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I've written another lengthy blog post with legal analysis, this time about the power struggle over umbrella permits, at the Day In Court blog.

I see more fruitless resistance by the Fitial Administration, to the harm of our community, including alien workers, employers, and the rest of us. We're all suffering from the uncertainty. We're all suffering from the wasted precious resources of our local government. We're all suffering from the focus on this problem when so many other issues need our local government's attention.

There's been a lot of talk about umbrella permits, and lots of flak in the newspapers and on blogs. Opinions vary.

I want to weigh in on the subject. I want to be intelligent and perceptive about it. But it is impossible to do so because the legal basis for the "news" and the full terms of the Umbrella Permits are still a work-in-progress.

There is a CNMI "protocol" written by Howard Willens. I do not think this protocol has the force and effect of law; it is more like a guide or roadmap to help everyone understand how the CNMI administration is proceeding as to the transition to federal immigration.

The protocol, available at the CNMI Department of Labor's site does not mention the term "umbrella permit." Each of the immigration entry classifications is described, and a catch-all "other categories" classification is also included. None of these match up with the description of the "umbrella permit" as given so far verbally by Deanne Siemer.

And there is the whole question about Labor issuing permits that have any effect as entry permits.

I am studying it all. I am also awaiting the regs or whatever it is Attorney General Ed Buckingham is working on.

And I will have opinions, as well as analysis.

But I'm not going to give an opinion on the hot air that has been blowing all over Saipan. It means nothing.

Let's wait for the fine print. Then we'll have something to talk about.