Where’s Mr. Babauta?

“Where is Juan Nekai Babauta when we need him?” I asked a friend in a recent e-mail. “Where, oh, where is our Resident Representative to Washington while we are under constant, merciless attack?”

And here was my friend’s excellent response: “Do tell my friend [Juan Nekai Babauta], what exactly do we need him for? Do you want to get into a [US military] service academy?”

An excellent question indeed–one that clearly implies Mr. Babauta’s sole redeeming usefulness: sending CNMI students into US service academies.

But what about the larger, more important issues–the issues beyond the US service academies, beyond federal Covenant funding: the vital issues surrounding CNMI self-government itself–the primary issues of local control of labor and immigration. Can we honestly count upon Mr. Babauta to protect us against further unwarranted federal intrusions upon our liberties?

“Who needs a public relations firm when we’ve got Juan Nekai Babauta?” a reader remarked, sarcastically. “How about Teno’s great confidence in Juan Nekai Babauta? Without Preston Gates our poor governor has to do all of the lobbying and legislative research himself?” the reader continued.

It has been a full month since a New York law firm announced a $1 billion lawsuit against our garment industry. The negative fallout from this adverse publicity has proved extremely damaging to our legitimate political and economic interests. Even our already struggling tourism industry could be damaged even further by this unsavory development.

We have to ask ourselves: Where was Mr. Babauta throughout this ordeal? He has so far remained conspicuously silent. Why? Why doesn’t he stand up more forcefully in our favor?

Online columnist Ruth Tighe has suggested that we have a “very effective lobbyist in Washington — that is, the Washington Representative. . .”

Have we indeed a “very effective lobbyist” in the person of Mr. Juan Nekai Babauta?

Incredibly, Ms. Tighe goes on to suggest that the “Washington Rep. already has the background, the knowledge, the information and the contacts any public relations firm would require.”

Does he really? Would we be willing to stake our very future on Mr. Babauta’s “effective” $1.5 million lobbying campaign on our behalf?

Something, no doubt, is amiss here. Where, oh, where, is Mr. Babauta?