THE TRUTH of the matter is WE need real REFORMS, as all of the Boards and Commissions are OVERPAID for the work they do. This is a great opportunity to begin REFORMING (overhauling) our government but I do want to commend the effort to try and create some kind of “pay-scheme” for the Casino Commission, but it is like putting a Band-Aid on one cancer when the cancer has spread everywhere figuratively, as the problem is really a SYSTEMIC challenge for all the Boards and Commissions. WE have even paid casino commissioners on Tinian and Rota when there was no casino in operation and the same is becoming true for Saipan. The work we do to create a special plan for the Casino Commissioners would be much better served by creating “a standardized matrix that will be applicable to all the Boards and Commissions. I know from my experiences on the Education Board that 1. The number of times they meet is not worth what WE are paying. 2. The amount of work they actually do, as their lawyers, staff and even employees do most if not all the work, while the Boards & Commissioners only vote. 3. The “net-value of input from these Boards cannot be quantified in any way, as they don’t do the work to create reforms or changes and nor do anything tangible beyond making decisions.
It’s obvious that many of our politicians seem to think the Casino Commissioners should be getting a lot of money because the Casino generates revenues for the Government while PSS Board members get far less because PSS is not generating revenues but they both do the same thing — decide & vote. In fact, the Casino Commission was perfectly fine with the Casino not paying taxes at first until the People started to complain. The Casino Commission has yet to come up with anything that will Help the People and wouldn’t even file a lawsuit for the 77-million the Casino owes the People, just watching everything being sold-off and this is not the first time I wrote about it so THEY KNOW but refuse to listen. I guess they are waiting until there is nothing left to start thinking about the People when it’s toooooo darn late, just one darn-good reason why they don’t deserve special attention!
Politicians on the mainland have all kinds of “think-tanks, brain trust and even Universities & Foundations” to help them when it comes to creating legislation but here, it’s figuratively like “picnic-table thinking sessions” to come up with ideas — I KNOW, as I have seen it happen. So please consider doing the work to create a “standardized matrix to pay the Boards & Commissions that can have the flexibility to allow for some form of special compensations when its truly deserving and even warranted.” The special work that is being done for the Casino Commissioners can be better served by creating real REFORM in the way WE the People pay all the Boards and Commissions, as these People are SUPPOSED to be about doing “a Public Service” not getting a job, as the time they spend doesn’t even qualify as a parttime job only meeting once or twice a month — for TRUE!
Crying foul
I found it quite hilarious to see Senator Cruz “crying an unnecessary foul” but he never cried foul about the Casino on Saipan that he voted for when he KNEW it would Kill the Dynasty — poor Tinian, I feel so sorry for the People who are fooled by their Senators. But I understand and even sympathize to some extent with the Foul Cry over the Indigenous Affairs Office even though it seems like the “residue of GOP politics.” There are many other cultures in the CNMI now who don’t get any help from the government and the same is true at the Federal level except for Native Americans. They should have listened to me two decades ago when “I Told Them to declare Chamorros & Carolinians as Native Americans” and they would be getting permanent Federal Aid for the Office — but who listens to the outsider. But just think, there are many cultures in the CNMI who have to take care of their own culture, so why can’t locals take care of their culture without the Government’s help. I’m not against the Indigenous Affairs but WE are short on cash and if you can protest against the office being closed, even though the Governor’s Office has taken on the responsibilities, then you can VOLUNTEER your time to HELP if you truly care until there is money. I know its “TABOO” for an outsider to talk about the local culture but I must “tell-it-like-it-is” (TRUTH). So, if you want to be upset, then get upset at Ralph Torres who squandered over 2-Billion during his time as Governor forcing our new Governor to cut-cost. 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.
Ambrose M. Bennett
