I RECENTLY came across an old op-ed article written for the Saipan Tribune on Aug. 19, 1999 by the current governor’s press secretary, Charles P. Reyes Jr.
The first two paragraphs of Mr. Reyes column went like this: “We have a new name for Mr. Allen Stayman. From now on, Mr. Stayman will be known as ‘Stayman the scoundrel’ in the Northern Marianas.
“This is not mere name-calling, since a scoundrel is officially defined as ‘a mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a man without honor or virtue.’ Such a description fits Mr. Stayman’s character perfectly.”
And the closing two paragraphs:
“Stayman is a bureaucratic federal bully who was out to destroy the CNMI’s reputation and anybody who defends it. Mr. Scoundrel was out to destroy our garment industry and ravage our economy — just to serve his politics.
“He knew about David North’s vicious campaign to unseat U.S. House Republicans all along — and yet he did absolutely nothing about it, probably because he was deeply involved in the anti-CNMI crusade himself.
“Mr. Stayman is a scoundrel –‘a mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a man without honor or virtue.’ That much is clear.”
To see the full text and others like it from Mr. Reyes, as well as a few by the governor’s current secretary of public lands, go to www.saipantribune and search the archives.
I wonder if the press secretary’s “opinion” of Mr. Stayman will have changed at all when he visits the islands this week?
Also, I am not certain, but I thought at one time in the past, the CNMI Legislature resolved that Mr. Stayman was considered persona non grata.
If so, how exactly does that Latin thing work?

MIKE WALSH
Bali, Indonesia