:: Find Saipan ::

Lou Pearlman, the asshat responsible for NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, arrested in Guam for bank fraud, noise pollutionLoL I love the fact sometimes titles write themself (Please note I didn’t write that title)

Lou Pearlman, the Orlando boy-band mogul, was arrested on a bank fraud charge after arriving on American soil in Guam, an official with the U.S. attorney’s office there said.

Pearlman was taken into custody by the FBI early this morning in Indonesia. Authorities expelled Pearlman and then turned him over to U.S. authorities. They escorted him to Guam, the nearest U.S. territory, and arrested him when they arrived this evening Orlando time, said Leonardo Rapidas, Guam’s U.S. Attorney.

“We are aware that he is in the custody of the FBI,” said Steve Cole, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Tampa. “I can’t comment beyond that.” Pearlman is the subject of several federal and state criminal investigations in Florida involving alleged securities and bank fraud. Pearlman is tentatively slated for an appearance before a federal judge at 1 p.m. in Guam, Rapidas said.

Indonesian authorities located Pearlman living in a resort hotel in the tourist district of Nusa Dua in Bali. Immigration officials in that country told him he was no longer welcome in their country and then expelled him. In the process, they turned him over to U.S. officials

See if he was smart, he should have been in Saipan, he wouldn’t had this problem ….

I have seen and read the statement that the local companies in Saipan prefer contract workers because they are cheaper compare to local/IR. That is true to a point, granted if you take two same positions and you had no other choice but to hire a local/IR personnel to fill that position. You more likely in the past have to increase the wage much hire then to a contract worker to fill the same shoe. So people argue increase the minimum wage will help the local/IR work force fill the lower tear work force, which is predominantly contract workers.

Lets look at some numbers….

Minimum wage currently 3.05 x 40 hours a week, 52 weeks (if no holiday time is taken) = $6344.00 yearly wage.

Other cost associated with contract workers but not local/IR workers.

Insurance:
Bonding (Traders Insurance: flat fee): $50.00
Workmen Compensation (International Insurance): this varies to what type of classification for your job title.
Stock/clerk its $30.06/year for a maintenance repairer its $209.66/year
(Did you know that if you get killed or hurt from a terrorist act, your not covered by workmen’s compensation….)

Medical:
Yearly checkup (Mariana Medical Center): 45.00
Medical Insurance: (we opt to pay this expense out of pocket and forgo the yearly insurance) So far our luck has been holding and on the average our medical cost has been under 3k a year. I strongly advice against this policy, this is a risk we are willing to take but not the smartest we have made.

Renew documentation:
Renewal Fee (CNMI government: this is a flat fee) : $275.00
Alien Identification Card Fee (CNMI government: this is a flat fee): $25.00
Job vacancy announcement (Newspaper: Saipan Tribune) : $15.00

So on the average it cost a company an annual cost of $500 to $800 USD per person to renew a contract worker. This is not taking into consideration of the housing, transportation and food allowance some contracts has.

Housing cost per month per person: $150USD
Transportation cost per month per person (includes gas, and cost of payment for vehicle plus depreciation of said vehicle and average maintenance cost for a 05 Ford Ranger pick up) average monthly gas $63.00USD + monthly payment $211.00USD + 23.70 Maintenance fee = $297.70 / 4 people who use this vehicle = $74.425 per month per person.
Food allowance: Not offered by us

Average cost per month for a contract worker addition to normal wage: $224.425/person

So lets recap the cost
For an IR worker, working at current minimum wage of $3.05 USD for 40 hours a week for 52 week is $6344.00. Around $244.00 before taxes every payday.

For a contract worker, working at current minimum wage of $3.05 USD for 40 hours a week for 52 week is $6344.00. Around $244.00 every payday before taxes. But additionally they get the bonus of $2693.10 in benefits in housing and transportation. Additionally the company also covers their medical expenses. So the dollar value for their yearly contract is around $9037.10 ~ $9537.10 USD a year.

