Editorials
Thursday, April 2, 1998ABUSES of foreign workers imported into the Northern Marianas have been thrust into the national spotlight in a hearing before a Senate committee. Workers testified that girls as young as 12 are forced to participate in live sex shows, women live in giant cribs in crowded barracks and workers pay thousands of dollars in recruitment fees only to find that promised jobs do not exist. Congress must correct
abuses in MarianasThe hearing was held on a bill sponsored by Hawaii's Daniel Akaka that would impose federal immigration and minimum wage laws on the islands. The Northern Marianas have been a U.S. commonwealth since 1976. Under the commonwealth agreement, they were exempted from those laws.
The bill would also restrict use of the "Made in the USA" label on garments manufactured in the islands. The right to use that label has spawned a garment industry using workers imported from East Asia. That stimulated economic growth but led to the mistreatment of workers.
Reports of abusive treatment began appearing several years ago. The Star-Bulletin has deplored these conditions.
However, there is nothing like a hearing in Washington to attract national attention to a problem. In the hearing Monday, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt commented, "You'll hear apologists for the existing regime describe it as an economic miracle. But when workers are locked up, cheated, intimidated and forced to live in squalor, that's no miracle. That's a disgrace."
Babbitt urged Congress to give federal authorities more control over the Marianas. He said stopping the abuses is beyond the ability of the local government.
Frank Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who chaired the hearing, blamed federal agencies that supervise the Northern Marianas for failure to enforce existing laws -- as well as commonwealth officials -- for the situation.
Claims by some Marianas officials that federal intervention is unnecessary are unconvincing. The commonwealth agreement has been exploited ruthlessly by garment manufacturers with little regard for their workers' welfare. Congressional action to end the Northern Marianas' exemption is imperative.
AT a time when government is under pressure in Hawaii to become more efficient and deliver services at less cost, it is particularly disheartening to see what is going on in Hilo. The county government paid $6.5 million in 1996 for the former J.C. Penney store adjoining Kaiko'o Mall and the 6.5 acres under it. The county also allocated $4 million to renovate the building to house some of its offices. Hilo courthouse
Now the state judiciary has announced that it will build its new court complex at the same site. Chief Justice Ronald Moon announced the decision Tuesday at the mall. A spokeswoman for the judiciary said Moon had discussed the matter with Mayor Stephen Yamashiro, but the announcement came as an unpleasant surprise to top county officials. The spokeswoman said the judiciary has $3 million for the design of the complex but no funds to purchase the site or to construct the building.
Moon said the judiciary complex would be located next to the county center, but county officials said there isn't enough room for both. The county's finance director, Harry Takahashi, said two years of planning by the county has been wasted, in addition to the millions of dollars spent.
This is a flagrant case of government stumbling over its own feet -- probably at the taxpayers' expense. The county moved first to acquire the property and the judiciary should have found another site. It still should. It's hard to fathom the reasoning behind this decision. Does the judiciary think it can move in without regard for the county's plans?
LAST year's agreement between state attorneys general and tobacco companies seemed huge and historic. But the industry's expressions of satisfaction, along with its past deceit, raised questions about a deal with the devil. Congress took the agreement as a starting point to a much tougher stance more likely to hold the industry accountable and reduce smoking among teen-agers. Tobacco legislation
President Clinton initially was pleased with the terms of the $368 billion settlement deal, but wanted greater financial penalties while protecting the federal government's right to regulate nicotine as a drug. Others raised concerns about the settlement's proposed immunity for tobacco companies against class-action lawsuits and limits on their liability in other suits.
A tobacco control bill moving through the Senate addresses those concerns and more. Sponsored by John McCain, R-Ariz., the $506 billion bill would boost cigarette prices by $1.10 a pack in five years instead of the AGs' plan of $1.50 over 10 years, ensure the government's authority to regulate tobacco, force companies to pay billions if specified reduction targets for teen-age smoking are not met and deny the industry any immunity from lawsuits, although capping annual payments from suits.
While tobacco stock skyrocketed after last year's agreement with the attorneys general was announced, it tumbled with news of the progress of the McCain bill. The industry vowed that it would refuse to sign an agreement needed to implement important parts of the bill if it is enacted.
Rejection by the tobacco companies would result in lawsuits that could tie up implementation of the law for years. While the industry is in no position to demand its way because of the mounting litigation, it has nothing to gain by such an accord if the legislation offers no protection against lawsuits. Congress' refusal to provide such protection would make the entire effort futile.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
