Failing fiduciary duty

As political pundits size up this year’s impending contest, incumbents are nervously inspecting familiar turf where there appears to be drastic changes in the landscape.

Allegations of collusion and suicidal salary increases weren’t met with pleasantries among villagers. It’s mouthwash turn filthy drool. Bad!

The word perception—how people see you—comes into play. For instance, people talk of the Bloomberg story as though gospel truth. Have you really listened to their sentiments on this and other related issues like violation of laws, predatory hiring and the $14 million fine leveled against several companies here by the U.S. Department of Labor?

How do people see your 80-percent salary hike versus the reaction of 14,000 employees stuck with poverty income and below levels? Isn’t the hardship families endure a matter of fiduciary responsibility you should have resolved first and foremost?

How could you have missed difficult situational poverty the direct result of your negligence? What was the primary excuse that you’ve failed employees by 75 percent? Was there climactic change that disrupted your ability to see issues clearly? Eh, braddah, we for da kine smart too, yeah?

You raised your salaries, ignoring the more than $73 million owed CUC or conveniently overlooked the $14 million in NMI share on Medicaid. Really? Did this negligence contribute to your confused announcement of a surplus? Is it possible to have extras when you owe millions of dollars in debts and obligations?

The heavy negative effects of these tidings are difficult issues for incumbents to dismiss. It turns into five o-clock shadows! Employing another round of fully rehearsed demagoguery isn’t going to cut the cake either!

Welcome: Kudos to Dr. Carmen Fernandez, NMC president, for retaining the services of Mrs. Cindy Guerrero. The latter has one sterling and accomplished career in the education of our children between NMC and PSS. You deserve all the accolades for returning home to NMC. The combined expertise will make NMC’s leadership one that truly reflects a “Student First” environment. Again, welcome home, Cindy!

Beast: If anything, the challenge isn’t against incumbent Republicans as much as the opposition’s ability—Democrats and independents—clamping down on organizational strength to force its nemesis a run for its money. It’s all about networking with real focus on telling the truth and speaking the people’s language. Otherwise, kiss the impending contest adios.

With real organization, the battle may be halfway through. The narrative is easy to pull and use against the GOP focusing on poor performance. Unfortunately, the incumbent turns into an open target that any Tom, Dick and Harry could shoot without aiming. But you can’t ignore the fact that it has the resources poised to use to the hilt.

On the campaign trail, voters would gauge incumbents on level of perception, conviction, commitment and whether they are still a part of your negligent equation. A few words should settle the score if your sorry story reaches any level of credibility. Difficult!

Redundancy: A new political status commission was formed and assigned to review relations with the federal government, including the views of the people on status.

The review of relations is a Section 902 obligation under U.S. Public Law 94-241. The view of the people would require a plebiscite. Assuming that the people wanted something other than what’s under the current agreement, how does the commission plan to fulfill it? Would not this point to Covenant Section 101 where we gave up sovereignty?

You see, when we gave up sovereignty we automatically fell under the national government. Our decision on status is found in what’s known as the Covenant Agreement or U.S.P.L. 94-241. It means amending it.

The chance of succeeding is very thin. If you will, 2018 marks the 72nd year that Puerto Rico has sought statehood from the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress isn’t smiling, so imagine our wishy-washy aspiration making it through.

The refinement of relations is under Section 902 or legal protocol to engage in healthy discussion with Washington. Would D.C. ever accept official talks with the new commission? We’d be a laughingstock for purposeful omission of Sections 902 and 101.

Casino: Should the island allow for another casino that grants the local people participation in the gaming industry? Other than the annual earmark, what else do we get from the casino business here?

Have we taxed at least a portion of the billions of dollars it rakes in per month before their repatriation to Hong Kong and China? Or are we just cogs in this form of investment of apparent exclusion? Has the trickle down effect on services for the casino helped our people? We fail to tax it yet work up the courage to ask D.C. for more money?

There are six casino operators in Macau and some CEOs are urging the local government to open at least three more that would allow local participation. It’s an interesting view but one that I could understand. I think it’s an issue of assimilation into something that is a permanent part of a community. So where is the beginning of fostering lasting partnership with investors?

Shortage: GovGuam is struggling hard to find some $67 million chopped by the Trump tax reduction program. It has looked into combining tax increase and reduction in the size of all branches of GovGuam but both measures came up short.

Troubling too our own cumulative deficit of some $1.6 billion. It simply means strengthening fiscal responsibility, steering clear of the habit of loosely encumbering additional expenditure beyond our means. It’s time to stop passing these costs to taxpayers where we blindly pay for political excess baggage.