Economy: Anemic or Stage 4 cancer?

In medical parlance, the local economy is no longer anemic. It has contracted cancer and has reached Stage 4-when the lifetime affliction is medically irreversible and where death waits. The family would be formally informed of the condition and begin preparing for the inevitable.

This is where are today in terms of the local economy. I’ve probed this issue interminably in terms of local leadership’s failure and negligence to proactively exercise agility in stemming the onslaught of bankruptcy. Most must have read it but faithfully intoned, “Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be, the future is…” Wow! What accomplishment in the dual destruction of our livelihood: Bankrupt the local government while hopelessly pinning their hopes on some miracle to turn the mess around.

But then the guys wear two sets of uniform: 1). The NMI is a suspect sovereign country. 2). The Aloha shirt that depicts our geographical origin hailing from afar as humble islanders. Please review Section One of the Covenant Agreement where we surrendered sovereignty. Why don the humble face of an islander only after we’ve messed things up irreversibly?

Didn’t the feds tell states searching for bailouts to return home and make fiscally responsible budget cuts? Do we need to formally hear Uncle Sam repeat the same message to our weak-kneed elected elites? Whatever happened to years of promises to improve the economic lot of local governance? Are we not obligated to stay within our means? Isn’t this part and whole of our responsibility to guard against wasteful spending?

Indeed, we’ve wasted a lot of time grandstanding against Uncle Sam who has the upper hand from the outset. And each time he sends us home with our tails between our legs, we begin posturing heedlessly and uselessly as to call for a renegotiation of the Covenant Agreement. People. isn’t it true that we haven’t lifted a finger to strengthening our democratic institutions? Isn’t it true that we’ve still have a long ways to go to attain political maturation? Isn’t it time to retreat and reassess our future on a realistic basis?

That we’ve failed to make progressive strides to help ourselves from ourselves confirms that we’ve been misapplying the art of compromise (politics) in favor of half-cocked answers to major issues requiring the long thoughtful process. I often quiz why the elected elite and appointed lords are fearful of being infected with the virus of reason? Perhaps, none of these disoriented characters is capable of what’s known in philosophy as “initial perception” in order to be equipped with the ability to reason. Sad the wind our sails are torn!  Is there a doctor in the house, please?

* * *

The price of negligence 

We had the opportunity to make the best of it-stop the NMI from bleeding profusely-as investment funds were flushed out of the gate of sayonara. But we were punch drunk with one drink too many and tons of burned meat in our tummy. It’s one horrific hangover from a prolonged revenue loss or consistently deepening financial crisis. We’re equally inebriated by what lies ahead, wrestling with the inevitable: dystopia!

When we woke up still wobbly from a bad hangover, we learned through news accounts that Japan Airlines has left, Nikko Hotel has been sold, the shutdown of La Fiesta; Laulau Bay has gone to new ownership; Coral Ocean Point struggling under new investors; World Resort has changed ownership too; Rota Resort at the brink of bankruptcy; Holiday Mart has put on shutters; including, most recently Fresh Market; while Tinian Dynasty owes the local government over $30 million in taxes.

The cumulative loss is humongous or where some $5-$7 billion in revenue was flushed out of the Sayonara Gate. A wise businessman related that more businesses would bite the dust for as long as utilities are prohibitively high. And it is still happening even as I write this piece. The lack of real leadership points all roads to the obvious lack of wherewithal or skills by the elected and appointed elite to arrest the steady loss of investment. Some even chanced raising taxes to ensure most businesses think with their feet, heading to jetways.

Today, the CNMI is broke and about the only thing we have in abundance is the long faces of employees with reduced work hours cringing and sighing if Santa Claus could make his CNMI round a little early this Christmas. But St. Nick’s calendar is confused after finding out that we’ve been celebrating Christmas even in June.

* * *

A simple life

An auntie works six days a week washing and ironing neighborhood clothes for 50 cents a day. She did this for many years. She usually heads home after dark for a restful evening, singing sentimental ballads before calling it a night.

I would listen to the melodic tune and meaningful lyrics. She sang of a distant island up north where she was born. She’d sing of her home perhaps reminiscing of her younger days in a simple setting with other fellow islanders.

She was born on a pristine and majestic isle that boasts of black sand all over an entire strand of what would be white sandy beaches on Saipan. “It was there that I learned the traditional work of a young woman from cooking, washing, ironing, even fishing and gardening.”

Where her budget permits, she’d buy the smallest reef fish, cleans, slices them in half then smokes them over the old wooden stove. Her meal is simple: coffee and rice in the morning, a piece of sweet bread in the afternoon and dried fish cooked in coconut milk for supper.

She’s agile and works hard everyday. She spends time with visitors going through the wisdom basket with conversations laced with graceful laughter. I’d listen to their conversations for both humor and quizzes I’d ask of words they use that are hardly included in daily conversations.

One day she barbecued some of her smoked fish, made finadeni’ (sauce, lemon and pepper), rice and asked that I join her. I did as she explains how she became a spiritual person. Rain or otherwise, she’d walk to church every morning and evening to attend Mass and rosaries.

She lived a simple life, no false pretenses and generously helped others in her community, be it village fiesta or family novenas. She was one happy though very humble person. It’s a life I yearn for in humility and simplicity when saddled by the pressures and demands of a modern day Northern Marianas community. Gee! Life has changed beyond our wildest imaginings, huh?

* * *

In his fight with the Senate president, the governor had the gall to declare the meeting is vital “because the people are suffering.” He begins to sound like Obama who after three years in office still blames President Bush for his policy inadequacies.

John DelRosario Jr. is a former publisher of the Saipan Tribune and a former secretary of the Department of Public Lands.