The Ghost of CNMI Yet to Come

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“A Christmas Carol” is the perennial story by Charles Dickens that shares the redemption of a miserable human being with little hope or caring in his heart for the struggles of others. Ebenezer Scrooge’s salvation comes in three phases, as prophesied by the ghost of his partner, Jacob Marley, who has had to suffer for his greed and self-serving life by wandering the Earth weighted down with heavy chains.

The Ghost of Christmas Past and Present leave Scrooge shaken, but it is not until the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows him his eventual fate that he promises to renounce his insensitive, avaricious ways. Scrooge then finds himself safely tucked in his bed in the present day, and leaps out a changed man ready to start a new life.

Many plans and ideas have been shared that could turn things around for the Commonwealth. Some have been considered, but most lie dormant, waiting for something or someone to breathe life into them. In many of my columns, I have tried to be upbeat about the future, but given our extreme circumstances, it might be fitting to imagine where our present course is taking us. It sometimes takes a glimpse into the future to see where the trajectory of our life is headed. What would the CNMI look like and what might we experience if we were shown our future when we finally hit rock bottom? In the spirit of Dickens’ tale, here’s what the Ghost of CNMI Yet to Come might share with us:

Driving down a once busy street, it’s apparent that many businesses have left the island because half of them are closed or have graffiti painted on their façade. The Garapan business district is like a ghost town with scattered tourists walking on the sidewalks. Tourism continues to struggle because there are no direct flights from other countries and every visitor has to be routed through Guam. It costs over $300 for a round-trip ticket between Saipan and Guam. The guests that do visit are shocked by the dilapidated buildings and trash strewn on the beaches and other public areas. The once pristine lagoon is now murky and full of sea vegetation from the pollution that has continued to be spilled.

The businesses that remain are struggling to keep their doors open. This has caused a continued loss in government revenue which has led to further wage cuts and initiated a reduction in force that has left many families jobless. Crime is extremely high as people struggle to make a living. Most of the families are dependent on food stamps and other government assistance programs because of the dwindling jobs in the government and private sector.

Many government supported agencies and entities had additional funds cut, and this has caused the loss of many public programs and services. The reduction of revenue and ongoing challenges faced by the community college has resulted in their loss of accreditation. This also caused the loss of federally funded programs, and more people are leaving the Commonwealth to pursue their education.

While a lot of locals have moved to the mainland to find better opportunities, the many children of foreign contract workers born in the Commonwealth have graduated from high school to become a strong voting bloc. This has resulted in the first non-indigenous person to be elected as the governor, and more are gaining control of the House and Senate.

The retirement fund prediction of collapse has finally occurred and retirees have had to return to the workforce or depend on their children for support. There are no off-island medical referrals because bills are not paid by the government, and the hospital continues to have a high turnover of doctors and nurses.

CUC’s rates have climbed to become one of the highest in the world, even while their service hits an all-time low. Their engines are continually failing, and brownouts and blackouts are a common occurrence with power failures occurring regularly. This has eroded the quality of life, destroyed electronic components, and severely hurt businesses.

Because of the desperate times, politicians have been able to push the marijuana and casino bills through the House and Senate with the promise of bringing additional revenue to the CNMI. This, however, brought more social problems and dubious investors to the island. The casinos did not add significantly to the tourism numbers, but they did encourage more people living here to become addicted to gambling, which has destroyed many families and has caused more social ills that have spread throughout the Commonwealth and spurred more corruption, prostitution, drugs, and illegal activities that has turned this once family-friendly oasis into a crime-ridden, financially bankrupt island.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen many glimpses into this future and some elements are occurring sooner than later. In Dickens’ tale of a miserable man who is given a second chance to turn his life around, he encouraged his readers to experience the fullness of life in a selfish world that has stifled their compassion and hope for the future. Just as Scrooge pled to alter his future, we have the potential to alter the future of the CNMI and experience a different world than fate would have us know. But this does not have to be, and it’s possible for the Ghost of CNMI Yet to Come to give us a second chance. During this season, we have the perfect opportunity to honor Christmas with all our heart, turn from our avaricious and insensitive ways and do what is right and best for the islands and its people.

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world… and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!” – Charles Dickens