Ambrose M. Bennett
THE TRUTH of the matter is that it’s obvious the CNMI is stuck in reverse needing to go forward. Ever since the poli-tricking that killed La Fiesta the CNMI has being slowly going backwards economically with no end in site because there has yet to be any REAL REFORMS to make the CNMI a BETTER Tourist destination. Crying for tourists from China will NOT fix our economy and it is a small bandage if anything. WE can’t keep our people nor get new tourists because “the CNMI is out-of-step with the rest of America/World Tourism.” IF our leaders would take the RIGHT steps to turn our economic downfall around, the rest will be easy, as the real problem is not new tourists but the need for NEW Attractions which is what WE were supposed to have been setting up during Covid. But Ralph was busy with “pipe dream of Mr. Tan with the Deer BS for “high-end tourists” in the Northern Islands and giving our money away! Ralph put us in reverse and now we must go FORWARD and I’m fighting FOR ALL of us in this boat, even my critics who are full of bigotry, I just keep praying for them!
It’s clear the Governor is truly working hard with MVA to take us Forward, but it’s going to take a lot more beyond MVA to change the present economic paradigm, as MVA is only a “promotions agency for the CNMI” and has virtually NOTHING NEW to sell that will bring in NEW Tourists — I Told You So GOP too many times. The variables in our economics being an island are so closely tied that it only takes ONE Big Domino to fall and there is a domino effect — the failed casino/hotel is an EXCELLENT example, as we are still feeling the adverse effects of its failure. We need NEW Attraction(s) to replace the failed casino and our WWII image — it’s that simple. Fixing our Economic woes can’t be done with one single act like the EVS-TAP, as it is going to take some genuine commitments with the fortitude to institute some REAL Reforms that can “Reset our Economy.” For example: Stop playing around with the Casino Commission whose negligence has cost us around 164 million dollars & a monstrosity in Garapan! WHY are the CC still sitting and WHO will hold them accountable???
We have been going backwards slowly and now the pace has changed after Covid to be quick, faster and in-a-hurry. Even the new Hong Kong Airlines is taking their approach backwards before they get started good. Need I remind readers that since the La Fiesta fiasco that was NEVER fixed, the failed Ferry to Tinian/Sugar Dock’s Bantalan, the loss of the Garapan Mall (Paseo De Marianas) that has yet to recover, the loss of Hard Rock an International Brand, the forced death of Tinian’s two different casinos/hotels by Saipan’s casino deal, the failed casino/hotel in Garapan, the loss of Tony Romas, the closure of the former Grand Hotel that made over 100 million during Covid, the loss of the Hyatt another International Brand, the failed Slaughter House while meat prices skyrocket and some stores are even resorting to New Zealand’s very TOUGH Beef when there are cows of better quality on Tinian, failures I’ve forgotten and the plethora of small businesses that have been forced to close. WHO and HOW are we going to fix all of these failures as steps need to be taken to start genuine REFORMS, so our Economy is BETTER. Our Governor needs the HELP of EVERY stakeholder responsible for the “STEWARDSHIP” over the CNMI. If not, buckle your seat belts People, it’s going to be a very rough flight if WE even find a place to land on prosperity — for TRUE!!!
WE must STOP this just “going through the motions” like we are doing with the CC, IPI & Garapan and take real immediate action to change things for the Better. I am sure the Governor plans to, as he must, do something in the 902 Talks that will help to REFORM the CNMI for the BETTER. WE must want-to and learn-to be BETTER Stewards of the CNMI, as you can BET there are people running for re-election who didn’t do a darn thing, not even a Bill passed into law FOR the People, just went through the motions. I’m a firm believer in “getting things done” but I often run into brick walls being an outsider telling locals what needs to be done — it’s pathetic but it’s TRUE! Stop the bigotry of attacking the messenger and start reaping the very REAL rewards of the message!!! Heck, there was even one You-know-what who clicked “funny” to the Thank You letter for Lt. Col. Camacho, which speaks volumes to the ugly bigotry in the CNMI, as where there is one there are more — so sad!
IF the CNMI is to stop going backwards and start moving forwards it’s going to take real conviction, not politics, to turn our economy around and that’s a fact jack! No one wants to pull the trigger on anything NEW that will bring in tourist and until WE master that simple challenge it’s going to be the “same old BS with our Economy” and China is NOT and may never be our saving grace. The major problem is none of our politicians what to risk getting political dirt on them to clean-up the muddy mess that has been building that even doubled by Ralph, as one must get some dirt on them to clean up this economic mess. WE must get out of Reverse and start driving FORWARD because WE know what happens when you are driving in reverse while the rest of the traffic is going FORWARD — Keep Up with the Times, it’s just that simple. 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 Scholar who resides in Kagman III in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
