Issues to ponder

Share

Every quarter moon, a scheme concocted by politicians for personal enrichment pops up in the public domain.

The latest is to give governors and lieutenant governors more pay after leaving office, including retroactive pay. What’s wrong with this scheme?

It instantly robs taxpayers of money they’ve contributed to improve the quality of the life in the islands, especially the family income.

With any decent depth of perception and vision, policymakers would withdraw personal aggrandizement in favor of helping the multitude rebuild following the total physical destruction of family homes. But their insatiable greed overlooks this very aspect of hardship in their people.

Moreover, isn’t it true that some 15,000 of a total of 26,000 employees are still earning poverty income level? How could such blatant condition escape your nimble mind?

The measure deserves instant veto by the governor and we trust he’ll step up to the plate to give taxpayers a break.

***

Appalling, though not surprising, how elected officials embrace self-enrichment after an election. What do you make of your average folks who are most capable of telling wrongful schemes? Do you take them for simpletons?

Have you extended any form of assistance, in-kind or monetary, to help displaced families rebuild the only family home? Shouldn’t this family destruction be the sole focus of legislators, given its immediacy and urgency? Is your planned increase a real urgency or isn’t it the destroyed homes of families you represent?

Such adolescent decision prompts the query: do you ever plan anything at all that makes sense? It seems you enter and exit disorientation as if a perennial hobby. Is this it or have you better explanations?

How sad the wind our sails are torn! Thanks Rep. Ed Propst for calling this to the attention of innocent and hard-hit taxpayers.

***

We subscribe to health policy with certain insurance firm to cover health cost when we see primary physician or doctors at CHC. The insurance firm hopes you stay healthy so it retains its profit. It’s a give-and-take situation!

But there comes a time when critical health issues force you to seek help at the Emergency Room at CHC. Interestingly, a staff from an insurance firm writes a note that I should go to the hospital during regular working hours. Nice try, sir! How about a simple composition on common sense relating to urgent health issues?

Mind you, do people have control over serious health issues, e.g., fatal heart attack or stroke? Are we even endowed with divine strength to dictate that fatal illnesses hit at our convenience? When afflicted, do they wait until daybreak to head to the hospital per your recommendation? Who enjoys being critically ill? No common sense up this alley, pal!

If there’s an insurance commission, I’d be more than happy to provide you the name for immediate probing. I remember buying an insurance policy for a purpose. Nowhere is there included listening to insurance firm airheads!

***

We may have had occasion to review equality granted fellow citizens across the fruited plains. We look and compare the obvious denial of certain rights for citizens who come from territories. It includes voting in presidential elections.

The issue goes back to the work of the founding fathers some 240 years ago. They dealt with forming the union, not the emergence of territories and accompanying issues. How true, though, that it remains an equal protection issue. If it matters to you, the U.S. Supreme Court is the venue to resolve this matter with finality.

***

Public employees are still ahead in income by three dollars. Yet, they are the recipients of more tax breaks and holidays than their more productive counterparts in private industries.

A good way to help them is simply return their entire income tax for this year so they, too, could enjoy the gifts of the holiday season. After all, they only get $.50 in increase annually from their employers. Understood. But this group definitely deserves the break, now.

***

Potion: Some politicians use potion (local medicine) to guard their career. Fine! But why would you still doubt your people’s vote of confidence?

You should check me out when you need some help. I’ve got tons of strange leaves to pound in case you need something bitter in your mouth. And I’ll do it for free too! It heals anything if you know how to employ mind over matter.

Be wary, though, that eventually whatever it is you’re using would backfire on you big time. Why resort to the evils of paranormal on normal human events? It’s senseless, no matter how you splice, dice or slice it!

John S. Del Rosario Jr. | Contributing Author
John DelRosario Jr. is a former publisher of the Saipan Tribune and a former secretary of the Department of Public Lands.
Disclaimer: Comments are moderated. They will not appear immediately or even on the same day. Comments should be related to the topic. Off-topic comments would be deleted. Profanities are not allowed. Comments that are potentially libelous, inflammatory, or slanderous would be deleted.