Three opportunities that can help our economy

It is a truism that help must start from within. This means that any improvement whether on oneself or on a community to have a true impact must start from within the affected person or area. So today let’s discuss at least three ideas than should be considered seriously that could have a real impact to coming close to solving some of our problems.

A problem will arise when I mention each one: Do we have the strong desire to implement them or will we find “buts” (excuses) why we cannot implement them? Cures take a long time and require determination, sacrifices, and patience from the patient.

The first one concerns the hiring of local workers on any project that involves local or federal funding. We are constantly reminded that by Dec. 31, 2014, very few nonresident workers will be allowed to remain in the CNMI. However, are we doing much to train our potential local labor force to prepare for this date?

My suggestion is for the Legislature pass a law that insists that 30 percent of the winning bidder’s labor force must be local employees. For example: XYZ Construction Co. wins a bid on a highway project. It needs 60 employees to do the work. Of the 60 employees at least 20 should be local employees. To be sure that the 20 local employees hired under the new law are trained, this pool of men or women should be enrolled at the Northern Marianas Trades Institute. Why do I suggest this point?

Most local employees need training. Therefore by being enrolled in NMTI, they will be able to study in the evening in classes and work on the job in the daytime. This combination of theory and actual on-the-job training will hasten the learning of various skills needed in construction work.

Do we ever see any local workers on the ARRA projects? For instance, when you drive through the back road going to Kagman and on to San Vincente, have we ever seen one local person working on that project, even as simple a job as holding up a sign for traffic? What do all these mean?

This idea of mandating 30 percent local workers on every project should be extended to various other industries. For example, let’s include the hotel industry and tourism or any other where 30 percent of the employees are not local. While this may sound radical and pushy, the question remains: Will we have the needed trained labor force by Dec. 31, 2014? What will we do when we learn the bitter truth that there will be no extension and even if we get an extension, it will be only a temporary measure?

The second idea is to impose protective import duties on any food, vegetables, fruits, or any other item that we can grow or make in the CNMI. We grow bananas, and many other fruits and vegetables here. Why do we insist on importing these items to compete against our own producers?

Recall why the garment industry flooded into the CNMI years ago. It was because the United States had a huge import duty on garments manufactured in various countries in Asia. Headnote 3 was created allowing China, Korea, and other Asian countries to set up shop in the CNMI to manufacture garments that then entered the United States at no tax or a very low one. This act helped us greatly and allowed millions of garments to flow into the United States at a better price.

Every country practices this import tax protection to assist its fledging industries. Why don’t we? This import duty against items we can grow, catch, or produce in the CNMI does not restrict the importation of any of these items. It simply says the retail price for imported products will have an import duty while the locally produced items will not. Two beneficial things will happen. One will be that added money will go into the almost empty treasury and the other is that it will motivate our people to produce and grow more. This will create much needed jobs.

You, the consumer, can still enjoy the imported items but you will have to pay a higher price for them. Yes, it will take courage to implement this idea but look at the two benefits—more revenue and more incentive for our people to produce.

The third idea is to motivate our farmers to begin plowing their fields and to plant various crops for our local market and for export. We must take a determined step to produce fruits and vegetable from our abundant fertile soil.

Guam is our biggest market that we have neglected for years. The CNMI has much more tillable land than Guam. For example the USDA states that Guam has only 13,376 acres of farm land. The CNMI has 117,760 acres! This means that the CNMI has nine times the amount of arable land available than Guam. The CNMI, as in the past, can once again become the breadbasket for the Marianas and Guam.

As reported in June, 2011, the following numbers show the huge amount of imports into Guam and are important indicators of potential sales from the CNMI:

Imports: For the month of June 2011 only—Bureau of Statistics and Planning

Vegetables $1,106,976
Fruits $359,348
Spice $70, 467
Cut flowers $66,905
Pork $ 1,462,920
Fish $570,096
TOTAL $3,636,712

Sad to relate that only a few dollars worth of sweet potatoes and taro are the only ones shipped to Guam. But if we really try we could capture at least 25 percent of that market. Think if it is almost a million dollars a month. I almost forgot to mention that Korea shipped to Guam about $78,543 worth of vegetables. But why not us who are only a few miles and an hour away? This is a major solution to our economic problem. Consider all the pride that this will instill in us. Consider all the people who will be working, especially now when more hours are being cut and some employees even being laid off. Come on, let’s act now!

There are many other ideas that you may also think about that would help us recover. Please share them with all of us. We need help. No idea is silly. We need to examine all ideas. And it must come from the inside, which is us. Outside help is at best only superficial if our own strong desire to help ourselves is weak.

The following is my personal observation. Most of all that is lacking is the desire to do something about our situation. Yes, I truly feel that. The reason I feel this way is that where is the leadership we so desperately need? Where is the motivation to prod us along? Why are our elected leaders quarreling with each time instead of working together? What does each want that they cannot obtain by working with all of us since we are all in the same boat? Doesn’t each one realize that if the boat sinks we all drown?

I am reminded of two fellows in a rowboat. On the stern end one fellow was trying to punch a hole through the boat. The other fellow gazed at him unbelieving. “What are you doing? Don’t you realize that if the water comes into the boat we will drown?” The other fellow quietly replied: “ Don’t worry. The hole is only on my end of the boat.” Let’s stop insisting that my way is the only way. We are drowning. Help! The water is rising higher and higher. Let’s act now!

Call me a fool or very naïve, but I truly believe the first step to finding and then implementing several solutions to our problems begins with: I believe I can do it! Then we have to roll up our sleeves and go to work. Honestly, what other choice do we have?

Don’t forget that a smile is the gateway to our heart. It shows us you care and when we smile back we also care. Have a great week!