Governor Fitial: To sue or not to sue?

A few nights ago, in a videotaped message, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial announced on John Gonzales’ show that he will fight federalization and is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the U.S. government. I was shocked! Not because Governor Fitial announced he was going to sue the U.S., but because the power was actually still on at my house in Dandan! For quite some time, we had evening power outages every single night, from 6pm to 8pm (aside from the morning power outages we also experience daily). The one night Governor Fitial and his federalization fighters sponsor and appear on John Gonzales’ show, we have no evening power outage at all. Hmmm, is that just a coincidence or did DCM finally get their act in gear?

We all knew Governor Fitial was going to sue the U.S. government over federalization because he stated he would do so in his State of the Commonwealth Address. I find it a bit disconcerting that Governor Fitial is going to sue the United States over federalization instead of putting all his resources together and working with our community to once and for all fix the problems at CUC. Shouldn’t our power problems be his number one priority?

I hope you are aware that Executive Director Tony Muna admitted that DCM is in default of their contract for its failure to repair and rehabilitate Power Plant 1’s engines within the time line of their contract. Director Muna adds that there is no penalty clause and that DCM will not be penalized or fined. I beg your pardon? No penalty clause? So the truth is, if it takes them 20 years, DCM can’t and won’t be fined? Can you please tell me who exactly came up with this contract? Perhaps the legislative oversight committee should review this contract carefully.

In the meantime, while Governor Fitial flies off to the United States to sue the U.S. government, we have other pressing issues that deserve greater attention. Here are only a few out of the dozens that come to my mind:

Continental’s closure of its Saipan office effective July 16. No more Saipan-Manila flights puts patients requiring immediate surgery or care in jeopardy, as transportation time could translate to a patient living or dying. The average CNMI citizen cannot afford chartering a jet to Manila in the case of a medical emergency (but of course Governor Fitial can!). Governor Fitial, what are you doing to address this serious problem? And please do not tell us you will sue Continental.

Unstable, unaffordable power for businesses and residents. Businesses are shutting their doors every week because of the outrageous cost of power. Actually, businesses are also opening their doors because they can no longer afford to run their air conditioners. Can you tell us what you are doing to help businesses cope with the excessive cost of power? What about residents who can’t afford power because you doubled it within one month? Will using CNMI taxpayers’ money lower their power rates? Do you honestly think residents even care about federalization when they have no power in their homes? Geothermal power is a nice fantasy, but if rather than when it becomes a reality, it is still several years down the road. What do businesses and residents do in the meantime, besides “modifying” our lifestyles, as Tony Muna suggested? Trade in our cars for a carabao?

CUC’s troubled desk. For the thousandth time, if you can afford to pay DCM millions of dollars to sit around and twiddle their thumbs while they wait for engine parts to arrive, and you can afford a $6 million contract for back-up generators that you should have ordered before you even started the DCM contract, why can’t you spend a few thousand dollars on an automated answering system for CUC’s trouble desk? Right now, all we get from CUC’s trouble desk are busy signals, hang ups, or a clueless person on the other line telling us we should invest in a generator. In a small but effective effort to do something right at CUC, can you please put in an automated answering system, similar to the systems at Hollywood Theater, Megabyte, all major hotels, and dozens of other businesses? When engines fail (which seems to be a daily occurrence) and there is no power, the general public should be able to find out if the power will be out for two hours or two days. Have a person record the problem and update it every half hour on an automated answering system so we won’t be left in the dark…literally. Isn’t CUC’s management capable of doing something positive for once?

$6 million for CUC’s ‘temporary’ back-up generators. Since you already signed the contract to get back-up generators because DCM failed to live up to their contractual obligation, where exactly are you going to get $6 million? Perhaps you could penalize DCM and use that money to pay for the back-up generators. After all, it is because of DCM’s failures that we need to get the back-up generators, isn’t it? If you can’t even afford an automated answering system, where are you going to find $6 million to fund the back-up generators? On another note, Dr. Tom Arkle states that we could purchase an 11 megawatt “like new” Mann generator from a company called LOHRMANN, and it would only cost $2.5 million. Not only is it cheaper, but we would also own it! If Governor Fitial does not want to buy another generator, then why not have Telesource provide the power to us instead of Aggreko? They are willing to do it for half of what Aggreko is charging! Can you please explain this to the general public, Mr. Tony Muna and Governor Fitial?

The Attorney General’s failure to pursue and prosecute up to $3 million worth of corruption cases investigated and audited by OPA. Governor, what is stopping your Attorney General from prosecuting OPA’s audited cases that involve almost $3 million of misused and abused funds? The CNMI sure could use that money. If it is because of political reasons or relations, can you just tell us? Perhaps it is time the CNMI look into electing an AG instead of having him/her appointed. Can a politically appointed AG truly be objective and free from the chains of politics? Judging from this Attorney General’s performance (or non-performance), it sure doesn’t seem like it.

Bottom line? We all want change, but it is never going to happen unless you (YES, YOU!) are willing to do something about it. Write a letter, call or visit your representative, stage a rally, spread the word…just do something! Tell everyone you know that you do not want Governor Fitial using any taxpayers’ money to sue the United States, or call or write Governor Fitial directly! Remember when the CNMI hired stateside lobbyists to thwart federalization? Jack Abramoff and his corrupt syndicate received millions of dollars and certainly helped delay it, but he also was sent to prison, and the CNMI got a black eye from the bad publicity and our association with Abramoff. Is suing the United States really in our best interests? Isn’t it a bit ironic that on one hand we’ve received billions in aid from the U.S., yet we have the audacity to threaten to sue the very country that has nurtured us? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

I personally believe that if Governor Fitial wants to sue the U.S. over federalization, he may do so, but he needs to use his own money to fund it or use donations from the big businesses and individuals that are encouraging him to fight it. While I recently read that “sympathizers” will be shelling out the big bucks to sue the United States, imagine if we used that money to build a new classroom for PSS, fund more scholarships for NMC so additional students can get a local college degree, purchase much needed medical supplies for CHC, or used it to help the homeless who are now living on several of our public beaches. Things have gone from bad to worse, and there seems to be no end in sight to our problems or any light at the end of this dark, depressing tunnel.

I am open to suggestions and criticism, and expect nothing less. In the meantime, you can visit my blog at http://marianaspride.blogspot.com/ and vote on whether or not you feel Governor Fitial should sue the U.S. over federalization. [B][I](Edwin Propst)[/I][/B]