Governor lays down gauntlet

If there’s a learning curve for gubernatorial invective-at some point when dishonest political abuse yields diminishing returns-the process started irreversibly when the titular head of local Republicans fired two Cabinet members last week. The rebuke from governance is inevitable, the demagoguery used a decision he will regret for life.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial finally lays down the gauntlet, dividing foes from friends. He decision redefines perception of his once sterling political career. Unfortunately, it’s now riddled with filthy fumes of vengeance, instantly trashing political intelligence and long nurtured friendship. Sir, it is said that friends come and go, enemies accumulate.

He wanted his Cabinet people to follow his unprincipled principle, deferring to his self-concocted concept of principle. He now uses the gift of gaffe to depose perceived enemies in government. He wields a weapon of political exploitation to inflict fear even among innocent bystanders. Doesn’t he treasure long forged friendships?

He instantly severs ties with political bosom buddies while permanently torpedoing his working relationship with the lieutenant governor. It’s inconceivable, his dismissive arrogance trashing the faithful who got him into office twice.

He now rewards key jobs to Republicans who were his arch political enemies in recent past. He’s decided to drain a well of trust in favor of vicious political betrayal. Well, the water that supports his boat could easily sink it too and there’s no doubt the latter would reveal its dreaded face this midterm election.

Principle? What principle? His new ploy, displaying habitual dishonesty and unruly ping-pong dictates while running off the ranch every other full moon? The brave though warped statement of principle is illogical, no matter how you dissect it. Is his principle the lack of integrity to guard his administration from falling flat on its face? Is it his shiny trophy of demagoguery? Doesn’t he know that a lie goes around the world before truth could get its boots on?

There’s the emergence of the culture of facelessness-when the governor no longer listens to governance, you and I, so he understands our ideas and concerns; cronyism, nepotism and corruption. He’s gotten too big for their pants. He’s no longer a part of our small island community. He’s lost command and purposeful direction as events overwhelm his weak-kneed leadership and turns to adolescent vengeance to get even with perceived enemies. He’s burned his bridges with most folks here, including the feds across the sea. Gee! We’ve got ourselves the wrong trophy all along, right?

He now heads the Republican Party, hoping to lure more members and suspect unity with exhausted Republican leadership. But followers intuitively refrained from it, knowing that ping-pong leadership only encourages instability, uncertainty, and now the dreaded irreversible effects of disunity. Must followers rally behind someone who’s blinded by greed for more power than he could handle? Is he miffed that the Covenant Party has rallied behind Kilili? Both Kilili and Sen. Paul Manglona would win re-election hands down.

Does Fitial know that governance is equally wary of the unstable effects of the shifting sands under his feet, exacerbated by fellow Republicans who have seen fit to bolt their own party, humiliated by its failed performance to improve the lot of governance? Is the disintegration he’s forced upon loyal followers his priced trophy? This becomes fodder and weapon for the multitude to end the era of dysfunctional and tired political dinosaurs that literally disposed fellowship in favor or brinkmanship. Would governance repeat with a failed administration after sinking the local economy into a catastrophic low?

Fitial’s demagoguery will go down in history with more than his share of rebuke from governance. What started out with confidence ends with bitter perception of his leadership from the faithful who once slaved and sacrificed for a man who’s done his rain dance of death: Without integrity nothing matters! A` Saina dios mihu! Note: The foregoing is strictly and observation. I have no political persuasion, as it is vital that I keep all candidates in plain full view to dissect their prospects of success or failure as policymakers heading toward November.

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Answers needed from MPLT

There’s the feud instigated by the illustrious chairman of MPLT demanding payment from the Department of Public Lands. It’s a tale seemingly designed to make DPL look and be perceived as failing in its fiduciary duties. Is it or is the perceptual abrogation of duties the concoction of the head of MPLT for the sake of publicity?

The Constitution is very clear what DPL does with its segregated funds. The Legislature receives planned expenditure of DPL funds and is prohibited from fiddling with it. The former head of DPL knows his fiduciary responsibilities to remit to MPLT after he’s done subtracting “administrative” expenses. And this is written in plain language and doesn’t require publicly demanding payment when so constitutionally provided for. Too, I have yet to discern in any form or fashion that the former secretary had committed dereliction of duty. It’s the exact opposite!

It stands to reason that the head of MPLT’s board of directors, Pedro R. Deleon Guerrero, focuses his attention on an ongoing investigation about the purchase of real estate in recent years by MPLT. This definitely requires some sense of integrity to answer relevant questions on a suspect real estate deal. Or is his fancy footing so designed to distract and detract from the real issue before the board? When could we hear honest answers to queries being sought by the Senate Committee on EAGI?

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Honoring the consent of the governed

Who represents our interest in our democratic institutions is solely based and derived from the consent of the governed. It includes laws approved or disapproved in a plebiscite like the proposed casino that governance shot down twice. Why proponents have turned their heads against the voice of the governed on this issue is now a mystery quite difficult to unravel. I could only surmise it must be arrogance or stupidity or both.

Did proponents ever make an effort to study and comprehend why the casino industry never thrived on Tinian and Rota? Even employing adolescent reasoning, isn’t it because there are better gambling venues nearby like Macau and Singapore? Isn’t it true that neither island has the wealthy (not rich but wealthy) bunch that could afford to dump their disposable income in local casino joints?

Now, what kind of economic demography could we find on Saipan? Isn’t it true that most are on food stamps, struggling biweekly to pay their utility and hospital bills? What sort of math have you learned as to ignore that one plus one is two, not five? Interesting how you’ve opted to ignore basic facts and latched on to the figment of your imagination.