Fuzzy thinking Ron

Ron Hodges, old buddy, gone soft in the brain have you? In your letter to the editor dated June 12, 2015, you stated, “The Covenant specifically promised the people here would have a similar standard of living or quality of life as residents of the U.S. mainland. THAT HAS CLEARLY NOT BEEN ACHIEVED.”

What? Contrary to Ron’s claim islanders did achieve a standard of living and quality of life much better in many respects than communities in the mainland with comparable populations and land mass.  His letter to the editor seem to imply the Covenant, the feds or something else is at fault. WRONG.  The blame lies squarely on three decades of failed “leadership,” incompetent, ill-taught, unprepared, greedy lawmakers and elected officials holding office only because of large family voting blocks and loyal partygoers all served-up free government jobs for playing the game every two election years.

When the garment industry took off in the mid-1980s followed by the money rolling in from Japanese, Korean, and Chinese investors, all those buggers up on the hill could think of was being big shots to stuff their pockets with free loot, pull down their wooden tin shacks for sprawling two-story concrete palaces, buy baht chains, brand new automobiles, hire maids, take their first ever off-island trip(s), chase white balls around the green, hook marlins from yachts and pile-up mounds of beer cans in yards and on beaches, daily. Did they attempt to correct all the problems Ron mentioned in his comments? Nuts. It’s still as bad as it’s ever been as I write. Here’s the short list of what lawmakers failed to correct during those years of plenty: drug smoking, pushing and overdosing; burglaries, home invasions and dudes beating up their common-law wives regularly; thousands of waddling bumper bellies and ham-hock thighs; cardiac arrest, clogged arteries, diabetes, strokes and early deaths. I know, I know, it must’ve slipped your mind, Ron.

And the good ol’ boys failed to pay their bills after they gave themselves and their loyal voters fat pay raises then plumped-up the Retirement Fund to lose that along the way as well. Then poof the bubble burst, the good times disappeared. After they blew through all that easy loot and bankrupted the government (taxpayers monies), they scrambled mightily to blame everything and everyone else but not themselves. The decrepit sewer system (i.e., the old brand of “leadership”) still lives, nothing has changed, woe unto us. Yet all their knees are pressed tightly together in hopes the Saipan casino will be a success or its dooms day for all.

But I’m certain that’s what you meant to say, Ron, and thanks for bringing it up.

Lee Andersen
Via email