Legislative cultural rot

The Legislative Branch? It’s the most powerful in the CNMI’s tri-government setup by virtue of its veto powers. It’s also the core of our community’s ongoing disasters. With the exception of current Governor Fitial, who enacted many beneficial laws in preparation to cure the evident damage done the first two years of his tenure by controlling both houses of the Legislature—in preparation to cure the evident damage done by all other elected officials before him—CNMI’s previous governors came and went like so many bobbleheads, even if they meant well. How so? Even if a governor vetoes any bill passed by the houses, special interests demand an override by the good ol’ boy network on the hill. And let’s be honest about this stink on the hill—its primeval beginning lies inside their id: don’t worry about real problems (like CUC), but lavish money (which our community doesn’t have) on vote-getting projects (that we don’t need). And what does this core of rot breed? New and naive electees who follow suit—other than newly elected Tina Sablan who is doing an incredible job attempting to expose this rot.

And this stink? It’s euphemistically called “compromise” by Pete Reyes. Like that $4.7 million bill recently passed through intimidation (compromise) by the good ol’ boy network of GOP guys (back in power with their BBQ philosophy). Result? The spore of two types that drive free cars and wear pretty ties and shirts up on the hill: the graybeards and the deadwoods. They’re the ones who cluck and crow with bumper sticker promises, pose and preen for the cameras while doing zip, And gleefully cackle every day for the next two years of their term (or more), saying: “I’ve got $300,000 of free salape to blow!” For a group that’s known more for churning out nearly 150 worthless bills, let’s begin by defoliating the graybeards at the top.

Pete Reyes. He’s sometimes referred to as the Senate president. Pete gives away $30,000 for new baseball fields, citing, “because roaming the streets invites criminality and drug use of our kids, I’ll build more fields on Navy Hill whether you like it or not.” He threatens. Tough guy. Abuse of power. And to demonstrate male dominance, Pete harangues newly elect congresswoman Tina Sablan for not voting for his two pet bills because he is “sadden”? How arrogant of him. Likewise Arnold Palacios over at the House, who said to Tina, “get on the train….” How arrogant of Arnold and Pete.

Sounds very familiar to that other graybeard, Stanley Torres, the very same guy who badgers others in the newspaper about their guilt, promises a lawsuit if the attorney general doesn’t prosecute them, and then fails to go after the CNMI’s Lt. Gov. Villagomez recently photographed in handcuffs. Because they’re bosom buddies. And all from the same school.

Diego Benavente. He should hold the title of “most positions held on the hill.” Diego labels Governor Fitial’s recent executive order over CUC as a “conspiracy theory.” The only “conspiracy theory” was his: as Lt. Governor three years ago, who was conspiring to be re-elected while not paying the fuel bills, not fixing the already broken engines (and the failed economy) and finally, lying to all of us that “our economy is pretty darn good”? Eating lunch? Nah, in all likelihood, fishing. Exactly, where another $25,000 of that $4.7 million will go so Diego, Heinz and a sludge of other legislative cronies and their pals, who splurge on expensive boats and suck up on expensive fuel so they can smile for the camera, have a grand old time, feeling good about themselves and the free trophies—all at our expense. And didn’t the TTT guy Cruz claim that a brand new road was recently built to Diego’s chicken coops under the guise of being a CIP project?

Paul Manglona. For all this time he’s noted for playing it safe, obscuring rather than revealing, while acting like a benevolent patron and handing out freebies particularly for his island of Rota’s scholarship monies. Great scheme to stay elected. Knows his game extremely well. And his favorite, the Retirement Fund. Now Paul’s trying to push a 100 percent debt-free payout, claiming it would “save the government $2 million”, not to benefit other hard working retirees who rightfully deserve the money, but for his soon near-retirement. Has he earned it after nearly 20 years in office? If you like a blank screen.

I need not defend our present Governor Fitial over the turmoil we’re all experiencing today, for the following reasons: he is fearless. Stubborn. And his actions from day one of his term are just: to buy time, to get the community back on the road to recovery. And coherent: what he said he would do he is doing, despite the federalization takeover issue. He’s the only governor who has stood up against political pressures to make the hard decisions and to finally do something to correct the massive ills created by past elected officials—in face of his unpopularity—such as declaring state of emergencies when the grave situations demanded, and not waiting for the graybeards and deadwoods to preen and pout and debate until our community is set adrift.

Can this legislative cultural rot be exorcized? Yes, with new and vibrant faces of similar beliefs and motivations to that of the newly elected congresswoman Tina Sablan. And her Open Government Act? The best tool that’ll benefit all of us by exposing where all the wasted monies spent by her “colleagues’ discretionary funds” went—if not cause for other investigations by the Feds.

Let’s bring back former legislators like Junior Waki, Cinta Kaipat and Andrew Salas, to name a few. Let’s get those doomsday writers of shrill voices like Propst, Arkle, Bennett, Cruz and Hodges—if they really got the guts—to walk the talk: pay the fee, get on the ballot for the upcoming election and do battle with those graybeards and deadwoods like Congresswoman Tina Sablan is waging in the halls of the Legislature. Even the Aussie hat guy Jack Angello, school teacher John Davis, talk show host John Gonzales and Korean Chong Won. Vote them into office, what’s to lose? Anything’s better than most of the legislators we have now and their bubble-wrap laws. Then dump or better yet—jail—those graybeards and the deadwoods who’ll get caught. And watch what happens.