Fiduciary duty, anybody?

When legislators employ rabid aspiration to pocket the $5,000 allowance that isn’t part of their salary this would have to be the new scale of greed on Da Hills of Saipan.

Their decision takes care of their suspect largess first and foremost as to openly ignore the fate of 15-,000 employees struggling in abject poverty income level. Evidently, PSS has yet to be given its $4 million and MVA some $2.5 million.

Shouldn’t the familial hardship of these employees be the uppermost issue under their fiduciary duty? Isn’t it that they are they are the ones who deserve at least a portion of your new $5,000 additional income? Why did you skip their wellbeing? Isn’t your decision an obvious negligence and misrepresentation of their interests?

Your action is cavalierly, no matter how you dice, splice, or slice it. Eh, how could you openly ignore the 15,000 employees stuck in abject poverty that need additional help meeting basic family needs?

I understand that Saipan legislators have claimed the same as though part of their income. Sens. Justo Quitugua, Vinnie Sablan, and Sixto Igisomar have reportedly drawn such allowance. If none of you is an off-island senator, please account for every penny you’ve withdrawn ($15,000 apiece thus far).

The sum of $5,000 was never intended as part of your income. In fact, it is over and above your regular salaries. We the taxpayers deserve an explanation and, most importantly, return of our hard-earned income tax forthwith!

Isn’t there a cumulative deficit now of $83 million for the first part of the year?

OPA must probe: Rota awaits the arrival of a secondhand power generator to keep the villages lit. This isn’t news! That it would cost $690,000 saddled against all ratepayers is definitely news! Why not buy a new one?

An informed source said the MV Luta would be used to transport the generator to Rota. It would also require use of a crane to offload it. The freight cost is around $160,000 while use of crane about $120,000. Who are the owners of boat and crane? What a sweetheart deal at the expense of ratepayers!

The public auditor must probe who are the owners. And please, Mr. OPA, share whatever information you uncover on this deal.

Revenue decrease: Definitely, we have issues that require serious attention like poverty income of nearly 15,000 employees. Sober review is in order with commitment to reversing a deepening mess. It focuses and revolves around the quality of life for families all over the NMI.

Improvement could only come via a healthy economy. That this many folks are under poverty income level is a tale of economic conditions here being very bad!

Even the governor made downwards adjustment to this year’s budget package by as much as $12-million-plus due to a 4.7 percent revenue shortfall. It’s a responsible decision, exercising care where resources begin heading south.

The negative impact of the storms and exit of Nippon investments has started showing their ugly and troubling economic effects here. Brace for far less in the near and long-term.

Moreover, it is also rumored that patients in Guam, Hawaii and the Philippines haven’t been given their allowance over the last four months. It presents a tough situation for them, dealing with basic needs while attending to treatment for serious illnesses. Don’t blame anyone for it is the net effect of a steady decrease in revenue generation.

Has the elected elite met to review heavy reduction in revenue since recent past? Hope you’ve done your homework in that the issue isn’t going to improve for at least a little while more. Must critically guard revenues steadily heading south!

Small: Indeed, ours is a small tourism industry. We once had apparel manufacturing that has since been shuttered. Nothing has moved since. We’re still here nursing what’s left. Would private industry expansion ever take off or is everybody guarding everybody else settling for the comforts of mañana?

The apparent economic lull may have been triggered by serious reverse in opportunities for growth and development when major Nippon investors exited the NMI in recent past. Is there a way out of this woefully troubling reduction of major investments?

It’s a tough socio-economic issue that places the issue of leadership right front and center. The lights are on; is anybody home?

If I may remind you: there are nearly 15,000 employees stuck under poverty income level. Don’t they deserve immediate attention too?