Governor, it’s kind of hard to back up secret deals, because they are secret

In the Variety of July 21, Gov. Inos tells casino skeptics to back up allegations. Pretty hard without transparency. The commission accepted the consultant’s findings without a word of dissent. The consultants were less than professional. Innovation and B2G took both casino applicants’ word for everything and didn’t even check to see if the documents were genuine. They took a letter from Best Sunshine, supposedly from a financial institution, guaranteeing they would make the necessary loans for $2 billion without even checking to see if they could. Innovation seems to be a real company, but B2G wasn’t even incorporated until February 2013 and it seems both companies were personally contacted by the Lottery Commission, prior to the awarding of the contract, without going through the normal announcement for an RFP. B2G found BS was superior to TDHC, even in “operation of a casino” even though they have never operated one.

The Lottery Commission needs to be investigated. This whole casino thing is dirty. I looked at the report compiled by the commission and it is the worst case of government inefficiency I have ever seen. Of course, it may be intentional, but if it wasn’t, someone needs to be accountable for the mess it’s in. And another thing, why does Commerce charge 50 cents for a Xerox copy and the courts only 25 cents? Strange indeed.

Vincent Cruz Santos Jr., profile please.
This young man is running for Northern islands mayor. I can’t find anything about him anywhere, except a mention in the Saipan Tribune. Don’t you guys realize that there are 4,000 people here that have never heard of you that can influence elections? All someone would have to do to elect a candidate is move 80 voters to Pagan, or just have 80 people say they are from the Northern Islands, since most of them actually live on Saipan. Young Mr. Santos’ claim to fame is his father was a former mayor. That’s all the qualifications needed? He’s running against the son of another former mayor. The Northern Islands, Tinian, and Rota mayors should be an honorary job because there just isn’t anything to do there, zip, zilch and zero. Elect a chief among yourselves and get on with life. Out of about 55,000 people in the CNMI, only about 2,700 live outside Saipan, and at great expense to the CNMI. If you want to live there, do so, but don’t expect the same level of service you will get on Saipan. You are “outer islanders” and If you want to be “city folks” move to Saipan or Guam or the mainland, like half of the population of the CNMI have already done.

Bruce Iglesias is running and he is not a government employee
How can he possible win, he only has two names. But he does have a history with helping out in his community and that shows he has heart, and not just at election time. He shouldn’t be seeking federal funding though; they are broke too. He can go on YouTube and find many examples of how neighbors can help each other, without spending too much time and energy. Just make a plan, get volunteers and source materials if needed. You will be surprised what can be accomplished in two hours, twice a week, or four hours once a week. He, and every other candidate, should get a database map of every resident in District 2 with Google Earth maps and detailed information on each house and vacant lot. Then they can make a detailed plan for their district. Too bad the government can’t get “community leaders” in each community. Districts are too big to monitor properly. By the way, if you remember any candidate coming by your house last year, especially you man’amko and the poor, or anytime during the last 16 months, asking you how things were and if there was anything he might do to help, and they actually did something to help you, I would vote for them. We live on a small island but we act like its Manhattan island.

Teachers, I’m actually on your side but…
An elementary teacher may have 25 students in their room. Each of them has their own interests, plus the interests of their parents. Little Johnny or Joannie may want to be taught to be a killer mathematician, while Patty might need to be nurtured and made to feel happy and whole. But the elementary teacher also has to serve the interests of the principals, district administration, supervisors and the Board of Education. And, on top of that she must serve the interests of the state and federal government who have imposed their own set of rules. Does the teacher coach? Every player and parent bring their own ideas to the game. And on top of all of these, the one interest a teacher is never supposed to serve is her own. “Enlightened self-interest” is a virtue in many private sectors, but nobody touts it for teachers.

A teacher cannot serve all of those interests, and yet that is the teacher’s mandate. These teachers, in the CNMI, must also teach the same thing to every student, regardless of that student’s real interests. If you compare the 6 year olds that have had a tablet and Internet for three to four years when they start first grade to those that don’t have access, the difference is remarkable. It’s astounding. It’s just too bad our school board and school administrators don’t have the insight, training and foresight to see that they are short-changing our students, from K all the way through Grade 12.

The lack of curiosity, lack of creativity, the lack of interest in anything in our graduating seniors is criminal and ranks up there with child abuse. If you have a 50-lb 2 year old, that’s child abuse. if you have a 14- or 16-year-old pregnant teen, that’s child abuse and if you have an 18-year-old high school graduate that has no curiosity, no interest in anything, that’s child abuse.

Gary DuBrall
Chalan Piao, Saipan