Kiridu CNMI people

Too many politicians forget that they are elected to represent all their constituents as one Commonwealth and not just to play some political game of chess. It’s election year and promises are dime a dozen. Those in office will make more promises for political reasons and not because it’s good for our islands and people but for their re-election purposes. Sad to say we have been for years electing many self-interest candidates into offices.

Here is where we are: Leadership has checked out. Band-aid approaches to better governance are never lasting solutions. It is undeniable that the people of the Commonwealth suffer as a direct result of the absence of a cohesive plan to stabilize the economy and to open opportunities for all. Procrastination, the good ol’ boy system, patronage, and most of all the absence of common sense are the main factors that compound the inability of our politicians to effectively lead. A lack of wisdom and experience has always been our greatest downfall. Legislators make promises and take action on matters they do not understand and are too proud to admit that they do not understand, and then pass the blame to somebody when their schemes fail. Umbre, gachon, ti hita chumogui enao na aktu.

The Retirement Fund, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., and the Commonwealth Health Center are all on the brink of extinction. We have a government that, rather than take legal action to collect what taxes are due from Tinian Dynasty, they negotiate for less. This is what we call smart leadership at best! We have a CUC that is protected under the disguise of an executive order but there is no protection for the families who have to spend their entire paychecks for utilities with nothing left for food or gas to get to work. We have a Senate that is controlled by Tinian and Rota members who fail in their belief that their respective islands contribute anything to the general fund for the government operations of essential services on their islands. We have a Senate that pays its members $5,000 a month for expenses, on top of their salaries, while their constituents have to scrape by to put food on the table and are denied adequate medical care, and interisland transportation is practically nonexistent. This is shameful.

If we continue to ignore the fact that our economy has fallen off the planet, we are all complicit and, just like our politicians, a ship of fools. We may as well go back to the canoe.

We need to repair our tourism-based economy. We need to create activities for our tourists to attract them to come to this beautiful Commonwealth. With a strong economy, the Commonwealth as whole will have less problems including financial shortfalls, employment, higher wages, and Rota and Tinian will once again be alive.

Tell our politicians to stand up and show some leadership. Wake up, Marianas, as our days are numbered.

Edward Peter
Garapan, Saipan