Ambrose M. Bennett
THE Truth of the matter is I was compelled to become an activist to try and HELP the People of the CNMI, as it is an immense undertaking to try and change the minds & hearts of the People, which only happens one person at a time. But no one can say Ambrose lied nor Ambrose is the enemy as I have only offered WHAT and WHO I thought was best for the CNMI that has always been intended to be constructive criticism. But the GOP’s ugly revenge politics has been the biggest obstacle to helping the People. Readers should note the numerous following things of merit & progress I’ve offered for years only to be ignored by our leaders — progress ignored. The People & the CNMI have missed-out on a lot of things that would have made the CNMI & life much better off, as you will see from the list below. But our leaders want you to think-ill of me when People should have a bucket-loads of resentment for our leaders who chose bigotry over real progress. I’m sure no one can say all of the 33 things listed below were no-good or bad for the CNMI, but I’m sure a lot of regret over what our leaders FAILED-to-Do! I’m sure Christians know the wisdom of 33 & Pass-Over (redemption), so see the 33-Passed-Over List below!
I. My activism started by trying to help our teachers exercise their Federal Collective Bargaining Rights, only to be opposed by a group of white teachers from the mainland whose candidate lost to me, a few locals & BOE members so I chose not to run for a second term. Our teachers are still today the only teachers in America who can be terminated “without cause.” One-Day teachers will wake-up and be protected like our Firefighters.
II. My warnings 5 years in advance in 2000, ‘the Garment Industry was leaving,” they did NOTHING to prepare and were even surprised when they left like a thief in the night on Dec. 31 of 2005 — the WTO kicked in & TAYA!
III. My many op-eds on the Sugar Dock Ferry OPPORTUNITY, WE see what hasn’t happen after GOP promises.
IV. My many op-eds on the GOP robbing the Retirement Fund and even their desire to kill it — now look!
V. I pleaded for then Governor to sell our Pozzolan to the Chinese for their Olympic Village — now look at TAYA!
VI. My op-eds to stop the closing of La Fiesta, which was a political revenge, but WE suffered — now look!
VII. My success in helping then Bishop Camacho to stop the casino and now WE can see WHY the Bishop wanted it stopped; however, the GOP hated me for stopping the casino attacking me but look at RICO & our Economy! The GOP realized that Ambrose was getting to be too powerful, thus the endless attacks on me.
VIII. I conducted the only modern research in Mexico determining the origins of many things in the CNMI and I can only hope that one day these origins will be taught in our schools to preserve & promote.
IX. My warnings on the Saipan casino would kill Tinian’s economy — not even Tinian’s Senators listened.
X. I yelled & screamed for years about OUR Community Chest and now WE are getting NOTHING!!!
XI. Tried to get the Governor to stop the GOP Casino Commission’s mess with IPI, only Rep. Marissa Flores tried.
XII. My efforts to try and get rid of the Casino Commission & create a Gaming Commission for all gambling to avoiding the need for Commissions on each island” — the CC is BS, who couldn’t collect their own salaries.
XIII. Tried to stop the Chinese takeover of the “Tourism Guide jobs” — these jobs should be for Locals only by law.
XIV. Tried to and pleaded for the reinstitution of the “Chief & Warriors System” in villages with summers being Warrior Training Time & to update the local languages that are becoming more & more dysfunctional.
XV. Created the first and only Elementary Social Studies Textbook based on the Marianas using some of the research I did in Mexico that determined the origin of “language, names, customs & practices, plants & trees and other things. But these educational tools are not in use today in preserving & promoting the Local culture.
XVI. Offered a viable plan in 2013, for the CNMI to establish a permanent footprint on Guam for our Medical Program, yet we are still paying enough in hotel rentals to have owned our own hotel/villa- no planning.
XVII. Every candidate for Governor I’ve supported lost but look at our economy & life for the past 20 years — HELLER!
XVIII. CWs didn’t listen to my warnings to be careful what they asked FOR from the Feds, as the results was a Federal Mandate for all CWs to leave by 2029 — a lesson from OUR Immigration takeover that CWs didn’t learn.
