The following is the text of the inaugural address delivered by the CNMI’s new governor on Jan. 9, 2023 at the multi-purpose center in Susupe, Saipan.
IT is fitting that I take my oath of office today in what we used to celebrate as Commonwealth Day. In [1978], exactly 45 years ago, on this very ground where we stand and sit, the first governor of the Commonwealth, Governor Carlos Camacho, was sworn into office, establishing the first constitutional government of the Commonwealth, and a peaceful transfer of governance that we bear witness every four years.
This brief lesson in history is not intended to impress you with how old Dave and I are but to remind us all of the enduring legacy of democracy and the principles of shared duties and responsibilities among the three branches of government that the founding fathers of our Commonwealth have bestowed upon us.
The Commonwealth was founded on hopes for a better future in political union with the United States of America, expressed through the Covenant in our Constitution. This is the Commonwealth that we celebrate today. What our founders built is not perfect. It is not intended to be so. The Commonwealth, as any democratic form of government, is a living and breathing, and oftentimes unwieldy institution, defined and shaped by the will of the people in every election.
When we look at our own nation and the divisions that run within our national leadership, among the states, within communities, and among us citizens, we are reminded of how fragile democracy can be, and unless we perform our duties and exercise our right to vote in every election, our rights as citizens that we sometimes take for granted and the government we have come to rely on to protect our rights may be at risk.
Voting is the most single important duty of every citizen. As I look back on what has brought us all here today, I am humbled by the overwhelming support of our people who have banded together to elect David and I to the highest elected executive office of the Commonwealth. Not only are we the oldest elected governor and lieutenant governor, we are the first candidates from a non-recognized political party to be elected governor and lieutenant governor. I say this, not to pat ourselves on the backs, but to acknowledge the winds of change in the Commonwealth. The people have spoken and your voices were heard. Social media and its influence and public opinion have given people a sense of their own independence of mind and courage to speak up, be heard, and take a firm stand on their principles. With our amplified voices, we must not forget that we also need to listen to each other with civility [and] respect.
There is a time and place for civil disobedience, and now, more than ever, civil discourse and consensus-building are necessary.
David and I, as you’ve heard, have a long-standing career in government and public service. We take pride in the work and the things that we do [which] we do in the name of public service and public interests. And seriously, we thought that we would be sitting back and enjoying retirement for a second time, but what we saw more than a year ago compelled us to reconsider. The Commonwealth was facing a moment of crisis and in need of credible leadership. Our people deserve better than where we’re at today.
By taking the oath of office today, we recommit ourselves to another term of public service and to lead the Commonwealth through this moment of crisis. And as our friends on Guam have [said in their] motto: make no mistake, we are all in. We are all in to rebuild trust, restore confidence, and to bring back integrity and credibility to our government. For the task before us, there are no easy answers and no quick fixes, just plain old hard work and sacrifices. We are aware and prepared to work harder than we’ve ever worked before, to do what it takes to ride and sail and navigate toward a better future for the Commonwealth. In doing so, we will be honest about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what we hope to achieve.
What propelled people to the polls in November was fiscal accountability and the growing evidence, unfortunately, of the squandering of tax dollars. With disaster recovery efforts incomplete and a continuing global health pandemic taking an unimaginable toll on our economy in our lives, the alarm went out on the need to rein in excess government spending and to use public funds wisely.
When unchecked, the arrogant use of power never amounts to any good. The people saw through the attempts to hide what greed and corruption have sown, and in recent days, the revelation of the much-advertised BOOST Program may have just given us a glimpse of the scale of mismanagement and irresponsible use of public funds.
The emerging facts, my fellow citizens, on the state of our fiscal health, are dismaying, [as well as] the potential consequences for the Commonwealth that we should be aware of. Our people deserve so much better. We are prepared to take charge and rebuild your trust in your government, and we will need the support of the collective leadership of the Commonwealth. We will need the support of every elected public servant in the Commonwealth to get this done.
To get ourselves back to fiscal stability, we must do so by exercising fiscal discipline, and leading by example is not a problem for Dave and myself. We are both known for our frugal ways. We don’t look for luxury travel or extravagant expenses for fixtures and unnecessary use of public service and resources for personal or leisure time. The time to live within our means has truly come. We will work closely with our Legislature to push through initiatives to stabilize the fiscal health of our government, and we will reveal past use of public funds and will pursue, with the assistance of the attorney general, the options of recoupment from those individuals and companies that have made out like bandits. Our people deserve better.
The Department of Public Safety certainly needs a major overhaul. We will be appointing a commissioner who has extensive enforcement experience, who will emphasize training of our officers, upgrade our investigative facilities, and reestablish the cooperation we once had with our federal agencies. We will ensure that our essential frontline workers are taken care of and treated fairly.
We will get back on track with our disaster rebuilding projects, especially for our schools at PSS. We will hold our Housing Corporation and the Public Assistance Office to the fire. They will be put to task to ensure compliance as deadlines for the use of federal funds approach. We will strive to construct a new school building that our federal partners have trusted us to do.
Our children in the educational system in the Commonwealth have borne the blunt of our natural disasters and the pandemic, and they deserve way better than the Yutu emergency temporary tents that perhaps are still being used for over four years. Our Board of Education and PSS must account for that delay. Seriously, we have to do better. We will take care of our teachers and ensure that PSS receives the lawful share of public funds without delay.
Secondly, let’s take stock of what size of government we really need. The ARPA funds were not designed to balloon the size of government and fund extravagant projects. And we will focus on sustainable growth in our workforce.
Somewhere we forgot in the process that our existing workforce should be trained and retooled with an upgraded set of skills to keep the daily operations of our offices running efficiently and effectively. And we will do our part. We will appoint experienced administrators to run departments and certainly will hold them accountable to the duties and responsibilities that they must carry out.
We will work closely with our Civil Service Commission to better train our employees. We have heard one too many times from the attorney general and the Office of the Public Auditor of the need to create a streamlined system within each agency to address procurement and accountability issues through training and performance.
Yes, it will take longer to put our government in order, to fix our public schools. It will take longer to fix our roads, sewer, and water systems. And it will take more time to build capacity. They will all be done. Dave and I will commit our term to work very hard. It will require a unified effort. Throughout our government, across all branches, and across all our islands, we must stand together with the common goal of protecting our Commonwealth and its future.
It is gratifying to see a renewed interest in our indigenous culture, especially in traditional Carolinian navigation that brought several of my ancestors to Saipan. Several years ago, Mr. Lino Olopai was on TV explaining the sailing concepts that he learned from [the] master navigator from Satawal, Mau Piailug. He mentioned: Look back, get your bearings, and then move forward.
Today, on this Commonwealth Day, I’ve mentioned to you the significance of January 9th, its place in history, and the more recent events that have brought us here today. We have looked back, we have set our bearings, and in our hearts and minds, what we know, what we need to do and where we’re heading. We are ready to move forward to face the challenges and to sail the Commonwealth’s proa through the rough waters ahead. We ask for God’s blessing for all of us on our journey. May God bless and protect the Commonwealth. We love you all. Thank you, si yu’us ma’ase, ghilisow.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, center, delivers his inaugural address at the multi-purpose center, Monday morning, in Susupe, Saipan. Also in photo: Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, right.
