in the coffers than projected. It means some serious cuts are in order and we can begin by downsizing the legislature to a unicameral nine-member body. Resolve?<\/p>\n Then turn right around and cut the number of government employees to skeletal level. It\u2019s a prudent move that would ensure more funds are available for worthy programs that benefit taxpayers. As it is everybody is boss with coffee cup in hand refusing to work to serve taxpayers who pay their loot! Dalai!<\/p>\n Rebuilding<\/strong><\/p>\n Obviously, a lot of money had gone to rebuilding after Yutu\u2019s destruction of the islands late last year. In the process, money managers had to guard scarce funds to ensure there\u2019s enough for our collective needs. Dedication!<\/p>\n Destruction from natural disaster is a hardship unto itself. Moreover, rebuilding is a tough cookie diverting funds already earmarked for a given purpose to begin anew. It taxes what little we have in the treasury including our half-exhausted energy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reportedly, the CNMI has \u201coverspent\u201d its recent fiscal year\u2019s budget by as much as $8…<\/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-316271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316271","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=316271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316271\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=316271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=316271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=316271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}