In defense of Speaker Fitial

In trying to deflect the point made by Speaker Fitial, namely, that Gov. Babauta has done nothing to fix our broken economy, certain GOP stalwarts have suggested that Speaker Fitial should not wait until he becomes governor to fix the economy.

Reeling from a barrage of criticism stemming from their undemocratic rejection of a GOP primary, the Republicans are now desperately trying to turn the tables on Speaker Fitial, trying to blame him for our economy, trying to blame him for Gov. Babauta’s many mistakes. It won’t work!

The people know that Ben Fitial has only been in office for a little more than a year. He came into the 14th Legislature and became speaker for the third time in January 2004. Prior to that, Fitial had been a private citizen since he lost his gubernatorial bid in 2001. Fitial was out of government action for two whole years. Prior to that, Fitial was the speaker of the 12th Legislature when Pete P. Tenorio was governor. Prior to that, Fitial was in the private sector for a good decade or more.

Gov. Babauta, on the other hand, has been in office for more than three years. He is presiding over the worst economic situation the CNMI has ever faced since it began to have a decent economy in the 1980s, back when, Teno and Fitial were working together to create an economy for the CNMI. Under the Babauta administration, the CNMI government’s financial condition is at its worst, with tax rebates, retirement contributions, legal judgments, and vendor payments regularly being left unpaid. Even PSS wasn’t paid and the administration tried to lie about it. The spin to blame Fitial for Babauta’s mess isn’t going to cut it either. It’s woefully childish!

The Republicans would have the people believe that this is partly Fitial’s fault because he is an incumbent speaker. But Fitial should be credited with stopping the Babauta administration from raising the CNMI’s fees and taxes through the governor’s proposed Integrated Fiscal Plan. Who knows how much worse things would be if Speaker Fitial were not there to thwart Babauta’s grand tax and spend schemes?

The people also know that the governor has more power than the speaker of the House. If America’s economy goes south, whom do the American people blame? House Speaker Dennis Hastert or President Bush? Obviously, the President has more responsibility, and in this case the governor has more responsibility. Babauta is to blame for the CNMI’s financial mess, not Fitial.

Nice try, though.

Sincerely,
John S. DelRosario, Jr.
Koblerville