Annexation with Northern Marianas

Guam’s Commonwealth Quest isn’t getting anywhere nor is it likely to come closer to fruition anytime soon. It should have been dovetailed with the signing of the Covenant Agreement in 1976.

For all its contributions to the now lame duck Clinton administration, its aspiration for Commonwealth status will fade when the last day of the Clinton Presidency runs out the clock.

If anything, Guam, like the NMI, is only seen for its military significance. Washington isn’t ready to grant our brothers and sisters greater role in local self-government. And, for all the wrong reasons too.

A friend suggested that if nothing else works, then Guam ought to seriously consider annexation with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It would grant them attainment of some semblance of self-government as a municipality or senatorial district similar to that of Tinian and Rota.

I wasn’t about to suggest keeping our brothers and sisters at the gate. After all, reunification of these isles is the sole preserve of our young people who may find such an idea a realistic alternative down the years.
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College kids across the country have joined the smorgasbord of organizations–including labor unions who paid for their participation–demonstrating without a sense of understanding of what’s at issue.

They hail from wealthy families. Therefore, they never have had to earn a living. Why earn a living when big labor unions pay for your participation, a new form of part time job during off-class hours?

Big corporations are fed up with it. Nike decided to effectively discontinue its annual donation of $30 million to a Michigan university. Good decision!

Big industries here too ought to follow suit–cease all donations intended for community relations–just to send a gentle reminder that you can’t be a juvenile to one who helps when you needed it most. Let’s see how politicians who speak from both sides of their mouth deal with the thousands of raffle tickets that are dumped in their offices every tidal shift.

Locally, industries have generously given to our community as a good corporate citizen. These donations are cut from their meager profits to return some of its investments to its constituency–community where it does business–a well thought-out social responsibility.

Now, if you still have doubts that establishing and working the clock to run a successful business venture isn’t hard work, the least you can do is work on one and let us know if your pitch-dark black hair isn’t peppered gray by the end of the first year.
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I know what poverty is about because I grew up in it most of my younger days. I am not ready to repeat that ugly chapter of history. I still work hard to earn my dues getting up every 4 a.m. to prepare the next day’s materials.

Joeten knows what success is all about. It wasn’t handed to him in a silver platter. He worked the cane fields and even took a brief stint at a Navy commissary to learn the trade. In fact, he worked 18 hour days while we take long siestas.

Willie Tan sold empty Coke bottles for lunch money as a high school student. He too isn’t ready to repeat history. So he went to school along with his siblings to prepare for fast shifting challenges in the business world.

I know that we have this well polished juvenile disdain for success. But we need learn to ride on the success of others: Joeten, Willie Tan, Calvos, Jones, Adas and others who have created wealth that opened up jobs for our people. It’s my definition of wealth and jobs creation. Because of their success, many of us are able to bring home the bacon to our families, so to speak. Dañkulo na Si Yuus Maase`!