Why is Donald Trump leading in the polls?

I found this question interesting and I wondered if anyone else did, until I started to think about us here.

My relatives recently moved to Boise because of the local Saipan government corruption and how unconnected the legislative and executive branches are from the people. And then my mind went to Donald Trump. I started reading.

Donald Trump does receive donations. To date, he has raised $5,828,922. The next Republican is Ben Carson at $2.4 million. In contrast, Hillary Clinton has raised $24 million—10 times that of Donald Trump. Why the difference? Donald Trump has received almost all of it from the public in amounts of $250 or less. The people want Donald Trump. Big businesses want Hillary Clinton.

Last week our Legislature was debating two bills. The first was to take away some of our access to Coca Cola and Pepsi products, even diet sodas. The supporters of the bill felt that the Big Brother government should have the role in dictating what you drink in order to curb diabetes, only it won’t because access to simple sugar carbohydrate foods fill the store shelves. It is cheap and we don’t have a lot of extra family income to spend on protein foods like fish. I think the U.S. government tried that a while ago. It was called “prohibition.”

At the same time, the Legislature was debating another bill. This was to bypass liquor laws that every bar and restaurant is subject to and exempt the casinos from a liquor curfew. In essence, our Big Brother government would unilaterally allow casinos to keep us drugged with alcohol so that we will gamble more, being without the normal inhibition of our senses telling us that moderation is best.

I saw a program on TV the other night. It appears that lower animals use the first impression or a feeling or premonition more than humans. They have to react very quickly to a predator. If not, they might be eaten. As our brains started to develop, more cortical critical thinking evolved and heck, we learned calculus. Alcohol inhibits this higher cortical reasoning. At large amounts it may even inhibit our ability to breathe but that is huge amounts. When our cortex is inhibited our reasoning goes and our lower brain resorts to that first impression or premonition feeling. Rolling a roulette on a number carries a one-in-38 chance, yet people will say, “It is going to be 17. I can just feel it!” This is why casinos serve alcohol. They want us drugged all night long. There is no magic to it.

So our Legislature is on one hand debating our rights to access to soda products and, on the other hand, debating to keep us drinking a drug that makes the casinos more money.

Well, where is the bill to help our school system? Why is the government-owned CUC charging us sky high utility rates? Why is gasoline so cheap in Thailand and so expensive on Saipan? Where is that health care reform bill we were hearing about? Why is the 99 percent finished dialysis center on Rota not completed?

The answer is that our legislative and executive branches of government are ruled by an elite Chamorro class of us that thinks they are better than the rest of us. Heck, have you ever tried to contact one? They are either off island (often on the taxpayer’s dime), on vacation, or just plain out of the office. Look at how many are not in session to cast their votes reflecting our opinions.

Donald Trump is winning because the people of the United States have had enough with the old guard elite class in Washington. In the Senate and House, a new member rarely can get enough votes after they introduce a bill. Everyone looks to the Senate or House leader for his or her opinion. The older the senator or representatives, the more likely to get a bill voted in and, without their approval, the bills really don’t go anywhere. Every committee chairperson is looked to for their opinion. The vote only goes somewhere if they want it to.

On Saipan should we vote in again our old friend the senator? He is the uncle of my brother twice removed. He calls on me to be a Chamorro sister. He tells us that we must stick together and he will take care of me. Who takes care of the future of my children?

I for one would recommend that next fall we not vote a single senator or representative into power that is already a sitting incumbent (been there before, done that before). The election after that in two years, we should remove the other half in the same way.

Donald Trump says he will still run if he does not get the Republican vote because the Democratic and Republican parties are the ones that really control the agenda. So this coming and the next election, why don’t we get away from that elite class of Chamorros in office that think they know what is best for us by taking away our Pepsi and Coca Cola and instead drugging us with alcohol at the casinos so that the bribe money can keep filtering in, and get some new kick arse legislators/governor. Let us remember how the casino law was not put to a public vote because of the money trail. Let us remember our school system.

I think it’s better to vote in the independents. For sure not the ones who have been there a long time. These incumbent people are the big brothers that are destroying the future for our children. They give and take on a bill until there is nothing left of it. If it is the casino then they can’t help themselves for the money is for the greedy elite, thinking they know what is best for us.

In two years, let us finish with the other half of them. Let us find that independent group of Chamorros, Carolinians, and others who call this place home. Being a politician right now means being a professional liar or a professional vacationer or a professional at diluting a bill with give-and-take until what is passed has nothing of value. How many bills ever get passed a year, three, four or five? It is no wonder if they are always off the island. How often has a governor taken a stand that is for the people and kicks arse? How long has it been since we have heard anyone kick some arse up there on Capitol Hill?

It is time to find our own Donald Trump. I don’t care if he is arrogant and obnoxious as Mr. Trump is. That is exactly what we need now. I only care that the person we elect next has honor, won’t bleed a bill dry of any real value and will kick some butt. We need to change people in this elite class. The ones in there now are worthless. How is our healthcare? How are our schools? How are our roads? We need to change the future for our children not to keep in the same monkey’s uncle because he will help get us a job. Let’s look for a powerful minded independent, not another professional liar promising change but delivering no hope for our rights to live the way we choose. Let us vote in someone who has never been a politician and comes from a successful business, non-government background, void of all of the give-and-take big brother elitist type of thinking.

Mary Tomokane
Garapan, Saipan