DEDICATED to Retirees, as I’m sure every adult in the CNMI has done something DUMB that ended up costing them in one way or another — if they say they haven’t they are lying, as it’s part of life experiences! Well, my MaDear who often spoke with “empirical wisdom & metaphor” would say, “it’s expensive to be dumb” and in the CNMI’s case it has truly been expensive with the majority being poli-tricked or dumb enough to elect corrupt leaders costing us-all Economically & Socially. The CNMI has been run-into-the-ground by these Republicans, as OUR deficit is now in the HUNDREDS-of-MILLIONS. But what’s so amazing is the CNMI has gotten around a BILLION Dollars in Federal Aid in the past 6 years under Governor Torres alone with little and even NOTHING to show for all these millions, except for his family who has flourished. The only thing the Governor has touted was “a” New Home and the Road Improvements that sadly took 20 years to complete using Federal Funds and still no Mt. Tapochao Rd.
The lack of real progress for the entire CNMI is not because of the Typhoons and it’s not because of the Pandemic, but in fact it is because there have-been a LOT of dumb and even NO decisions and WE the People are paying the cost — it’s truly expensive to be dumb. I don’t think enough voters in the CNMI have really viewed the Local Budget and the Federal Funds as “THEIR Money” when they vote. WE have been trusting the WRONG People with OUR money which is a mistake that the majority of voters have made for the past two decades with Republicans. WE must be smarter voters and stop the dumb stuff — it’s costly!
Just think how DUMB it was for Angel Demapan to write a Law that gave the Governor the programing authority over the People’s Community Chest and now IPI owes the People over 57-million — the same Poli-trick now with Retirees to get him reprograming authority for 300-million, as the House is doing right to stop this Governor and protect OUR money. IPI also owes millions more in un-paid taxes & fees but no attempt to collect — it’s truly expensive to be dumb. Just think how dumb it was to elect this Governor now given ALL the Personal Expenses the illegal travel, fishing and vacation trips. Think how dumb but expensive it has been FOR the People to have paid in the millions on the La Fiesta Lease, the lost millions with no lease on the Mariana Resort and other WASTED money OF the People. But no Republican wants to talk about these wasted MILLIONS & loss of the Japanese Tourism Market worth HUNDREDS of Millions, and please don’t forget the Corruption & FAILURE of the Republicans’ Casino and the Hotel they couldn’t even finish. Heck, if Democrats can get a chance to fix the mess made by Republicans our economic engine will start running smoother & stronger generating tens-of-millions more in revenues.
But the Governor is busy “changing the narrative and controlling the media cycle doing his deflecting & finger pointing and Arnold is busy with his skullduggery tactics to try and destroy the Democrats from within” — a two-prong attack on Democrats but TAYA for the People. But these are the dumb cost WE the People are paying in the tens-of-millions. We must be smarter to elect MORE Democrats, especially in the Senate, as it would indeed be dumb to re-elect the Governor and Arnold who got us into this Economic and Social mess. WE must educate our family, friends and neighbors about this Governor and blind-eyed Arnold so voters can really make a “smart & informed vote” as any DUMB mistakes this time will surely cost us-all in the MILLIONS!!! Voters have MILLIONS of reasons not to elect Ralph nor Arnold — for TRUE!
I have often said that the Elections in the CNMI were more like “popularity contest for the strongest or biggest rooster” as its only natural for voters to want to be on the winning side. But there is a saying of wisdom among the great athletes & coaches that says: “winning isn’t everything” and I think most readers will agree that while the Republicans have been winning, WE the People are the real LOSERS! In fact, WE as a People have been LOSING for the past two decades with these Republicans but voters continue to vote Republican which is why they are so “BOLD & BRAZEN” now — they actually don’t believe they can lose, which is why it is so important to the present and future of the CNMI that these BOLD Republicans need to be taught a Poli-tricking lesson OF & BY the People. WE the People have created a Republican Dragon that doesn’t fear anything not even the FBI & RICO nor the Voters anymore as Senator Jude has literally turned into a “political bully” with the Senate Trial, which proves Republicans really think the majority of voters are DUMB or should I say “stupid” enough to continue electing them — they must be taught a lesson.
Heck, some Retirees are still DUMB enough to support this Governor or Blind-eyed Arnold who continues to be “blind & dumb” being quiet and won’t say anything about how the Governor is using Retirees to get programing authority over OUR money, as he’s toooo busy stealing candidates from the Democrats. He might fool some but it’s so expensive to be dumb because Retirees still haven’t gotten the Bonus PROMISED by the Governor, not the House nor Senate, as all the blame and finger pointing should be on Ralph & Arnold, our chief Executives. But I truly pray that someone will step-forward to organize the Retirees under an Association so that WE can All have a REAL Voice in OUR money and in what is left of OUR Retirement Fund before it is completely broke — the same is also true for NMDs.
Torres and Arnold have proven to have “no fiscal responsibility, no real economic plan and they don’t have anything on the table FOR the People. They have only offered a bunch of “gullible poli-tricking words — rebuilding trust, resilience & vision” along with their routine finger pointing at Democrats but nothing of any real substance. Its obvious voters made a dumb decision with Ralph & Arnold, which is why WE as a People can’t be dumb enough to re-elect either one of them again. Voters must be smarter this time and give the Democrats at least ONE real chance in the Executive Office and the Legislature to fix this mess and prove their worth, as it’s really Expensive for voters to be Dumb!
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
