IT is no secret that LOYALTY to the Republican Party does pay dividends, especially if you are a politician who has LOST the confidence OF the People — they do take care of their own at the top but those at the bottom are more like pons to be used and disposed of at will. The recent appointment of Sixto to DPL Secretary is just the continuous “Recycling Plan” of Republicans as you will find nearly all of the Boards and Commissions full of LOSERS that are “EX-Republican Politicians” and Sixto’s appointment is just more proof of this phenomenon. The Recycling Plan is driven by the desire and need to maintain a strong political base as these ex-politicians do represent VOTES. Sixto may have lost but he still represents a lot of votes thus he gets an appointment.
From a Political Science perspective, it seems the Governor continues to implement his Party Expansion Plan. It all started with the creation of a new office under the Governor to oversee or should I say “to MANIPULATE” the half-billion of Federal funds FOR the Governor, not the People. This new office opened the door for wide spread changes and growth of our Government allowing for Republican Loyalists to move-up and change jobs opening the door for new ones like Sixto. The funny part is the Governor continues to recycle LOSERS like he did with Angel who lost against Kilili and he even tried to recycle him into the Speaker’s seat. The Governor is clearly making moves to extend and secure his & Republican power over the Federal Funds, expanding his Party with the new office that will surely expand the Republican voting base with good high-paying jobs FOR LOYAL Republicans. YES, it’s true that “if you want a good Government job you have to be a Republican Loyalist” which is why so many of our youth can’t wait to leave for the mainland, as they don’t have a real chance. The only reason the Cannabis Commission is full of young folks is because there wasn’t any “good-old-boys” in the Republican Party to recycle for these jobs but the Governor did make sure these young folks were under his direction by recycling Mr. Guerrero who lost his seat as Speaker.
Heck I’m also asking the same questions posed by a LAWMAKER who wants to know whatever happened to the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission which has been inactive since 2017. “The CPUC, among other things, had to consider and then rule on rate hike petitions filed by CUC while lawmakers yelled from the sidelines. (Voters were — still are — against rate hikes.)” But there is no accountability without this Commission and the Governor really doesn’t want accountability anywhere in the CNMI under his rule. More importantly, the requirements for the Commission makes it hard for the Governor to find “Loyal Recyclable Republicans” to fill the positions leaving the People with NO accountability over CUC. The only salvation FOR the People is that we are fortunate that Gary the Director is one good guy who seems to really knows what he is doing. Maybe if WE the People can get a Democrat Governor come 2022, then WE might finally have a real “Regulatory Commission over CUC” with real power that won’t be influenced by politics, as it should be and like it is in all states, especially where these Commissions are elected.
This Governor even tries to “recycle corruption” as it was already previously determined that his Cabinet Members CANNOT get overtime pay. So the Governor tries to recycle the same old ugly power play of granting overtime AGAIN as I keep telling readers he DOES NOT CARE what we see, think or feel about his activities as long as his Republican Base of blind, deaf and dumb voters will continue to follow. Republican Voters really need to WAKE-UP — for TRUE. The Governor got away with the overtime before when the present Democrats were a minority of Independents and powerless but the tables have turned as the Democrats CAN and WILL hold our Governor accountable. But that accountability stops at the Senate that is still being run by Republicans. I’m sure every voter with common sense DOES NOT want to see the CNMI remaining the SAME old place and the only way to create real change is to elect a Democrat Governor with a Democrat majority in both Houses.
Pay the Debts Governor & Cabinet
Even though I’m not an NMD my children are and I have been waiting to hear something about the 15 million being repaid to the NMDs given the Government just got a half/billion dollars in rainfall from the Feds. You would think the NMD two Organizations would be on top of this but then we have to ask WHO are these groups led by (Republicans), which is why I keep telling NMDs to organize as a “collective under one leader” who can speak for ALL NMDs. Until the NMDs become a “FORMAL Recognized Group and recognized by our Government” MPLT and all those millions will continue to be manipulated for Political Reasons instead of FOR the “Social Reasons” they were meant to address. The NMD money is always helping the Government but not doing much of anything FOR the People at the individual level and with Sixto being over DPL you can be assure things are not going to get any better as it was Sixto who was over the Retirement Fund when the Republicans finally KILLED it.
The next Governor should NOT have to be looking at the very same debts that were owed during this administration given there is an extra half-billion dollars that should have been budgeted by the Legislature for real accountability but WE know this Governor doesn’t want any accountability which is why he continues to do illegal things that has his own cabinet paying back the illegal money they took when they KNEW in the first place, they couldn’t get overtime. I’m sure most voters can remember how the Governor’s Cabinet got paid overtime under the previous Legislature after the previous Typhoon before the First Responders who rightfully earned their overtime but getting away with it only encouraged the Governor to do it again. But I’m sure voters with common sense are thankful that Rep. Edwin Propst and other Democrats caused some GOOD TROUBLE this time for the Governor and his Cabinet who must now pay-back that overtime money to the People.
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
