IN one of his final acts as governor, Ralph DLG Torres expressed his gratitude to the community and congratulated the new administration.
Speaking on a local radio show Friday, Torres thanked everyone who has supported him since he became an elected official after winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 2007.
As for the new administration of Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Torres wishes them the best.
“They will be the ones that will take care of our community, so I wish them the best, and I look forward for good things to happen here in the CNMI. We do need to rally behind them and give them all the support, because here in the Marianas, we are one community, on one team,” he said.
To the new lawmakers, Torres said, “When things get hot, don’t make decisions, don’t use words, when you’re pissed off. Sleep [on] it, then come back the next day and address those issues. Don’t run away from the issues, but just don’t address [them] when…your emotions are getting out of control, [and] taking the best out of you. I’ve taken that advice and I hope others can just take a breather and come back the next day and address [the issues] rather than making unwarranted decisions based on emotions.”
He added, “I’ve learned that we have to keep our composure…. We’re here to represent the community, so what kind of representation do you want to show our community?”
Torres said lawmakers should act on revenue-generating legislation, but refrain from raising taxes.
“I think we should stop thinking about just taxing our community, because that only hurts our people. Give incentives to companies [instead]…. Give them the incentive that they need in order for them to be enticed to come to the community, to serve here,” he said.
Reflecting on his seven years as governor, he found the Covid-19 pandemic to be the most challenging.
“Because nobody knew anything about it,” he said. “We had to shut down the government, shut down the community, [implement a] curfew. I mean, all those are unprecedented actions, and like I said, sometimes unpopular decisions have to be made, but I had no problem making those decisions and making sure that we protect everyone in the community.”
He said dealing with the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu was also challenging, but added that there was never a time that he felt like giving up.
“I was given [this position] as a blessing, and there’s no way that I will turn that down and say ‘I quit’ because it’s too much, there’s too much stress. Absolutely not. I know what this position…expects [from you], what the community expects of this position, and when I was given that blessing, I made sure that I served my term as best I can,” he said.
Torres said if there’s anything he would have changed, he would probably have created a media team sooner to keep the community informed about the things that his administration was doing.
The 43-year-old former governor said he will now focus on spending time with his family, going fishing, camping, visiting the Northern Islands, and doing things that he’s been wanting to do for a long time.
“I will take this time to really enjoy my [six] kids, my family… I’ve been the youngest governor in the U.S…and again, [there have been] so [many] blessings. I look forward to my private life with the kids and the family… I am enjoying my time with the kids, and that’s something that I truly value today. In [the] political world, I honestly have no ambition, no desire to go back into politics as of this time,” he added.
Ralph DLG Torres
