Test of leadership

It’s shocking that one can literally take on the role of an ostrich about the dire financial straits of the NMI. It’s a question of leadership: Does one defend economic reality in the islands or succumb to federal pressure founded on all the wrong and irrelevant premises?

It seems apparent that a basic fundamental that has eluded some of our astute politicians is the obvious lack of understanding of basic economics. What’s pathologically discouraging in this grand delusion that this severe economic contraction doesn’t really exist. Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to discern negative economic indicators such as:

• The closure of more than 1,100 tourist related businesses between last June and this year.

• Urgent appeal from the business community for tax breaks and incentives as they gauge conditions that would determine their fate.

• Drop in revenue generation in double digit figures and still contracting beyond our wildest imaginings.

• Appeal by the administration for suspension or repeal of certain laws to save badly needed funds for government services.

• Closure and sale of Koreana and Riviera hotels and the incomplete construction of other midsize hotel facilities.

At a time when the tourism industry has crumbled in every corner, why would one even chance imposing additional strangling regulations against the sturdy garment industry? Would you believe that this issue doesn’t really need the brains of a rocket scientist in order to perceive and understand it? Would you believe that employing common sense would have saved the NMI any further embarrassment and a the grand opportunity to stumble into abject poverty because we’ve treated paper tigers like real tigers?

Friends, the local economy needs expansion in every conceivable way. Miscalculations, saddled or wrapped in fear tactics implanted in our nimble minds by the feds goes to illustrate the wobbly knees that has triggered such vacuous belief that we must cave into their every whim even when we find ourselves swimming up stream.

Has the US Department of Interior taken a proactive role to help the NMI muddle through this difficulty or has it retreated to monitor how far we can stand on our own two feet? Now it’s headed out for more sun and fun under the blue skies of paradise to talk–in the midst of a deepening economic crisis–about the economic future of the NMI.

Friends, it isn’t what we did that matters as much as what we didn’t do or failed to do to ease current conditions that now threaten the livelihood of thousands of families. Now, if one persistently plays the role of a St. Thomas, then it’s time to hang up your hat and join the parade of national television comedians who need more materials for their nightly talk shows! In short, you’ve failed the test of leadership!