Sour Grapes for Tuesday, July 10th

Thanks and no thanks

Let freedom ring…at work
Okay, here it is as promised. The entire rulebook for CNMI labor relations on one side of one sheet of paper. Everything is here that needs to be here and nothing is here that does not need to be, in my nearly humble opinion:
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CNMI Labor Regulations

Whereas it is recognized that the United States of America outlawed slavery in the 1860’s it is hereby resolved that all persons, of whatever nationality, race, religion, creed, age, sex or color while legally residing in the CNMI own themselves, their bodies, their minds, their labor and the fruits thereof.

Therefore every individual legally residing in the CNMI may contract verbally or in writing to work with any individual or any company they wish at any time with any terms acceptable to both parties. Said contract can be terminated by either party at any time for any reason or no reason unless other termination arrangements are made specifically in the original contact and agreed to voluntarily by both parties. The amount of the pay, the work responsibilities, hours worked and all other terms of employment are the option of the free citizen and the employer and no other agencies or persons shall have a right to interfere in their freely elected choice of contract terms.

Disputes arising from the employer/employee relationship shall be arbitrated first by a panel of facilitators who shall give non-binding advice and suggestions as to how to resolve the issue. If non-binding arbitration does not produce results satisfactory to both parties, the matter shall be resolved in one or more CNMI Courts of Law; it’s decree to be enforced by appropriate force of law.

It is solely the responsibility of the employer to do due diligence regarding the suitability of the prospective employee. Likewise it is the sole responsibility of the employee to research the company or person he/she intends to work for.

Be it resolved that no government agency or any person connected with government will extract, charge or extort any fee for processing or licensing any contract between consenting individuals and or companies. The agreement between the parties, if written, may be drawn by an attorney for a fee or not as the parties mutually choose.

Employee labor unions as well as employer associations or employer/company unions may be formed as long as no person or company is forced to join, or pay dues as a condition of employment. Likewise no employer shall be required to hire union employees if it is not his uncoerced choice to do so.
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Well, that’s about it. Hire ‘em if you want and don’t if you don’t. Work there if you want to or don’t if you don’t. Charge what wage you want or don’t work there. Pay what wage you think competitive or don’t hire the person in question. Hire based on skills, personality, prospects for advancement or whatever criteria YOU choose. Sell your skills, mind, body, expertise or combination thereof for whatever price in wages and benefits YOU chose or do not work there. Sounds simple, sounds fair, sounds like free choices made by free people instead of like a slave and master relationship where the employer is the slave of the employee and the employee is the slave of the employer and both are slaves of the State. Free is better.

The few millions lost in processing fees could be easily made up with increased payroll taxes shared equally between employer and employee. Just who is “legally residing” is to be determined by CNMI immigration law, which could also use a dose of simplification.
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Not exactly Goebbels, but
Did you notice that House bill 15-262, if passed as it currently reads, would mandate the expenditure of fifty thousand tax dollars to “educate” the populace about the Initiatives to be placed on the ballot this November?

Just who will write and produce this “educational” material? With what viewpoint? With which bias? With what agenda in mind? They want to use YOUR money to tell you via TV and Radio and Newspapers how you should vote.

The public forum is the place and privately paid or unpaid advertising in various forms is the appropriate means for voter education and awareness. Government funds should not be used for such purposes on peril of our freedom. I repeat; when Governments are in charge of propaganda and the view citizens are allowed of government itself and its workings is government funded, look out for your liberty. It will soon be passing into history.
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More CUC blues
CUC isn’t collecting from all the government offices…that means you and I are now paying DIRECTLY to subsidize all nonpaying government offices power and water in addition to paying for our own use. How can that be? Because the new but undisclosed ‘formula’ for the fuel component of your power/water bill includes a factor for previously uncollected or under collected amounts…meaning if a government office does not pay their bill, CUC charges it directly to YOU the next month. Hope you are enjoying the double taxation. A call to your Representative might be in order.

Note, however, that in order to pay the bill, the government agency in question must have the funds to do so. Governments do not produce anything and so to get the money they must get it from YOU via taxation or fees or just because they said so. One way or the other, you will pay the power bill, and all the other bills government decides to incur. Remember that at election time. Remember that at tax time. Remember it when you write the next check to CUC or the CNMI Treasurer. It all has to come from you, whether you work for the government or not. Please do not think that government waste is not your problem. It is very much your problem, as YOU will have to pay to make up for it even if you work for the government.

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TNX
Gripe, gripe, gripe, bitch, bitch, bitch. Isn’t there anything good to report? Well, yes. The recent celebration of freedom, such as it is, on July 4th brought out a whopping big crowd who, for free, got to witness an exciting, multicultural feast for the eyes and the ears. I would like to thank all of the participants in the Parade and the other associated festivities for all the hard work they put in to make it happen. I got to sit there like a log and soak it all in. They had to work long and hard hours and they had to expend large amounts of their own money to make the festivities happen. Thanks to each one of you who had a part in it. Thank you very much.
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Quote of the week: The freedom of speech is worthless without the freedom of offensive speech. Goebbles and Himmler were for freedom of speech that was inoffensive to the state. Noam Chomsky (1928 -)

Bruce A. Bateman writes Sour Grapes when the moon is full and the mood strikes. Stay tuned for each exciting episode.
“Yes, he is opinionated.”
Email: bbateman@pticom.com
Blog: http://saipanuvian.blogspot.com/