A paradoxical mindset

Jeffrey C. Turbitt said, “I tend to avoid the diatribes of Delano, California’s Dr. Jesus Camacho.” If Mr. Turbitt tends to avoid what I discuss via articles to the media and believes they are boring and dull, then why has he apparently read what I have submitted to the media? If Mr. Turbitt believes that giving people descriptive titles is appropriate, then please give me the pleasure of addressing him as “Mr. Paradox.” For a person who presumably has a degree in journalism, one might think he would be astute enough to avoid making such blatant contradictions publicly.

Mr. Turbitt’s statement that “there is a long tradition on Saipan of less than sound decision-making that has left this government with debt and infrastructure problems” reflects a clear lack of knowledge of what transpired with the past five CNMI governors. Juan Nekai Babauta’s record of increasing the deficit of nearly $15 million in just three and half years (and what will it be at the end of his fourth year as governor?) places him at the top amongst governors who have been fiscally irresponsible with protecting the financial stability of the island community.

While we are at it, what can Mr. Turbitt say about Juan Babauta’ travels with his numerous “special assistants” to the United States, Korea, China, and Japan that cost CNMI taxpayers about $5 million in a period of three-and-a-half years? Simple math would tell you that the average travel expenditure was roughly $1.5 million a year! The important question to pose is how much of the travel was warranted and justified?

Mr. Turbitt mentioned that one of Juan Babauta’s financial priorities was to increase educational funding. Babauta has already proven that he cannot put any money where his mouth is. The initiation of his “education initiative” has been an utter failure and the students are the ones paying the price.

Since Babauta has been governor, the funding regarding the Public School System has been sporadically inconsistent over the past three and a half years. Babauta has clearly displayed ineptitude in terms of providing adequate funds to PSS on a consistent basis. And if he was consistent with providing adequate funds, I am certain the issue with the school bus seats would not be a hot topic amongst island residents and Dr. Inos would have a word or two regarding the government being in arrears with PSS to the tune of about $1.5 million.

Secondly, Babauta squandered approximately $4.6 million dollars for the La Fiesta Mall along with a contractual arrangement that will saddle the island community with a $250,000 dollar a year obligation that will translate into over $5 million over a 20-year period for just the leasing of the property.

If Mr. Turbitt thinks that the current governor’s financial house is in order, he is not in touch with reality or missed something in Economics 101 as an undergraduate.

If Mr. Turbitt believes that Juan Babauta is a good governor based on the photo-ops after a typhoon and volcano erupting and being on public television, then he is the kind of voter who wonders what happened when they vote someone into office who spends more time in front of the camera and less time taking care of stabilizing the economy and telling people and businesses that he is trying to help by crippling them with higher taxes and fees.

Mr. Turbitt’s description of my writings regarding Babauta as akin to “an islandwide Spam-and-betel nut naval embargo” is a statement with racist connotations about some of the cultural nuances of indigenous people in the CNMI. If Mr. Turbitt does not want to be accused of being a racist, then he should refrain from doing this. This is no different from the southern whites making fun of black people eating watermelon and fried chicken in the South.

My criticisms of people like Juan Babauta were within the parameters of journalism principles. What I have said about Babauta via the media has been about “his performance” and decisions made as governor and not an attack on him personally.

As for Mr. Turbitt’s statement regarding my “Chamorro blood,” that issue was brought up because of an accusation by Howard Cole, Thomas Arkle, Joan Flores, Matthew Blanco, and Lyna Vizconde that I knew virtually nothing about the islands because I have never been and lived there. For the record, I lived in the islands for approximately two years during the ‘60s and since what I know and understand about the Chamorro culture and heritage is part of my upbringing, Turbitt’s argument is for all intents and purposes weak and without merit.

On the issue of my not being selected as NMC president, I find Mr. Turbitt’s comment not only ridiculous, but reflects limited knowledge about leadership positions in academia. If the BOR selects someone who knows a thing or two about students versus having administrative credentials reflecting higher education administration, then they would be in serious trouble.

And by the way Mr. Turbitt, what did the former NMC president Kenneth Wright know about the islands and students prior to being offered the position of college president in 2002? And since he placed the college during his 18-month reign in a precarious fiscal disposition, it was quite apparent that the acumen he possessed regarding fiscal administration for a college left a lot to be desired.

I have no control over what Mr. Turbitt thinks of me and whom he votes for on Election Day in November 2005. Likewise, since Mr. Turbitt is not a bona fide spokesperson for “all” residents of the island community, he should get off his soap box and refrain from stating that what I have discussed via the media is an insult and annoying to residents of the CNMI.

To Mr. Turbitt: Did someone in the Babauta camp put you up to this? If so, admit it. Or could it be that Mr. Turbitt is merely nothing more than a disgruntled teacher with an Anatahan chip on his shoulder?

Dr. Jesus D. Camacho
Delano, California