Further more the company has to shoulder around 500 to 800 USD a year just to renew that person.

Current minimum wage in US is $5.35 at 40 hours a week for 52 week the amount is $11, 128.00 a year.

So the question at hand is why do we hire more contract worker then local or IR workers. Granted the above data is just from one company, and I am sure they’re companies who skim on the housing and transportation benefits. The end result is that, accounting wise its makes more economical sense to hire local and IR workers over contract. The reality of the situation is, most local and IR workers aren’t worth their weight compare to the contract workers. So increasing the minimum wage isn’t going to help the local unemployment situation at all. Companies will continue to pay more for the contract worker because they are worth more.

Its Tuesday, but it sure feels like Monday, today I am going to make a decision to shut down one of our sub-companies in Saipan, that has been losing money for the last four quarters. It will affect the lives of about 10 or so employees, 7 Philippine contract workers, 1 Chinese contract workers and 2 IR workers. Some of them have been with the company for 20 plus years. It’s a hard choice but, for our company to survive we have to make due and cut back some costs. I been thinking about this for a long time, but current financial situation has giving me no other alternatives in this matters. Now days it seems like a daily struggle in Saipan, just trying to endure…. life

When I got back, to Saipan and took over some of the day-to-day operation of our company three years ago. I was amazed at how this small company was making ends meet. With no modern business practice for say it was running its day-to-day operation with one manager at hand. I figured, I would modernize the company, clean up the record keeping, update and consolidate the bank account. I installed accounting with QuickBooks, install a point of sales system for the retail sales floor, got a line of credit from the bank and a company credit card with Continental Airline Miles.. etc etc I believed, I was going to turn the company into a clean mean machine. Now looking back and thinking to myself, I may have done more harm then good. Maybe the company wasn’t ready for this much change or maybe I just messed up big time. It’s hard to judge what you have done by yourself. I guess, the old saying, “if it ate broken don’t fix it” has some merit after all in the modern business world. Granted I wouldn’t call Saipan’s business practices modern by any means.

Still, here I am sitting at my desk trying to figure out were it went all wrong. Was the large investment we did just around winter of 05 the breaking point. Or was it the expansion we made last summer the cause. At first I tried to lay the blame to the current economical crises at hand in Saipan. But in the end, other companies are making due and moving along, why can’t we. Is our market share that low, that we just don’t have the pool of customers. Are the services we provide that poor, that customer on Saipan is turning away from us, to cheaper alternatives? Or is it because of my ideas and me. I don’t have the answer to the questions, and right now I am at a lost what to do.

I hate life… in general, I despise responsibilities, I feel I have a duty to up hold the family business. At the same time I know we can’t continue to subsidize the earnings from other department that is turning a profit. I long for the days in college, where all I had to worry about on a Tuesday morning is, if I am going to lecture today or if I should do laundry or just Febreze it. Life does come at you fast doesn’t it?

So wish me luck today, I am waiting for our 2nd quarter expense report and I am going to be making the finial decision. The choice I make will have great consequence, granted not that great in the grand scheme of things, but families will be hurt in my process. I hate that.. I really do hate that. I hope this is not .. one of my other mistakes I’ll be making here in Saipan.

I wish I could just Febreze this one and sleep.

Cost of living …

In a recent newspaper article by Liberty Dones states that the cost of living in the CNMI (Saipan) has historically been 25 to 30 percent higher than the mainland. Seeing how the local newspapers here would never ever publish a story without some research to back up people’s claims. This got me thinking is this really true?

Lets look at some data.

