A ‘New Deal’ for projects of island significance

Americans, at arguably the worst times in our nation’s history, which included the Great Depression and World War II, were inspired and persevered in the wake of a “New Deal” as envisioned by their elected leader, the only American President to ever be elected to four terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt ascended to the greatest heights of American popular opinion, all the while using a wheelchair because he could not walk. It is said with some certainty that, had there been television back then and more people would have seen that he used a wheelchair, he never would have been elected. The combination of the crippling effects of poliomyelitis and the burdens of a presidency in a time replete with national and worldwide strife took its toll on FDR’s body, but his mind was preserved and he was able to make people forget about his disability. He spoke of “an economic constitutional order,” which included conservation, relief, social insurance, cheaper electricity and employment for everyone. More importantly he instilled confidence in ordinary citizens to believe in a “new deal” and that truly “the only thing to fear is fear itself.” Despite the fact that he drove the federal deficits to unprecedented lows, FDR is dubbed as one of the greatest Presidents that ever lived ultimately because he sought to ensure a collective welfare and put “a chicken in every pot.”

In the CNMI, the deck never changes and the game is always the same, so the deal is never new. While for the moment I would rather live here than anywhere else in the world, I am worried—I feel myself dangling on the whims of an uninspired community…a community divided, in part, by partisan politics…a community that makes little to no collective effort at anything…a community of people working for the government, instead of a government working for the people. We have bought hook, line and sinker into the notion that the only life worth living is one cloaked in the almighty dollar. So we continue to line up for a turn on the magic carpet ride from the Corporate Masters of the Universe and the Federal Cavalry with little consideration of a revival at our own hands through simpler, more eco-friendly projects of island significance. If we know anything by now, it should be that money in and of itself will not solve our problems—it’s how we come about it and what we do with it that matters.

This gets me back to my thoughts on projects of island significance. For example:

What if, instead of building more roads, we built more water tanks and made it an islandwide effort to ensure that every rooftop in the CNMI was connected to a water catchment system. At the very least, every government-owned roof ought to be used for this purpose…just imagine how much water can be harnessed off the roof of every housing unit in Upper and Lower MIHA or off the roof of each school building or, here’s a thought, off the roof of the Governor’s and Legislature buildings? Or…

What if, instead of paying people to plant decorative trees along our roadsides, we paid to have them plant fruit-bearing trees (like breadfruit, mangos, bananas or coconuts)? Or…

What if, instead of handing out tax breaks to foreign investors just because they want to set up business on our islands, we reserved the tax breaks for local companies already doing business here (with maybe an extra incentive based on the number of local/long-term residents they employ or extra incentives for endeavors in agriculture or aquaculture)?

The basic idea is to harness and/or cultivate the natural potential of our lands using people who are vested in these islands to create self-sustaining economic opportunities (i.e., jobs). The subsequent effects should include a reduction in the long-term, recurring costs to our government and an increase in local products/resources (labor or otherwise)—not exactly a road map to salvation, but it is a start and there is value in at least thinking outside of the box. One thing is for sure, if we keep doing the same things over and over again, we will get the same results over and over again.

Some would have us believe that the problems of our society need to be handled from the top down—the big shots know what’s best and that the little man has very little to no effect on what happens. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. Where we end up as a society hinges directly on the actions or inactions of the common man and I’m not talking about a person’s right to vote—we already know with some certainty that our votes often fall by the wayside of empty promises and dirty politics. Rather, I’m talking about our willingness to assume a share of the responsibility to contribute to, invest in, and believe in our common wealth. At a time not so long ago we did just that with inspiration from a skinny, old man with a disability…why can’t we do it again? To quote people wiser than I could ever be, “Never doubt that a group of committed citizens working together can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” and know that, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

For more on famous people with disabilities, please feel free to contact NMPASI (ask for Greg or Tom) at (670) 235-7273/4 [voice] / 235-7275 [fax], 235-7278 [tty] or check us out online at http://www.nmpasi.com.

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