A sad state of affairs

The current state of the Commonwealth has both saddened and angered me. Yet to point a finger at one individual to hold accountable for the third world, or worst, conditions the people of the Commonwealth are presently living under I feel is not right. This has been years and years and millions of wasted dollars in the making. We have no one but ourselves, the voters, to blame.

Why? Because of the way we vote, by family association, by not concerning ourselves with the real issues and just voting strictly by party affiliation. What are the real issues? The issues are that I am now in my 40s, having grown up experiencing undrinkable, unreliable water; pothole ridden roads; unreliable electricity; public education wasting and failing my generation and generations following of Chamorro and Carolinian children; a dumpsite that was both an eyesore and health hazard to surrounding villages and hotels; substandard healthcare; ongoing sewage problems that determined which beaches to go to for a Sunday family picnic; and, the list goes on.

The sad part is that we had the means, we had millions from both the federal government and locally generated revenues but it was all squandered by our elected politicians in both houses and the governors who did not stay on top of wasteful spending because they didn’t concern themselves with all the hiring, partying, and traveling for as long as all the political favors were paid. And now, it’s my children and their children who are now experiencing the same standard of living I had 40 years ago and in many instances, a much lower standard. In order to have my family live fairly decent, I’ve had to send my child to private school, periodically level the potholes in front of my house, purchase a 10k gallon water tank and pump, purchase a voltage regulator to prevent my appliances from blowing up, pay for off-island medical appointments in Guam or Hawaii because of inadequate or unsatisfactory healthcare, etc. I often wonder why I continue to pay taxes, don’t you?

We’ve accepted “investors” who’ve turned our beautiful green islands into greenish black algae-plastered buildings with unregulated signage rendering a picture of utter disgust to both visitors and residents. Because of our self-serving and mean-spirited politicians, and the erratic, inconsistent manner they’ve legislated in the past, we’ve turned off quality investors (Donald Trump, Steve Wynn, Mel Gibson, MicroSoft, US and international carriers, hotel chains, etc.) who could easily turn the Commonwealth into a desirable destination for fun and leisure, making us viable contenders in the fight for tourism dollars, amongst the big players of Hawaii, Palau, the Philippines, and Bali. The Marianas CANNOT compete as UGLY as it is right now. Those who hold the Marianas as sacred ground from WWII have either died or are incapable of traveling. Our WWII sites are not a big draw any more. And law enforcement’s lax attitude toward crimes against our tourists is a destination no-no for many looking into visiting our islands.

To be marketable, a place needs beauty, sophistication, world-class attractions and shopping, culture, indigenous interaction, safety and security where visitors are appreciated and welcomed warmly, none of which we have but our competitors do and market themselves heavily on these points. Hawaii sells shirts and other tourist paraphernalia promoting the “aloha spirit,” flowers of the islands, island history, slogans of love and welcome. What do we have? “Fokkai” (“bash you into a pulp,” plus it sounds close to the “f” word), “Hafa un a’atan?” (what are you looking at?), and other distasteful “word art.” We sure have come a long way from living in caves to being depraved. Chamorro pride is alive and well in some sick way. As Americans, we have the first amendment to protect this type of display, but this is not the road we want to take, it is unbecoming of our people and our home.

We concern ourselves with the alleged adulterous affairs of our candidates, which I think is ridiculously amusing when one thinks of the words in scriptures “Let he without sin be the first to throw the first stone.” The candidates have made statements portraying themselves as the moral compass of the islands, which is rather hypocritical. They all have strayed from their spouses at one point or another in their lives. I am curious to know who has kept up with their familial obligations such as child support and who has had to face litigation for failing to do so. To me, as a voter, that is more of a concern than their affairs, as that is a matter between husband and wife who have issues that should remain their business alone. But if an individual moves on with his life and disregards his obligation to his children or worse, does not acknowledge his children as his, I worry how much compassion and zeal he has for his people to lead them in the right direction.

The direction we’re heading is similar to that which the government of the Philippines has taken its people. Two decades of corruption is expected to be cleaned up overnight by politicians elected by voters who voted with the same mentality as those in the Commonwealth who are ill-informed with the issues and irresponsibly casting their precious vote based on an absurd standard.

To all candidates, will you all just drop the speech intro of “my bothers and sisters, and elders, I am the son/daughter of so-and-so”? If your family is your voter base, then voters should be smart enough to think that that you are just out to serve yourself and your family. Why do you have to announce your family ties? Raise your credentials, lay your agenda, your game plan, and more importantly, give us sound ideas to resolve the problems that presently plague the Commonwealth.

The power situation in Saipan is nothing new; it’s been plainly and simply poorly managed. The board of directors is not blameless, as they’ve failed for many years to convene and hash out a serious action plan. Autonomous agencies are clearly that, autonomous, which can be good and can also be bad. Governors can only do and say so much. It takes a collective voice to get things done—strength in numbers—so it will take action on our part to let our leaders and prospective leaders know that this time around, we mean business and it’ll be hard work and no play at all. No more coddling of individuals granting special favors, no legislating on a whim—drafting to suit an individual’s need for the moment regardless if it serves as a detriment to the Commonwealth. And for Christ’s sake!, reduce the size of government, utilize government employees to their fullest potential, and stop the indiscriminate hiring and promotion of unqualified government workers just to please their parents, spouses, or your karaoke drinking buddy.

As voters, we must keep this government from those who do not mean business and only seek election for self-glorification and personal ambitions. And for those who choose to undermine a good idea or plan or the implementation of such, we must call for their ouster, whether they be Cabinet members, legislators, board members, etc. Simply put, we have to be smarter voters, proactive rather than reactive. Sadly, we don’t even react; we just complain without making our voices heard for fear of retaliation. The Commonwealth cannot enjoy true democracy with such intimidations.

All I’m asking is that for all of us—voters, candidates, and the incumbents—to please take this year’s election seriously. We have to all work together. Something must be aggressively done in the next few years, otherwise, we’d be finding ourselves swimming in raw sewage, prostituting our own children, and fending for our next meal at the dumpsite. Your choice, Third World or first class.

J.L. Camacho
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