Ridiculous posts

IPI’s worst enemy could very well be our own lawmaker, Ed Propst, who seems to think that, whenever something goes wrong at the new casino, he needs to use it to volley for support and to create controversy and even hysteria on social media. He continues to raise questions but no answers with continuous pleas for OSHA, the feds or anyone to find the answer for him. If it was so important for him to ask if the work done by the non-certified construction workers was safe and reliable, why didn’t he just go to OSHA and ask so he could post the answer to his own question. He wants to give the impression that he is so concerned about the safety and workers and the casino structure but hasn’t even tried to get a single answer to his concerns. It seems that he is just using questions to get people upset and even hysterically mad by not giving an answer. If I’m not mistaken, his job is not just to raise questions but to also find answers or solutions. He needs to stop scaring people if he is not going to come up with some answers to his own questions. OSHA is doing its job just ask them. But he didn’t go and ask any regulatory agency if they had checked and certified the structural integrity of the casino or anything.

Is he saying there haven’t been any inspections of the work, the quality of the concrete and other aspects of the construction? If my home in Kagman was inspected for all of these things when it was being built I am sure they are not putting up a structure of this size and importance without making sure it is safe. I’m also sure any owner of such a structure would want to have everything inspected for his own protection of the investment. Do you think someone who has put hundreds of millions into this casino want a faulty or unsafe casino? The owners of the casino are not stupid, I’m not stupid and a lot of other people are also not stupid enough to believe that IPI is not doing all it can to build the best and safest casino they can. Its subcontractors were the ones cutting corners, not IPI. It’s really ridiculous for a lawmaker to make such foolish assumptions and suggestions without thinking things through or maybe he had an ulterior motive from the start that had nothing to do with safety like he alleges.

He claims to have spoken to some of the employees who say they are concerned but he didn’t talk to the authorities who could tell him the structure was safe or not so he could tell the employees they need to worry or they don’t need to worry. For me, he’s just using issues to build anger and trepidation in people for his personal political gain, especially when he is a minority and can’t get a darn thing done in the Legislature. He is grandstanding and asking others to do his job of getting the answers. My problem with this lawmaker is that if his so-called informative statements on Facebook are so important, why is he isn’t putting out press releases like he should to reach all concerned citizens, instead of his friends on Facebook who will likely not challenge what he is saying. Like we say in the ghetto, he is preaching to his choir but doesn’t want to share his message with the whole congregation.

This lawmaker needs to be reminded that Imperial Pacific is in the perfect position to be a real economic miracle for the CNMI and we need him to do all he can to help make it work, not for Facebook grandstanding. No one was more against the casino than me but I am a realist who understands that we have made a 40-year commitment that all of us, including the owners of IPI, are committed to and depending upon to work. I have heard local people say basta (enough!) when they have gotten tired of some foolishness and it is becoming very clear to me that EP’s Facebook posts deserve a basta!

He needs to start posting the fact that we have a real castle with a casino coming up in Garapan and that it is going to be a great addition to our tourist industry, to encourage visitors and not scare them away with fears about the safety of the building. He hasn’t mentioned one thing about how IPI has already contributed to help in many financial matters and caused our tourist numbers to begin to increase and how the number is only going to grow because of IPI. I could go on and on about the positive things that will be a direct result of the casino but he chooses to create controversy and fear instead of doing his job to provide support and even legislation that will help to make the casino a success.

I am not against this lawmaker but I am for trying to maintain some form of basic segregation with the social and political fabrics of our society. Social media is for social issues, not politics. I can understand politics on social media during election and even when there are some important political announcements that need to be made. But to post every political thing you are doing should be on his political website, if he has one. Just as we have kept church and state separate, we need to try and keep social and political issues separate as much as possible because it is not healthy or good for the social fabric, especially when the politics are being used to create a mob mentality full of fear and even hate. Get with the program for the success of the casino!

Ambrose M. Bennett
Kagman, Saipan