Voting for hope for the future

When I think about why I choose to run, I also think about why people will vote for me and all Democrats this election. I have learned through my house-to-house visits these last few months that the reason voters will vote for me, and all Democrats this election is because they have hope for the future.

H – Voters want improved access to health care. They often share during house-to-house that the amount of money we invest toward medical referral would do wonders if we instead invested it to improve the services at our hospital.  This would also in turn reduce the need for some medical referral in the long run, because people wouldn’t have to leave their homes and families for treatment. Investing in our hospital would also add to the Medicaid requirements that help keep the system afloat today.  Legislatively, the Democrats recognize and commit to the urgency of prioritizing funding for the betterment and health of our people for the short- and long-term.  This is why voters will vote for Democrats this election.

O – Voters want more opportunities and access. They want opportunities to be engaged, opportunities to learn, opportunities to access skilled training, which would lead to opportunities of improved earning potential. Democrats will support educational systems, from PSS to NMC to NMTI, because we know how critical it is to the overall economy and personal growth of our people. Democrats will support legislation to establish apprenticeship programs critical to the next steps of NMTI sustainability and viability. Democrats will provide opportunities and access through community gardens, where people can engage in partnerships and learn to grow their own food, improving the community’s access to sustainable living practices, which also affects their long-term health. Democrats will support local small businesses through legislation to encourage startups that will help our local economy grow. These are the reasons why voters will vote for Democrats this election.

P –  Voters want their leaders to practice partnership and prudence. Voters want to return to “Ina-Fámauleg yan Ina-Goflié.”  Working together, we explore and light up all there is, to see it clearly, so we can do what’s best for all. What I hear from voters is how much they and the people around them want change. They say they support change with how leaders communicate and operate. Voters will choose Democrats because they pledge to support legislation that will establish rules that require all members to maintain records and publish quarterly reports of their expenditures. Democrats will regularly report to the people and welcome their feedback.  And, most importantly, Democrats will ensure that public funds are only spent on public purposes.  These are the reasons why voters will vote for democrats this election.

E – Voters want their leaders to prioritize education and exhibit ethics. Every election, leaders tout education as their priority.  The difference is that voters will vote for me because they have witnessed that I have been a champion for education for the last 18 years.  I am a lifelong learner and currently hold two degrees: a Bachelors of Liberal Arts and a Masters in Educational Leadership.  I continue to take courses to edify myself on topics that interest me.  I am a 2010 graduate of the CNMI summer pre-law program, a 2019 Pacific Century Fellow and an avid participant and volunteer in NMI Humanities Council programs.  Voters will vote for me because my ethical record stands for itself.  I have been an administrator for the last 10 years and I have never had an EEO case.  My record of fairness and reputation of “service before self” are why voters will vote for me this election. Ask any of my former students or parents, they will tell you that I practice the following: “What you do for one you must do for all.  All means all.”

Voters will vote for Democrats this November because we are offering a diverse choice of quality candidates who possess a wide variety of degrees and professional experiences.  On the Democratic slate, we offer candidates who are former educators, military veterans, retirees, small business owners, accountants, money market finance experts, civil service and government service employees too.

Most of all, CNMI voters will choose Democrats this November because ethics is central to the pledge this team has made to voters of the CNMI. Ethics is central to the first part, all the way to last part of our pledge: “We believe that public office is a public trust.  We hold ourselves and our colleagues to the highest ethical standards and will abide faithfully by the oath of office and the CNMI Government Ethics code.”

Check out our Democratic pledge to the people of the CNMI online at: www.nmidems.org or  http://bit.ly/NMIDemsPledgeFB  (on Facebook)

Leila Staffler