Rental property

• One bed room apt in Saipan: $300 ~ $400 USD garapan apt houseing
• One bed room apt in College park, MD: $450 USD (Craig list)

Transportation
Car: Toyota Camry SE 07

Micro Toyota Saipan $24,199 / 3.7k Down payment / $489.00per month/60month
Castle Toyota MD $19,408 / 0 Down payment / $482.97per month/48month

Public transportations:
Bus:

Saipan: NA
Maryland: Maryland Transit administration (MTA) $1.60

Taxi:

Saipan: Average 3 ~5 USD anywhere on island
Maryland: $4USD initial and $.40 succeeding one-fourth mile

Utilities
Vehicle Gas:

Saipan: $3.49USD/gallon regular
Maryland: $3.12USD/gallon regular

Electricity/Water:

Saipan:23.7 ~34.8 cents/KWh
Maryland:10.78 cents/KWh

Entertainment
Latest feature film:

Maryland: Loews Cineplex Cinema $9USD
Saipan: Hollywood Theater $7USD

DVD rental:

Blockbuster Saipan $2.99USD
Blockbuster MD $4.99USD

Weekend trip to the beach:

Saipan: Nothing .. walk across the street
Maryland: Trip to Virginia Beach,avg 100~200

Food

BigMac Meal Saipan: $5.75 (USD)
BigMac Meal MD: $4.39 +tax USD

Saipan: Can of 12floz Coke (Joten) .65 cents
Maryland: Can of 12floz Coke (Walmart) .45cents +tax

Saipan: Spam 12 ounce can (Joten) $2.09
Maryland: Spam 12 ounce can (Giant) $3.09 +tax

Saipan: Half case of Budweiser (Joten) $11.49
Maryland: Half case of Budweiser (Giant) $11.95 +tax

I do love Friday’s newspaper it’s almost like a rap sheet of the week’s shit list. Lets see few of the headlines.

Saipan Tribune: Survey: 6 garment firms seen to close after July.

“This forecast was based on a survey of the 15 remaining garment factories in the Commonwealth.”.. “based on the survey, there would be about nine to 12 garment factories left on island within months of the first wage hike.”

Seems like July 24 is CNMI big D-day.. Departure day for what was once a very revenue rich industry. But honestly we all knew this day was gona come. All the signs were there.. the dead albino cat that was run over in middle street to the spontaneous fire that started near Price Costco’s wetland area. Everyone is so mystified of this news the Garment industry is really.. I mean really leaving the CNMI. How about we talk about the so call calling center in Naru Building … I want to know what happened to that?

Saipan Tribune: Saipan casino proponents gather 3,090 signatures, submit petition.

I can’t believe we are doing this again… and again. What makes it that this time it will pass at all? Is it because we are in deeper shit then the last time? Is this the type of decision one wants to make when we are so desperate, that we will take anything offer to us. Or is this someones get rich fast scheme?

Lets see…

Under the proposal, the commission “shall issue the casino license only to the Northern Marianas Descent Investment Corp., which “shall be a profit corporation” whose “incorporators, directors, officers and shareholders shall be of Northern Marianas descent.”

So under this law only Northern Mariana descent will be allow to hold casino license.

The initiative also gives casino employment preference to “residents of Northern Marianas descent in the Commonwealth.”

And the jobs created, will be held by Northern Mariana descents. Can you name one type of organization that has worked with the above mention idea and hasn’t worked at all? And is fat, bloated, inefficient, corrupt, lazy, and filled with nepotism? Can we say the current CNMI government? People wake up! The same people who has messed up the CNMI government is looking for a new fat cash cow to suck on and make sure their families will have some new fat cash cow to suck on too.

“Casino is not about promoting gambling. It is tourism. It will attract our Asian neighbors, even tourists from Australia, and even the U.S. mainland. We’ll do the Las Vegas example. It won’t be just casino but also family-oriented amenities to attract family tourists,” said Guerrero.

What research have they made to even back up the above statement?

Lets look at Asia shall we,

Singapore is building two casino resorts, estimated at $3bn, aimed at oversea visitors, ending a 40-year-old ban on gambling.

China, which has Macau, and is becoming what, is called Las Vegas of Asia. Last year alone the gambling revenues from its 17 casinos topped $5bn, roughly on par with Las Vegas.

