CORRUPTION HILL

Why isn't anyone listening to Tina up there on corruption hill? Why do they think they can continue to get away with the same old blatant abuses time after time? When are the people going to finally wake up and stop voting for their uncles brothers sisters cousin?
I honestly think that many people either:

1. Don't know enough about government to know that there are serious deficits in accountability going on.
2. Don't want to change the status-quo as they are beneficiaries to the corruption and nepotism.
3. Don't think they have any power to do anything anyway.

I am getting discouraged too. Tina is doing her best to out the constant lack of foresight, planning and transparency, but I feel like no one is listening. No one is embarrassed that they are being outed for the obvious lack of due diligence. No one is embarrassed that they are being outed for their underhandedness. They even have the gall to express their "disappointment" for Tina's lack of apparent support for the scholarship or youth baseball programs. It is like they didn't even HEAR why she opposed the allocations. HELLO!

They deflect. They pretend to be compassionate. Yet they don't even care that the decisions they make with out any regard to process or protocol affect everyone and benefit few. I like what someone in the paper wrote about how little league only provides something to do for the BOYS in the CNMI. What about all the at risk girls? We all know they could use some programs. Or how about supporting other sports for a change?

I am all for a trades school and think that it is a great idea to empower those who want to learn a skill, but I am leery that they just gave that trades school 100,000 dollars without even looking at a business plan! That they would give the trades school that money instead of giving it to NMC when NMC had a trades program, or even any PSS school that could dearly use it. How is this happening?! I just don't understand.

Then, while reading the paper a few days ago seeing that PMIC was owed almost one million dollars again I felt so cynical and thought, will they try to bail CUC once again? This is exactly what Tina said when she opposed the bill that gave Agrekko that first money.

"Outsiders"

In a letter to Taotao Tano Rep. Candido B. Taman warns:

" . . . do not be obsessed with the word transparency because we have nothing to hide here. Incidentally, the more you use this word the more you contribute to the glory of those disrespectful outsiders who are very critical against our island, our people and our government. "

Being critical of an entity that has habitually abused public trust and public funds, is not limited to "outsiders". Although I am half chamorro, half "outsider", I am Chamorro at heart. I love these islands; they will forever be my home.

It is my right to be critical of my island, if my people and my government abuse the power and especially the public funds my tax dollars contribute to. I LOVE my homeland and am tired of seeing it deteriorate because of the LACK OF TRANSPARENCY in our government. I know, I know it is more than just that, BUT whenever there is a mess, you have to start somewhere. Let's start with TRANSPARENCY. Let us start with closer monitoring with what money we DO have. You say "we have nothing to hide", so prove it.

I AM Chamorro, and I am critical, whether you like it or not.

In defense of "outsiders" I say this: We teach your kids. We heal you when you're sick. We defend you when you break thelaw. We do not sign up for welfare and food stamps. We pay our bills. We do something about animal welfare. We VOTE. We pay our taxes, so we can freely call "fouls" when we see them. We are among the most educated members of the community so maybe we're worth listening to every now and again.

To Greg Cruz:

I commend your "OBSESSION" with transparency. It is not just you; many people have that obsession. Can you blame them? Who wouldn't want to know what the people WE (the voters) have put into office are doing; be it at meetings or how they spend PUBLIC money. We have every right to know. Do NOT let THEM change your course.