I spent some time off island lately. I get back and see my latest CUC bill is $421 -- for a two bedroom apartment that we keep the hot water heater turned off in, and run one air conditioner not terribly often. As soon as the NBA Finals game came on today that my kids and I were eager to watch, immediate black out.Yesterday I went and perused the We Love Saipan site for the first time in a while. Among the people who gave a testimonial on how much they love Saipan, here is who has left: Bev, Steve, EJ, Lauralynn, Bree and Melissa has resigned and leaves in September. Almost half. That's not a dig at those people. I don't blame them at all. This is an issue that is heavy on my mind as well. I'm just pointing out some of the good people we've lost. All contributed mightily to this place. The Garapan bars still haven't recovered from EJ's departure.
My family is visiting extended family in Singapore and the Philippines this summer to get away from this sinking ship for a while, but even that got screwed up as our return flight was washed away with Continental's decision to scrap the Saipan-Manila route. I can't imagine putting my baby on that Cape Air Flight from Guam. I hope there are other options. That prop-plane feels like riding in one of those remote control toy airplanes for kids, only less sturdy.
Governor Nero of course is in the paper today bemoaning the loss of "autonomy" again. Has he ever considered offering a plan on fixing the power plant, or can we just expect nothing out of him other than speeches where he blames the previous administration or begs the feds for money, even though we're "autonomous." The guy was Speaker of the House during the last term and has been governor two and a half years and still has no plan? Oh yeah, we have a PUC board to take the heat on the rates and more vague talk about privatization, as if businesses are dying to invest in us as we implode and pols change laws constantly to suit their re-election purposes. This runaway power and gas price situation is a blow we simply can't handle. Lots more businesses are going to fold. It's sad. It's even more sad that the business community spent all its influence on the wage/immigration fight and never insisted on making this power plant the big issue.
Even when we get a break, such as with this Marine Monument possibility, we screw it up. The same old ignorance is out there. Forget the millions of dollars that could be injected into our economy and good publicity for once because Joe Fisherman can't fish somewhere 300 miles away he would never be able to fish in anyway.
The way I see it, we're going to have Fitial around to do his fiddling for another year and a half. Someone else will run on the "beer and barbecue" and "I'll give you a frivolous job we can't afford" platform and take over. I don't see any evidence that anything is going to change for the better. It's no fun thinking about it, blogging about it or probably reading about it, but I was tired of seeing that Bateman pic at the top of my blog.
7 comments:
Learn to rejoice in flying smaller airplanes, Jeff. In fact, the smaller the better.
Might I suggest a flying lesson at the airport? A few trips 'around the patch' enjoying the sights and getting comfortable in a light plane will do wonders for your jitters when flying in a commercial prop job. It will feel huge by comparison. They will even let you have a go at the controls during your first flight. You will see how easy and fun it is. Very much like SCUBA...it is a 3 dimensional experience, but you can breath a bit easier and it doesn't go blub blub when you exhale.
I'll send you an updated campaign pic.
Have fun on your travels!
Hmmm? These ideas (Nero, the fiddle, SCA focusing on utilities instead of immigration.. and even the monument) seem eerily similar to recent postings on another blog. Hopefully it's not because we think that much alike.. too much of a coincedence in my book.
Bruce, I'd absolutely love to do that, but it's probably not in the budget.
Monk, for all our mutual loathing there is little we disagree about in truth. I also discussed this two months ago. It just still pisses me off.
http://turbittj.blogspot.com/2008/04/do-our-leaders-even-care-about-this.html
sorry to break it to you pal, but if your cuc bill is that high, someone's using the aircon and hot water more than you think.
This is well more than a doubling of any bill we've had.
Jeff, get the voltage in your apartment tested. Your rates seem awfully low!
When short of funds they sometimes 'misread' a lot of meters. The big number on the far left of your meter is the one they often miscue on. Take a look at your meter , Jeff, and compare with your bill. On the positive side , you might get a bill for only $30 bucks next month to even things out.
Post a Comment