Tahi is currently floating the idea of licensing casinos in tourist resorts.

Malaysia has an offer from the Malaysian gaming company to build a glitzy casino near the holiday island of Phuket.

Korea has state control casinos that only foreigners with foreign passports can enter.

What makes anyone even consider this backward, poor infrastructure, poorly kept, and even more disappointingly managed island a place they might want to go to gamble away. Oh and I do love how, when the government talks about tourism on the island, they love to slap the family value aspect of it. Have they even been in Hotel Street lately? Of course they have, they visit there every other Friday to places like Apples and Tomato club.

Someone has been watching the movie field of dreams. If you build it they will come… yes some will come, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, and the gamblers that are not welcomed on other casinos. Lets not forget the organized crime, which will run over the local police department like stealing candy from a baby. This people, is not something you want to vote on now… when people are at their weakest. When people will take what ever they can get. These are desperate times but I tell you this… casino is not going to solve anything but make things even worse.

Saipan Tribune: Asia a viable market for Pagan’s pozzolan

Okay you might be asking what the hell is pozzolan, because I was. This issue has been floating around for years, and I mean years.

A pozzolan is a material which, when combined with calcium hydroxide, exhibits cementitious properties. Pozzolans are commonly used as an addition to Portland cement concrete mixtures to increase the long-term strength and other material properties of portland cement concrete.

Okay so this article had me confused… at first it looked like this John W. Wilson a consultant overpaid by DPL, was trying to sell me the idea that CNMI can profit from its pozzolan deposits. But after re-reading the article I came up the conclusion, that this Wilson character has no fraken clue what he is talking about.

Lets take a look.

He noted, however, that there are competitive products that can be used in blended cement at a much lower cost. For example, waste materials such as fly ash from fossil fuel burning and slag from steel making. These pozzolans are being used more extensively-not only as filler but also as a strength-improving additive.

So he is stating that there are tons of cheap pozzolans out there in the same market he says there is demand for Pagan possolans…. Okay (this guy should be a use car sales man)

Citing a new study from a Cleveland-based industry research firm, Wilson also reported the demand for cement is expected to grow 4.7 percent annually in the next three years. By 2010, demand will reach 3.1 billion tons valued at more than $200 billion.

He also said he was not very successful in developing information regarding costs and selling prices of cement.

Wilson also collected incomplete data about shipping costs for cement in Asia.

Lets review what this consultant has given us so far. There is high demand for pozzolan in developing countries like in Asia. CNMI has some number of pozzolan deposits, which no one really knows for sure. He has no idea how much the value is, or what price country will buy from us. There is an equivalent material that is also relatively available in mass quantities in the same developing country that the demand is in. As in form of fly ash and slag, which are waste by products of burning coal and refining iron ore. So … how is this a viable market? And how they hell did he get this job, I could have done the same research over afternoon on goggle and wiki.

.. okay I am going to end here.. I am getting a head ace.

Please note I took as much time researching the above items as they did writing it and coming up with the above ideas.

Ps. If the above didn’t piss you off at all…. Paris Hilton got out of her jail time and now is serving at home.

“Fitial off to Japan next week” declares today’s (June 5th, 2007) copy of the Saipan Tribune. Fitial is once again on his crusade to try to woo back Japan’s airlines to Saipan. Though I applaud him for his efforts, I would like to warn him that he is starting to look more like a jilted stalker. From the start of Fitial’s administration, perhaps even before, Fitial has shown an obsession to bringing Japanese to Saipan. Sure, Saipan’s history with Japan has had its ups and downs, and it certainly looks like we’re at a down point now. I want to pose the question though, have these trips shown any progress whatsoever? Or is this an effort to boost Northwest’s load factor percentage? The CNMI has long shown a preference towards the Japanese tourist, but is this preference now baseless? Arrivals from Japan have decreased, as have investors. Heck, Japanese investors are fleeing the island as if a tsunami is coming! Northwest airlines have been blamed for the reduction in tourists due to their proposed change from the larger 747s to the Airbus 330s. The papers quote:

Fitial said there is no reason for the seat or flight reduction because Northwest “is currently enjoying an average load factor of 93 percent” using its 747s at daytime.

