All my life people have preached to me: “Goals! Set goals! Make plans to reach those goals. Work your plans!” Repeatedly they have reminded me that without goals and plans, I would flounder aimlessly around like a ship without a rudder.
So I made goals and they have led me to various destinations successfully, and, at times, not so successfully. But I always had a sense of direction. I learned early that without plans based on my goals, I would never achieve anything. As Earl Nightingale always said: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal.”
What are the goals of the CNMI? What plans for achieving them does it have? Where can we get a copy of the plans? Have we decided what course of action the CNMI must take to recover? Do we have a direction? In all discussions about plans are we sharing them with the federal government? Frankly speaking, we seem like blind mice lost and drifting wildly and aimlessly.
Today we are in a serious economic depression. Our government budget is getting smaller and smaller each year. Yet our government continues to be our largest employer. Agencies do not know how many people they have. Some of the agencies find it difficult to account for the money they are given. And many do not even know the effects of their spending. Meanwhile our food stamp recipients keep getting more numerous. We have messed up all our plans for improving the CUC. Our hospital is in a coma. And we keep slapping bandages on them and call them goals.
The worst of our nightmare is that we are not striving to seriously cooperate with the United States. Instead of creating joint planning with them, we are fed scare tactics about how federalization is going to destroy us. And it will if we do not join forces to set goals and plans together.
We are frightened of what will happen on Dec. 31, 2014, about our nonresident workforce. If it becomes true we will lose the majority of our current workers in tourism and in the hotel industry and construction industry. The availability of foreign labor in the development of small island economies as the CNMI is critical. Labor mobility is just as essential to economic development and growth as is the mobility of capital, goods, services, and technology. Why aren’t we seriously discussing this major issue with the federal government while there is time?
Have we already forgotten how prosperous the garment industry was for us a few years back? And how easily it was taken away and replaced with nothing but our own meager resources? As a result, economic recovery from the devastating depression from the loss of the Commonwealth’s largest industry, the garment industry, can take decades in the CNMI.
Instability is the bane of investment and economic development. Investors have shied away or are very leery about the immediate future. One of their main concerns is will we or will we not have enough labor to man the various industries?
There is a strong possibility that economic distress will remain very high in the CNMI for a long time, evidenced by high rates of chosen unemployment (Why work when food stamps are free?), business closures or downsizing, and precipitous declines in local revenue. Our current government budget is only $103 million, a huge drop from a previous high of $270 million.
The CNMI’s prospects for economic recovery are very poor. We cannot do it alone. We must realize and begin to work closely with the federal government in any planning we do. We no longer control immigration or salary increases. We should also work closely with the U.S. military on the continued use of Tinian. We should become closer partners and share in the benefits of the use of our land there.
Remember that all of what is happening to us was done with the full federal knowledge of the likely adverse economic effects on the CNMI. We must press them to understand that the only real hope is to persuade the federal government, Congress or the courts that the United States must begin taking the CNMI more seriously. We must also press them to allow us to join them in planning our future. Without them we can achieve little, regardless of all the laws we try to pass in our own Legislature.
Let us remember that we are not a sovereign nation but a commonwealth. This is similar to a state in which our abilities to control our own destiny is limited. We are part of a larger organization-the United States! Thus we must become a part of the planning process or we will remain in a state of depression.
Once we understand our importance to the United States, we can use that as a negotiating chip. We are important to them and we must remind them. They have to understand that our success is theirs also.
We must discuss with the U.S. the necessity of repealing or modifying the statutes extending U.S. immigration to the CNMI. At least we should make a concerted effect in our discussions. We have to supply more data and proof that we are still a growing and developing island nation vital to them.
If we want to know where we will be in a few years down the road, we need roadmaps. However it seems that we are putting out bush fires instead of planning. I appeal to our newly installed Legislature to begin the goal setting and planning process immediately.
I know of no group within the administration or the Legislature that is devoted to planning our roadmap. Ask any government agency to see its plans and goals for the agency. Ask the administration or Legislature where their goals and plans for the Commonwealth are. Yet we have so many opportunities to develop our economy but we seem to lack the determination and drive needed to make that happen.
Instead, we hope that foreign investors will come and solve our problems for us. We forget that for every foreign investor that comes here we lose that more control over our own economy. Count the number of foreign-owned businesses, whether small or large, and compare that number to locally owned businesses. Why aren’t we training our people to become businessmen and skilled tradesmen? In this manner we will drastically reduce unemployment and circulate more money in our community. Our people must be encouraged to work, not stand in line as beggars receiving food stamps, unless it is absolutely necessary for certain classes of people.
I am reminded of Singapore who in 1959 was one of the poorest nations in the world after England cut its ties with it. But with strong goals and plans coupled with determination from its leaders and people, Singapore now stands among the wealthiest nations in the world. Yet it has a small population and no natural resources.
But we have a most generous benefactor-the United States-and we don’t understand its value. We also have acres of fertile soil for farming, a bountiful ocean of fish and are close to huge markets. But for some strange reason we lack the drive to help ourselves. Recall that years ago As Lito and Tinian produced over 200,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables monthly. Now I doubt if we grow that much in a year. We are rich but cannot see the diamonds under our feet.
No individual or nation will ever succeed without a plan coupled to a goal. If we stick to the plan, use it correctly and with determination, it will take us to a successful goal. Remember: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal.” Let’s start on our journey now!
Don’t forget to smile! It will open the hearts of everyone that you share a smile with! So smile! And have a great week!
Home | Weather | Advertising | Classifieds | Subscription | Contact
Us | About Us | Archives
©2006 Saipan Tribune. All Rights Reserved
What are our country"s goals?
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét