Ahead of the times

I have always dwelled “ahead of the times” and it is truly a blessing to have this talent. But too many people have chosen to do all they can to make sure my talents were not used to help the CNMI, thus my only resolve was to tell them “I told you so”! For those readers who have followed my writings, you already know that I wrote about the need to end double-dipping years ago when the Retirement Fund died, so ending double-dipping is really another “I told you so” for me. In fact, I’m sure the governor will even confirm the proposed plan I presented him months ago to end double-dipping and to initiate a repatriation program.

Why did it take all these years for the Legislature to finally act is my question and are they going to get it right? We should have been trying to put retirees back into the workforce a long time ago, given the CW crisis. But ending double-dipping alone is not enough. I know retirees are praying there are no “ifs, buts or ands” to the law. Retirees should be able to continue receiving their retirement pensions for life without any penalties, especially when we are all penalized for life by the Social Security Administration for having been a member of the Retirement Fund!

Our leaders also need to be aware that ending the double-dipping and not having a plan to repatriate the many retirees who have started new careers in the mainland could be a challenge. Many retirees left because of the double-dipping law and you can bet they are not in a hurry to make the sacrifices to return if they have to pay their airfare and they don’t even have a guaranteed job. The CNMI must establish a repatriation program that is more than justifiable for the Department of the Interior to fund, given the pressure we are getting from the feds about our CWs. It’s clearly a give-and-take issue the feds can’t deny and must support.

I can only pray this won’t fall on deaf ears in the Legislature again because it’s another outsider suggestion. It may be as simple as a joint resolution with the governor’s support to convince Interior to support and fund a repatriation plan that will surely help to repatriate locals, eliminating some of our dependency upon CWs while refurbishing family ties and strengthening the cultural fabric of the CNMI.

Ending double-dipping is also critical if we go ahead and legalize marijuana in a timely fashion because every day we wait is another day late for progress and prosperity. The legalization legislation that I worked on is now with the senator and the bill requires “only U. S. citizens to work in the cannabis industry(s).” We will need a lot of the retired people in the mainland who have experience in the cannabis industries to return, not to mention the other jobs in both public and private that they can fill. While I must commend the governor for his effort to hire more of our youth and to avoid hiring retirees because of the double-dipping law, we do need to open more doors for our youth who will surely take over one day. However, wisdom dictates there needs to be a balance between the old and the new as there is no substitute for “experience and wisdom” that only comes with age! So, to a large degree, retirees are still needed in government agencies, especially those agencies that have already gone public about their need for professional employees.

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan