Journal 12/23/1977
P4 Nauru housewarming in Saipan The Nauru local government announced the scheduled opening date of the new Nauru Building, which is near completion on Saipan. The seven-story structure, completed with escalators, four elevators and revolving restaurant on top, will be ready for occupants by January 31.
P6 Time abusers at work You can’t hold it, see it or store it, but Micronesians are great abusers of government time that costs the government millions of dollars each year. Abuse of government time is the biggest problem existing in Micronesia today. The economy will lose $4 million this year as a result of deliberate employee action that wastes time on the job. Observations indicate that the average Micronesian worker “cheated” the government with an average of three and a half hours each week.
Journal 12/27/1991
P8 Lomor nets first foreign fishing vessel The Marshall Islands patrol ship Lomor has netted its first foreign fishing vessel for allegedly fishing without a license within the country’s 200 mile ocean economic zone. A S. Korean vessel was charged with illegal fishing and faces possible fines totaling $2.75 million. Lomor arrested the vessel about 50 miles from Jaluit Atoll.
P10 Important visit US Senator Daniel Akaka traveled to Bikini Atoll joining Mayor Tomaki Juda and liaison officer Jack Niedenthal. He was also greeted by Foreign Secretary Jiba Kabua, deputy secretary William Swain, and US Ambassador William Bodde.
P15 Kembar: ‘I’ll pay when everyone else pays up’ In response to an article in last week’s Journal about unpaid taxes, businessman Kembar Peter says that he would be delighted to pay his taxes once the government starts collecting from everyone. He claims that the government selectively collects business taxes and that this is unfair. “If they collect from everyone, including high government officials, I’ll pay my taxes,” he told the Journal.
Journal 12/29/2000
P1 Medical mayhem — Cholera Ebeye outbreak A cholera outbreak on Ebeye Island claimed five lives through Tuesday and hospitalized about 140 others, according to health officials. Meeting Christmas Day on the emergency health situation, the Cabinet gave Secretary of Health Donald Capelle authority to issue travel advisories and take other action as needed to control the outbreak.
P8 Extreme measures We’re sure that Majuro prisoners are delighted with the recent cut-off of city water to the jail. It means that they get let out so they can go home to take showers (and see their wives?). We’re sure there are no complaints from their side to the latest water cut-off.
P17 Postal ballots play major election role Candidates from opposing camps agree that a major factor in the November election was postal absentee ballots cast by voters living inside the Marshall Islands. The Ralik Ratak Democratic Party claims that virtually every incumbent was losing after the regularly cast votes were counted, but most rebounded on the strength of the postals. The 1991 election was the first in which locally cast postals played a role. In previous elections, the postal ballots were used only by Marshallese living outside the Marshall Islands.