I didn’t appreciate his invitation being a challenge because this is not about debating but about getting answers and solutions, which is what I’m sure the majority of the people want. Desperate times usually call for desperate measures and the challenge issued to me was truly an uneducated and desperate move in the political arena of the CNMI as you will see.
Secondly, Sec. Ada may think he wants to debate me but he really doesn’t want to square off with me in a debate on the politics of this ARRA issue — and for him to say this is not about politics is something I don’t believe he can convince anyone to believe. I don’t know who the political strategist is for this administration, if they have a real one, but they should have known the political climate and my skills dictated Sec. Ada calling Mr. Bennett on the phone and ask him in a professional way to come to the meeting and make a separate public announcement for the general public BUT WHAT EVER YOU DO don’t pick a fight with Mr. Bennett in the news like he did. Someone should have told Sec. Ada that I was out of his league and the consequences of a Cabinet member publicly challenging a single voter could be signs and even proof that the administration is desperate and taking uneducated chances by opening the door for this response letter that most informed people in the CNMI knew would be coming.
The signs of desperation are clear because people with common sense know that if it wasn’t election time there would be NO challenge from this administration to me just letting it be like they did by refusing to help me get a Teacher Rep on the Board. I know the administration was hoping the issue would die like some issues usually do in the CNMI — Hello I’M BACK! Everyone who reads the paper knows I was ignored by this administration on the Teacher Rep issue but now they want to talk with me personally because their power is on the line in the election– duh! Who does Sec. Ada think he is fooling by saying his challenge is not about politics because he can only fool those who don’t have common sense and those who are not informed.
The ignorance in challenging me is really obvious when I am an educated and experienced political scientist who is not about to let someone who is clearly a student of politics flip the issue on me. The whole point of this exercise is to get this administration to come up with the solutions — not me. Asking me to come to the meeting with solutions when the administration was elected to come up with solutions is literally a self admission that this administration can’t do the job and you need my help — not ashamed at least. But Sec. Ada had better come to that meeting with a lot of answers and solutions because I’m sure that is the expectation of the majority of people who will be voting in November. The people won’t be expecting me to do your home work and solve this administrations problems and I’m not about to try. Furthermore, it should be noted that it is Sec. Ada who is on the witness stand and not me. I, as a citizen, have extreme latitude to conduct a direct examination of a hostile witness — in other words, there is no way Sec. Ada can win his challenge under these conditions as I’m sure common sense people can see.
Sec. Ada also seems to be ignorant of the fact that I was simply calling for the application of the principles of transparency and efficiency in our government for which there can be no argument or defense against —making his challenge to me a hopeless effort to save face for the administration. It wasn’t personal, as I apologized for using his name so much but it is obvious he took it personally and lashed out ONLY at me when he admitted there are many other critics. You don’t have to be a political scientist to know why he attacked me because most people with common sense know my simple questions are posing a BIG threat to this administration’s political plans. By Sec. Ada’s own words this administration under his leadership has failed to educate the people on ARRA and the government has not been efficient with reporting the effects and the expenditures of ARRA funds. The game of politics dictates that I, as a citizen, don’t have to know “jack” about ARRA and the only way Sec. Ada could win his challenge is for him to come to that meeting with ALL the answers and ALL the solutions for ALL the PEOPLE — not just me.
Sec. Ada challenging me really isn’t fair and the proof is in the fact that I had already prepared the first volley of questions before he could even issue his challenge to me. As one of my mentors Muhammad Ali might say I’m a dangerous man and I also love the game of politics like FDR so be carful what you ask for Sec. Ada. He may have thought he wanted to debate me and that he was setting a trap for me by issuing the challenge but it is really him and the administration caught in a trap figuratively because Sec. Ada and the administration will be held accountable to all the people of the CNMI for having all the answers and all the solutions not me — for TRUE.
I will come prepared to meet the challenge but I will be more interested in the answers of Sec. Ada to the questions I have already asked than competing and debating with him. I also hope and pray for the sake of the Commonwealth that he was really genuine about finding solutions and does his home work before the meeting like he should so we don’t have to hear more rational. I will also come to the meeting with the intent to speak softly and not get into a shouting match. BUT ! — I will also bring my “big stick” that I got from FDR figuratively just in case. I’m looking forward to participating in the process to FINALLY hold this administration accountable because Sec. Ada really issued a challenge to ALL the PEOPLE of the CNMI not just me. One people one direction for this administration’s solutions to the expeditious spending of the ARRA funds — Oh, and thanks Sec. Ada for the opportunity to give this real life example of a political science lesson on the Politics of the CNMI and the Fitial Administration. It is not personal and no disrespect is intended. I just happen to be an informed and active member society and this administration works for an impolite democracy, Woodrow Wilson to FDR when he lost.
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman, Saipan
