THOSE who attend Church already know that life itself is a test and the challenge facing our Governors-Elect is no different — a test to live up to the promises made to the People. For me, they are off to a great start as the list of their “Transition Team” speaks for itself, as it includes the Democrats. The AD Team are living up to their word and that is all anyone can ask of anyone, which also implies they are determined to pass the test of Rebuilding Trust.
But some of the GOP who joined the AD Team are already pushing to declare as GOP again, which would be a horrific and ugly poli-trick to play on Democrats & Independent Voters who wanted to see “neutral-leaders.” I am just so glad that our Governors-Elect refused these horrific appeals. The last thing that WE the People need is “politics being injected into an effort to unite & rebuild trust.” The time for divisive politics should be OVER at-least for the next four years.
I know some will say, Ambrose is writing about this because he is on the Transition Team, but that fact in itself is PROOF that our Governor-Elect and Lt. Governor-elect are “being-true-to-the-game” as we say in my culture “keeping their word to get the BEST qualified” regardless of their politics. FYI, to shut-up my critics, Ambrose did “the research for the Senate & the Governor, who didn’t use it and forgot I even wrote the creation of a Hemp Industry in the Bill, while doing most of the heavy-lifting to educate the people and the lobbying work to get the Cannabis Bill passed into law” and I will leave it at that. But there are also other Democrats on the Transition Team who are truly qualified to do the job so don’t try to make this about Ambrose. The reality is we are seeing full inclusion (bipartisan) politics in the Executive Office, the House & the Senate which is a FIRST for the CNMI since I arrived out here in1989.
Given the opening-round of political appointments to the Transition Team, the AD Team is off to a great start in passing the monumental test of rebuilding trust, rebuilding our economy and improving the quality of life for the People. For sure these people were chosen based on their qualifications and not just because of their politics because I talked about/against Arnold more than anyone. But Arnold didn’t seek vengeance, like you-know-who, instead he “forgave-me, viewing it as just politics,” like a real professional and not forgetting that my wife and I worked hard for Heinz & Arnold. It’s about looking forward and to the future and not in the rear-view mirror that can cause a DEADLY wreck figuratively. It takes special politicians to “drop the politics and do the RIGHT-THING” — A&D are proving to be special and leading by example to pass the test.
Only time will tell the final story about the Governor-Elect and Lt. Governor-elect passing the test but for sure they are giving it their BEST-SHOT and that is all WE the People can ask of anyone. I’m just glad that I can finally stop yelling and screaming from the sidelines trying to hold the Governor & voters accountable. I can now write some PROACTIVE & POSITIVE Op eds like this one that will be a breeze of FRESH Frankincense AIR for many readers, self-included. I was burned-out and sick & tired of the ugly, stinking poli-tricking, gaslighting and outright lies that had constantly rained down from the Governor’s Office but he’s like a church-mouse now. The NMDs who’ve gotten nothing, the retirees who were used like a “political-football” and the People who have been divided and manipulated now have genuine hope for BETTER-DAYS with BETTER-LEADERS in Arnold & Dave. One People One Direction!
The writer 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 & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
