Innovations begin outside Washington

“I know the greatest innovations in education do not start in Washington”, declared President Clinton in his recent weekly radio address. How true a statement, thus the constant wrestling between federal and state governments over the meddlesome role of the former.

In like fashion, wealth and jobs creation begin at the state and insular levels. It is at this stage where wealth creation is established that eventually translates into jobs creation. It is the pure hard work of the private sector that has enabled President Clinton to establish his “welfare to work” program. It’s an economic foundation that was begun by former President Ronald Reagan. It successfully opened up windows of opportunity for the country to enjoy a robust economy today.

President Clinton, however, needs to summon his boys from the US Department of Interior to find out if they’re enforcing his policy of wealth and jobs creation equally throughout the land of the free. It would be interesting what the president would find at Interior where his policy is effectively turned on its head. Rather than assisting the NMI on wealth and jobs creation (attain a progressively higher standard of living), it’s the exact opposite of wealth destruction of a fragile island economy.

Understandably, the bureaucrats at Interior are all excited of their new found toy of “unbridled power”. In the process, they scrapped their primary responsibility in the enforcement of federal laws and regulations to take up an illegal role of policymaking solely reserved for the US Congress. It used its assumed though illegal authority and turned itself into a federal lobbyist against the NMI so to protect the fancy of members of Congress whose political career have been bankrolled by the textile labor unions.

Therefore, the agenda of a federal takeover is the direct result of unbridled power unchecked since 1993. If under the free enterprise system the NMI gradually built its garment sector into one of the world’s safest and most successful industry here, isn’t this success the very issue that President Clinton espouses in his wealth and jobs creation campaign throughout the country? Right on, Mr. President, innovations, be it in education or wealth and jobs creation begin at the state and insular levels.

Congressman Tom DeLay, a former businessman, understands the strangling effects of too much federal laws and regulations in the development and growth of the private sector. Therefore, his decision to visit the islands to see for himself how the confused federal bunch have effectively stifled growth under the guise of human rights agenda. And once again, we salute Congressman Don Young for bringing this issue under microscopic review for herein lies the very culprit and genesis of the current and wasteful controversy.