I’M sure people in the economic field are aware of the phrase “there is no such thing as a free lunch” because ultimately someone pays for the lunch. I received an announcement with the CNMI seal on it that implies the government was sponsoring a rally at American Memorial Park to promote “no federalization without consultation & consideration.” While I’m very much for the rally and the CNMI having representation, which is the process for consultation we must be mindful that “representation is directly connected to taxation,” which dates back to the founding of our nation. I’m not trying to discourage anyone but I do know the people need to understand all the factors and ramifications of the argument for representation vs. consultation. If we are demanding consultation, then we shouldn’t ask for representation and if we are demanding representation we shouldn’t be demanding consultation. We must choose as to avoid this ambiguous position, which is why Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mr. Cohen and myself have said we need a “united” CNMI — the old one people, one direction that I have preached for years.
I used the title “No Free Lunch” because the CNMI is not going to get representation for free. There is a saying “you must pay to play” and that is so true with taxes and representation. The people need to know and be aware of what they are asking for in representation because representation requires participation in the funding of government in our capitalistic society. But representation and federalization will create the potential for voting in the presidential elections, participation in the federal health care plan, social security, and federal income taxes that we can be assured of getting our refund and a bigger refund among many other advantages. I am personally not for or against federalization and I want whatever the majority in the CNMI want because with or without representation and federalization it is clear we MUST get our act together or the feds are going to do it for us. Change and a chance at prosperity is what I want most for all the people of the CNMI and how we get there is a decision for the majority.
Kudos to Tina Sablan for waking people up even though much of what she wrote about was repetitive to what I’ve been saying for several years. She even used the same terminology in many cases especially, the “changing of our attitude.” It didn’t surprise me to see the results of her letter more pronounced because the truth always prevails, especially now that its coming from a person with a local name who has the backing of a member of the Legislature — and its all good because it confirms that I was RIGHT. I’m glad for Tina and its great to see someone has finally reached the people and raise their level of commitment to become more informed and active citizens, which are the ONLY two keys that will open the two doors for an accountable and successful CNMI government.
If one thing is clear to me, it’s the fact that the U.S. government failed miserably in their efforts to educate the people of the CNMI on the “special conditions of the Covenant and the expectations” of becoming American citizens. Proof of the lack of education can be found in the many inconsistencies between the CNMI and the federal standards. A few of the most prolific examples of the lack of education about becoming American citizens is when you hear the expression “I’m a U.S. citizen but not an American”; and when a gubernatorial candidate states “culture before the law” and the flawed ideology of “our unique rights” that makes the people of the CNMI somehow “different” from the rest of the multi-ethnic American family. There is only one ethnic group in America that have a “unique status and rights” in America and they are the original Native Americans and they paid the cost in lost heritage, lives and land to earn “special legal rights” that are “unique” in America. As I said in my previous letter, the Covenant only granted special privileges, not guaranteed special rights, which can be taken away if abused and everyone knows we have abused these special privileges, which is why we are facing the consequences.
I’ve been trying to educate the public and I even tried without success for a couple of years to get the Department of the Interior and the Department of Education to address the “oversight” on educating the people of the CNMI on the expectations and consequences of becoming American citizens. Our leaders on Capital Hill could use some help with correcting this oversight in the form of an educator, political and social scientists. It is clear they need an educator to educate the people on issues facing the CNMI, as they have done a poor job of “informing citizens” in an objective perspective as opposed to them promoting political partisan preferences. A political scientist is needed to give them “sound political advice” to keep us out of confrontations with the feds because it wasn’t until the Washington rep. and Deputy Secretary David Cohen said “don’t send a lobbyist to Washington” that our government changed to the approach of sending a CNMI contingency even though I had advised the government publicly two weeks before Mr. Cohen’s arrival to do exactly what Mr. Cohen advised us. I even received an email of appreciation from the Washington rep. but nothing from our government — no manners or professionalism. They need also social scientist to educate them on the social ramifications of their activities because ultimately it is the people who pay for their mistakes. We also need a full-time economist to begin creating a real plan for economic reforms that will lead to full economic recovery and prosperity — to date that plan doesn’t exist and things are getting worse each day.
The people of the CNMI don’t know where we really stand and what to expect from our government anymore and its clear no one in government has a “definitive statement or plan” for our future. The “little by little and day by day” approach and continuing to shift the burden and “payment” for government’s mistakes on the citizens is not going to cut it anymore in our global society. Our planning and reaction time MUST improve and the people must become more informed and active citizens because one key to the two doors of government is no good without the other key. One people, one direction.

AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman, Saipan