01-27-06

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.

At this point I think it is pretty clear to everyone that there has been a drastic change in the Governor's office. Obviously there are going to be those who don't like the changes, mainly those who supported the previous administration. I have also been hearing that many people have been critical of my commentaries regarding Governor Fitial, saying that I have not been as critical of him as I used to be of Governor Babauta. This is as good a point as any to set the record straight and to explain the situation we find ourselves in.

If you'll recall, I had been very clear leading up to the last election in what we would be needing from our next Governor. We needed someone who would be realistic about the state of the Commonwealth, who would face the fact that we were running consistent deficits. We needed a Governor who was willing to cut the budget and downsize the government, forcing us to live within our means. The previous administration spent money like they were printing it themselves, and did nothing to cut down on the deficits they were incurring every year. It was a very dangerous situation driving us to the brink of bankruptcy. I knew that if we didn't get a governor who would get serious about cutting down on spending, our government would be totally bankrupt very soon. I had been saying this for the previous 3 years; the proof is in the archives of Food For Thought, which you can find online at www.chamorro.com.

Since we finally have a governor who is serious about addressing our financial shortfalls, why on earth would I criticize him for doing exactly what I had been calling for previously? Maybe some people don't understand what this commentary is all about, or what I'm hoping to accomplish with it. This is not something that is here just for the purpose of criticizing the powers that be. The whole intent behind the commentary is to give you something to think about, to possibly give you a different point of view and encourage you to think through the issues for yourselves. Unfortunately because of the attitude of the previous administration and their unwillingness to answer questions or to communicate with certain members of the press, and because of their policies and continuous wasting of government funds, I found it necessary to point out what was going on. It made for a very adversarial relationship with the previous administration, but it was not one of my choosing. Had the governor at the time agreed to answer questions and to discuss the various issues, I'm sure it would have changed the tone of Food For Thought. Not that I wouldn't have still brought up issues of concern, but I'm sure it would have been milder and more diplomatic than the end result.

Ironically, I offered former Governor Babauta the same opportunity that I have now offered Governor Fitial, to come in to the talk studio on a regular basis to update the public on what was happening. For whatever reason, Governor Babauta never took me up on the offer, and was never willing to answer questions or discuss any of his policies. Governor Fitial has shown himself to be a far more accessible governor, and one who isn't afraid of shying away from hard questions or explaining why he is doing what he does.

The CNMI is at a very important milestone in our development. If we do not put politics aside and come together for the good of our islands, there will not be enough left in 4 years to even bother with. We need to come together and support our new Governor, giving him the benefit of the doubt, and collectively tighten our belts until things start to improve here economically. It's not going to be easy, and the improvements won't happen overnight, but most things of value are worth waiting for and usually don't come cheap. Now if Governor Fitial changes in the next 4 years and starts repeating the mistakes of the past, you can bet that I will be there asking him what is going on and why he's doing it. I will be pointing out the issues as I see them, and asking some hard questions. But quite honestly, I'm hoping that I'll be able to help educate you about what he's trying to accomplish and how he plans on doing it. I truly believe that will benefit all concerned, and that you will have a better idea of what is happening and why it needs to happen. I'm guessing that I won't always agree with everything the Governor does, and I will point those things out as they arise and pose the questions to the Governor. But because of the way Governor Fitial has chosen to interact with the press, you can bet that they will treat him differently as a result.

I have read several times recently where former Governor Babauta claims the press treated him unfairly and claims that he was a victim. Ironically, just the opposite was true, he was the one who played favorites with the media, granting some interviews and trading them for favors, while shutting out others completely. It seems this is a lesson that Governor Fitial learned well from watching what happened to his predecessor. As I mentioned last week, Governor Fitial insisted on waiting for Ulysses Sabucco, the reporter for Pacific Times, who was over 20 minutes late, before starting his first press conference. If there were any publication or reporter that Governor Fitial had a reason to not want there, that would have been it, but no, Governor Fitial was gracious and accommodating, even when it wasn't really merited, Ulysses was late after all.

I point all these things out to show you that Governor Fitial deserves every benefit of the doubt at this point in time. While it's true that the majority of you didn't vote for him, that is water under the bridge, and needs to be put in the past. Until we get serious about implementing a run-off law and making sure that all future Governor's have a clear mandate from the majority of the people, we will continue to have Governor's with far less than 50% of the voting public supporting them. Governor Fitial won the election fair and square and now deserves to be given a chance to implement the policies he believes will help move the CNMI forward. I had the opportunity to speak with Heinz Hofschneider the other day. He came in second in the last election, only 99 votes behind Fitial in the balloting. If anyone had a reason to be sour and to be upset, it would be him, but that is not his attitude. He said it was time for everyone to come together, put politics aside and support Governor Fitial as well. He also realizes that it is extremely important that we don't cripple Governor Fitial before he even gets going. I believe that is the mark of maturity and showing that he truly cares about the future of his islands too.

Like Governor Fitial and Heinz Hofschneider, I truly love these islands and have made them my home. The last thing I want to see is for them to be destroyed, and be forced into bankruptcy. The reason I was so vocal during the past 4 years is that I was disturbed by many of the things that I saw happening, and didn't believe that the things that were happening were being done in the best interests of the islands. Show me a leader who loves these islands and cares about them and is striving to protect and serve them, and I'll be on board doing all I can to help promote it. No, I have not abandoned my journalistic integrity or responsibilities, and I truly feel by having the Governor on the air on a regular basis that I am carrying out those responsibilities. It gives you the chance to hear things straight from his mouth, not my interpretation of what he said. Unfortunately, many times the stories you read in the newspaper don't always get their facts straight, and therefore you're not really getting a true picture of what is happening, or why. But by having the Governor and his key people on the air every week, giving them a chance to fully explain things, you will know exactly what they have to say about things. You will be hearing it straight from their mouths.

At this point, the Governor has agreed to come on Island Issues on KCNM, 1080 AM every Wednesday morning from 7-8 am when he is available. When he is off island, he will either have the Lt. Governor, or some of his cabinet members come in to explain what they are doing and to answer questions. He has also made it a policy to have a press conference every Friday afternoon at 2 pm, and all the press is welcome and encouraged to attend.

So for those of you expecting Food For Thought to be the same thing it has been for the past 4 years, I'm truly hoping the need for it to be like that is gone. We are in a new era of cooperation and transparency in government, and I for one am perfectly willing to embrace it and go with it. It doesn't mean that I won't be paying attention, or bring up issues when I see them or have concerns, but I'm guessing that this administration will never let it get to the point where it has to be the way it was for the past 4 years. I want to see Governor Fitial succeed, because if he wins, we all win. Frankly we can't afford to set him up to fail, because we will all pay the price for it. If the Governor can improve our economic situation and have us live within our means, it will be a win - win situation for all of us. I encourage you to tune in and hear what he has to say on both Island Issues and Island Newsmakers. I'll still be asking the questions, but now I'm actually getting some answers.

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.