THE TRUTH of the matter is the Governor is struggling to repair the catastrophic damage to our Economy by former Governor Ralph, Nature and a Pandemic but the reforms and synergy needed to create a booming economy have yet to materialize. Why does the Governor have to go public to plead with CPA to focus on promoting airlines to return to the CNMI — it’s ka du ku and I’m sure it’s the politics of CPA that conflicts with the Governor. The Japanese People, Government & Airlines are being negativity influenced by CPA’s public efforts with their cries for China — it’s ridiculous and scatter-brain counter-productivity to the Governor’s goal! I was trying back in the mid-2000s to warn our leaders that our “WWII Tourism Model was becoming outdated due to the aging Japanese Tourists with an interest in WWII and the beginning of Chinese Tourists to the CNMI.” The Japanese actually telegraphed to us their distaste when Japan Airlines pulled out in 2005 without any warning in part due to Chinese traveling in numbers to the CNMI as tourists. Heck, need I reiterate that I also warned our leaders in 2001, “the Garment Industry was leaving because the World Trade Organization was ending on December 31st of 2005 that ended trade with Mexico and sent that trade to China,” and just like Japan Airlines the Garment Industry left in the middle of the night without warning on December 31st of 2005. When will our leaders get-it that “China is the source of our Economic-woes” and these two critical incidents that could have been addressed avoiding damage to our Economy years in advance. But it proved to me that to many of our leaders don’t care when they refused to listen to my expertise as an Economist driven by “political-jealousy, bigotry and even vengeance” that has only served to HARM the CNMI. Our challenge is about Sociology, as WE, the CNMI, are caught in a “cultural-conflict between China & Japan” and the Governor has chosen our side based on Social Science-facts and WE must buy-in as the Japanese ARE-WATCHING!
Where is the “Master Plan for our Economic Recovery,” because what I see is a “scatter-brain approach to our Recovery” by CPA, the Casino Commission, PSS & NMC and NMTI, MVA and the Business sector, not to mention CEDA that IS NOT doing any kind of real Economic Development — no disrespect intended but it’s the reality. CPA is pushing for China when the Governor wants them to focus on Japan — a scatter-brain approach for failure. The Casino Commission is stringing things out just to keep their jobs when WE the People need an “expeditious resolution,” as the CC should have filed suit for the entire 141-million owed to the Government & the People, which I viewed as the ultimate disrespect FOR the People and a scatter-brain approach to resolving the OLD so WE can move forward with the NEW. Heck, didn’t We learn from the same thing with the Casino Commissioners on Rota who were paid for YEARS when there was NO-Casino, Ka du ku-Politics! Everything IPI owns except for the buildings & stocks is up for sale but NOT so much as a whisper about OUR 77-million because Ambrose M. Bennett is the only one screaming murder figuratively about this intentional oversight by the CC. So, what does that tell citizens who need to wake-up and help me! PSS & NMC & NMTI are doing their very best to transform our workforce but they are barely scratching the surface when it comes to building a real CASE to present to the Feds in 2029, for keeping some CWs. It’s a scatter-brain approach and it’s not their fault. It’s frustrating to see our leaders would rather see the People & Our Commonwealth suffer because they don’t want Ambrose M. Bennet to garner any credit — sad!
Our leaders and even the average citizen KNOWS that WE need NEW Investors that will bring NEW revenue sources FOR the Government & the People, yet no-one in Government has lifted a finger to directly address this need for new investors. I can remember my true friend, a late Founder of the CNMI, Eddie Pangelinan” who once told me that “when the U.S. Senate rejected the request of the NMI to become a Commonwealth that it was their (founders) efforts to seek out every Senator and convinced them to approve OUR Commonwealth.” WE must do the same thing of seeking-out investors if WE are to truly attract new investors, especially when WE don’t have a new tourism model to promote which requires a Master Plan that we don’t have because of the scatter-brain activities. In fact, WHAT is our intended Tourism Model now or are we still only focusing on the WWII model that has expired like any other product being sold on the shelf to the general public. What kind of Investors are WE trying to attract? Heck, WHAT is our Master Plan for rebuilding our Tourism, as MVA can’t do it alone and nor can our Governor when there are so many scatter-brain efforts that even conflict with the vision he has for rebuilding our Tourism Industry. WE the People and the Governor need all the stakeholders to buy-into to the Governor’s plans just like they did when WE first created our Tourism Industry if WE are to create real reforms with synergy in our quest for prosperity.
One People, One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a 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.
Ambrose M. Bennett
