THE time has truly come for the People stop watching and to “speak-up & demand MORE” from our Governor. The Department of Commerce doesn’t need 80 million dollars which is why many of us regular folks are complaining and want MORE! Just think, us-folks-in-the-cheap-seats only got 25 million of the 500 million when WE the People are now facing the hardest challenges with this pandemic since the conception of the Commonwealth, especially those ineligible for PUA or are retired and on “fixed incomes.” Gas and food prices continue to rise while the quality of life for many continues to be on the decline!
Raises are flowing through the Government but WE the People don’t get a raise and WE need one as the 500 given did help but it was more like a “tease” to pacify us when WE the People need a full meal figuratively. Each citizen should have gotten at least 1,000 and even 2,000 in CASH. It is ridiculous how STINGY & CHEAP this Governor can be when it comes to HIS People but he is quick to turn over 80 million with no justifiable definitive proven plan before paying retirees “PAST DUE” Bonus. The need for MORE stimulus money is really obvious and even DESERVING FOR the People given these pandemic conditions when no one can make extra money to make ends meet.
The Feds even gave us MORE than 500 and I’m sure voters agree, the 5% (25 million) of over 500 million given to us regular folks IS NOT nearly enough FOR the People given all the emergencies and austerities WE the People have been put through under Governor Torres. It is also time for the Governor to live up to his Prosperity-LIE and really deliver some REAL Prosperity by putting MORE CASH in our hands. He can even make it a “loan-to-the-People” from OUR 57 Million that he let IPI hold which is more than enough to cover whatever he gives us — MAN-UP for YOUR mistake Governor! He’s probably planning to give retirees and the rest of us some more money for election season to garner votes like he usually does but “it’s OUR money and WE want MORE NOW” — for REAL!
WE the People shouldn’t be afraid to ask for OUR money and every voter needs to start complaining any-way you can on Social-Media, calling your Representative or Senator and someone should even organize a protest for MORE of OUR money — I will surely come. If you are tired of seeing the Governor giving raises and helping others before helping YOU then it’s time NOW to speak-up & out before it’s all gone. But most importantly, every dollar the Governor gives us is a dollar MORE for our economy that will help us ALL with the returns. And NO more cards, as it was Local entrepreneurs missing out the most. Heck I’m sure a lot of people wanted to spend the extra card money at the Flame Tree but the Governor ruined that with his card idea. But Tom Mitchell, who wants to blame the small businesses and producers of “local arts & craft” for not having a card reader, saying “it’s their fault” when the fault is truly the Governor’s for NOT providing a system that EVERYONE could benefit from — for TRUE! The longer this guy stays in power the more damage he does, as he can’t even give us OUR OWN money without messing it up. To be continued: One people One Direction.
The writer is an Economist, Political Scientist, retired teacher, former CNMI Board of Education Member, James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