93%? The last several times I have rode on Northwest’s 747s, all the seats around me were empty. The plane was perhaps 40%-60% full. Take a look at the planes, they are 747 – 200! 200! These planes are about 30 years old! Northwest, if they were at 93% load factor, would have no financial reason to downsize their planes. Closer to the mark is this:

Airlines have cited the low profit margin as a major reason for discontinuing direct flights to and from Saipan.

Ok, so how would an airline be earning a low profit margin if they are at 80-90% load capacity? Well, how did they get 80-90% load capacity? Bargain pricing. I’ve been traveling to Japan from Saipan for $420. I’m not an expert on the airline business, but when the usual price is around $600 to $700 dollars a seat for economy from Narita to Saipan, then we can pretty much guess that Northwest doesn’t make that much money from the flight. Northwest has no reason to increase their capacity, because there is no demand at the price level at which they can earn a decent profit! Larger planes have been shifted to Guam, which offers Japanese better bang for their yen. If anything, the newer Airbus 330’s are better equipped with in-flight amenities, and should raise the overall quality of the flight experience, making Saipan’s route more competitive.

Ok, lest I earn the wrath of Keiki N. Santo, and be accused of only complaining without offering solutions, let’s talk about something positive. Asiana Airlines and its parent company, Kumho Asiana, has shown clear commitment to developing the Korean market. While the Japanese investors have sold their hotels and pulled out their airlines, Korean investors have stepped in and them snapped up. There are probably more Korean – owned hotels on Saipan now than Japanese owned. Market momentum thanks to the efforts of Asiana and World Resort (a Korean – owned hotel) have raised Korean arrivals steadily.

Consider Asiana. Asiana bought Lao Lao Bay Golf Resort. They are investing in a new hotel. They have increased service to Saipan. Go to their Korean webpage: http://flyasiana.com. What’s that on the left? Is that an ad promoting Saipan? Ohh, what’s that on the right? Isn’t that a picture of a golf course in Saipan? I think so! Asiana’s webpage, on the front page, has at least 2 images promoting Saipan! There may be more, but I can’t read Korean. Go ahead, click on it. Hey, that looks pretty nice! And it even clearly splashes Saipan across the picture, in English. Now take a look at Northwest’s webpage in Japan: http://www.nwa.com/jp/jp/home.html. No pictures of tropical paradise… I think I see Micronesia mentioned on the page though… Instead, we see pictures promoting their frequent flyer program, WorldPerks… They are doing a promotion for their Airbus 330’s to Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. It’s the first link at the top. Hmm, not quite the same is it?

World Resort, stripped PIC’s claim to the Korean crowd when investors dumped money into a first class water park. This not only increased Saipan’s profile as a tourist attraction for younger people and families, but raises the bar of what’s expected from hotels expecting to do business in Saipan. Even the Japanese tourists want in on World Resort’s theme park. Not only did World Resort commit financially, they followed though by constantly promoting the hotel in Korea though cross promotions like the Korean drama that was filmed here, as well as the beauty pageants and cultural events. World Resort Hotel made regular screen time in Korea, and along with it, Saipan.

People may argue that Japan is still Saipan’s largest tourism market. That may be the case, but the trend is still downward. We should ride, no, BOLSTER, the upward momentum of Korean arrivals. There’s no shame in Koreans becoming the number one arrival if it means an increase in our tourism industry.

