Guardrails needed now—Part II

It has been over three months since I last wrote about the necessity of having guardrails at the 1,000 foot curve in Puerto Rico. I would like to sincerely thank the people who responded after the last letter. Sen. Frika Pangelinan was the first to respond and said that the Saipan delegation would pay for the guardrails. Rep. Yumul, Dela Cruz and Waki introduced a House resolution calling for the Administration to install the guardrails.

Greg (Kilili) Sablan took a special interest in this matter and contacted numerous people by e-mail to see what could be done. Some suggested the creation of a non-profit corporation to undertake the project.

Let me bring you up to date. Absolutely NOTHING is being done.

What I hear is just rhetoric. A House resolution is not the same as a $50,000 appropriation to get the job done. Does the Sapian delegation really have the money? If so, why hasn’t it been appropriated to build the guardrails? According to Secretary of Public Works Demapan, the CNMI will submit a request for funds for the guardrails as part of its federal highway mitigation grant for fiscal year 2007.

In other words, we will wait for federal money to be appropriated in fiscal year 2007. Then there’s bidding, appeals, etc, etc. We are at least 18 months away from seeing guardrails if the feds approve and we don’t divert the funds for something else.

How many people will die between now and the time the guardrails are in place because the CNMI cannot find $50,000 to build a thousand feet of guardrails without federal funds?

How long have we already waited for these federal funds? Through the Babauta administration? Through the Teno administration? People have died and will die at the 1,000 foot curve and we are waiting for more federal funds. In the meantime, we use federal funds to build sidewalks, some of which go nowhere. This is typical of the CNMI—can’t figure out its priorities.

Maybe the reason for no action is because no one important has died there. By important I mean someone from a large family, like a Pangelinan, Tudela or Kaipat. If a young person from any large local family died at the 1,000 foot curve, there would be pressure by his/her family to do something NOW before other people died. Do we have to wait for someone important to die?

Governor and members of the Legislature, please note this scenario: the phone rings at 3:30am, and a police officer asks me if I know where Ben is. Why? Because his vehicle is in the ravine at the 1,000 foot curve—he drove off the road. Oh, no, I’m expecting the worst; I’m shaking. My heart is racing; I’m getting a headache. Adrenaline is flowing, yet I’m feeling weak.

Ten minutes later, another call and the officer tells me that officers have reached the vehicle. While we are on the phone, I hear the static of the two-way police radio as the officer on the scene contacts central and then very clearly I hear: no pulse, no heartbeat. I’m in shock. I’m numb. My wife is crying saying to pray, pray. Then another call a few minutes later and I’m told it’s Ben—he’s dead. Now, I’m crying. Forty-five minutes later I’m sitting in the ambulance in front of the CHC emergency room identifying my dead son. We cannot get this nightmare out our minds. Today his only presence in his absence.

Governor and members of the Legislature: Can you imagine what this must feel like? Would you want anyone else to go through this torture? Nine people have died and we are waiting for federal funds when the cost is only $50,000. Do you think that is responsible? Do you want to go to the next funeral and have the family of the deceased give you mean looks or not talk to you at all because their son/daughter died before the guard rails that you knew were important were installed?

Don’t you think it is time to get those guardrails in place? I’m getting doubtful that our elected representatives will succeed. I’m open to suggestions about how a group of citizens, contributors and builders, as a matter of public safety, can erect guard rails themselves because their government simply cannot do it. I can be reached by e-mail at: govendo@pti.com

Kenneth L. Govendo
Susupe