Historic raid

The recent high-profile raid of the governor’s office by the FBI made global “news.” It was a show of legal supremacy.

The raid gives prominence to two statutes: the CNMI’s rights to self-government versus superiority of federal laws. Where there’s conflict, federal law takes precedence. Constitutional!

In the meantime, the total lack of information on the raid leaves people speculating strictly on rumor-based information.

Were federal laws violated, prompting the raid of the governor’s office? If so, what were the violations of law?

Why is both sides mum on an issue that mandates public information? It begins to pile up like the comical impeachment inquiry across the sea.

The negative publicity depicts ill-fated disposition of issues under self-government. It requires real leadership endowed with depth, perception and commitment, not more disoriented followership.

I share Kilili’s sentiment that it is humiliating, though I find it more condescending! We’ve had our share of misgivings since 1977 but never a raid at dawn!

Bankruptcy
Understood the drop in revenue initially triggered by a superstorm. It meant prudence in spending scarce resources.

Amidst the disaster are the more troubling tidings of the exit of Nippon investments from the islands. Have we looked into the impact of this phenomenon in terms of dollar figures or “not yet, already?”

As this develops, CHC now owes CUC some $32 million that indicates financial hardship at home.

The negative fiscal implications are dire and this is where we employ prudence to the hilt or employees won’t be able to cash their paychecks at banks to pay for family needs.

There’s the term “planning” that grants the NMI time to reset buttons in the event so-called Plan “A” goes off the rails. Did we see this coming or simply treated it with the usual “que sera?”

It’s a heavy loss and unless there’s something in the backburner to cushion it, we’re headed into the persistent “fund insufficiency” season. Or is it more like bankruptcy?

The mounting fiscal instability is bad tidings for the CNMI. Unless investment resurges, we’d be selling pencils between As Gonno and As Matuis sooner than later. I trust we could reset buttons to reinvent investments once more, sayu?

Shore
I recently met pull-net fishermen along the Oleai-Garapan shoreline. A seasoned fisherman was coaching the work of the group. Gratifying to see several young boys partaking or learning this form of traditional fishing.

It looks like fun but it’s actually hard work, splashing water as you leap forward to scare fish to blindly do the kamikaze into the fish net. Stuck, you pull them out as they struggle to free themselves. You complete the job at the beach. At least there’s plenty for “kelaguen” and toasty fried fish for supper.

This form of fishing is now regulated to ensure we don’t partake in the extinction of tasty juvenile creatures close to shore. Learning the essence of preservation is vital to ensuring there’s fish when we next return for more.

Silence
At a grocery store, a friend remarked that things are a bit “silent on the islands. Not sure what to make of it other than Da Hill must be busy formulating a set of plans to move the local economy beyond stagnation. Or am I being optimistically presumptuous?

Puzzling, if not, troubling, the lack of investment resurgence that indicates eventual inability to pay for the cost of basic services NMI-wide. Investment has stagnated, meaning it has stood still, as we work with what’s left of old money.

However troubling stagnation may be, I remain guardedly optimistic investment resurgence would move forward soon. This is the juncture where leadership issue comes into full view in the public domain for critical scrutiny. In other words, is there leadership sufficiently endowed with a sense of vision to move issues forward in timely fashion?

For now, troubling the eerie dead silence at dawn through dusk. EVERbody home?

Hope?
The silence that mutes the entire archipelago echoes loudly when we rest our heads on pillows after dusk. We could hear it at the depth of our half-paralyzed ear as we doze off into the night.

With a sense of humility, I’d bow my head and analyze unfolding events that signal dire need for focus and attention. We must part with the “everyday is a holiday” demeanor, if only to show we’ve grown up ready to handle stronger sense of responsibility.