If you’re tired of business as usual and of the status quo, then elect only the candidates who represent a new way of thinking — those who are up to the new challenges facing the CNMI and are aware that there is no going back to a long gone era.
We salute you
VOLUNTEERISM is alive in the CNMI, from the Diabetes Coalition and the cancer association, the environmental and beautification organizations, to groups that advocate a halt to violence against women, PAWS, and the individual efforts of people like Frank Cepeda.
These individuals are stepping up and addressing problems or highlighting concerns that only community members can press for. And they do it on their own time. They fill in gaps that government has not and cannot fill; they bring attention to concerns that government ignores; they add a human voice to the real life issues that affect the community. They’re tired of talking about a problem and have stepped into the lurch to fix it.
A travesty
IN the past few weeks several government agencies have hiked various fees for less government service. They are small increases, but they are there. Despite Governor Fitial’s arguments for a slimmer, trimmer government, his administration has not made any cuts, except in the professional service area. Apparently, the administration believes that the CNMI’s only hospital should have fewer physicians.
Meanwhile, tens of millions of dollars in capital improvement funds sit in escrow accounts waiting for the CNMI government to submit a credible plan for the money, but with no technical and professional staff to speak of at the Department of Public Works or almost any government agency, the funds sit unused. This is a travesty of huge proportions. No one will argue that the commonwealth doesn’t need better infrastructure, and there are many projects to complete. The Garapan revitalization project, for example, is a good project. Then-Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio initiated it. Then-Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio along with private groups built the Beach Road median, a small part of the overall project. Then-Gov. Juan N. Babauta recognized its importance and started the project — only to be completely abandoned by the current governor.
If tourism is so important to the commonwealth why is there no movement on projects that would upgrade the CNMI as a tourist destination?
Meanwhile, we witness a succession of groundbreaking events for this casino and that hotel — but nothing is built. That doesn’t stop the administration from plowing ahead to dole out more tax breaks to groups that haven’t yet proved they will build anything.
It is true that the global crisis has put a halt to many projects around the world, but why sweeten the deal without a firm commitment that these groups ever plan to build anything at all?
The Laolao Bay golf course project is a case in point. It may be that this group does have plans to build a good project at the site and has merely delayed construction until the economy turns around. But for nearly four years there has been little construction activity beyond the turn of the shovel at ceremonial functions.
In this election year, every candidate must recognize the singular importance of turning this economy around if this community is to thrive again. And while the global market affects our survival to some extent, there are tens of millions of capital improvement monies just waiting for this administration to turn in a credible plan and trigger their release.
There is no reason, save incompetence, for this not to occur.
Take note
FORMER Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio has joined the Covenant Party, a move designed to give life to Governor Fitial’s election campaign. Though widely regarded to have engineered the most successful if not controversial governorship, he and his supporters must realize that the incumbent and not Tenorio will be the governor. We don’t need any reminders of what four more years of this administration will be like.
