Needed: A champion for the CNMI

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is considered one of his darkest and most powerful works. Set in Scotland, the play illustrates the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Macbeth is a great example of why all politicians should be dedicated to being champions for the people and not for their own political future or personal gain. One of the things I can remember teaching my students was that the CNMI has yet to see its first great leader with achievements above and beyond those who have gone before. Yes, the CNMI has seen some very successful leaders but the great one like an FDR, JFK or MLK has yet to appear. Given the great potential for greatness to be achieved in the CNMI, there is a real shortage of leaders who are willing to be great and carry the ball across the goal line on the tough but significant issues.

I will say that the Governor has been the most recent leader in the past decade to put their political future on the line for an issue (the casino) that might even be considered great by some but we won’t know that for sure until the casino is built and operating and we actually see the reality of its benefits and adversities. So in reality, since the creation of the garment industry, the CNMI has yet to see something great for all the people and the CNMI. Yes, there have been a lot of progress and accomplishments but we are still behind the times in many areas and there has been nothing that one might consider great! Instead, what we have witnessed is politics as usual for the past decade or more, with the same critical issues going back and forth but never being fully resolved. One critical issue after another is constantly being put on the back burner and some have even been tossed out of the window. Issues that could change and improve the CNMI are sitting idle and even forgotten about until the feds reminds us or forces us to do something.

I have often mentioned how politics is the ultimate team sport but like any sport and team, the CNMI needs a genuine star political player who can put the team on its back and champion issues to take us to new places and heights that we have never seen or been before. The problem is no one wants to carry the ball and score on all the critical plays (issues) that have the potential to make a big difference. Our leaders have done a decent job of making laws to govern over the CNMI but have fallen way short in making the hard decisions to create laws that will develop, grow, and transform the CNMI into the modern society!

No leader picked up the ball or took a shot on Article 12 to score for the people when the real estate market is one of the biggest part of any state’s economic infrastructure and foundation. No one picked up the ball to save the Retirement Fund and look who is over the Fund now—the feds. No leader has put into effect a complete plan by law to ensure we do all we can to achieve maximum transition of locals into the workforce (telling PSS, NMC, and the trade school what to do in a meeting is not going to get it done).

No leader tried to champion minimum wage for the people, which is why so many locals are leaving—it took the feds again! No leader picked up the ball or championed the Sugar Dock issue and they even helped protesters chase the ferry investor away. No one picked up the ball on the interisland ferry service either and it was tossed out the window! Pozzolan mining is still on the back burner even after the military threat to use it is real. Complaining about the military is not a solution to life-sustaining infrastructure, transportation and financial support to help the people living on Pagan.

No leader has even tried to champion CUC and the government’s debt and our future power system needs just one emergency after another and now the feds are demanding we hire the right people to run CUC. No wonder CUC is in trouble with major management missing in action. Our Legislature turned CHC into a corporation and then took away over 90 percent of its funding, almost killing CHC when someone should have been trying to be a champion for CHC!

I could go on and on but I think the message is clear—no one is championing the tough and critical issues facing the CNMI, just putting them on the back burner until the feds step in. Heck, every politician swears they support education but there hasn’t been a teacher rep on the Board of Education since I refused to run for a second term and this is a constitutional requirement—so who really cares about teachers and education enough to step forward? No one wants to do something great for the people, just politics as usual with the safe and noncontroversial issues and arguing over rules and other menial stuff but never addressing the tough issues with new laws until they have to or when they are forced to by the feds!

Culturally and traditionally one might look to or think the Governor is the one that will do something great for the CNMI but that is not necessarily the case as any member of our political team can score for the people of the CNMI. The problem in the CNMI has been getting a leader who is not afraid and wants to carry the ball to champion issues for the people because you can’t score for the people if you are scared to carry the ball. So for whom does this bell for greatness toll? It tolls for everyone in our Legislature and for our two top executives to do something great by addressing and fully resolving some of those critical issues I just mentioned that are in the back burner or have been tossed out the window. So who will emerge as a champion for the CNMI or will there be one at all? It only takes one to score and make a difference in our quality of life in the Commonwealth. I just pray this will inspire at least one as this bell tolls for thee!

There has been too much avoiding the tough and controversial issues by our leaders but they need to know that controversy actually signals the beginning of change and improvements that are very often proven to be great! Starting with the founding of America right through to the civil rights movement, it has been the championing of controversial issues that propelled America to become one of, if not the greatness, nation on Earth. Leaders who want to do great things for the people should and will embrace controversy that can stand on the principles and values of America and its merits because you will prevail for the people and your political future, as time and history will forever be on your side! In fact, I know there are people calling me Mr. Controversy behind my back as a put-down and there are some idiots who actually fall for their selfish politics but they don’t know it is really a compliment as it puts me in the same realm with the founders of America (revolution), Dr. King (civil rights), FDR (unions), and many other great people who championed controversial issues for the people throughout history. Thank you!

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan