My biggest puzzle is trying to figure out who and why one should consider running as lt. governor.
In case one should run as lt. governor, I think, in my opinion, one should consider some pointers. And here they are…
1. Don’t choose as a running-mate who has never tried being poor in his entire life. Choose someone coming from a humble background, but has excelled in figuring things out for himself. This person can then help others for he has already helped himself. In other words, choose a running-mate that is known to be a rags-to-riches kind of a fellow. They are cool, and down to earth!
2. Consider diligently our Chamorro/Carolinian humanity and choose a running-mate that can easily relate to both of our CNMI cultures in terms of language, outlook, orientation, and needs. The candidate should also understand other cultures and thrive in a multi-cultural environment that respects all peoples and culture.
3. It is important to understand and realize that your commander-in-chief should be seasoned! An individual that is not hindered in making unpopular decisions if it is in the best interest of keeping the government afloat! One that is ready to face the fact that it is next to impossible to please everyone. One that will risk failure in order to succeed.
4. The governor that will run with you should be a numbers man. He should be known to have dealt wisely in business, and have some degree and experience in international business — a great sense of business acumen, perspicacity, and circumspection. He plans, plants, nourishes, and then carefully harvests the particulars! Do not choose someone that is only a philosopher. Philosophers die but practical minded people continue to move on, reaping and living off of it.
The next lt. governor should be like a farmer who supports his favorite plant (the governor). He saw that it is planted and understood that most time, he have to be patient before the plant can start to bare fruits. It will have taken more than four years to see the first budding come out and in the mean time he must continue to support it by fertilizer, weeding, watering, etc, etc. And the consumers (the people) must also understand that they too, have to be like the lt. governor. What? If you plant a mango tree and you don’t see fruits in the first four years, you uproot it and plant over a new seed again? And then repeat the process over and over before you finally find out that it takes more than fours years for your plant to actually bear good fruits?
Fortunately some mango trees are hybrid and they immediately bare good fruits! But people tend not to see it because it unusually produces a lot of fruits right underneath their noses taking for granted the good fruits that they have already partaken that it has actually came from that plant prematurely. They have eaten it and commented on how good it tastes but they still complain as if it didn’t come from the same mango tree. What? Did it just fall down from the sky?
When time is not of the essence, then at least understand that time changes. At 50, I can still vividly recall the easy going life during the Trust Territory times. We want to continue our carefree style of island living and stretch into the way things should be nowadays. We want to still go picnic whenever it pleases us and on the smallest of an occasion, we want to celebrate it with a big festive party. And we blow everything out regardless of whether we will run out of rice and chicken tomorrow. And this is because we are fun loving and there is nothing wrong with that. But adjustments have to be made, and understanding about our surrounding elements have to be sought. The luxury of time made me to think deeply and resolve to accept that we as people from this small island must begin to act locally by thinking globally! We have to start living in the inevitable circumstances of our global economic system. We are all dead meat if we don’t hastily link up to this thing called global economy.
Say for instance my name is Greg, and I have inherited a not so profitable business that was entrusted to my care to make it survive. And this form of business is an only commodity store (CUC) where all the people go to fetch their daily bread (electricity). I am Greg and I am ill-informed of the effects of global economy and I insist to operate the business in such a fashion. How long will the business survive if I should buy a can of Spam for a dollar and retail it at 75 cents? Justification is that the people are used to paying 75 cents for the Spam, therefore I will sell it at that price lest they get angry and shout that I am greedy! How long will Greg’s business stay afloat?
Say for instance my name is Ben, and I inherited and entrusted with the same not so profitable business to care and make it survive. I know that I shouldn’t sell my Spam at 75cents because I have spent a dollar buying it.
So Ben sells his Spam at $1.45 each (45 percent mark-up) just to stay afloat. The people all shouted “Ben you are greedy!” The people wouldn’t pay $1.45 for the Spam but at the same time still over indulge on their happy go lucky living style of party hardy everyday and tomorrow, Can you borrow me cigarette please? It is the same basic reason why all basic necessities of life have gone up! Okay, so the price of oil has stabilized a little does that justify that we should sell bottom low and risk the fact that the global economy is still dangerously unreliable? We have to all wake up to the tune of practical living in 2009, and not living as in the days of the Trust Territory where everything was free or given free by the government. We all have to learn how to count our days, and count our blessings and become good stewards.
Gov. Ben Fitial made unpopular decisions but any numbers man would not hesitate to do just the same if he where to keep things afloat. Governor Fitial can be liken to that hybrid mango tree and not by the hair of his chinny chin chin, will he lay back and allow the government to sink — if he can help it.
You want to be a lt. governor? Then choose a hybrid mango tree like Governor Fitial. And begin producing fruits immediately like the no frequent power outages we are now enjoying, aggressive attempts to balance our budget, standing steadfast on our rights for self-government, etc. etc.
Please open up and let your eyes envision beyond what it can see, and also listen beyond what your ears can hear. Four more years with the Honorable Gov. Benigno R. Fitial is far better than four new years from someone with nothing but promises of political generalities. BIBA GOVERNOR FITIAL 2009!
ALEXANDRO
“THE COLONEL” SABLAN
Dandan, Saipan
