Live From Saipan

One of the most popular campaign slogans used by candidates for elective offices here in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is, “We deliver.” As if they’re Domino’s or Uber Eats.

Now remember: the CNMI economy is tourism-based. Most, if not almost all, businesses in the Commonwealth are affected by this prolonged and persistent downturn in tourism. CNMI government revenue, not surprisingly, is also down. The only thing that prevented the Commonwealth’s financial collapse were the ARPA and other federal emergency assistance funds from the Covid days. That funding source is either depleted already or about to be gone. And then what?

America’s rivalry with China is a major concern for the Asia-Pacific region, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. China used to be the CNMI’s second largest source of tourists, but the Covid-19 restrictions all but killed the China market.

At an economic forum hosted by the Saipan Chamber of Commerce more than two years ago, local economist Matthew Deleon Guerrero gave a presentation on the CNMI’s economic conditions. His assessment? The short answer: dismal. The long answer: painfully dismal.

The CNMI administration believes that, right now, the foremost matter affecting the islands’ relationship with the U.S. is the Commonwealth’s dire need for federal funding — tens of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Here in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the contrast between the state of public education, public health, infrastructure, and living standards before and after the local economic boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s is astounding. The two are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The local economy has been down since the imposition of Covid restrictions five years ago so there are talks, once again, of “diversificatio

Surely Samoa, China, the U.S. itself and other nations will make decisions based on their own national interests — not those of other countr

Live from Saipan By Zaldy Dandan Saipan  — In an op-ed published by Marianas Variety two months ago, a Chamorro language expert pointed...

Live From Saipan By Zaldy Dandan Saipan  — This month, the 24th Legislature of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will...

Ordinarily, in a lousy economy, the party in power is usually punished by the electorate in a midterm election. In the CNMI’s case, however,

“If it’s any comfort, we should remind ourselves of the purpose of voting. We don’t vote to elect great persons to office. They’re not...