Are we capable of running our own country?

This morning I have to be honest and state some feelings and confusion that I am suffering from. I wish someone would sit me down and make me understand why we cannot fix the CUC problem, and why we are fighting with the United States who has helped us to enjoy the lifestyle we have and keeps pouring endless amounts of money into our islands. We shouldn’t keep criticizing people or a system unless we understand the real reasons why things happen as they do. I truly want to understand better. Please help

Let’s discuss the first important issue—the CUC power fiasco! When I came to Saipan in January 1984, I quickly learned about the power system problems. During the years I have watched in awe how we continuously keep fouling every attempt to remedy this basic necessity for civilized and comfortable living.

I have watched as professional consultants after professional consultants paraded here and advised us on how to solve our power problems. After receiving their checks, they leave us with their notes. What do we do with them? We file them away.

Then company after company responds to our requests for proposals to repair or operate the power plant. No matter how sincere the various companies are, they are all chased away for some silly reason and their plans discarded. All this ends in a waste of time. Millions have been spent in trying to fix the plant and equipment but to no avail. And this has been going on longer than the 24 years I have been here.

Someone please explain to me and the other citizens how hundreds of intelligent men in the Legislature and Administration who have had the power to make changes, and the executive directors who actually operated the plant over the past 24 years could not, and still cannot, fix up a small power plant. I find this totally absurd. Today we are in worse shape than ever before. How can this be? Please explain why.

Let’s look at our love-hate relationship with the United States. Back in 1986, we voted to become a member of the United States family. All of us received a U.S. passport without earning it or learning anything about our mother country or its philosophy. One night we went to bed and the next morning we woke up as U.S. citizens.

Despite all the time that the United States has given us to learn to regulate ourselves, we have ended up with a mandate from them that they will be controlling our immigration from now on. We whine and shout unfair because we cannot have our own way even when we blew the many chances given to us.

So today we are engaged in a love-hate relationship with the United States. We are even arrogant enough to speak of challenging them in court. Oh, yes, meanwhile we are asking for $15 million to tide us over. Still the money keeps pouring in. How long can this last before the United States shouts: “Enough is enough”?

What is it about us that we cannot solve these problems year after year and after millions of dollars spent? I can come to only one conclusion. We, the citizens, are the culprits. Yes, I am blaming us. We are to blame for all this mess. For some strange reason we don’t want to fix them. How is it that with so many intelligent men and women concerned that instead of demanding the problems be resolved we just complain? Yet though we have the remedy at hand, we refuse to use it. Why do we stand by as sheep in a herd and merely whine?

We can’t fix the problems this way. Every few years we vote for a new House of Representatives and for senators. That means that 28 men and women shout at us for months that if we elect or re-elect them, they will fix the problems.

Than every four years we have the great show in which we vote for the “Grand Chief” who will preside over us and guide us. He also screams and shouts how he is the one that will lead us to the “Promised Land.” He can order these problems fixed if he wants, but he doesn’t. Instead we have political mumbo-gumbo and lots of posturing. What a farce and charade! And we the people keep silent and tolerate all this. Why do we allow this to continue?

So every November we run to the polls in childish belief re-electing them in the hope that they will make all the wrongs and hurt go away. I want to believe that some of them are truly serious and desire to champion the needs of the community. But something happens to these few after they become inducted into the “club.”

Earlier I said that we are the real culprits for allowing our leaders to shortchange us year after year. Why do we keep electing the same officials term after term when they do nothing to correct our problems? Why do we tolerate them? Isn’t there anyone in the Legislature who has what we Italians call “caldrons?”

Some of these people have been in the Legislature for many years, and term after term are re-elected, yet they do nothing to solve the problems. The government has become a job for them. Do nothing, don’t make waves and the family will vote you back in. Do you wonder then why our problems still haunt us? Professional lawmakers become retreads after much use.

I thought that experience and love for our country would enlighten some of them to act. But no. They prefer to stay quiet and go along with the herd. Why are we so foolish? Why don’t we strongly let them know our dissatisfaction? Why are we so passive? By tolerating these do-nothing people, we deserve what we are getting today. The CUC will be the same after 24 more years and our relationship with Uncle Sam will continue to be stretched to the breaking point.

As I said earlier, please sit me down and enlighten me. How is it that hundreds of intelligent legislators and governors with all their highly paid staff and advisors over the last 24 years cannot solve these problems?

I would welcome a frank discussion on these matters over lunch with any legislator. I will buy. I want to know why we cannot solve our problems. And please don’t tell me that we don’t have the money. I am not attacking any individual or group. I simply want decisive action to resolve these two problems.

If I am too blunt, it is because we need strong fearless leaders. We need men who are willing to sacrifice themselves much as a soldier does in battle. Our country is crying for leaders who have the courage to demand that our problems be solved.

It will take only one strong voice to start the change. Do we have one? Where is he? Is it any wonder that the United States is concerned with the question: Are we capable of running our own country?