I CAN remember my MaDear comforting me about one of my life’s challenges, as she said “sometimes when things are so bad and even ridiculous you have to just laugh to keep from crying and leave it up to God.” I’m sure most readers will agree with the fact that CNMI literally needs not “a” but a Few-Miracles to get our Economy and Quality of Life out of this rut WE the People are in with this Governor and HIS Crew. I don’t have to tell or remind anyone of how bad our Economy and our Quality of Life has gotten just in the past decade with 8 of those years under Torres alone. Every week there is something almost unbelievable happening as WE the People can no longer expect NORMAL, MORAL & ETHICAL Behavior from our Governor & Crew. So WE must laugh to keep our spirits up and not get frustrated anymore as it won’t be as long as it has been before WE see Justice. Now that the Governor is facing a real Court where his “lying, deflecting, gaslighting, pointing-fingers and now his False Narrative Defense” won’t hold up to acquit him, as the evidence speaks for itself. But that’s what he does, he creates “False Narratives” to avoid the Truth!
Now the Governor is putting forth a “’False Narrative” for his defense in court as he has caused me to introduce more new vocabulary words about his behavior and activities than I have seen in my entire life in the CNMI. The Governor has gone from LYING to the People about his willingness to explain his actions, to DEFLECTING the JGO Investigation to be about the Committee Members, to deflecting & GASLIGHTING his crimes on the Radio and his refusal to adhere to his subpoena and claiming to follow the Senate Rules to FINGERPOINTING at the JGO & Members and now he’s seemingly offering a “False Narrative that the evidence and the process are all illegal” for his defense in court — LOL! The Governor’s defense is not saying he didn’t commit the crime but his defense clearly implies that EVERYTHING & Everyone else is wrong, which is really a lie complemented with deflecting, gaslighting and finger-pointing tactics — can’t wait to see this trial! But one must laugh to keep from crying or even being mad at this Governor, as it’s truly time to pray for him and his family because he has a very long ways to fall from grace as the top Executive in the CNMI — for TRUE!
The Governor claims he’s not concerned about Photo Ops but when he signed the Retiree Bonus it was HIS Crew as usual and the Governor even gave all the credit to HIS Minority in the House and HIS Senate, when it was a BIPATISAN Effort to get the Bill done PROPERLY! Letting Vinnie offer up the proper action taking out HIS Full Reprograming was supposed to somehow make Vinnie look good when it was their Poli-tricking to get the Governor Full Reprograming Authority that delayed everything — we have to laugh to keep from crying and pray Judgment Day will hurry-up. But this Governor not only uses Photo Ops for Him & Party but he also creates “False Narratives in the Media.” He went from “I’ll explain everything to refusing his subpoena” and then reversed and said “we will follow the Senate’s Rules.” He PROMISED Retirees a Bonus for Christmas but didn’t make a single effort to fix the problem he CAUSED, but he called HIS OWN meeting in the Legislature the day-after the FBI raids, which proves what I keep saying about his activities being more about “His personal-intentions, not the People’s.” So, WE must laugh to keep from crying — election day is coming.
The Governor recently gaslighted how the CNMI benefited from the Casino. I will be first to say Yes, WE the People and some Government Entities benefited from the Casino when it was in operation. But it’s figuratively DEAD now and I beg to submit that the Casino now OWES the CNMI far MORE than what WE have already gotten, as WE the People are owed 57-million not to mention the tens of millions owed to the Government and WE were promised BILLIONS, duh!!! The AG is even trying to collect the “illegal overtime” that was given to the Governor’s Crew but the last I heard it was only around 47,000 being pursued to collect when the total amount was 8-million — the People are screwed again! Looks like WE the People are going to be FORCED by this Governor to “pick-up another one of HIS illegal tabs” but that’s to be expected from a Godfather & Crew. Heck, there is soooo much that needs fixing I can’t keep up with it all anymore.
But it should be noted that the Governor has NEVER given voters any assurance of his innocence with the RICO Case he faces and he has NEVER said “I didn’t do these things.” He just continues with his Photo-ops and Poli-tricking efforts to “CHANGE and imply False Narratives” to avoid the TRUTH that he is “lit-up with crimes like a Christmas Tree”! But the saddest thing about his behavior is that instead of working to find NEW Revenue Sources that are desperately needed, this Governor was Poli-tricking to control the Federal Funds WE already have. But this is just another reason of many why WE have to just laugh to keep from crying because there is virtually nothing we can do, as Voters made Governor Torres virtually ALL Powerful as he OWNS the Senate too! WE have no choice but to laugh at the antics of this Governor, his Lt. Governor and those GOP in the House & Senate to keep from crying and getting mad. Our “saving-grace” is the fact that the Sun will surely rise on a NEW Day for a New & Better CNMI, as our fate will no longer be up to Torres but the People on Judgement Day. WE the People must get it right this time with Tina Sablan & Democrats!!!
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
