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Micronesia's isolated Yap island rich in culture, exotic diversions
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Governor Ruecho Charts Yap's Course
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<bR> <center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- amazon_ad_tag = "micronesia-20"; amazon_ad_width = "160"; amazon_ad_height = "600"; amazon_ad_logo = "hide"; amazon_ad_border = "hide";//--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js"></script></center> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U><B>Nopuko's Store</B></U></A><B>:</B></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Micronesia Books</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>WW2 Books</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Micronesia Shirts</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Island Videos</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Cell Phones & Service</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Computer & Video Games</U></A></FONT></div> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nopukob.com/micronesia_books.htm"><U>Cameras & Photo</U></A></FONT></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=3 WIDTH="6"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="531" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="6" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 WIDTH="593"><div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><B>A Firm Hand On The Tiller</B></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:CENTER; margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">By Jason Aubuchon</FONT></div> <div style="text-align:CENTER; margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(Reprinted from Dec. 2004 issue of Pacific Magazine)</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">One year after Yap Governor Robert Ruecho' took office, the state suffered its worst typhoon in a century. Governor Ruecho' spoke with Pacific Magazine about post-typhoon reconstruction, fiscal responsibility, and the next 20 years of U.S. Compact funding.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Pacific Magazine: How is Yap able to maintain fiscal responsibility while the other states in the Federation seem to struggle?</FONT></div> <bR> <center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9701950495660103"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "468x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel = ""; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "0000CC"; google_color_text = "000000"; google_color_url = "000099"; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script></center> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Governor Robert Ruecho': There's really no magic to what Yap is doing. It's very simple. If you have 5 cents, you don't commit yourself to spending 6 cents, because you don't have the extra penny. Besides, it's really to our advantage to be fiscally responsible. Money is hard to </FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><div><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">come by, and when there are assurances that money will be used wisely it's easier to find. It's much easier to go out and ask for money when we have a positive track record. The pork barrel type legislation is a killer-people trying to please their constituents in preparation for the next election. Yap's legislature has an understanding that it should do what it can to try to minimize the impact of pork barrel projects.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">PM: What are Yap's current financial plans?</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">RR: We're hoping to maintain our </FONT></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><IMG SRC="0d01dd30.jpg" border=0 width="285" height="211" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:CENTER; margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">“The U.S. wants to make sure we don’t misuse the money this time around. ” -Yap Governor Robert Ruecho’ Photo: Jason D. Aubuchon</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 WIDTH="593"><div><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">commitment to the high-growth scenario. We need to increase our tax collection-this has long been one of our big problems. Right now we need to focus on transitioning [U.S. Compact] capacity building money into local revenue. But other states are in the difficult position of having to transition out money into something they don't have-local revenue.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">PM: How has the most recent typhoon affected your administration?</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">RR: I'm an old man, and I've never in my entire life seen a typhoon like this. We estimate 80 percent damage to the food crop throughout Yap. Seventy percent of betelnut trees were knocked down, which seriously impacted our exports-Yap had been averaging $3.5 to $4 million in annual betel nut exports.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">This typhoon has really been a big challenge, and it has changed the plans that I brought into office with me. We were fortunate to have saved money which can now help us; without that I don't know how we could have pulled through. Our state legislature has appropriated over $2 million.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Private homes and government buildings are 80 percent damaged. We're grateful for FEMA's (Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance, but I believe this will be the last time FEMA helps us, since we've negotiated a different deal under the new Compact. We've prioritized health and education buildings for reconstruction and repair, and we intend to expand from there once those projects are completed. FEMA has been good about compensating families, but repair of public facilities has been slow. We still need to repair our sports facilities for the Micro Games in 2006.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">PM: How do you feel about the newly amended Compact with the U.S. and the next 20 years of assistance?</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">RR: I am not satisfied with the results of the negotiations, but then, who am I to say I am not happy since I was not involved in negotiating? My role is implementation, but I tell you it is very difficult to implement something I totally disagree with.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">I think the way the Compact's final product is written is too much of an infringement on the part of the United States. The real problem the U.S. has is with the way we used the money under the first Compact, and is the cause for the Compact we have today. We are now paying the price. The U.S. wants to make sure we don't misuse the money this time around.</FONT></div> <bR> <div style="margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">So we goofed, and now we're being penalized. But this is very disappointing for me, because I don't think that Yap is the one that goofed. But we're part of a team, so this is how it works. </FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div style="text-align:CENTER; margin-top:3px; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><A HREF="pay.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Paradise: Pay Spelled Backward"><U>Paradise: "Pay" Spelled Backward</U></A> | <B>Governor Ruecho Charts Yap's Course</B> | <A HREF="mangafel.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WeNot I"><U>‘We’Not ‘I’</U></A> | <A HREF="yaphist.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brief Yap History"><U>Brief Yap History</U></A> | <A HREF="betelnut.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cuban Cigar of Micronesia"><U>Cuban Cigar of Micronesia</U></A> | <A HREF="isolatedyap.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Micronesias isolated Yap island rich in "><U>Micronesia's isolated Yap island rich in culture, exotic diversions</U></A> | <A HREF="faberge.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Fabergé fish of Micronesia"><U>The Fabergé fish of Micronesia</U></A> | <A HREF="firsttime.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Doing It Right the First Time"><U>Doing It Right the First Time</U></A> | <A HREF="yap_about.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Micronesian Island Offers Lots to Yap Ab"><U>Micronesian Island Offers Lots to Yap About</U></A> | <A HREF="yapbeach1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Beachcombers in Yap"><U>Beachcombers in Yap</U></A> | <A HREF="timeless1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Banking on a Timeless Paradise"><U>Banking on a Timeless Paradise</U></A> | <A HREF="display.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Display of culture"><U>Display of culture</U></A></FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 706 WIDTH="747"><bR> <center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9701950495660103"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_ad_channel =""; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "0000CC"; google_color_url = "000099"; google_color_text = "000000"; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script></center> <bR> <center><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9701950495660103"; google_ad_output = "textlink"; google_ad_format = "ref_text"; google_cpa_choice = "CAAQyaP2_gEaCMrERTxCnNWQKLGsuIEB"; google_ad_channel = ""; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <bR> <center><!-- Site Meter --> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://s11.sitemeter.com/js/counter.js?site=s11nopuko"> </script> <noscript> <a href="http://s11.sitemeter.com/stats.asp?site=s11nopuko" target="_top"> <img src="http://s11.sitemeter.com/meter.asp?site=s11nopuko" alt="Site Meter" border="0"/></a> </noscript> <!-- Copyright (c)2006 Site Meter --> <bR> </center> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- amzn_cl_tag="micronesia-20"; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://cls.assoc-amazon.com/s/cls.js"></script> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> </div> <div><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></div> <bR> </Td> <Td ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="12" VALIGN = "top" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="12" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="1"></Td> <Td><FONT SIZE="1"> </FONT></Td> <Td WIDTH="12" ></Td> </Tr> </TABLE> </BODY> </HTML>
