A clarion call to right the ship of state

Editor’s Note: The following is an advanced copy of the speech Gov. Arnold I. Palacios gave after his inauguration yesterday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center. It was provided to the media a day before the inauguration; note that Palacios may have made some changes in his final delivery.

Distinguished guests, fellow citizens, Lt. Gov. [David M.] Apatang, my wife, Wella, especiatmente i man-guaiyayon taotao Marianas.

We are here!

The underdogs are here!

Fourteen months ago, when we declared our candidacy, we vowed to change the direction of our Commonwealth. And we did it without the financial resources and backing of a major party. We didn’t have deep pockets.

Taya party. Taya salape. Taya BOOST.

We are here. And we’re here because of you.

We are here today to begin a transformation. A transformation mandated by our CNMI community. A transformation based on need for government officials and activities to be honest, open, and transparent. One that prioritizes the needs of our people and the needs of our Commonwealth.

We are here today because six weeks ago, the people of the CNMI spoke.

And with one resounding voice, our people said that we will no longer stand idly by and watch the abuse of our government.

That our public funds and our public offices are no longer yours to use to enrich yourselves.

We have just inherited a government that has been pillaged and plundered. We’re not in a good situation fiscally. I wish that I didn’t have to say any of this but this where we’re at. As much as we want to paint you a rosy picture, we can’t.

That’s what part of transparency is.

Transparency is finding out what the heck happened to the $480 million we received in [American Rescue Plan Act] funds a year and a half ago.

It’s all gone.

ARNOLD I. PALACIOS

How did we manage to do that in a community of 50,000 people?

Ma dispedisia todo I salape.

It’s been four and a half years since Super Typhoon Yutu and we have yet to see a major infrastructure project.

What happened to our air traffic control tower? Where is our MRI machine?

What happened to our Hopwood Junior High School when [the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave us $27 million for it?

While our sister territories like Guam and other jurisdictions set ARPA funds aside to develop their infrastructure and schools, we have ignored doing what’s right to rebuild our islands and our community. We’ve unfortunately squandered the opportunity provided to us.

I am not trying to say anything you don’t already know. I’m just reminding ourselves that this is where we’re at.

The legacy of democracy

Exactly 45 years ago on these very grounds, our first governor, Carlos Camacho, was sworn into office, establishing the first constitutional government of the Commonwealth founded on the hopes for a better future in political union with the United States, expressed through the Covenant and our Constitution.

What our founders built is not perfect. It was not intended to be, but it is the enduring legacy of democracy and the principles of shared duties and responsibilities among three separate but equal branches of government that the founding fathers of our Commonwealth have bestowed on us.

The health of our Commonwealth is entrusted to our leaders and when that trust is broken, the freedoms guaranteed by our democracy allow us to express ourselves through our voices and our votes.

And that’s what brought us here today. We are here because you have spoken and your voices were heard. Social media and its influence on public opinion have given people a sense of their own independence of mind and courage to speak up, be heard, and take a firm stand on principles.

Priorities

What motivated people to the polls in November is fiscal accountability and the growing evidence of the squandering and swindling of tax dollars. With disaster recovery efforts incomplete and the aftermath of the global pandemic still taking an unimaginable toll on our economy and our lives, the alarm went out for the need to rein in excesses in government spending and to use public money wisely.

When left unchecked, arrogant use of power never amounts to any good. The people saw through the attempts to hide what greed and corruption had sown. The flagrant misuse of public funds in the BOOST program gives just a glimpse of the scale of malfeasance.

In the past three weeks, our transition teams have worked with the Department of Finance, Office of Grants Management, and the Infrastructure and Recovery Program and I am dismayed by the state of our fiscal health and the potential consequences for the Commonwealth.

Fiscal stability

To get ourselves back to fiscal stability we must do so by exercising fiscal discipline. Leading by example is not a problem for me and Dave. I am known for my frugal ways with the public purse. No luxury travel on first class paid by government funding, no extravagant expenses for fixtures or unnecessary use of public services and resources for personal and leisure time. The time to live within our means has come.

I will work closely with the Legislature to push through initiatives to stabilize the fiscal health our government. And I will review the past use of public funds to find out what happened to the $480 million we received in ARPA funds a year and a half ago…because it’s all gone. Together with the assistance of the Attorney General we will pursue the option of recoupment from those individuals and companies who have made out like bandits.

Public safety

The Department of Public Safety requires a major overhaul. A commissioner will be appointed who has extensive law enforcement experience. I will emphasize training of police officers, upgrade investigative facilities, and re-establish the cooperation we once had with our federal agencies. I will ensure that our essential, frontline workers are taken care of and treated fairly.

Education

We will get back on track with our disaster rebuilding projects, especially for our schools at [the Public School System] and [Northern Marianas College]. Our children and educational systems have borne the brunt of our natural disasters and the pandemic. In the next 100 days, we will bring you a plan to get Hopwood back on track to be rebuilt.

They deserve way better than the Yutu temporary tents that are still being used four years later. The Board of Education and PSS and the Board of Regents must account for the delay. Seriously, we have to do better. We owe that to our children and to the future of the Commonwealth.

I will hold the feet of the responsible autonomous agencies to the fire to ensure they stay in compliance with deadlines for the use of federal funds. We will strive to construct the new school buildings as our federal partners have trusted to do.

Reorganization

Let’s take stock of what size of government we really need. [ARPA] was not designed to balloon the size of government and fund extravagant projects.

We forgot that our existing workforce should be trained and retooled with an upgraded set of skills to keep the daily operations of offices running efficiently and effectively.

I must and will do my part. I will appoint experienced administrators to run departments and will hold them accountable to the duties and responsibilities that they must carry out. I will work closely with the Civil Service Commission to better train our workers.

Final thoughts

Yes, it will take time to put our government in order and fix our public schools. It will take time to fix our roads, sewer and water system. It will take time to build capacity. And they will take time because the solution lies in public officials who are dedicated to transparency, accountability, and the strict adherence to the rule of law.

Dave and I are longstanding career government employees. We are public servants. We take pride in the work and things that we’ve done in the name of public service and the public interest. While we should be sitting back and enjoying retirement for a second time, what we saw more than a year ago motivated us to reconsider. The Commonwealth was facing a moment of crisis and in need of credible leadership. The people deserved better.

By taking the oath of office today, we re-commit ourselves to another term of public service and to lead the Commonwealth through this moment of crisis. Make no mistake: We are all in. We are all in to rebuild trust, restore confidence, return integrity and credibility to government.

For the task before us, there are no easy answers and no quick fixes. Just plain hard work and sacrifice. We are aware and prepared to work harder than we have worked before; to make sacrifices on a scale like never before, to right the sail and navigate toward a better future for the Commonwealth. In doing so we will be honest about what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what we hope to achieve.

This is where we are today.

Our Commonwealth needs members of our community to come together to face the challenges and to right this ship, now more than ever.

It’s going to be a long and difficult fight, and we start this fight today.

We start this together with the true strength of our Commonwealth

We start with our people.

It’s going to be a difficult road.

In the end, we’re going to live in a Commonwealth we’re proud of.

We’ll fight corruption in all its forms. And we intend to prevail. And we won’t quit. And we won’t fail.

And we won’t stop fighting for the future of our people and the future of our islands. We need you, Rota! We need you, Tinian! We need you, Saipan! We need you, Northern Islands! We are nothing without you! We are nothing without each other.

Because in the end, we’re all we’ve got. And we’re all we need! Let’s stand side-by-side! Let’s fight together! Let’s fight for our people! Let’s fight for our Commonwealth!

And with the guidance of the Lord…Biba Marianas!