Korean, Russian, Chinese, Japanese. Anyone should be welcomed, and if investors have the money and the will to promote the CNMI, then we should be assisting them. Its time to put aside our infatuation with the Japanese and just realize that their interest with us may be at an end. Its time to move on and work on developing new tourism markets. Markets where the domestic economies are strong and have disposable income. Look for countries close enough to Saipan for a weekend trip, and where the people would be interested in what Saipan has to offer, such as great golfing and diving at reasonable prices. That all points towards Korea’s strong economy and closes presence. Its time to stop your Japanese lessons, and start learning Korean, as soon as there is a Korean language school set up… Korean, Russian, Chinese, Japanese. Anyone should be welcomed, and if investors have the money and the will to promote the CNMI, then we should be assisting them. End the stalking now, and lets be proactive in supporting our next benefactors. Instead of sending delegation after useless delegation to Japan, why don’t we focus or money, time and effort in supporting World Resort and Kumho Asiana in making Saipan the number one destination for Koreans?

So, Buddhi Dhimal passed away on Monday morning. Who cares? I for one don’t, he’s an idiot. If someone wants to commit suicide, it is their free choice as a living human being. All these people saying that he died because of economic pressure, or because he was going to be deported. These are not issues that can be solved by commiting suicide. People who kill themselves, or others for that matter, are idiots. To use one’s own life as leverage, as a bargaining chip, or to make a point is a waste of time and energy. All of those suicide bombers that die everyday? They are idiots, not hero’s. The real tragedy is the cost to those around them. Suicide “victims” love to get attention. They don’t like to die alone, or quietly. They love to make it known that they are killing themselves. Public acts, such as mass killings, mass suicides, jumping from rooftops, leaving their brains all over a room by shooting themselves, suicide notes, manifestos… These are all evidence that suicide “victims” just want attention, and think that their life and the lives of others are nothing more than high leverage bargaining chips. The REAL victims of suicide are those that were killed or wounded but didn’t have a choice; the collateral damage that got dragged down together. Innocent bystanders that had to watch in horror and be traumatized. The survivors that loved the “victim” such as family and friends. Those that must carry on the financial burden of anothers death, like the government and family.

What logical reason is there to take one’s own life?

For God? I don’t know how God thinks, but I certainly hope that suicide isn’t on his list of ways to prove one’s faith.

For money? Suicide is usually not covered by life insurance.

For fame and glory? Martyrs die everyday, and in 10 years, we wouldn’t remember their names. Can you name the kids at Columbine? Or list the names at those that died in Waco. Fame from suicide is fleeting. True fame is from building something with global impact that lasts for generations to come, such as corporations or countries. Fame only lives as long as the people remembers.

To kill the pain? What pain? The pain of living? One can enjoy oblivion, heaven, hell, whatever you believe, for all of eternity. One’s life is bookended by eternity on both sides. Time only matters while we’re alive. If you’re lucky, you get to experience pain for 100 years. After death, you think you will ever get to enjoy pain ever again? If you believe in the existance of hell, wouldn’t that be just rushing into eternal pain? Non-existance lasts an eternity, so why rush? What’s another 20 years of “pain” when you have all of eternity to enjoy after death? 100 years of pain and suffering of an individual is nothing when put in perspective of the eternity of the universe. Stop your bitching and bear the pain of living, because in a relative blink of an eye, you’ll be dead one way or another soon enough.

Wednesday May 30th, 2007’s edition of the Saipan Tribune talks about how Dhimal’s daughter, Pabitra, raised concerns about Dhimal’s lung problem due to the use of a fire extinguisher on him… What are you trying to say Pabitra? Your dad died because he got fire extinguiser crap all in his lungs? You want to file a lawsuit against the people that tried to save your dad’s life, and the lives of other people in the building because of his reckless act? You want to sue the government because of the use of unsafe fire extinguishers or lack of training for use of fire safety equipment? Or sue the fire extinguisher manufacturer for making an unsafe product? If you want money, sure, go for it. If you want the real cause of your dad’s death, then blame your dad. Last time I checked, setting one’s self on fire tends to shorten one’s lifespan, so my bet is on the self - immolation as the cause, and not the fire extinguisher. But I guess you want that answered in court, no?