Ambrose M. Bennett
THE Truth is WE, the CNMI, is caught in-between “Taya (nothing & nowhere) & progress” driven by the Republican Conservatism of “not to change” when WE, the CNMI, must CHANGE if WE are to find any resemblance of progress & prosperity — it’s common sense! While Senate Vice President Karl King-Nabors expressed his opposition to Gov. Arnold I. Palacios’ Executive Order 2025-2, which abolishes the Commonwealth Casino Commission. The Senator described it as “executive overreach” but I must admit the TRUTH and the truth is the Governor was RIGHT to abolish the Saipan CCC. In fact, his Executive Order should have included the CCs on all three islands to completely fix the major problem of BETTER Governance & Promotion of Gaming in the entire CNMI. WE as a people & legislature are facing a real fight FOR TAYA to keep things the way they are or fighting FOR real Change & Progress, as common sense clearly dictates the latter. In fact, the Governor didn’t really fix the problem using the defunct Lottery Commission, as he needs to follow-up with a request for Legislation “to REFORM our entire Gaming Industry with One Governing Body of elected officials (1-Tinian, 1-Luta, 1- N. Islands, 2-Saipan).” However, doing anything Ambrose says is a big NO-NO, see the problem of NO progress by ignoring sound & even PROVEN ideas — BIGOTRY!
All of the alleged conflicts that the Senator is raising with existing law can easily be addressed with NEW Law but to try and keep things from changing FOR the Better is NOT something I’m sure the People of Tinian elected him to do. When the Senator said it “clearly outlines the separation of powers, and it’s crucial that we uphold these principles” and asserting “it requires legislative action.” I guess the Senator forgot the EO needs Legislative Approval-duh, which includes the Legislature — HELLER! The Senator is doing more “gaslighting the issue than trying to fix the real problem with the dysfunctional CCs on all three islands.” Heck, RFK Jr. just dismantled the entire Health & Human Services Board leaving NO oversight over our Health & Human Services System, but I guess that’s OK, he’s GOP.
Why is a Tinian Senator so concerned about Saipan as this may be “payback” for the vetoing of Tinian’s Marianas U.S. Dollar or MUSD which will surely end up just being another SCHEME for those at the top to benefit, like the other alternatives to REAL money. But the Senator ridiculously said Article III Section 21 of the CNMI Constitution defines “cause” as “gross neglect or dereliction of duty” and other reasons. However, I guess the Senator does NOT seem to know what has become Common Knowledge & Common Sense throughout the CNMI, as everyone who knows anything about the CCC knows that they committed “gross negligence by not pursuing any avenues to collect OUR money owed to the CNMI, not even their own salaries.” The CCC dereliction of their fiduciary duty to “protect OUR money and serve the People” by making sure WE the People received OUR Community Chess Fund or at least Stocks in IPI that the CCC refused to even try to collect or even talk about. I beg to respectfully ask the Senator, “WHAT has the CCC done that justifies them remaining,” as its common knowledge the answer is TAYA!
I think the Senator may also realize that the EO could be the first step to “killing all the Casino Commissions” that I have been PLEADING for over a decade, as TRUTH & Time are on my side. All the Casino Commissions have failed miserably, even more so on Tinian & Luta that didn’t have a functioning casino and still paying commissioners — dumb & pathetic! The Senator seems to be more about protecting the FREE Ride of Republican Emissaries who run all the Casino Commissions. However, if the State of Nevada can operate all their casinos statewide and ALL of their various gambling activities under one Gaming Commission, WHY in the world does Tiny-CNMI need three different Commissions with no governance over E-Gaming, which defies Common Sense. Furthermore, if these commissioners were elected it would be BETTER, as they would face Accountability & FORCED to produce or get fired BY the People.
The CNMI’s Tourism Industry is faltering and falling into the abyss because WE refuse to CHANGE. People are constantly leaving the CNMI because WE refuse to CHANGE. Businesses are closing their doors because WE refuse to CHANGE. The Economy is in ICU because WE refuse to CHANGE, No NEW Industries for a failure to CHANGE and the Quality of Life continues to decline because WE refuse to CHANGE. I could go on with MORE, but it should be clear Republicans like the Senator are still fighting to keep the CNMI from CHANGING for the BETTER instead of being “proactive FOR the People & Progress”! However, this is just more PROOF of the Republican Conservatism that I keep warning about as it keeps holding the CNMI back, which is a FATAL FLAW of Republicans in our Government that has us in this detrimental situation that WE are ALL facing today! WE, the CNMI, must CHANGE if WE are to be BETTER, it’s Common Knowledge & Common Sense!
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.
