Sunny and hot-but occasional cool breezes.

This cartoon attempts to highlight the misdirected priorities of our current administration.  Unseating a successful and popular (and honest) delegate in the US House of Representatives seems to be far more important than the task of governing or addressing the serious problems of crime, crumbling economy, and ruined infrastructure. While daily reports confirm that government spending is out of control, budgeting is based on magical thinking, crimes go unsolved and the people suffer, huge ads supporting Acha Demapan in Republican red and letters to the editor in her support take precedence.

The little guys comment that casinos still seem to be a priority-and they are as yet another attempt to ramrod casinos down the throats of Saipan voters has been recently raised. We'll see a lot more of that after the election (unless the people vote more intelligently than they have in the past--and there's little reason to think they will).

The people are not the priority of the administration.  Nor are they the priority of the voters--who vote their individual fortunes and pockets, not for hte public good.

Congressional Tribute to Manta Ray Band!

Town Meeting

3 mother hens and their tiny baby chicks this morning. Hot, hot this afternoon.
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This is a belated report on the town meeting held by Kilili last evening at the Multi-Purpose Center. I was in attendance from about 5: 10 PM to about 7:10 PM. The meeting was in progress when I arrived and still going on when I left.

There weren't very many people there at first, but more gradually came as the evening went on. Still, in my opinion, the gathering was sparse. Maybe 50 people?

Kilili gave information on two major topics--education and health care.


Education
On education, he made it clear that the threat to federal funds posed by the proposed/pending CNMI legislative austerity measure is real. He was very deferential to the power and authority of the local CNMI Legislature. He acknowledged that he has no power to make any decision with regard to the austerity measure. He can only act as a source of information about the federal programs and how such a measure may interact with them, to the extent our elected local leaders want that information.

He was also clear and certain of his facts: The $16 million figure is the amount that will be lost by PSS immediately upon enactment of the austerity measure as presently pending; and millions more would be lost over the next several years. [The measure itself would save only about $4 to $5 million, so there will be an immediate net loss of greater than $10 million.] The reason for this loss of federal funds would be the failure of the CNMI to live up to the "MOE" that the CNMI signed to get the funds. [Kilili said we may even have to pay back funds we've already received, but I don't recall him putting any number on that statement.]

In order to get the latest federal funds, the CNMI agreed it would not reduce its level of support for education, but would agree to a "mainenance of effort" (MOE). This does not meant that the amount of revenues from local coffers must remain unchanged in a declining economy; but it does mean that our budget percentage of support must remain the same.

The furlough Fridays that the Fitial administration favors could be accomplished as part of an austerity measure, but only if the austerity is "across the board" so that the PSS share of the budget stays the same. Instead, the current budget cuts education, but not public safety and public health, which means that the PSS share of the budget will be lower than when the CNMI signed the MOE agreement.

And thus, passage of this austerity measure will mean an instaneous loss of $16 million to PSS.

But our leaders don't believe this or don't want to believe this.

It must be very frustrating to work with politicians who think everything is a political ploy and a soft "fact" and everything is negotiable. Kilili mentioned how he has had meetings with CNMI local politicians in the Legislature (and I think he said the Executive branch), and that these people don't believe this threat is real. He tried to convince them by having a conference phone call with Department of Education officials in Washington, D.C., but the local politicians still refused to believe that their austerity measure would have devastating effects on PSS.

I want to say kudos to Kilili for trying; and it is also very gratifying to know that our PSS Board and administration are all intelligent enough and educated enough and capable of dealing with reality enough that they do recognize and understand the very real problems that the austerity measure as presently drafted would have.

In the end, it will be our innocent children who will suffer if this measure is passed; our kids who will lose untold educational benefits because of the ignorance of our Legislators and the gullibility of our electorate who voted them into office.

Perhaps our elected officials will wise up and we'll dodge this bullet. I hope so.

Health Care
Kilili tried valiantly to explain the Health Care Reform legislation that is now law in the US.

I can't say he did a great job or that I know anything much more than before, but what I did get from his presentation:

1. The health care reform bill goes into effect in 2014, although some provisions may be effective as early as 2011.

2. The mandatory provisions are (I think totally, or for the most part? but I could be wrong about this) not applicable in the CNMI.

3. We can have the opportunity to have a health care exchange program apply here, but this cannot happen unless the Governor agrees and acts to make it so.

4. A health care exchange program would provide a place where lawful residents and citizens (not illegal aliens) could get medical insurance. Each of the providers who join the exchange will offer insurance packages; and each package must have certain features but may offer other variables. People shop for their insurance at the exchange and providers offer their deals--and for people who are over Medicaid eligibility limits but still without the ability to pay full insurance premiums, they will pay to their ability (as set by rates and schedules, etc.) and the federal government will pay the difference. Kilili favors an exchange that would include Guam, Hawaii and even California-so that people could get advantages of a larger pool and have better coverage for lower rates.

5. Health care providers will not be able to deny insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions. They will not be able to charge women more than they charge men, or vice versa. The rate differences based on age and whether people smoke cigarettes must be within set parameters.

There was some grumbling from some in the audience about all of this. Kilili was very outspoken, though, in saying that all people need health insurance, and all employers should be willing to invest in their most valuable asset, their workers.


All in all, it was a good public forum. Kilili also spoke to how we need to air our concerns and opinions in a respectful way, especially about immigration and the foreign workers in the CNMI. He emphasized that through this kind of dialogue we could reach a concensus that would provide the best decisions and policies on the issues.

Very well said.

MoveOn.org

I've been getting mail from MoveOn.org for years now. I frequently add my name to the petitions, but have had no opportunity to do so whenever the petition is aimed at the U.S. Congress. That's because, based on my information and zip code, I've never had a congressman to whom my voice could be directed.

Today, I got the first MoveOn.org invitation to sign a petition where a copy would go to Congressman Sablan (Kilili).

Our man in Congress.

Perhaps it's because I've been living here for 24 years without this power that makes this simple matter seem so amazing. Being able to speak, and be heard, after long years of silence...

331. Kilili's First Bills: H.R. 934 and H.R. 935

Our new delegate, Gregoria (Kilili) Sablan, has introduced his first two bills into the US Congress. I'm very glad they are simple, direct, needed and fair pieces of legislation.

The 3-mile EEZ proposal (H.R. 934) would put the CNMI on par with most other coastal states. The CNMI has turned down the 3-mile EEZ before, when litigating for the entire 200 mile EEZ. Kilili's statements in support are more humble than the CNMI's prior stances. I'm glad to see him saying we need to get something, and then we need to join other coastal states and argue that all of us should have larger areas of control.

The proposal (H.R. 935) to increase the number of CNMI nominations to service academies is also modest--to give the CNMI and America Samoa the same rights as other states.

I like these two bills. I like that they are designed to align us with the rest of the states and territories. I like that they address issues of fairness and equality. I like that they introduce us as reasonable, responsible, and careful--not strident, not reckless, not seeking political ends as much as due consideration and fair treatment.

I also like that Kilili is working with others. He's started building the natural alliances, the easy alliances with Guam and American Samoa. He's taking small steps, in the right direction.

To me, this is a good way to start, a good way to approach the awesome power and responsibility of being part of the U.S. House of Representatives.