And how absurd is it?

I've been having a hard time writing about Saipan lately.

It's just that things have gotten so absurd that it isn't funny. Except that it is. I can picture some late-night comedian saying "it's so ridiculous that...."

The Governor proclaims a State of Emergency because the Power Plant may blow up.

The U.S. Congress adds a special 'CNMI only' labor category because the local government says existing rules will Osterize our economy-- and the Governor wants to sue because no other U.S. jurisdiction has to put up with these onerous requirements.

The closed-door meeting to push for his suit has to be postponed because of a power outage.

The public is brought into the discussion when the Governor posts his talking points on You Tube.

My son asks me if it's true that the (new) Public Utility Commission is to blame for our power problems as the Governor claims.

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation has more liabilities than assets but the Legislature wants to require a minimum bid for privatization.

Questionable hiring practices have plagued CUC, but the Legislature wants to ensure jobs are "protected" during privatization.

There's no money in the budget for retirement contributions but the Retirement Fund is being asked to risk its dwindling reserves investing in CUC.

The government is bloated (also see retirement contributions) but is trying to argue that there just aren't enough local workers to staff private businesses.

CUC keeps promising to train local workers this time if they just get another extension to hire contract workers.

The Northern Marianas College's director for institutional advancement moves over to shaky private Emmanuel College.

That's just off the top of my head. Now, what did I miss?

Playing doctor

The buyer should always beware, especially in paying for something as expensive as a medical degree, but I'm afraid the University of Loyola at CNMI is just going to give the Commonwealth another black eye.

Governor Benigno R. Fitial's goal of making the CNMI an educational hub is laudable. The international schools being established are great low-impact economic development. With reservations, I even think Loyola's and Emmanuel College's nursing programs could be positive. (Let's wait to see what students' NCLEX scores are like)

But a Doctor of Medicine sanctioned by the CNMI has no standing in the United States. Evidently, Loyola has not even applied for accreditation. They're not listed on the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education website.

I wonder how those "degree" programs are being marketed overseas, and sincerely hope no local students enroll in them.

Emmanuel III

Only 27% of Xavier College graduates passed the licensure exam of the California Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians in 2006.

Why should we care? Xavier College has been touted as the sister school of our own Emmanuel College. Take this Saipan Tribune press release for example.

I'm trying to be fair, because I think the college is a great idea. We always need nurses and foreign students would be a boon to the economy. They're basically long-term tourists with minimal impact on the community.

Emmanuel College's instructors are from the CNMI, according to the press release. Recently we've heard that it's using Northern Marianas College to provide, umm, accredited English instruction to foreign students. That's a plus for NMC, too.

I hate to keep harping (Mean sheets) and carping (Decena redux) on Sedy Demesa. I'm sure she's a nice person.

After all, it's the graduates who take the test. Only, Xavier doesn't stack up very well against the other institutions on the list.

During the run-up to Emmanuel's approval we were papered (especially by the Pacific Times) with glowing depictions of Xavier and the connection with Pleasant Care.

I was happy to finally see a newspaper finally ask about Pleasant Care Corporation: Palau may send students to Emmanuel College (Marianas Variety). Well, once anyway. It's problems were obvious for years with a simple Google search. Here's a summary. Ms. Demesa told the Marianas Variety its bankruptcy was to "save jobs, retain assets and the company’s engine of profitability.” No questions about the deaths, fines and lawsuits, I guess.

There's no connection to Emmanuel, she told the Variety. According to the reporter: "She said she will continue to pursue her investments in the CNMI and that her investment plans — existing and future —are independent of Pleasant Care, and will not be affected by anything that concerns the California-based company."

So, what? The benefit of the doubt? No doubt. They're halfway through the first class. I truly hope this works, for the students, for the company and for the CNMI.

Mean sheets

Okay, so I like to make fun of the Pacific Times. After all, nobody really takes that dreck seriously, do they? Hmm, maybe I'm wrong.

I was meandering through The Saipan Blog and noticed the uproar caused by Libra Mae Sparks' monorant and decided to pay more attention. So I asked my wife to grab a copy when she went by Winchell's. They didn't have it and told her to check the next day, when they said the same thing. Now I'm wondering if it's actually widely distributed. Maybe because it's so hugely popular, and free, copies just fly off of the shelves as the CNMI spreads economic wings (Pacific Times)*.

That's the Top Story this week, in case you weren't able to pick up a precious copy. Strangely, the article says absolutely nothing, but says it pretty well if you've got the proper attitude. Well, actually it does say that Praxedes Sedy Demesa is working to have the Board of Regents approve Emmanuel College in the CNMI. That's not really news, though; that story is in every edition of the Pacific Times. Okay, then, "Another California-based investor, the Loyola Medical College Foundation, Inc., has decided to revisit its previous plan to establish a medical/nursing school in the Northern Marianas." Strangely, I thought the Foundation was based in the Philippines, and I vaguely remember their plan involving government funds, not investment.

Emmanuel College is obviously the burning issue here, because there's another story saying Over 30 students on waiting list for new nursing program(Pacific Times)*. It's advertised as a sister school of Xavier College in Stockton, California, which just graduated its first class. It looks like we'll have to wait a few months to see how it did on the exams.

But the Times can't wait, and neither can we darn it: Higher ed body proposed(Saipan Times)*. According to the Times "This is in line with the Fitial Administration's plan to centralize government operation as a way to eradicate bureaucratic processes for businesses and investments." OK, I can see that adding a new office would do that.

But hey, we can't blame Demesa for touting one of her companies, can we? Actually Aidem, the publisher of the Times, is a clever joke: media backwards.

Ah well, let's save the rest for another blog. I've got to reheat a potroast and do some real work.


*I've given up on linking to their stories individually; it's a lost cause. For future reference, the stories are in Vol 02 Issue 40 Feb 2007