‘Christmas need not be somber’

 While many government officials and ordinary citizens have complained about how hard it is to make ends meet these days because of government pay cuts, fewer number of tourists visiting, high costs of utilities and commodities, delayed scholarship checks, delayed release of tax rebates or refunds, or no Christmas bonus, others said yesterday that Christmas in the CNMI is a lot merrier than in many other parts of the world devastated by typhoons, tsunamis, quakes, civil wars, and terrorism.

The CNMI has not had a major typhoon or any other natural or man-made disaster in years. All it has to deal with is its economy and politics, among other things.

“Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, be thankful for what we have. Life is not harder today than before. Let me tell you what a difficult life is. Our parents and grandparents lived through World War II. They were dodging bullets and survived, that’s why we’re all here. Us, we are living in a peaceful environment now. All you have to do is work hard, love the people around you, and most of all, have faith and hope,” said Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan).

Tebuteb said people in CNMI could complain about leaner Christmas budget, but he said the fact that they could celebrate the holidays with their families is in itself something they should be thankful for.

“Many in other parts of the world cannot even celebrate Christmas because they are at war,” he said. “And I hope people in the CNMI don’t forget about those serving and those who served so we could have freedom and peace.”

Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP), who is back from Washington, D.C., said he’s happy that he can spend Christmas and New Year “here at home with friends and family.”

He has also asked people “to keep all our men and women in the armed services, and their families, in your thoughts and prayers during the holiday.”

Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan), who also served in the war against terror, shared Tebuteb and Sablan’s statements about remembering those in the armed forces as people celebrate the holidays. “May we all have a prosperous and healthy New Year,” he said.

Rep. Fred Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), for his part, called on people to celebrate the holidays “with what little we have. But let us not forget that our Savior was born in a manger.”

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos, in a joint holiday message yesterday, said “the greatest blessings of all are the ones that don’t cost a thing: the comfort of spending time with loved ones, the freedoms we enjoy, and the joy we feel upon giving something of ourselves.”

They said Christmas is a time to rejoice and a time of remembrance.

“At this special time of year, we give thanks for Christ’s message of love and mercy, and we are reminded of our responsibility to serve,” they said.

Fitial and Inos also said the CNMI “is blessed with the gift of fine citizens who reach out with a compassionate hand to help others in need.”

“We also remember our brave men and women in uniform who have volunteered to defend us at home and away from home. Many of [them] will spend Christmas far from home and away from family. We honor their sacrifice, ask God to watch over them and their families, and pray for their safe return,” they added.

If he were Santa Claus, House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) said the gift he would give is the restoration of 40-hour work week for government employees.

Most government employees are now subject to a 16-hour cut every two weeks as part of the administration’s austerity measures. The fiscal year 2012 budget of $102 million is about the same level as it was some 22 years ago.

“And if money is there, a lot of well deserved government employees would be given the money owed them. 2011 may not be the best year but I ask for their patience. Financial difficulty is not only in the CNMI but in many parts of the world too,” he said.

Cabrera also wish that the House and Senate will work together to pass revenue-generating bills and bring back the CNMI to its old glory. The House leadership has been pushing for the passage of a bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan. The bill is now with the Senate, which killed a similar bill last year.

Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), for his part, said that while the economy is not in good shape, people can still have a happy, meaningful, and safe Christmas.

Just like other elected officials interviewed yesterday, House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan) wishes everyone a “very Merry Christmas.”

“Let us all have fun and be safe,” he added.

A new First Hawaiian Bank economic analysis said that the CNMI economy “continues to lack promise.”