I have been increasingly alarmed at how little I know about the management of public lands in the Commonwealth. Other citizens have raised similar concerns with me in email and conversation. Difficult questions have been asked, and few (myself included) have answers — questions like: Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that enforcement of the disability parking law is very lax.  Many business establishments fail to properly mark their handicap-accessible parking lots, with no consequences. 

It was also said that ADA compliance is a problem inside business establishments as well.  Many stores have narrow, crowded aisles that would be difficult for a person with disabilities to access.    Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that the CNMI should do a better job of tapping US Small Business Administration funds, and that the local government should restore support for a business incubator to give local entrepreneurs the technical assistance they need to get started, and to succeed. Read the rest of this entry »

Some said they supported casinos in the CNMI because of the potential to attract tourists and offer jobs to the many workers soon to be displaced from the government.  Some said they would support casinos only if the industry were properly regulated, but they also expressed doubts about the ability of the current government to properly regulate this industry when it hasn’t properly regulated poker or garments or any other industry for that matter.  Others expressed misgivings about the proposed casino initiative, and said they not only did not trust the motives of some of the proponents behind the casino initiative, but had problems with the fact the initiative itself is structured to favor only an elite group of people who would have sole licensing rights and generous compensation packages.  It was said that if casino gambling is going to happen, it should be done right, and it should benefit all the people of the CNMI.  Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that it is the responsibility of the local government to educate the community about the impacts of the CNMI’s land alienation laws, and the potential consequences of changing or repealing Article XII.  If Article XII is going to be changed or repealed, the government should establish an office to review proposed land transactions and offer advice to prospective sellers and buyers to ensure that land transactions are fair and fully understood by both parties.  Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that the government has done a poor job of maintaining public beaches, parks, and facilities.  Locked, dilapidated public restrooms, deteriorating basketball courts, abandoned government offices, unkempt parks, bus stops and pavilions marred by grafitti and disrepair, and beaches with no regular trash service were some of the problems cited by citizens. 

It was said that one of the biggest problems facing the tourism industry is that local labor and immigration problems are not being properly enforced, thus penalizing law-abiding tour operators.  For example, some companies hire nonresident boat captains (contrary to local labor law), and pay them in cash to avoid taxes.  This practice has generally driven wages down for all boat captains, and many resident boat captains have moved to Guam where the wages are better.  Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that the local government should have done long ago what the federal government is doing now, i.e., raising the minimum wage and addressing the immigration and labor problems that have developed in the CNMI.  It was also said that federalized immigration would help stabilize the economy and that more reputable companies might consider investing in the CNMI if the laws didn’t change so quickly and were properly enforced. Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that many public school facilities are in dire need of repair and upgrading, and both CIP and local funds should be allocated to meet this need.  It was said that although PSS has federal grant money to support many specific programs, PSS does not have enough money for maintenance, repairs, personnel, and other expenditures that must be covered by local funds.  It was also said that students need more hands-on training in various fields, particularly in the sciences, but they cannot gain this experience if school laboratories are in disrepair. Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that excessive political interference is a big problem at the Department of Public Health.  It was also said that the recent exodus of physicians from the Commonwealth Health Center can be attributed to a number of reasons including: uncompetitive salaries in the CNMI, and the poor treatment that physicians often receive when they arrive here (i.e., they aren’t paid on time, their contract terms change, there are no offers of hospitality or orientation to help them make the transition into living in the CNMI, etc.). Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that a failed CUC is one of the CNMI’s biggest problems, and it is killing families as well as businesses.  Providing reliable, affordable power should be seen as a long-term investment in the community. 

It was said that bad management and corruption are at the root of CUC’s failure.  CUC has been run for too long by incompetent individuals, including unqualified board members and executive directors, and the agency requires consistent auditing to ensure accountability.    Read the rest of this entry »

It was said that mismanagement and corruption are widespread and urgent problems in the CNMI government.  Poor enforcement of the law is a problem in virtually every agency.  Autonomous agencies are frequently the worst-managed government entities because they are by nature difficult to hold accountable and are often led by unqualified individuals. Read the rest of this entry »