Nine years later, with the economy in tatters and new austerity measures in place, the House Republicans seem to be eager to assume leadership positions. Why? Because the next election is still two long years away? And what would the Republicans tell the electorate in 2012 to explain their failure to end the people’s “suffering”? Or do the House Republicans actually believe they can end payless paydays, restore the government’s 80-hour work period and settle its obligations to vendors and the Retirement Fund? Really?
Diego, who is on friendly terms with the governor, can be speaker again before the year ends. But why he wants to be the presiding officer of the House — which will remain under the thumb of the governor regardless of who the speaker is — is beyond me. Indeed, even if the “opposition” Republicans wrest control of the House, the governor can still get the votes for whatever he wants passed. Diego should know. He was speaker when his primo Lang was governor. The GOP held huge majorities in both houses of the Legislature, which passed all of Lang’s priority measures. (That Legislature finally acquired a backbone in 1997, an election year, when everyone knew that Lang was on his way out.)
There is only one Big Kahuna on the Hill and it’s the governor. He holds the purse (lawmakers may appropriate, but it’s the governor’s Department of Finance that disburses funds). His AGO approves contracts. He selects who should be heads of departments, divisions and agencies, and who should sit on the boards and commissions of supposedly independent government entities. He appoints the public auditor, the justices and the judges. He controls agencies providing critical public services, including CUC. He practically has the entire CNMI government machinery at his disposal.
And this governor, who has an uncanny ability to form tactical alliances with just about anyone, has four years left in his term.
Apparently, some (jobless) Republicans are now desperate enough to believe that they can benefit from a merger with this disastrous ruling party and still win in the next elections. Sadly, they may be right. Voters will continue to mark their ballots based on their own interest as they see it. In the CNMI, it’s all about government jobs and contracts. I don’t know how this government can continue dispensing such favors as the economy continues to shrink, but I suspect that the post-election firings will be more sweeping in the future to accommodate the supporters of the winning candidates.
In any case, I find it amazing — and depressing — that even though a lot has changed already, it’s still business as usual for a lot of CNMI politicians. Their goal remains the same: build alliances, win elections, punish opponents, reward supporters. Improving critical public services is an afterthought. On Capital Hill, amid an economic meltdown, most of the bills introduced are still in response to specific, short-term concerns of well-connected constituents or supporters. There is no evidence of long-term and strategic thinking when it comes to addressing the CNMI’s main problems. No money? Raise taxes. No investments? Legalize pot. No tourists? Open a casino.
Why learn how to govern when all you need to know is how to win elections.
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