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Full-time support on part-time idea
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Posted on Nov 16 2004
A CNMI legislator has recently proposed a part-time legislature that will save more than $3 million. First of all, I’d just like to ask a curious question that has been nagging me since I heard this news: Why did it take this long for someone to propose a great idea like this?
I personally think this issue should have been proposed and addressed long before now, especially since our government is struggling financially. I most definitely support this proposal for many reasons. One, I don’t believe so much money needs to be spent on legislators. I strongly believe this money should have gone to greater needs like lockers and books for the schools, or other school-related activities such as the construction of gymnasiums for our schools here on the island. If we had these things, learning and going to school would be a lot better.
Second, if places in the United States with a much larger popular can manage with a part-time legislature, why can’t a small island like Saipan do so? I think government officials are just greedy, and the question is why. Is it because they need the money to go on vacations or is it just because they’d rather build up all that money and let us, the citizens, pay out of our own pockets for things that the government should have handled, like the CUC rate hike situation? Third, I believe a part-time legislature is what we need to enhance our financial stability, to put our government back on the right track.
Will this proposal happen? I hope so. I think it will take a long time to convince the people here about the good aspects of this proposal due to complicated matters that need to be dealt with, but I have my fingers crossed.
Mismar Misaro
Koblerville, Saipan
(Editor’s Note: Mismar Misaro is a senior at Saipan Southern High School, and this letter comes from her journal writing in SSHS’s Language Arts program.)
