More federal propaganda

Apparently, to federal authorities in the Clinton administration, violating the Hatch Act is no big deal. The probability that Al Stayman and David North may have deliberately distorted the CNMI’s true situation for ideological purposes makes absolutely no difference to the Clinton White House. It is, oddly enough, entirely irrelevant.

But perhaps it is not so odd. After all, Stayman and North–career Democrats as they are–were only working for their bosses in the White House. Why should we be surprised if the OIA’s nefarious partisan activities didn’t shock the saints in the Clinton administration?

The Clinton people are undoubtedly used to such abusive tactics, as File-gate, Travel-gate and many other assorted scandals clearly indicate. The Clinton administration simply has no qualms about securing FBI files on House Republicans. They have no qualms about using the IRS or other federal agencies to punish their political adversaries. So why should the CNMI–a particularly vulnerable U.S. territory–be treated any differently?

The Tenorio administration has instituted immigration and labor reforms to please the federal government–even to the extent of compromising our already weak private sector, reeling as it is from the Asian financial crisis. The Teno administration imposed a stringent labor moratorium. The Teno people imposed strict health regulations on nonresident workers and their employers.

Still, no amount of political reform will ever please certain segments of the federal government. Our hardened detractors will not rest until federalization is swiftly imposed, regardless of its consequences to our stagnant economy.

There is no point in reasoning with those bent on the CNMI’s federalization. This is not an argument or a debate. This is a pure political power play.

This is not democracy in action. For what the feds propose is nothing less than regulation without representation–a decidedly un-American policy.

What we are dealing with here, folks, is federal tyranny: the destruction of our local self-government and our economic self-sufficiency.

The reasons the feds give seem rather noble: human rights, labor reform, immigration controls, and so forth. But sharp observers are not easily deceived by the federal propaganda.

And to the extent that our legitimate concerns are not heard, the hearings in Washington, D.C., are nothing but a hoax. American democracy, freedom and justice–OK, let’s pretend.