01-13-06

Hi friends, this is Harry Blalock; General Manager for radio stations KZMI & KCNM. It's that time once again to take a look at the issues of the week, and to offer some Food For Thought.

Well, it's finally official, we have a new Governor, and can now refer to Juan Babauta as the former Governor. Just when I think he's finally out of my hair and I don't have to worry about him anymore, I find out that he's recently tried to hire someone on Guam to dig up dirt on our station and shut us down. I guess the person turned him down flat, and told him to forget about it, but I guess I'm just a little surprised that he can't let things go. Maybe he'll include this as a topic in the class he's going to teach at the college, I'll let you know since I plan on signing up for it. Maybe I'll actually get him to answer some questions that way.

While on the topic of the former Governor, I would like to say once again that I am not interested in entertaining calls from all of you who have dirt or something to tell me about him. If you have information on something he did that you felt was wrong or illegal, you should go to the Attorney General's office, now that we have a new Attorney General, or go to the FBI. You can also go to the Public Auditors office, but I'm just not interested in hearing about it, or talking about it. It's time to take it the next step, and give the information to someone who can make a case with it, but that is not me.

On to a brighter topic, from what I've seen so far, I think that Governor Ben is off to a pretty good start. I had to admit; I was kind of concerned about who he would be appointing to key cabinet positions. I had heard all kinds of rumors about the people he would be appointing, and it sounded like it was going to be political payback and not necessarily appointing based on credentials or merit. But then again, I guess that's why they're called rumors; it's nothing you can really base anything on. Fortunately the rumors turned out to be just that, rumors. I know that the Governor's appointments aren't going to please everyone, and that people will always seek to find fault no matter what. But from what I can see, they are all fairly credible and have the backgrounds and credentials to do the job. I believe that they should all be given the chance to succeed and make a difference. This doesn't mean that the senate shouldn't do their job in investigating all the appointments, and making sure they are all qualified, and don't have anything in their background that would hinder them from serving. That is one of their main tasks, and one they should take seriously. But if the senate does their job, and approves of all the appointments, then let's see what we can do to help out.

I was also surprised to hear of the dress code that the Governor is imposing on his cabinet and directors. That is not to say that I'm against it, actually I applaud anything the Governor does to try and make this government operate more efficiently and professionally. I also think it's a very good idea to have us present a professional and competent image to potential investors, we don't want them to think we're just a bunch of wannabe's who don't know how to conduct ourselves. The Governor is also leading by example in this area, as I saw him wearing a suit and tie at lunch the other day.

Governor Fitial has a very tough road ahead of him, and the fixes won't be easy or quick. This mess took a lot of years to make, and it was made in a better economy, so let's not fool ourselves and look for overnight results. Some of the decisions he's going to have to make are going to be tough, and it will mean tightening our belts and quite possibly cutting back on some things we don't really want to give up. One of the things I've heard him say on several occasions that I heartily agree with is - it's time to put politics aside and work together for the good of our islands. Politics needs need to put on the shelf and ignored for the good of all.

Sadly, it seems the Republicans have decided to do just the opposite, and have used politics in a rather ugly way recently. They delayed the House inauguration by objecting to having the former Speaker preside over the ceremonies. The former Speaker just happened to be the current Governor, and they claimed this violated the separation of power in government. Since a new Speaker hadn't been elected yet, this did make sense, and it was a nice gesture of the Governor to be involved in that way. But because they weren't getting their way, and didn't have the votes to push their own agenda, some members of the Republican minority decided to throw this unsightly monkey wrench into things, and to stall the ceremony. And they will probably wonder why the majority gives them a hard time when they try to get their bills through the lower House. After the last election, the Republicans need to realize that they had better be concentrating on damage control and healing the problems that came out of the last administration, but it doesn't seem that they got figured that out yet.

Governor Fitial has the opportunity to really make some progress here in the next year as he has the House and Senate leadership aligned with him. Let's hope this translates into some meaningful legislation that will actually improve things in the islands, and move us forward. It would be very easy to actually get a Drivers Training bill passed now, which would make our roads much safer places to drive. It would also generate new fees and taxes for the government, create jobs, and insure that everyone would be following the same set of rules when using our roadways. I know this isn't the most important or pressing item, but it is one that could finally be accomplished very easily. We'll be watching to see whether the legislature gets bogged down in trying to overhaul the system, or whether they take one bite at a time and do what they can to improve things. The Republicans had this same opportunity 4 years ago, and we all saw how miserably they failed at getting anything accomplished. Let's hope that the current leadership in the legislature and the administration maximize what they have and use it for all of our good.

Governor Fitial has vowed to come on my morning talk show on a regular basis to keep you informed about what he is doing, and the status of things. That would be a very welcome change from the way things have been operating around here for the past 4 years, and one that we would all benefit from. I touched base with him at the Chamber of Commerce Installation dinner last week, and he is still committed to upholding that promise. I think he actually understands what transparency in government means, and fully intends on implementing it. I am truly looking forward to having Governor Ben on Island Issues talking about his programs and goals for the CNMI. I will promote the days he chooses to go on the air on our other stations as well so you won't miss him.

There is finally a hope in the air, and everyone can sense that things have changed. Again, it won't happen overnight and it won't be easy, but let's pull together to see what we can do make our islands the best they can be. Business people I know that were looking at relocating have now decided to stay put and see what happens. That's a step in the right direction. In one of his speeches, Governor Ben said that if you have suggestions, ideas or comments, they want to hear them. I believe him, and I think they will actually pay attention to what we have to say. Let's take him at his word and all chip in.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate David M. Sablan on being honored as the Saipan Chamber of Commerce's Business Person of the Year. I can't think of anyone else who deserves it more, or has done as much over the years to merit this kind of recognition. He has truly been a business leader here and on Guam for the last 40 years, and his accomplishments are many. At 73, David is still going strong and shows no signs of slowing down at all. His input and advice is often sought and highly regarded. David, congratulations my friend, it's an honor that is long overdue, but better late than never!

I'm Harry Blalock, thanking you once again for giving me a generous slice of your valuable time, and allowing me to share my Food For Thought.