Sunday, November 30, 2008

Passing the buck and passing the budget

The Saipan Tribune has a counter on its front page: xx days without a government budget for FY 2009. (Click on the picture of the front page in the online edition.)

Does anyone care any more?

I've enjoyed the online Marianas Variety more since they added a 'comments' feature, though there are only a dozen or so regular users. One thing I've noticed in the last 60 days is no one comments on the budget stories; okay Friday has an exception, just to prove the rule.

Is the budget too complicated? Are people burned out because the budget is never passed on time?

People complain about crime, and about soft sentencing, but not about the Attorney General's inability to attract enough prosecutors to avoid plea bargains. Should there be enough textbooks for all of the schoolkids? How about money to keep skilled medical professionals? The list is long.

How about jobs? That should get someone's attention. There's no way departments can take a ten percent cut without reducing employment. This is an election year, of course, so the actual decisions (and blame) will apparently be foisted on the Governor-- and the Legislature will only take an 8.7 percent cut.

2 comments:

Saipan Writer said...

I think it's FABULOUS that the Tribune has the #days without a budget. I think we need to see this everyday. And I think the Trib's counter is basically their opinion that getting a budget is a first order of business for our Legislature. The fact that they can't manage this task is evidence of their incompetence and the dysfunction of our political system.

jmho.

SteeleOnSaipan said...

Your jmho is my mho too. Then again, who's to blame except selfish and/or uninformed voters who keep choosing this incompetence and dysfunction?

The state of affairs at DPH is what's most worrisome to me. Bless those hard working CHC employees who do the best they can with what little they are given by those pretending to be in charge.

It's mind-boggling really that so many voters are willing to accept such a low standard of leadership....which has created a lower standard of living for all.