Ambrose M. Bennett
THE Truth is “too much conservatism is the main reason locals leave for a better life,” as the majority of People in the CNMI have demonstrated time & time again that they prefer the “conservative party of Republicans,” when by the very meaning of conservatism is “NOT to Change and to embrace the OLD.” Voting for conservatism when it is clear even to high schoolers that WE need the liberal (progressivism for change) school of thought by Democrats to prevail if WE are to CHANGE and fix this economic mess. WE have been voting for the Same-O Same-O for over two decades and now look how WE have gone backwards instead of forward with real progress. Conservatism is good for some things, but it should never be the defining variable, especially when change & growth are essential for progress. Kudos to Mr. Jeff Race and others for protesting Trump, however no Democrat nor Republican presence, which is the REALITY of the declining CNMI — no leadership for real CHANGE! WE are only seeing Arnold’s nepotism & him giving away OUR taxes to rich Outside-Money of J&P Holding with no guaranteed returns on OUR millions in taxes — a pathetic deal. Now it’s MORE for E-Land but not so much as a basic Economic Plan to Help HIS suffering People.
Even though our Delegate is really “out-of-her-lane” in trying to influence Local Politics instead of working with the Governor to influence politics in Washington D.C., which is her post not the CNMI but I do appreciate her noble efforts to speak-out FOR the People. However, what she is saying I’ve also been saying for over a decade about our Governor & Legislature being “out-of-touch with REALITY” and refusing to listen to my sound & qualified economic advice. I’m also sure many readers agree that it was truly disturbing proof about OUR demise when she shared what our leaders think & say: “Things are fine, there’s no emergency. Tourism will come back — we just have to wait. Heck, we don’t even need tourism, new industries are coming. We just have to wait. Actually, we don’t even need new industries, because the federal government will cover everything, we need to run operations — we just have to wait.” I just wish she would have shared the names of these lazy you-know-what pathetic politicians who don’t deserve OUR votes, not even for being a dogcatcher! But it does explain the REALITY of WHY we are suffering under leaders who are out of touch with REALITY who refuse to listen or TRY and create some real progress — the pathetic REALITY!
She just shared the TRUE Reality of WHY our Economy continues to decline due to the high level of “political hypocrisy & deflecting the reality” instead of being good stewards over our Economy & DOING Something FOR the People who hired them to find PROSPERITY! I’ve been offering solutions for over two decades and they didn’t listen, and our Delegate doesn’t have any more power over them than I do — so guess what is going to happen, yes — they’re not going to listen to her for TRUE! The recent Public Hearing on the Mariana Resort was also truly “eye-opening,” as there were only two citizens interested enough to attend this all-important Hearing. I didn’t attend because I knew it wouldn’t matter, especially when I’ve written an entire “Series” about this economic disaster. While I understand the rejection of E-Land, as WE must get a Japanese Investor for this Resort to help restore the Japanese Tourist Market — simple! WE can’t let conservative thinking overrule the need for liberal progress. Saying WE don’t need another Hotel is a real disconnect with the economic reality that WE need a Japanese Hotel BAD, as Hotels are the backbone of our Tourism industry. In fact, to assert not leasing the Resort is ridiculous, as WE can never have too many hotels who are “OUR Partners in promoting & serving tourists for the CNMI as a destination” — it’s really basic economics.
I was glad to see so many of our leaders at the Hearing, however, where was their Resolution to immediately issue an RFP in Japan for an Investor to lease the Resort. It was also clear that our problem is “WE as a People don’t take ownership in OUR Government nor do WE hold our leaders accountable by promoting & protesting OUR desires” like our mainland counterparts. WE must learn to follow their examples that the founders of America promoted. If WE, the People, don’t start taking ownership with our Political & Economic issues like WE see our counterparts doing & protesting on the mainland, then WE are DOOMED to the Same-O Same-O TAYA! The CNMI only has Japanese Tourist Sites with no NEW tourism attractions of perpetual value on the drawing board to sell to Tourists which is WHY the newly proposed Global Branding that WE must BUILD is so important to the REALITY of our immediate & perpetual future. The alarm continues to sound for the “liberal Democrats” (mainland & CNMI) to start leading the quest for “change & progress” or its going to continue being the Same-O Same-O with Republicans and going nowhere quick, fast & in-a-hurry! The REALITY remains that, “if WE as a People don’t take ownership showing WE care, they won’t care either” for TRUE!
One People, One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays-lifetime Humanities & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
