CNMI retirees have yet to receive any of the 112 “thank you” cards. Cards, that is, from BenTan himself, and from the 111 persons BenTan’s reportedly hired, using CNMI funds, since assuming his latest post a year ago on WillieEtAl’s behalf?
Funds which, of course, seemingly amount to millions — in the neighborhood of 111 new hires x $30,000 per annum = $3.33 million (plus medical/retirement/per diem/travel benefits) per year or so?
With the retirees essentially (and outrageously) having underwritten and paid these 111 additional salaries — given the fact that, in lieu of paying the millions owed to the Retirement Fund over the past year, BenTan via his RubberStamping-On-The-Hill implemented a law, ostensibly authorizing nonpayment of this multi-million-dollar-debt to the Retirees in favor of raiding those funds to further bloat the CNMI government payrolls with 111 new hires (as, simultaneously, so-called “austerity” holidays are required)?
Maybe this year, BenTan’ll have his monkeys pass a law delaying for 10 years, or doing away permanently with, all past/current/future rebates owed to CNMI residents. And with that rebate-debt cancelled by rubber-stamp-law, then raid those diverted rebate-payment-funds to ensure hiring of 222 ex-garment-officials-and-their-ilk on a further bloated CNMI payroll?
While lauding himself, yet again, for “balancing” the CNMI budget via this legislatively contrived (albeit likely unlawful) raiding of “cancelled” CNMI debt?
Or maybe next year, ol’BenTan’ll stop financing manamko’ activities/projects — raiding and diverting the manamko’ funds to hire...oh, just who? Maybe some new CNMI lobbyists? For if indeed BenTan’s “good friend”, Jailbird Jack Abramoff, was a great deal — at $10 million in BenTan-orchestrated payment of CNMI funds — well golly gee whiz, how much’ll BenTan have the CNMI pay others to replace Jailbird Jack — others, that is, like Rudy Pamintuan, Fred Radewagen, or similar wanna-be-$10 million-CNMI-sycophants? Payment of CNMI funds, of course, for the benefit of...which Garmenteer now gone hotelier?
Equally curious, perhaps, are those of the BenTanBraintrust now advocating a “tiered” CNMI wage system?
Omitting in the process, the fact of outraged indignation during Trust Territory days, of TT residents then occupying the bottom rung of a similarly “tiered” wage system?
Or the fact of the lawsuit, Temengil v. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, 881 F.2d 647 (9th Cir. 1989), by which this system was declared unlawful by U.S. courts?
Or, maybe, somehow this “tiered” system will now be viewed as OK, so long as the CNMI’s nonresident workers — from the Philippines, China, and Bangladesh, occupy the lowest tier?
And never mind the fact that those employed in Samoa’s low-paying tuna industry are Samoans themselves? That Samoa did not permit 15,000 nonresident-workers to enter Samoa for this private sector employ — while the CNMI, by contrast, now faces difficulties repatriating the 15,000-plus foolishly-sans-foresight permitted entry via CNMI immigration for employ, by CNMI rag merchants, with BenTan’s apparent complicity over the past few decades?
Are we expected, also, to overlook the fact that efforts to replicate the CNMI’s garment industry in Samoa failed — with several of those Samoa-based garment officials reputedly indicted and hauled off for criminal prosecution/incarceration/trial before U.S. courts?
Having funded a Hawaiian-Vacation-For-30 at CNMI residents’ expense, some had reportedly expected at least 1 of those 30 to ensure adequate public disclosure of identities/information/contact details — as to “prospective CNMI investors” tapped in Hawaii to rejuvenate the CNMI’s private sector economy? Not? At least, not in the media, in English or Chamorro or Carolinian? But a grand vacation was had by all?!! And, with confidence, it can be predicted those investors’ particulars have been, at minimum, expeditiously (or surreptitiously) distributed to BenTan’s favorites, in Mandarin?
In any event, an MVA vacation looms on the horizon. To tout the CNMI, somehow, as a re-packaged “high end” destination — where (unlike Hawaii and Guam) our tourist industry is staffed with “low end” sub-U.S.-minimum-wage earners?
Where “Better Times,”,viewed transparently, equate to “Ben’s-Bosses’-Times?”
Or, maybe, just: “BullSpit Times?”
What’d the bumper stickers read? “Willie’s Bucks = Ben’s Votes”?

BRUCE L. JORGENSEN
Peshawar, Pakistan