The St. Thomas Syndrome

Our people seek clarity which parade to follow on federalization: Dialogue (acquiescence) or a more proactive approach (lawsuit) to resolving this controversy. At issue is the implementation of an economically annihilative or destructive federal labor law slated for implementation next year.

Dialogue is history! Otherwise, something positive would have come out of the 902 talks to which there’s none. I’m sure most of you aren’t blind, mute or deaf to understand this factual assertion. The planned lawsuit would give the CNMI a chance to force negotiations through judicial consent decree that would give us the opportunity to preserve our rights to greater degree of self-government. It isn’t an act of attempting to sever relations, but to find out why the current relationship isn’t working.

What’s important to prevent via the lawsuit is the highly likely economic contraction of 40-60 percent. It would reduce revenue generation by leaps and bounds, the effect being two-fold: 1). A reduction in business volume, the consequence being a huge plunge in revenue. 2). It means far less revenues to support education, health and public safety, among other services.

Even more egregious effect is the joblessness it would force upon employees in both the private and public sectors. In short, more employees will be dealing with joblessness resulting from far less income for family needs and the loss of the first family home. This isn’t my view of self-government nor is it the answer to keeping our people gainfully employed so they can move on with their lives. It’s hard enough as it is and there’s no need to add fuel to an impending inferno of destruction.

I have seen and lived the hardship of joblessness in 1960s when the U.S. Department of the Interior took over the Trust Territory Government from the Department of the Navy. I am not prepared to re-live that chapter in my life nor am I ready to let it slide negligently just to force the issue against our innocent children. This would be highly irresponsible and unconscionable an act by those of us given the privilege to represent our people in defense of their inalienable rights to self-government. This is a fundamental policy under the Covenant Agreement that must be defended at all cost.

Think about it and think beyond your blind political agenda of self-destruction. Let St. Thomas alone on his biblical pedestal. Need we stick our filthy fingers into His wound to find out if His enemies pierced His rib side?

‘Are You Sleeping?’

The neglect of the past 25 years has finally begun to haunt us. How ironic that some of our men of wisdom—who were at the helm in recent years—are now questioning their own awareness of personal inadequacies. In other words, they were there but did nothing—plan for the future expansion of the power plant—and now call it “human disaster.” Are you victims of circumstance or did you create the circumstance because of your failure to plan? You’re now struggling to make us believe that you’re victims, too? Aren’t you the architects of this disaster and have decided to take on the grand role of ostriches on a tropical sandy island? Komun sense, anybody?

Now we take the failure of past government leaders to Uncle George Bush, singing: “Uncle George, Uncle George, never mind for da kine plan, just give us new power plant!” The accusation of “reluctance” started with you folks when you simply looked the other way in recent past as though everything is fine. Now, may we hear words of honesty from men of integrity? The snooze is over but we still wanted to go on picnicking while our roof is on fire. Well, I hope you’re not telling me that you fit the category of “people who didn’t know what happened.”

While at it, may I congratulate Ed Propst for putting up a rally confirming that this administration offers concretes over his usual whining, intoning, Three Blind Mice! Or am I reading this wrong? Lights are on but nobody’s home? Hello? How about concretes, sir? And if you can’t offer any solutions, then I suppose you are one kid playing with adult toys? I think there’s lots of room for, say, growing up? And thanks for the rally in futility. We needed the extra booster!

Finally, KSPN ran a story about the Lt. Governor’s utility bills. I quiz what’s the legitimacy of the story or its relevance to the indictment? Was this part of the smear campaign to fan hatred against the accused? Shouldn’t this story be brought to court if only to find the architect behind it? People, we weren’t born yesterday and we certainly know who’s behind this scheme. An interesting twist that has not an iota of legitimacy!