Regroup: The die is cast!

For all the posturing that included local participation supporting extending the Marpi land lease to Kan Pacific, the decision by KP to sell its interest ripped and instantly took the wind out of our sails, leaving many dumbfounded.
Not sure how to react to it versus policy in place on lease of public land, etc. I quiz if our land policy is deficient or shortsighted in terms of land disposition, allowing lessees to sell their interest to another investor. Shouldn’t lease of public land be limited to permanent business commitment to protect indigenous landowners?

But this would be unduly restrictive and contrary to the capitalism concept that encourages wealth creation or investment. Well, McDonald’s lease properties throughout the country for 25 years at a time. There’s an increase in fee every five years going to the landowner. If business is thriving at the end of the term it is renewed. Otherwise it just moves elsewhere.

Land leases must be founded on partnership. The sale of interest has turned into a carnival as landowners quiz “what about our interest?” This and other significant issues need thorough discussion. Our goal is to understand and define disposition of indigenous land including the implications of the Qualifying Certificate.

Investors sell their interests making millions doubled down by tax breaks from QC. Both policies require critical review now! It has happened to the Laulau Bay Development when KUMHO sold its interest after securing some $26 million in QC tax breaks. It wipes out any and all initial expenses. Their investment is basically zero.

The Laulau land was appraised as raw property bringing the lease per acre to $3 per square meter. Even with all the improvements done on the property? This I find troubling. Then KUMHO was granted a huge tax break from local QC law. It literally didn’t invest anything at all!

Reassessment of land and QC policies is imperative! It requires highly sensitive balancing act to meet the needs of both sides of the equation.

Senators line pockets

While the entire community endures 14 years of stagnant wages and salaries, the Senate has used its infinite wisdom to give themselves an additional $2,500 per month in subsistence allowance. It pans out to $30,000 per year per legislator and taxpayers are on the hook to pay for this excess.

Each heads out the front door with salaries $69,500 per year. We stand by the sideline admiring their negligence to improving our family pocketbooks. It totals some $625,500 in annual income we have to pay as taxpayers. You add the House and it’s over $2 million annually. What have they done to deserve lining their pockets with more of our hard-earned taxes? Cement their role as do-nothings?

Future of Medicaid

Quite a number of working folks here have taken advantage of the federally funded health insurance known as Medicaid. Even retirees had to enroll (those that qualify) when their private health premium went up by 40 percent sometime last year.

The latest from Capitol Hill (US Senate) is the recent vote to dismantle Obamacare, specifically Medicaid in its entirety. Its days are numbered. The 20 states that have objected to Obamacare’s expansion are home free and are more secure fiscally. For the 30 states that fell for the promise of free money from DC, it’s a stinging wake-up call.

“Medicaid expansion has been an unmitigated disaster. It has increased government dependency greater and faster than anyone predicted, leaving state taxpayers on the hook for far higher costs than they anticipated,” wrote Nicholas Horton, a senior research fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability.

The point we seem to ignore: Like Puerto Rico we don’t pay federal taxes and freebies turn U.S. mainland taxpayers responsibility that would meet serious resistance. We must buckle down to figure out how to salvage those who may eventually be disqualified when the NMI is tasked to absorb a greater share of Medicaid funding.

Delusional Obama on ISIS

Obama has relied on his superb oratory powers of persuasion addressing national and foreign policy issues. Unfortunately, he’s picked the wrong side of error on ISIS. Though he came out to assuage peace and security in his last speech to the nation, he didn’t offer anything credible that resonates and uplifts the half-hearted confidence of Americans everywhere. It was disastrously dishonest given his divorce from reality.

He did nothing but advance the claim that Islamist jihadists are “contained” or their expansion reduced or defeated. The Paris carnage and San Bernadino massacre happened shortly after another shot at avoiding the truth. How could a President with all the available information remain delusional? Why now blame guns over real live terrorists bent on destroying Americans? How sad that he could be inspiring, perplexing but most recently, infuriating.

The lame duck president pitched the same strategy from an old book. There’s nothing new. Surprising how he fails listening to the advice of his intelligence and defense people. How do we deal with an unconventional enemy that doesn’t wear a uniform? It’s no longer conventional war.

Perhaps Obama has purposely eviscerated or deprived essential contents needed by the military, FBI, and other intelligence-gathering outfit to weaken the country. I fear that his detachment would lead to more dangerous events as to outstrip sober decision-making. He tried sophistry to link terrorism upheaval with climate change. What a strange leap of logic!