How did $80K worth of 'ice' enter Saipan?

That is the bigger question to ask this administration than what to do with the man who was caught with 176.6 grams of the drug 'ice'.

Wake up Customs, Immigration, CPA, DPS and all other government agencies that are supposed to guard CNMI borders.

For such a small island with few tourists (nowadays) and smaller volume of cargo coming in, there are still remarkable volume of 'ice' making their way to Saipan.

Again, how did the estimated $80,000 worth of 'ice' enter Saipan?

Are there customs officers and other enforcement officers who are in connivance with drug suppliers?

Or are these enforcement officers and agencies sleeping on their job?

Will there be tougher border protection once the feds take over?

------------
It all started with a random check on a man who was driving without a seatbelt. It's the second biggest haul of illegal drugs so far in the CNMI, authorities said.

Was it pure luck for the police officers?

Special agents told the media it "only proves that methamphetamine hydrochloride is still a big problem in the Commonwealth."

The man caught with the 176.6 grams of 'ice' is a garment worker at Rifu Garment Factory in San Vicente.

He said he "picked up the package under the bench of a bus stop as directed by his friend, a person named Chen based in China."

Permanent residency for aliens courtesy of the CNMI gov't? Really now?

The Fitial administration apparently wants to grant its own version of "permanent residency" to longtime nonresident workers in the CNMI. But this early, the idea is getting lukewarm response; if not outright rejection.

Early this afternoon, Deanne Siemer, who calls herself a volunteer counsel for the governor, along with Maya Kara, met with representatives of longtime nonresident workers, for a "consultation meeting" regarding the granting of permanent residency to eligible alien workers.

It was not supposed to be a secret meeting, but nobody from the media was invited (or maybe they'd have an interview with the key players later), and only a few were advised of the gathering beforehand.

There were about 30 present in the meeting, including Atty. Steve Woodruff, Greg Cruz, and alien workers.

What makes the CNMI government's idea of granting permanent immigration status to longtime guest workers better than what the federal government would have offered?

Among the questions in people's mind: What exactly would a CNMI government-granted permanent residence status entail? What are the benefits to alien workers? To residents? Why only now? Is it only for show? To appease the federal government, now that it is federalizing CNMI immigration? What are the eligibility requirements? Whose idea is this? Why call it permanent residency? Why not long-term alien residency? How could it be done -- through plebiscite?

The next 'consultation meeting' has been tentatively set for April 2, so be ready with your questions.

Libra Mae Sparks Chronicles 1

Welcome to the Libra Mae Sparks Journal. You're right, she is that effective for bringing entertainment to the CNMI with her profound weekly column at Pacific Times. Sources told me that Sparky is no longer an individual but has now become a COMMITTEE. Ooops, did i just capitalize that word. Sorry Sparky, that's your style. Should be yours alone.

Anyway, another excerpt from her highly intellectualized column. This time she poses as a local speaking about the federalization of the CNMI Immigration and the Dekada Group, composed of Non-Resident Workers. The Dekada is composed of members that have been working in the CNMI for at least five up to 40 years on the island, yet have remained aliens:

Pacific Times, March 2, 2007 (only excerpt)
"Now, do the DEKADAS have LEVERAGE like the Philippine Veterans? NO. What have they done for the CNMI lately? Have they volunteered to risk their lives for the country? NO. In fact, they even DEPLETED our coffers by SENDING OUT close to 90 MILLION dollars every year to their country of origin. What have they contributed to the economy? NOTHING!!!! They USED our small island to improve their ECONOMIC LIVELIHOOD in their country while depleting ours. Some of them GOT SO MANY valuable things from us, including our women's HUSBANDS!! I know, I know, I am hitting people below the belt, so let me just advise the DEKADAS to be a little bit more GRATEFUL to the CNMI. They were properly paid for the services they provided, so it's a QUID PRO QUO situation. They scratched our backs, and we scratched theirs. So, the DEKADAS should NOT act like a Bunch of INGRATES.

The problem is that WE, the CNMI local residents, are also SUCKERS. We allowed ourselves to be mere bystanders to the PROSTITUTION of our land. People come and go and for as long as we see beautiful legs, bulging boobs and gyrating asses, we think we are BIG SHOTS. So now, you are starting to see your island becoming SMALLER and SMALLER, right? Who is to blame for that? The Governor? You're so DUMB and DUMBER if you think that way. If these foreign workers can make their VOICES HEARD, so shouldn't the VOICES of the CNMI local residents be LOUDER so we can be heard as well? What have we become? A bunch of MUTED SCARY CATS?

Honestly, I am in favor of improving our immigration rules. Take note, I said, IMPROVE, NOT FEDERALIZE. We need to allow the foreign workers to bring their spouses and children to the CNMI so they don't need to send money to their country. IMPROVE the CNMI immigration laws by using the US mainland formula as template. Once given the immigrant's visa, then these workers will become OURS, no longer owned by the country where they came from. We retain the 90 MILLION dollars and we GROW as a NATION. The ECONOMY OF SCALE that the Governor is talking about will then KICK-IN.

It's not STAYMAN that can make or break us, it is WE, the locals who will do that to ourselves. Remember, IMMIGRANTS made America as GREAT as it is right now. We are a country of immigrants and no amount of debates can wash away the fact that CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. We can always CHANGE our IMMIGRATION RULES to IMPROVE IT, but NEVER SHOULD WE ALLOW to FEDERALIZE IT. The COVENANT - the AGREEMENT, MUST BE UPHELD!!!!

P.S. By the way, where is DAVID COHEN?? Is he a FRIEND or a FOE? Just when you need him, he's not there. Oh, well. There are NO permanent friends. NO permanent enemies. Just permanent INTERESTS. It's okay, Governor, your goal is our goal. Your Marianas is our Marianas, so, Good Luck, sir.

Sparky has such a gift of gab. For one moment she's saying that "IMMIGRANTS made America as GREAT," then this, "We can always CHANGE our IMMIGRATION RULES to IMPROVE IT, but NEVER SHOULD WE ALLOW to FEDERALIZE IT. The COVENANT - the AGREEMENT, MUST BE UPHELD!!!!" (why so angry Sparky?)

The Reveler

Here come the feds again...

After the Feb. 8 hearing in Washington, D.C. on CNMI labor, immigration, law enforcement and economic condition, CNMI government and private sector leaders now have to deal with two visiting U.S. Senate staffers--former Insular Affairs Director Allen Stayman and Josh Johnson--supposedly for another fact-finding mission. Whether the federal takeover of CNMI immigration is a done deal and that their visit is only for a 'show', we may have to find out soon.