Congressional queries

Listening to questions asked by members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee headed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski shows that senators have the NMI’s best interest at hand. But none held back admonishing the NMI on oversight issues requiring immediate attention.

It is obvious we have problems keeping steady and sturdy oversight on laws designed to strengthen our governmental institutions. Senators quizzed what has the NMI done rectifying outrageous violations of law, predatory labor practices, and money laundering.

A senator deferred questions how the casino law evolved—a clear violation of public mandate—that voted against casino twice. It’s the voice of “we the people” trashed by public officials who decided to work as servile lapdogs for their new sugar daddy at our expense. Gee! The new hands of policymaking! Imagine trashing the collective sentiment of your people in favor of a law hastily crafted in Hong Kong.

So policymaking is now placed at the altar of shadow generals who receive funds from sugar daddies to guard their interest. They couldn’t care less. But then they never had the public mandate from the outset, thus the apparent reckless behavior.

Ooops! Ralph, in the infamous Senate hearing for the CNMI U.S. Workforce Act, fumbled a question about the CNMI’s current minimum wage, saying it’s $7.55 (video’s available on the hearing). In an earlier hearing he couldn’t remember the CNMI’s unemployment rate. His advisor who sat behind him was rolling his eyes.

Was he nervous? Visibly so! Watch the rest of the video and see how he mishandled matters of state. But how is he representing the NMI not knowing as basic as the minimum wage? Call it misrepresentation!

Posture: The fiscal posture of the NMI is at best suspect, what with debts owed CUC to the tune of $50 million plus CPA’s $23 million, discounting debts owed vendors, old debts, and current deficit. Can anyone pin down if revenue is overflowing to handle shortfalls?

Obviously, the NMI lacks public officials who are in fact fiscally responsible, thus poised to mind the store. One too many misgivings are a tale of political immaturity. No wonder the constant reminder from Washington to work on oversight issues. It’s how we strengthen self-government.

Raffy didn’t know of a lobbying firm or its purported purpose. Can someone explain what’s our benefit spending thousands of dollars in hard-earned taxpayers’ money for services we never knew existed? Is the contract for Jason Osborne $5,000 or more like $70,000 in the last quarter filing?

Disaster: With the recent announcement of Delta Air Lines pulling out of the NMI in early May, it could only mean a major contraction in our tourism industry. Expectations of casino thriving are unrealistic, given the more poised competition in 30 casinos in Macau and more in nearby Asian countries. With tourism slated to contract, is there anything else in the horizon to support the fiscal needs of the NMI?

Wage: It’s good to know that the proposed measure before Murkowski’s committee includes the use of prevailing wage by private industries here. This should grant both local and foreign workers the opportunity to earn decent income for their trade or technical expertise. Plus it grants our people the opportunity to begin planning for the first family home that is secure, sanitary, and safe.

The current practice is basically one of deceit that goes around in a vicious cycle. A local finds employment with a private firm. Interesting that he still must rely on food stamps and housing assistance to provide decently for his family. What then is the use of finding employment if he can’t exit freebies? Paying him the prevailing wage is the beginning of a more meaningful career and family life.

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The hearing included minute queries like an employee of Best Sunshine killed on the job and the hiring of hundreds of employees where nobody knows their employer. Then there’s the unemployment rate of 7.5 percent or 1,800 locals looking for jobs. The incoherent answers given were, again, humiliating! It goes to show that the governor needs to have a fully poised staff who could advice him on vital matters of state as he prepares to head to Washington.

Strengthening NMC: The plan to turn Northern Marianas Trade Institute into a separate entity and apart from NMC veers off the greater goal of strengthening our only four-year institution.

In other words, NMTI programs should be placed under NMC where opportunities present themselves to strengthen it via an Apprenticeship Training Program. In neighboring Guam, the program combines on-the-job training provided by employers with trade-related classroom instruction by the Guam Community College and other educational or training institutions.

Training standards comply with federal guidelines. Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship training period, the apprentice earns journey worker status. If you will, the benefits of GCC’s apprenticeship program include employee skill levels affecting the bottom dollar: journey workers provide better quality and higher productivity. Employers who train apprentices invest in their business future and avoid skill shortages. Apprenticeship training promotes corporate citizenship by supporting a valuable training program for employees. Student must be a high school graduate or have completed a high school equivalency program.

Upon successful completion of both components of the program, the apprentice earns a certificate of completion from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Under Article 15, Section 1 the amendment provided for the establishment of the Northern Marianas College, fulfilling its mandate on higher and vocational education. Its mandate is stipulated under Public Law 3-43 approved in 1983.

As such, we now have NMC that could handle both areas of instructions and implement it in all three of its campuses on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. It also opens up opportunities to train and educate prospective students from the Micronesian region.