‘I hear you…’ Oh?

I’ve treaded and read extensively of the mystery of the Obama Presidency. It’s simple: A self-anointed messiah of global socialism who’s used the WH to get his agenda through at all cost.

From the outset, he’s stood before the teleprompter searching for charitable lamentations whenever he’s caught delivering less than straightforward appraisal of his new policies. It’s all lies!

When caught and cornered he denies it or blames some poor sap in his inner circle for giving ill-prepared materials. He’s cemented the reputation of the Talker-in-Chief, not the Great Communicator. The latter is solely Reagan’s.

He addresses the Ferguson inferno in search of constructive discussion about lawlessness. He did it knowing there’s no civil rights or religious leader who could steer it. Yet he refuses to fill the void in an honest effort to bring calm across the country. He specializes in the concept of vagueness using his favorite tools of denial or passing the blame to the staff he’s turned into doormats. Notice how many have left after enduring subsequent career ruination?

Obama and former AG Eric Holder have purposely exploited constitutional and administrative authority on lawmaking that is solely the purview of Congress. So far he’s dished out one on immigration through the term of “memo” rather than executive order. Sure, it may fall within the definition of “administrative” order but it’s still a form of lawmaking violating the concept of separation of powers. A recent court memo says it’s unconstitutional!

Recently, he told the American people “I hear you…” Fine. This time, sir, it’s vital that you return to figure out if they’re even listening to your empty reply. You had the opportunity to solidify a legacy as a very influential head of the world’s most powerful country. But your one lies too many has compromised it as just an inconsequential bystander.

Wounded as I may be, let’s see how else would you play out your useless presidency over the next two years. This strange legacy reminds me of someone closer to home. But we’d leave that for another day. Did you hear me?

The Journey
It’s been a long though worthy journey writing about issues that matter. I’ve done it with a higher sense of purpose beyond self. We may differ on views. It is expected deferring to the proverbial coin. Yes, a lot of our folks have yet to learn separating people from issues. But I also expect great strides on this score as more folks hone basic literacy.

I’ve seen the wild seesaw swing when spouting on the concept of self-government. This too is expected given the very slow process in what’s known in a democracy as political maturity. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a ready manual to follow whenever we veer off track. It all comes back to, yes, “we the people.”

The political season spurs something new rhetorically. After all is said and done a victor and villain emerge. One places his best foot forward nervously while the other sashays into oblivion. The victor embraces old problems with new hope. Without leadership old problems quickly graduate into “old” normal. Would this really shift this time around? We shall see in a short while.

I’ve learned to roll with the punches of grand mañana painfully serving the role of a sponge absorbing our inability to “say what we mean and mean what we say.” We seem content with the absurdity as “do-nothings.” The viciousness of fiscal scarcity would force reality check sooner than later.

Painful reality would set in as the mad scramble for more of nonexistent revenue hits rock bottom. Would another $7.1 billion casino help? There’s nothing else to hang my hat on, so to speak. Perhaps a nervous crossing of the fingers ought to allay my unjustified fear for now. But it seems I’ve been down this road before!

Travails with casino industry
A quick glimpse into an article in the South China Morning Post about Macau’s casino suffering heavy losses as a result of China’s decision to purge corruption in the gambling hub clipped my optimism that such an industry would make it here. In fact, Macau would be forced to diversify its economy to other than gambling. Must be a lesson to glean so we put one and one together.

The $7.1 billion project for Saipan is overly ambitious. While BSI successfully raised $100 million recently, it needs $900 million to fulfill its first billion dollars. This undertaking could be one hellish journey just to secure the promised $7.1 billion casino.

Then there are realistically difficult hurdles like the need for 3,000 to 6,000 workers to build and staff the facility. Even more mind-numbing is what I call “infrastructure deficit”—lack of water, power, sewer and roads—in places selected as the likely venue for the Saipan casino.

Isn’t it true that basic infrastructure determines development? Has the NMI invented house construction from the roof down? If so, this should be patented forthwith (as recommended by Ioanes) so it is spread throughout the global village. Dios mihu!

I’m equally enthusiastic that casino works so it becomes a component of our leisure industry. But like the marshmallow test, it’s good to step back to figure out the beast first before plunging off the cliff of no return.

Mystique of ‘noche buena’
There’s something about the holiday season that is a mystique in itself. I know the event revolves around the birth of the Niñu Jesus. But there’s that mixed bag of sentiment that is sometime difficult to navigate, e.g., ominous nervousness, calmness and joyfulness all wrapped in one.

Like most folks, maybe my sense of fear is in the uncertainty of the New Year. We struggle to stay calm to think things through in order to exit the circle of confusion and the deepening bad times. Therein lies the excitement of the challenges occasionally soothed by our razor thin sense of hope.