THE TRUTH of the matter is the CNMI is moving forward one step at a time recovering from Covid and the Awful-7year.-Mess made by Ralph. Our Governor is truly doing his best to put the RIGHT People in place which is the first step to fixing the various Departments and Agencies of the Government. Our Governor has also been very busy trying to “mend-broken-fences” in S. Korea and Japan that were decimated by Ralph not to mention the failed Casino. We (the CNMI) still have a very long ways to go but I must say we are off to a good start with the decisions that our Governor & Lt. Governor have made. In fact, good governing is really about making the RIGHT-DECISIONS FOR the People they work for, as the sad reality of Ralph’s decisions were for SELF, Family and Political Allies, not the People — so SAD! But thankfully WE are turning the page taking one step at a time.
IFs — are the questions that still looms!
There are still a lot of IFs that must be addressed and I’m sure first on the list of many citizens is “finalizing the Casino’s relationship with the People of the CNMI.” I still find it interesting that the Casino Commission seems only concerned with keeping things going so they can keep getting a salary when it’s obvious to everyone with common sense that the Casino is “OVER & DUN” as they say in the swamps of Louisiana. More importantly, most citizens are waiting & wondering WHEN is the Casino Commission going to assert the debt of 77-Million owed to the People. WHY are the People last on the list or IF the People are even on the list for settling with the Casino. I have been yelling for over a year about OUR 77-million and still NOTHING but it’s truly time for the Casino Commission or even the Governor to stake a claim FOR the People before there is nothing left FOR the People to collect from. IF WE-the People don’t get our 77-million in some form (cash or stocks) before the dust settles there are going to be a lot of MAD voters — for TRUE!
Next on the list is IF MVA is going to u truly improve our Tourists Sites, as stated by Mr. Chris Conception, MVA’s Director, who is a very smart young man. I do hope and pray they are going to finally install cameras at the Tourists’ Sites and in Garapan, as making our Tourists & Community safe is our responsibility and cameras are an excellent start and even a selling point by Tour Agents. More importantly, there were some crimes that took place that may not have happened with cameras. One person can monitor Garapan and all of our tourists’ sites eliminating the need for many Police vehicles & personnel. IF the tourists’ sites are to be improved, cameras should be at the top of the List. I hope & pray this suggestion will be accepted by the NEW powers-that-be.
Finally, IF there is going to be something done about finishing-up with IPI, as it seems the Casino Commission wants to drag things out as long as possible like the Rota Commissioners. I was so glad to see that the so-call Casino Commissioners on Rota finally got their salaries scrapped given there hasn’t been a casino there in over a decade. The same needs to happen with the Casino Commission on Saipan, as the Governor can appoint one person to temporarily resolve the IPI Contract and maybe WE the People can even see some justice about OUR 77-million in Community Chest Funds that the Casino Commission doesn’t care about. I’ve been yelling for over a year now that someone needs to file a lawsuit for OUR money to at least make sure the People have a vested interest in what happens to the Casino and the Hotel. We (the Government) also need to “reclaim the collateral equipment at the Marianas Resort” so that it can be leased, as IPI has violated their contract owing the People tens of millions, and IPI can start paying off their debt by returning that equipment they purchased from Kan Pacific to the People of the CNMI. We just need to keep making progress one step at a time — that’s TRUE Wisdom. And PLEASE take-down all the Chinese decorative façade on the Casino because it Will-chase our Japanese Tourists away — MORE Wisdom!
One People One Direction.
Ambrose M. Bennett is an Economist who minored in Sociology, a Political Scientist, a retired teacher & former CNMI Board of Education Member, a James Madison Fellow (U.S. Constitutional Scholar), a Fulbright-Hays & lifetime Humanities Scholar who resides in Kagman III.
Ambrose M. Bennett
