FOR years I have been giving readers excellent examples of how these Republicans have continued to put OTHERS before their own People and it just continues to get worse and worse. The recent Tourism Bubble is another new example of how this Governor put South Koreans first over Locals. This past Saturday an excellent point was made by a caller on how the people were just totally forgotten about when it came to the Bubble. The caller was so right about the need for the Governor to extend the Bubble Tourism to HIS OWN People as many of us have a bit of “cabin-fever” and would love to visit Tinian, Rota or Saipan. Why can’t the Governor give Locals the same 500 for each island like they are doing with the South Koreans, as it would have helped Tinian with their Beer Festival and Rota with their Festival this past weekend. But the Governor is thinking about extending the Bubble to other countries before even considering his own People even though Locals have the biggest incentive to visit their family and friends on Rota, Tinian and Saipan. But giving Local’s money to travel sounds entirely tooooo much like the RIGHT-THING to do FOR the People — oust this Governor!!!
The Governor wants us to think he really cares about us but his actions PROVE that WE are indeed last on his list and sometimes we are not even on his list to help like those needing “unemployment benefits.” But he really can’t help it because these Republicans are literally “handicapped with tunnel vision” and can’t even see or think out-side-their-box of helping OTHERS, especially businesses like IPI before helping the People. Which reminds me, the Casino Commission just demanded IPI to pay the vendors they owe but didn’t whisper a word about giving the People OUR Community Chest Funds. They are even talking about taking the license with NO Plans to give the License to a new Investors — just gaslighting to make us think they are doing their job. But if they were really doing their job they would publish and present a list to IPI on ALL the money (Taxes, Community Chest, License Fees) they OWE the People of the CNMI and demanding it be paid. But that would sound too much like “working FOR the People” — HELLER Voters.
I also found it truly amazing the Governor hired a new Chief of Staff from Guam overlooking his LOYAL followers in the CNMI but I guess they have a good relationship given the Governor was purchasing liquor for him on Guam with OUR money. I’m sure the JGO won’t forget to ask him about this when and if he even testifies and I know voters won’t forget the late-night Pizza & Liquor Party that WE the People paid for. But the big shock to me was it seems his Chief of Staff knows MORE about the Governor’s Plans for us-folks-in-the-cheap-seats than we do. He was pitching some “grandioso plan for the CNMI that WE have never heard about” or was the Governor just gaslighting him too. WE are also still waiting to hear Sixto explain DPL’s plans for OUR 80 million!
The Governor is only talking about giving us-folks some kind of “International Garbage Collection” when WE need financial HELP as the quality of life in the CNMI is on the DECLINE! While the Governor and his amigos took advantage of the “Photo Op” with the Hyatt signing a new lease with speeches that were clearly made-up on the spot to sound good (gaslighting), as I have seen students in the AG Cup run rings around their public speaking ability. Thanks to the Hyatt but Sixto hasn’t issued any ads or done anything to lease OUR Mariana Resort Property — are they really still trying to save the property for IPI putting IPI before the People??? To be continued: One people One Direction.
The writer is an Economist, Political Scientist, 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.
Ambrose M. Bennett
