Performance of Washington Office A Failure

At Issue: Funds for NMI’s Washington Office comes under microscopic review in the wake of US Sen. approval of takeover legislation.

Our View: Approval of such legislation is a tale of grand failure by our Washington Representative to protect the NMI’s future.

The issue is about the economic freedom and future of these isles now seriously threatened by a US Senate proposal to trash more than 22 years of hard work building a foundation upon which the NMI generates wealth and jobs creation.

The NMI’s Washington Representative Juan N. Babauta has been on the driver’s seat for ten years now. We have paid through the nose (via taxes we pay from our hard earned income) to fund the role and function of Mr. Babauta’s office only to see the future of self-government now at the brink of total ruination.

This failure by the NMI’s Washington Office brings into focus questions that we all must ask, including: Did Babauta aggressively and proactively work Capitol Hill to trumpet the often inaudible sentiment of this group of US Citizens? Did he actively and aggressively work with various governors from the islands to ward-off detractors’ plans to inflict economic annihilation of our livelihood? Or was he lackadaisical or simply took the attitude that such role is that of the NMI governor?

It is our view that Mr. Babauta didn’t take a proactive defense of the rights of the NMI to protect the integrity of the Covenant Agreement upon which we have placed our trust and confidence to building brighter tomorrows for posterity. Had he dedicated his time and energy (using local taxpayers money), the result of the US Senate vote would net results in the NMI’s favor–protection of the integrity of the Covenant Agreement–the bedrock of our relationship with our mother country.

Definitely, economics isn’t the forte of our astute Washington Representative as to miss the train while standing at the train station. We regret that he hardly took a strong stand to prevent political stampeding of the rights of US Citizens in these isles for their political and economic freedom under the greater American Economic Community.

What good is his bid for the most coveted seat here if the very essence of self-government is lost to special interest agenda to ensure annihilation of our economic livelihood? A federal takeover, Mr. Babauta, is the surest ticket to joblessness, hopelessness and abject poverty. Is this your crystal ball vision of the future of our people when you threw your hat into the gubernatorial ring–poverty, hopelessness and joblessness–for working people in these isles? If this is your road map into the future, most of us will simply refuse to follow because there’s no security ahead for posterity. In short, your performance is a failure! Si Yuus Maase`!