XIX. Tried endlessly to stop the “give-away of the Mariana Resort our last Japanese hotel” and warned they were KILLING our Japanese Tourist Market — now look, no hotel & no Japanese Tourists. When is it ENOUGH!
XX. Wrote a lot on how MPLT is NOT providing any programs nor subsidies to help Locals — duh!
XXI. Warned too many times on how our leaders were failing to help and take advantage of the effort to create a FREELY funded Amelia Earhart Monument to help Tourism but “Tourism is NOT their Business” — for TRUE!
XXII. Fought for years to establish “equality in the CNMI” that would do wonders for our housing market, but the ugly politics led by the GOP is against any change, especially when it’s led by an outsider.
XXIII. My push to get Article XII updated to use DNA like native American, the present method is obsolete.
XXIV. Pushed for Luta to be “The Gateway to the CNMI” — stop the waste in shipping pass Luta raising cost.
XXV. Proposed a law to allow the Chief Justice to simply hire an outside Judge every two years — end recusals.
XXVI. The FREE lot-# addresses I proposed. Instead my idea was plagiarized, and WE paid over a million!
XXVII. Pushed for a “camera system in Garapan & Tourist Sites,” yet we saw Ralph waste & giveaway 10s of millions.
XXVIII. My warnings for years how CEDA was not doing its job in leading our Economic reforms, still TAYA!
XXIX. For over 14 years I’ve pushed to change the “dying WWII Tourism Model to Family Model,” not gambling!
XXX. My push for IPI stock and to transform IPI’s property into a “Convention Center/Hotel” but now look.
XXXI. I created what was supposed to be our Cannabis Tourism Industry in the first draft, but they trashed it too much, ignoring the Tourism aspect because they don’t know HOW, thus WE are still paying more than we bring in!
XXXII. Pushed for over a decade to have a real Economist on Capital Hill to stop the picnic table economics of the Governor & Lt, now WE got CEDA’s TAYA. It was not so much about me getting a job but about me HELPING!
XXXIII. I offered the only Systemic Workforce Transition plan, as 5 years have passed on the 2029, mandate and the present workforce plan of the Governor does NOT address the Federal mandate, so TAYA on a complete plan!
I didn’t even mention the failed Tinian Slaughterhouse I wrote about and many other things, but just think how much BETTER OFF the CNMI would be from the things I’ve promoted over the past three decades. Reality needs to sink in. “WE as a People have been missing OUT and that Ambrose was RIGHT about a lot of things our leaders ignored.” But my ugly bigot critics, especially those in office, prefer trashing me about 50 years ago ignoring what is Right & Best FOR the People — pathetic and prayers as they’re obviously NOT members of the church. They prefer the bigotry of People thinking “Ambrose is a troublemaker, outsider & criminal” but this “Pass-Over List” PROVES different, but the GOP’s defamation worked on too many who need to attend MASS & Confess! These 33 opportunities that fell on the deaf ears of our leaders tell a completely different story of an activist who CARES about the People putting my heart & soul into helping the People of the CNMI for FREE! It’s really about the People & the CNMI, not me — HELLER!
FYI critics, just as priest & pastors are called, so are real activist like me as your frivolous attacks are worthless upstairs! My coward critics cry & yell using twisted facts and ugly lies in the comment section — pathetic adults acting like kids, when WE are facing some of the most serious times in the history of the CNMI! In fact, I’ve tried to help & improve the CNMI educationally, culturally, socially, economically and politically MORE than some and MORE than MOST of our leaders. But instead of addressing the issues on their merits, our leaders were quiet as church mice — unnecessary & distressing losses! I’ve only seen Gov. Pedro Tenorio & Gov. Juan Babauta, Senator Hocog, Rep. Propst and recently Rep. Marissa Flores who tried to take real action. A highly respected & famous CNMI attorney once said to me, “Ambrose, you are the BEST un-elected leader WE ever had” and I’m sure many agree. However, the question is WHEN will our leaders stop the bigotry and start addressing the ideas of anyone on their merit, as its ugly, not right and the People deserve BETTER because they are the ones who end-up losing out!!! How much suffering & missed opportunities will it take for the People & our leaders to say ENOUGH of the bigotry and ignoring potential ideas for progress, as doing RIGHT is about the message, not the messenger.
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 Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
