By Ambrose M. Bennett – Activist
THE Truth Be Told, “the very young do not always do as they are told” with the CNMI being one-of if not the youngest member in the American Family, it’s clear our leaders lack full understanding of America’s Ideologies, Principles & Moral Expectations. The CNMI is still an “infant in political-geological years” and the Feds don’t need education from CNMI leaders on the EVS-TAP. I will even be the first to say all the justifications for the EVS-TAP are Valid as it is truly Needed and I wish it could happen. However, the reality and being a U.S. Political History/Constitutional Scholar who taught Social Studies I can assure readers that, “America is driven by her ideologies, principles & morals laid down by the founding fathers for OUR nation whose very foundation is solidified with “FREEDOM & EQUALITY for All,” which is “inherent & applicable to All the People & All the States”. FYI CNMI, by its very nature & design the EVS-TAP is favoritism creating a competitive advantage for the CNMI to acquire Chinese Tourists while being bias against Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii and any other state level governments that might want to pursue Chinese Tourists which is a major problem when it comes to National Legislation where other state Representatives & Senators are always looking for a piece-of-the-pie for their state, as some U.S. Senators are already against the EVS-TAP which is really basic Political Science Reality. CNMI leaders are NOT proving to be political scientists on this issue with this singularity approach to American Politics in D.C.
If the CNMI Leaders weren’t so selfish and MORE Patriotic, the quest for the EVS-TAP would be a much stronger argument with the inclusion of all the Insular Island Groups of America and even Hawaii in the Pacific, opposed to the special treatment ONLY for the CNMI. This unfair special treatment also goes beyond the EVS-TAP to allow for the indigenous people to “be OVER fellow Americans from the mainland (social-stratification)” which is something Local leaders have enshrined into Law and embedded in the ideology for society & governing in the CNMI but that’s another story. However, the other problem is the CNMI’s quest for the EVS-TAP is compounded by the unsettling & threatening relationship that America has with China to the point of almost being out-right-enemies. In fact, the CNMI’s quest for “UNIQUENENESS in the American Family could be its biggest Political-Flaw in getting special treatment from the Feds” which even my late friend and founder of the CNMI admitted “it would always be an uphill battle.” When the CNMI gets Federal money, in most cases so does the other Insular Area Islands in the American family unless it’s something specific like “disaster funding.” In fact, the quest for the EVS-TAP would be a much stronger argument with the inclusion of all the Insular Islands of America in the Pacific, opposed to the special treatment only for the CNMI. However, and importantly, at a time when “Immigration has an ugly-face in America” this is not the time to be talking about special treatment for Chinese Tourists, especially when the CNMI is considered a “gateway for immigrant births & sneaking into America” — a proven reality too many times for Our-Fathers-In-Washington.
The reality is also the fact that Commerce is the only real string that is binding America & China together and the CNMI’s “special treatment requests” will always be challenging in our Federalized System of States! But most importantly for me being an Economist, WE the CNMI, need to know the Reality of WHAT is China going to do about allowing their citizens to travel to the CNMI, especially when the Chinese Government said in the MV “they will not allow their citizens to come to the CNMI to GAMBLE,” as no one has addressed the Chinese Government Variable — or was I the only one LISTENING as the leaders have a long history of NOT Listening — Linda! No one has bothered to even address the all-important variable of “China’s-say in the EVS-TAP” as America can NOT force China to agree because if China’s Government wants to shut-EVS-TAP-down they CAN! I’m not embracing OUR decline, as the People deserve BETTER and it could be a LOT-BETTER if leaders would be more objective & listen. They continue to play ignorant and SILENT because I have yet to be proven a “lie or wrong in the decades of my Op eds,” but hopefully they will be held accountable in November IF there are new candidates for office — HELLER!
Thanks to Ambrodamus’ Op ed, it finally took over 30 yrs. for NMDs to finally have a chance to use THEIR money, after ignoring Ambrodamus’ proven & successful Workforce Transition Plan, the Delegate is now asking for two-decades to simply create & execute a Workforce Transition Plan, so my “qualified/certified question” is since WE have been at this EVS-TAP for over two-years, HOW many more years do we spend and/or waste — Heller? I must also ask WHAT is the CNMI’s Plan-B Senator Hofschneider/Delegate King-Hinds since you are the main ones who put the CNMI on this “EVS-TAP Gold-Goose-Chase for Chinese.” Surely EVS-TAP can’t be the only solution to bringing in and/or rebuild our Tourist Market(s) and being 75 yrs. old I’m tired of trying to tell the Leaders as “the young don’t often do as they are told” even when it comes from an EXPERT! So, does the CNMI continue to chase the EVS-TAP for another decade like WE’RE doing with other reforms or do leaders formulate a Plan-B which also scares me, as planning & executing that plan is already known as their POOREST SUIT! Good luck to us all with the EVS-TAP but it seems WE could easily be beating on a dead-horse to get up and run, so please work on a Plan-B!
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 & Religious Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
