The taxman cometh

Today marks the last day to file income tax unless one asks for an extension. The popular saying that there are only two certainties in life—death and taxes—is often used disparagingly against a government. It is true that whether one calls it “tax,” the cost of public social services are usually borne by fees and revenues collected on the basis of rules and laws promulgated by a body, elected like in a democracy, or self-declared sovereign like that of a royalty.

There are those in society who defer from paying taxes, or try to find as many loopholes as possible to lower the attrition on income so much so that the effort has become organized and professional. “Tax havens” is not a pejorative term, once used to characterize CNMI’s revenue collection, but it does reflect one’s allegiance to a government entity reflected in the willingness to pay one’s share in the upkeep of general wellbeing.

Ours is a government that levies fees on many levels. The federal government takes care of foreign affairs and defense, with appropriation from Congress approving Executive Branch budgets. State governments deal with domestic issues of law and order, public education, health and welfare, practice policies that devolve process from the state to the local, and deciding on sales tax and other revenues to support its functions. Local bodies as counties, cities, and municipalities attend to infrastructure that enables the safety of neighborhoods and streets, and the ease of mobility and communication.

The assignment of tasks and revenue collection is not always clear, as when the federal government dangle incentives for state and local boards to adopt certain political policies like desegregation and gender equality in governance of the last century.

The CNMI heretofore had been spared the burden of supporting federal budgets and participating in deciding the appropriation of government funds save by a token representative in Congress. We made that choice when we covenanted with the constitutional governance of these islands under the flag of the United States of America.

So the image of the Commonwealth as where one can get away from federal obligation is best to be relegated to the past, and the CNMI start behaving like a partner in the defense and sustainable use of these islands from the interest of its residents rather than the program requirements of that five-sided building by the Potomac.

DoD’s projected use of NMI geography is laid out in plans available in hard documents and in digitized formats for CNMI residents to peruse. We have no call on the plans if we do not participate in shouldering the cost.

April 15 makes this challenge on our authentic participation.

© 2015 Saipan Tribune