By Ambrose M. Bennett – Activist
THE Truth is, Ralph running again is PROOF of the “faltering voter base” if Ralph’s claims are true about the vast number of people & groups supporting him. However, I believe voters “know-better” than to invest in Ralph as I pray, he is lying & gaslighting his support like he is gaslighting fixing our economy. Ralph’s only economic plan as he stated is “HIS knowledge, contacts & experience to fix things” but not a real Economic Recovery Plan that has the potential to be executed. Heck, Ralph must think “he’s Trump & WE are STUPID” when he wasted nearly a Billion dollars of OUR Money with no improvements to our Economy. Heck, Ralph’s last act was supposedly to BOOST our Economy that was really a “Goblin-Giveaway in the millions to BOOST only HIS-People’s pockets.” Trick or Treat CNMI, as WE were TRICKED by Ralph, not Treated to anything FOR the People! For me, Ralph is acting like the “34 Count Felon-Trump who Saipan Man Loves,” as he has SOME NERVE running for Governor facing criminal charges and WE the People are worse-off because of Ralph’s Economic Impotency! So don’t fall for Ralph’s hype that is clearly going to take us NOWHERE quick, fast and in-a-hurry, for TRUE! The silence of Dems who already look weak and a “No Show” so-far in the Governor’s race after two years to find a Candidate, as Ralph is trying to exploit the Dem’s weakness and the void left by Arnold. I can only pray voters won’t fall for Ralph’s Trump style Politics just to SIT!
There is also the fact that if you think this year’s budget was and still is a “cliffhanger” just wait until next year, which is why I have been yelling for our leaders to learn how to “chew gum on today’s challenges & walk towards solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.” Rebuilding our Economy was always going to take time, which is WHY Ambrodamus started yelling for an Economic Recovery Plan during Covid, and yet there is still no public outcry for a plan. It is obvious WE are struggling with this year’s budget that is only being fulfilled with the addition of a loan. Well, it seems most if not all of our leaders are only living in the NOW. However, being an Economist who is always looking over the horizon it is clear to me that next year’s budget is going to be a real DRAGON needing to pay-off loans from this year’s budget that will surely result in preying upon Retirees’ Pensions, more Business Taxes, and more Austerity. In fact, Retirees are already on notice about OUR 25% from the Government. I appreciate Mr. Juan I. Tenorio, Retiree Association President for his wisdom as Republicans have been forcing us-regular-folks to follow their “failed gaming industry plan” for nearly two decades. However, I truly wish Mr. Tenorio would organize a “protest FOR Retirees” to put all candidates for office on-notice that “Retirees are sick & tired of being toyed with by the Government,” as Republicans already KILLED the Fund and Poli-tricks to avoid paying Retirees their COLA that is OVER-DUE” while inflation continues! With no public outcry & no threat to anyone sitting, they’ll keep playing poli-tricks with Retirees.
I also just read the online Marianas Press informing us that the Cannabis Commission was 400K in the RED AGAIN only collecting $113,880 when WE spent $517,868 to operate the CC. Now that Joe Palacios no longer has a family-connect in the Executive Office, the Governor is finally taking action to dissolve this unnecessary entity into Commerce, which is what Ambrodamus has been saying for years but No Thank You! The Governor even chose to offer legislation without ANY input from the People, as there are several MAJOR problems with our Cannabis Industry that need to be REFORMED if WE are to make real money & fill hotel rooms. And WHY is the Governor having non-safety-sensitive employees tested when they are exempted by Law? Our leaders keep having to fix what Ambrodamus already wrote in the first draft of the Bill that excluded ALL Government Employees, except for Federally funded jobs. FYI Governor, there are recognized “Time-Sensitive Test” that detect “Active-Marijuana” so every employee can use marijuana within reasonable time-limits, instead of using harmful alcoholic vices! I knew Our Leaders would NEVER get legalization right without Ambrodamus, which is why the 19th Senate hired me in the first place to do the research & write the first draft, but bigotry set in. Now WE have a dysfunctional Cannabis Industry & no solutions to grow the industry while bigotry prevents the original architect (Ambrodamus) from helping — so sad!
For me, it seems WE the People are too content with what our leaders are “Doing and Failing to Do” only speaking up when culture is invoked & recently about nepotism” but not a whisper about the on-going WASTE & Abuses that can be fixed by the Legislature! However, fixing things in the CNMI requires real WORK, not just “sitting & waiting on the Feds and/or Investors to swoop-in and save us.” Unlike in the past when the Platform of candidates were often not read, I pray come the 2026 Election their platforms will finally be PARAMOUNT to voters who care and want to know “WHAT are they going to do FOR you & our Economy.”
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.
