The state of the Commonwealth: The need for reflection and action

By JOSE S. DELA CRUZ
Special to the Saipan Tribune

As the year 2011 comes to a close, the people of the Northern Marianas continue to experience this feeling of helplessness and desperation as a result of the continuing economic recession that we have been suffering from for at least 10 years now. We are afraid that things would continue to get worse next year. Our fear-sadly-stems chiefly from the fact that our leaders have been unable (or have been unwilling) to come up with a sound and realistic economic recovery plan. This has been the worst economic recession we have experienced in the brief history of CNMI self-government. Our leaders have exhibited by their failure and inability to address and resolve the economic downturn that they really have no idea as to what should be done to turn around our persistent economic recession.

It is indeed mind-boggling that, although our leaders are very much aware of the causes of our economic recession, they still have not been able to decide or to figure out what needs to be done to get our economic house in order. To this very day, they have not undertaken any sound step to address the fundamental problems that should be taken to get us out of the economic mess we are in. To our dismay and frustration, they have instead continued to look for “quick fixes” to our non-performing economy. But as we all know, there is no such thing as a quick fix to anything. The only way to begin fixing permanently any fundamental problem, such as the Commonwealth economic recession, is by first laying a firm and solid foundation upon which the CNMI economy could rest on. This way, our economy could, at least this time, stand on firm ground in order to return to life. If we do this, then at some point in the near future, our economy should turn around and start bearing fruit for a change. Thus, to the fundamental question as to whether our leaders have developed a sound and realistic economic recovery plan, the answer is clearly “no.” And this is the reason why the economic recession of the Commonwealth has continued to haunt us.

Any place with limited natural and human resources, such as the Northern Marianas, has to first soberly take stock of its economic potential. It has to review its assets and liabilities, as the accountants would say. It must assess what it has in terms of natural resources and available manpower. It must make a realistic assessment as to what particular industry could successfully be undertaken by the Commonwealth. It needs to educate and properly train its local workforce so that it could implement the industry successfully. It must make sure that the infrastructures needed by the industry to be implemented are in place. It must have a fair and reliable legal system and code of law. Individuals and businesses operating (or who wish to establish shop) in the Commonwealth should be assured and must have the confidence that they will be treated fairly and not be discriminated against. This means that the CNMI government has to assure everyone in the Commonwealth-individuals and businesses alike-will all get a fair shake.

All of the foregoing basic requirements must be in place in order to have a successful economy. They are all pretty straightforward and simple to understand. But these fundamental economic ingredients must be present if the Commonwealth is to once again see a vibrant economy. Only then will we begin to have a prosperous “economic renewal” in the Commonwealth.

We must also make sure that those governmental practices that negatively impact on our economy be stopped. The Commonwealth’s economy will continue to go awry if the long-time practice of political patronage, favoritism, and cronyism continue to inject themselves in our governmental system and governmental process. Unfair and discriminatory practices by the government poison our economic system and cripple the rule of law in the Commonwealth. Unfair and unlawful practices by government leaders should stop immediately if the Commonwealth is to restore and re-establish once again its good name and reputation: politically, socially and economically.

Although some of us would like to believe that the Commonwealth has already matured in its system of self-governance, this has sadly not been the case. Politics and the political process in the Commonwealth, as we are very much aware, have become very petty, personal, and vindictive over the past 30 years. Such negative governmental practices have to be discarded if our economy and our system of self-government are to succeed. Somewhere along the line, unfortunately and many times embarrassingly, many of our political leaders have lost their sense of decency and fairness, as well as their respect for the public whom they serve. Unless our leaders begin to respect one another and the general public once again, and unless they begin to understand that public service means to serve each member of the public fairly and responsibly, the future of the Commonwealth will continue to look bleak.

So if the people of the Northern Marianas are truly frustrated and dissatisfied with the present state of affairs in the Commonwealth, as I believe all of us are, we have to begin doing something positive and constructive to correct it. For if we do not begin to do so at some time soon, we will continue with the dismal state of affairs in the Commonwealth. If we do not begin to do so, we will continue to let our leaders lead the Commonwealth without any direction, objective or goal.

It seems that we have now reached a “tipping point” with respect to “the state of the Commonwealth.” Commonwealth self-government is indeed tipping toward failure and total collapse, if we do not reverse our present course. We have now reached the point where we must say to our leaders: “Enough is enough!” The level of public frustration over the state of our economy and the quality of life here is such that the people of the Northern Marianas must take action to express their deep frustration with the way our leaders have been running the Commonwealth-nonchalantly, if not recklessly. It is up to us-the people of the Commonwealth-to begin doing something positive and constructive if our elected leaders indeed cannot fix things or refuse to do so.

Jose Dela Cruz is a former chief justice of the Commonwealth Supreme Court.