CNMI Lowest Among Insular Areas

That is the title of the story run by Pacific Magazine, a Hawai'i based magazine, on today's headlines on both local newspapers. The articles reported that the CNMI had scored low in the recently concluded "Performeter" a study of the CNMI's financial health and performances initiated by the Office of the Insular Affairs.

Reports said that the CNMI's latest score is relatively consistent with that of prior years. "The Commonwealth scored 3.18 in 2002, when the Performeter study was first conducted by Crawford & Associates CPA. The score declined to 3.11 in 2003, and further plunged to 2.24 and 2.25 in 2004 and 2005," said the reports.

The report also mentioned that the CNMI has been relying more and more heavily on revenue it does not control, such as federal grants. "In FY2006, the CNMI had direct control over 68.4 percent of its revenues, down from 77.5 percent and 76.7 in 2004 and 2005."

So what could be the impact of this study to the CNMI and its relations to other US territories? What was the objective of the study?

Public Auditor said in the article that he is hoping that the local government would use the data constructively, instead of engaging in a blame game.

Isn't It Ironic, Don't You Think?

When the beloved CNMI governor graced for the first time the Rotary Club of Saipan's weekly meeting not so very long ago, he talked about the effects or impacts of the impending federalization of the CNMI. A Rotarian asked him if there were studies about all what he was saying. The governor replied with a strong "yes" and the study is being funded by the Insular Affairs Office.

OIA is a federal office, which obviously helps in drafting, amending and pushing the bill of the takeover. Hmmm...

All together now!

It's like rain, on your wedding day,
It's a free ride, when you're already paid,
It's a good advice that you just didn't take
Well, who would've thought, it figures....(Alanis Morisette)

Ombudsman vs the Governor

Isn't this better than the usual WWF or the Ultimate Warrior tourney that we see on TV?

The CNMI governor was raving mad about the newspaper article that came out a week ago that featured a report from the federal ombudsman's office. Apparently, the governor was hurt with that report prompting him to write a letter to David Cohen, DOI Deputy Secretary, last week and he ranted about the ombudsman's report, saying that the report jeopardizes tourism business in the CNMI.

Question is, why would the local government intervene with the federal office just to make the CNMI look good when in fact it is deteriorating? Enlighten me with this.

Just wondering.

The Reveler