Do we really need a Saipan mayor?

There was an interesting story in the Saipan Tribune last week: “Tudela at Obama Inauguration”. It started me thinking and I wanted to share those thoughts with you.

I met Mayor Tudela on the airplane going to Tokyo several weeks ago. He has a very nice smile and seems to be like an uncle that we would all like to have. He was sitting in first class, having his favorite drink and a snack. He may have requested seat 1-A because he needed to use a wheel chair to exit the airplane. We talked awhile and I thanked him for responding to Rep. Joe Camacho’s request to fix Wireless Road. He told me that paving the road was in his plans for the future. (“Does tomorrow ever come?”) I reminded him that the road repairs were not completed because his government workers ran out of fuel oil for the equipment that they were using. Also, I mentioned that Frank Camacho had led a group of local folks to raise money to help pay for the road work (truck and compactor).

It seems strange and somewhat concerning to me that the Mayor has the money, from somewhere, to travel First Class to “Conferences” in: India, China, Japan, USA, Washington DC, but he does not have the money to supply his workers’ basic needs like fuel. I asked two of the workers on our road, “Where are the trucks you keep stored in Lower Base?” Answer: “None are operational, they all need repairs.”

I have visited the Mayor’s office several times. The workers there are friendly, helpful, and polite. I saw about 10 or more folks sitting at their desks, looking at documents and watching their computers. I noticed that several were playing games and others were taking what looked like courses on self-improvement, a good cause. If you have not gone to the Mayor’s office you should go see for yourselves, the people are quite nice. What concerns me is the Office of the Mayor does not have funds to provide basic public services on roads, safety, lighting etc, but we keep an office. Why?

In the Dec. 24 Tribune article: “It’s really amazing,” Tudela said. “Nobody knows me, but when I start talking they learn Saipan is the best place for tourists.” My question is how many tourists do we get from India, and I thought that the MVA had the responsibility/budget to inform tourist. The paper earlier reported that the mayor’s trip to India was paid for by a local businessman, Why? (Is this the source of the CUC India connection?)

The Honorable Tudela will attend the Mayor’s Conference in Washington D.C. in January. He said he doesn’t always go to the annual Mayors Conference “but wanted to go this year because it will be his last opportunity before his term is up.” I thought people attended meetings to get some results, anything of value! But this sounds like a personal trip for his own self-satisfaction. I guess we would all go if someone paid the expenses. I feel we need the mayor to stay on Saipan and work hard on the problems we face. How can he solve our problems on the other side of the world?

Representatives Joe and Justo work hard here in District 4. We need the mayor to work hard here, too. Why doesn’t he? Joe and Justo, back to my question: “Saipan’s Mayor, do we need one?” My concern is not the current mayor, he is a very nice man, we all love him for his smile and personality. What we need to consider: do we need the Office of the Mayor to supply services to the public? I am not talking about closing the office, but moving it into a department within the CNMI government. The budget is there, the people are there, can they be pulled together to develop synergy? You know 1+1=3. The activities of the mayor need oversight.

I hope that you, Joe and Justo, will help lead the way to reform our government to make it more responsive to the needs of the people that you represent. I am certain that the Mayor’s office has political power, but if it only benefits those few that are on the inside, it is not really a public service.

Joe and Justo, I appreciate your leadership to change the way things are done on Saipan. We depend on you to be our leaders!