PRESIDENT Biden is now in office which means there is a “New Sherriff” in town but Governor Torres seems to be still trying to “circumvent justice by getting someone he wants to be Judge and even tried to punish the Honorable Chief Justice Manglona by not recommending her for re-appointment.” More than anything this action or should I say “lack of action” by the Governor is a CLEAR display of “CONTEMPT” (disrespect) FOR the People and the Justice System based on the Governor’s own rational. The Governor chose to “gaslight the issue” but it is clear he was upset that Chief Justice Manglona signed a Search Warrant for his office and other places. I guess he wanted her to “Be LOYAL” like the DPS Commissioner says is a requirement for keeping your job in the CNMI under Torres. This is the TRUE reality of our Governor and Government. But WE the People are fortunate to have a Delegate who is LOYAL to the People and our Justice System which is why Kilili just ignored the Governor and recommended the Honorable Judge anyway.
But that is just openers for this editorial on how contemptuous the Governor is and continues to be with the Feds and the People right in our faces like we can’t think. He is now figuratively opening up a “Torres Office to manipulate a half-billion of American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA).” We saw this same “Political Power Play” with the ARRA Funds under Republicans that took over two years to spend and here WE the People are right back in the same old predicament with NO Accountability over OUR money. I think most readers know by now that if WE can’t trust the Governor with OUR “credit-card” then certainly we can’t trust him with OUR half-billion dollars but WE are helpless AGAIN!
The Governor says his new office will be responsible for 1. “Procurement” when we have a Procurement Office — 2. “Permitting” when WE have a Permit Office — 3. “Construction Management” when WE have Several Government Agencies to oversee Construction, 4. Engineering” when WE have Engineers in Government Offices. Now this is what I mean about common sense because if the present Government workforce is already stretched then, why not simply hire MORE Government Employees in the areas where needed. But that would mean “complying with equal opportunity laws and real accountability to the people” but this new office is about “appointments and not hiring new Government Employees.” I can understand putting “a person” over the ARPA plan to make sure things are coordinated and run smoothly but hiring a bunch of people to do the same jobs the Government is already doing is what professionals call “superfluous measures” (un-necessary) or as Locals might say “its Ka Du Ku” (crazy) — for TRUE!
The so call “Stream Lining of Government Projects” to help businesses is more like “Steering the Government Projects through the Governor’s office” opposed to the processes that already exist within our Government. I keep telling readers this Governor has so much contempt (disrespect) FOR the People that he seems to think WE the People are stupid with his LIES and BOLD Political Plays right in our faces ever since he got away with the PROSPERITY Lie and he will continue until WE the People put a stop to him and his Republican Crew come 2022.
More contempt (disrespect) is evident in the lack of any Senate approval on how DPL has become a “Family Affair” with the appointment of the Governor’s Sister-in-law as Secretary of DPL in an “acting position” to avoid “qualifications scrutiny & Senate approval” while the former DPL Secretary takes over the Governor’s “Infrastructure Recovery Plan” that will be composed of positions that are already “ACTIVE in our Government” — duh & HELLER voters! This is just a way for the Governor to “expand the Party’s Political Base” with jobs that include Families of support that will also lead to expediential support for the Republican Party. I Told readers SO, the Governor was going to use this ARPA funds to expand the Party and now we see it right in front of our eyes with a new office that is NOT needed. But WE the People are stupid without any common sense if we fall for the Governor’s excuse.
These Republicans won’t even give their own NMDs credit but will give credit to the Political Entity MPLT that did not save the CNMI like former Governors Babauta & Fitial said, as it was the NMDs whose money that saved the CNMI. MPLT is just another branch of our Government that is run by Republican Political Appointees. The legislative initiative to give the Legislature more accountability is just MORE Gaslighting with SMOKE & MIRRORS by Republicans because what is really needed is a Bill to “GIVE the NMDs FULL Control of THEIR money with an Elected MPLT Board who can represent the NMDs and the rest of the People’s Interest in MPLT Funds.” They are trying to take the NMDs’ EYES focused AWAY from what they should really be looking at which is getting rid of ALL Political Involvement in MPLT as much as possible. I bet there is no plan to pay-back the 15 million to NMDs which is why I keep telling NMDs to “organize under one umbrella with a single Leader” if the NMDs truly want to control their OWN destiny outside of the Political Arena. But the problem is too many Locals have already been PROGRAMMED to reject the admonishments of outsiders like myself which is pure lunacy to reject something “GOOD” that will help based on the RACE of its origin — the breeding of racism by Republicans that I have been talking about for two decades now.
Having the Finance chief present a breakdown or plan for the American Rescue Plan Act funds is really a joke because the Governor has already made sure with his Executive Order that ALL of these funds are subject to being REPROGRAMMED without any “oversight process” by the Legislature. This is a Gaslighting Show for the ages in the CNMI given the extraordinary amount of money involved as the Governor seems to assume WE the People didn’t learn our lessons from the ARRA Fiasco and that WE are ALL just stupid with no common sense and can’t read between and behind the lines. I keep telling readers that the Democrats are our ONLY option for salvation from this tyranny of this Governor and his Republican Crew who do his bidding. Come Decision Day 2022, WE the People will get our chance to end these Gaslighting Shows for real accountable Government — which side of history will YOU be on!
To be continued: One People One Direction.
The writer is a retired teacher, former CNMI Board of Education Member, James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
The head-rest of George Washington’s “Rising Sun” chair.
File photo
