Preparedness is key to delegate position
[I]Editor’s Note: All delegate candidates are being given this one opportunity to make their case to our readers through this section for the duration of the election season. This is separate from the Candidate Forum initiated by American government teacher Ambrose Bennett, which ends with today’s edition.[/I]
Dear friends (people of the Commonwealth):
All candidates have expounded their virtues as to why they are the best to represent the CNMI in the US House of Representatives and the promises of what they plan to do if elected.
This November 4 election is both a critical and a historical event. Your ability to send the right person to Washington is being challenged. The challenge that voters of the CNMI must decide for the CNMI delegate is beyond the usual politics of the past candidates for locally elected positions.
The CNMI delegate must have some basic criteria to bring to Washington. I humbly ask you, my dear people of the CNMI, to chose your delegate with this question: How prepared is the candidate for the position?
Preparedness for the delegate office goes well beyond academic achievement, community knowledge, or past public services.
The defining criteria for preparedness must meet two essential qualifications.
1. The delegate must have the ability to handle the pressures and demands of the job. Without this ability, opportunities for the CNMI will be lost. The demands of the U.S. Congress are great. With the demands are even greater opportunity. A qualified delegate will afford the CNMI positive results.
2.
3. The delegate must have foresight and vision. The ability to communicate and present the interest of the CNMI, now and in the future, must not be compromised because of the lack of foresight. How will our economy be impacted by actions of Congress? How will our healthcare delivery be affected? What will be the impact to our homegrown servicemen and women? How do we protect and provide fair services to our veterans? There are many issues not addressed nor yet presented before Congress that the CNMI delegate must bring to Washington on behalf of CNMI and its citizens.
We cannot afford our Washington delegate to come before Washington for on-the-job training on the qualities above.
An effective member of the U.S. Congress must be able to understand, research, and communicate (listen and speak). The delegate will need to keep up with the many committee reports, testimonials, and transcripts, letters, draft bills, revisions to those draft bills, and the mountains of data, that are the basis for most congressional debates, hearings, inquiries, and panel discussions.
The CNMI delegate is a non-voting position in the House of Representatives. Thus, again, the qualification of our delegate is most important.
Our CNMI delegate must be able to dialogue with other members of Congress and earn the respect that allows for participation with critical committees that affect our islands. Our delegate must be viewed as the expert for CNMI issues and respected to earn the expectation to provide the issues and solutions that impact our islands.
I asked for your consideration on the right qualification of your CNMI delegate. With over 32 years of legal and public services experience, I have the qualifications to fully represent our interest before the U.S. Congress and bring positive results to our people of the CNMI. Your vote is more important on this historical event. I thank you. Please vote #4 on the ballot.
[B]Juan Tudela Lizama[/B]
[I]Delegate candidate to U.S. Congress[/I]
