The right to vote for your leaders is one of the greatest rights anyone can have. But with that right, comes responsibility. You are responsible to look at all the candidates. Find out what they really stand for. Which candidate will work for the good of the island and for all of us; and which ones are going to work for themselves?
Ever since we have elections on the island it has been an accepted cultural practice to vote for family members. I would hope that by now you can see that, such cultural practice no longer works. Just step back and look at where it has gotten you. A non-functioning government; A “do-nothing” legislature; and a Retirement Fund that is going broke. If this is what you want for your children then keep up the practice. If you want something better for your children then look at who is running for office. Pick the one who want to help the island and the people and vote for them regardless if they are family or not. Keep in mind that you can lie to the candidates just as well as they lie to you. But when you vote you are the only one who knows who you voted for.
Do not believe what the candidates tell you. Look at how they have voted in the past. Did they vote to help you or themselves? When the candidates approach me, I have just one question for them, that is name me one bill that you sponsored or supported in the last 10 years that was designed to help the working people of the CNMI. Guest what — I have yet to get an answer. I guess it has been so long ago that they have forgotten; or maybe they just did try to help the people.
A good place to start on their records is to find out how they voted on the bills to give the garment factories every tax break in the world. Anyone that has the smallest degree of understanding about business knew that when President Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Bill, the garment factories were history. So instead of getting all the revenue we could out of them, our local lawmakers gave them every tax break they could. It did not keep the factories here. What it did is let the factory owners leave here with million of dollars in their pockets; money that should have been in the general fund.
When the factories did close down did you hear any of the lawmakers talking about finding other sources of revenue? You did not hear a word out of them till a few weeks ago. Where have they been for the last ten years?
My point in all of this is that we need a new group of law makers. Younger people who are willing to go to vote. Ask yourself, “is that candidate going to try to make things better or is he or she just saying what they think that you want to hear to get your vote.” How have they responded in the past?
FREDERICK PROSSER
As Matuis, Saipan
