I saw many dignitaries and businessmen from Guam while we were in Saipan for the inauguration of the new government. It was a day of great hope for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as the governor’s office and the Commonwealth Legislature were sworn-in upon a mandate of sweeping change.
That change, we have learned since that day, will be a slow and painful process filled with sacrifice by the people of the Commonwealth. The past seven years, our brothers and sisters there have endured the “pillaging and plundering” of their government by the previous governor, Ralph Torres. Those are words from the new chief executive, Governor Arnold Palacios, whose transition team reported corruption so corrosive, there are few options to the survival of the government this fiscal year.
Along the way those seven dreadful years of the Torres regime, ill-motivated politicians and businessmen from Guam decided to take part in the plunder. Now, the people of the Commonwealth are footing the bill.
I saw many good people from Guam at the inaugural festivities. People like Simon Sanchez and Glenn Leon Guerrero, who were there to cheer on their friend and classmate from the Father Duenas Memorial School Class of 1974. The executive of Bella Wings Aviation was there; and his products and services can enhance the economy. There was a doctor, who advocates veterans health; his services may be needed. But there were others, and they know who they are and what motives they have, who I saw and just knew were lurking for the next opportunity to make money off the people of the Commonwealth without equal or greater value to trade.
We are comforted in knowing the Palacios-Apatang administration, and the Commonwealth Legislature have their guard up about anyone who wants to have anything to do with the power and money of the people’s government. The people have gone through so much already. The people have to pay for the sins of the past. It would be a travesty of justice if yet another greedy person from Guam milks the coffers without anything of true value to offer in return.
4 Comments
Mabel Doge Luhan
01/14/2023 at 12:04 AM
Oh heavens! Our own version of Blame Canada!
My oldest grandson (the one who’s a little funny) showed me a video clip of Cade Maddox absolutely piledriving Carter Dane. In the closing credits, they were listed as EQUAL CO-STARS. That was EDUCATIONAL.
Our “leaders” were not hoodwinked by anybody. This isn’t a tearjerker about The Global South. Like Nazi Germany, and isn’t Godwin’s Law such a darling, this is a simple story about what happens when “interesting” moral systems are allowed to proceed to their logical conclusions.
Those Guamanians did not use violence, coercion, or even deceit to pull their schemes. They didn’t prey on the CNMI’s generally lower level of education and worldliness. This is not like when I married my fourth husband TONY LUJAN. All those Guamanian businesspeople preyed on was the moral bankruptcy — or more generously, the concern for family wellbeing over generalized societal wellbeing — of our “leaders.” That’s it.
So don’t be like my good friend TEDDY DREISER who wrote SISTER CARRIE as being tossed about WILLY-NILLY BY HER ENVIRONMENT, and please give the CNMI some AGENCY.
And if we’re going to keep score on the home islands of scammers, the CNMI is no-slouch on a per-capita basis, as you can find out from any federal AGENCY.
It’s Saturday again, and I’m not wearing a brassiere!
Alan San Nicolas
01/14/2023 at 6:29 AM
I hafa malofan esta mapos lao yanggen ma imbestiga pues kastiga yanggen magahet na ti kombieni I beda ña. Fan in’agofli’e, na ayudante hao ya seimpre en sodda I hinanao miyu ni maolek na hinanao. MAOLEK NA OGGA’AN 👍 HAFA ADAI 🌴 AFAÑELOS
Tomorrow fenything
01/15/2023 at 3:05 AM
How can u blame us here on Guam when u don’t allow us to run a business on your island? The same rule should be applied to you Here because it’s only fair ,but you know what? We the people from Guam (not just Chamorros) don’t play tribal war games to that kind of stupid extreme even with the wrong done during the war. So stop hating on Guam and enjoy a better living while ur here where America’s day begins.
Nesian boy
01/20/2023 at 3:28 AM
Hating Guam? Pick a history book and learn from it!