On inauguration day in 2006 , the new speaker of the 15th House of Representatives talked about how “ so weary [ he was ] of the dire financial straits of our local government …. This is one of the biggest challenges facing each and every policymaker henceforth …. I need not belabor the issues and challenges that we face as we begin this year . We owe it to our people to work together to build real opportunities from planned wealth and job creations now waiting in the wings . Yes , I am also hopeful that as we come to terms with the obvious , [ we will ] streamlin [ e ] government expenses in the interest of being able to retire our deficit … while opening real opportunities for fresh investments . Therefore , seek revenues to pay for basic vital services .”

One of the more vocal members of the minority bloc , for his part , said , “ The economy has to be priority number one . We cannot overspend . Deficit is a bad word . It is worse than a bad word , it is unconstitutional . The main question that is facing all of us in the commonwealth is : ‘ Are we truly going to see ‘ Better Times ’ [ as promised by the administration ]… or will we struggle again with another self-serving administration that will lead us into the turmoil of ‘ Bitter Times ’? I am obligated to represent not only my constituents , but I am also obligated to make sure that our commonwealth does not become victimized by greed and corruption .”

In a general election three years later , this vocal member of the minority bloc

became one of the staunchest supporters of the “ self-serving ” governor he had called “ corrupt .”

But we ’ re getting ahead of ourselves .

During the inaugural session of the 16th House in January 2008 , the economy was still in the dumps and , despite what the administration had promised , there was no “ Better Times ” in sight . The population was going down because of the declining economy , and so was the government ’ s revenue base . And yet , the 16th CNMI House gained two additional seats . Why ? Because two very concerned citizens — one was a senator , and the other a future candidate for governor — petitioned the CNMI Supreme Court to reduce the number of House seats from 18 to 14 . You ’ ve read that right . The petition was for fewer House seats . The local high court instead added two seats , citing year-2000 Census data , and never mind that the population in 2008 had already shrunk significantly .

“ Good intentions ” say hello to “ unintended consequences .”

In his inaugural speech in January 2008 , the minority leader ( the former speaker ) noted that the new legislature had “ many young guns , both men and women , and I sincerely appreciate their thoughts and will accept comments from our newly elected members , primarily the youthfulness of their expertise .” Two of the new members were lawyers .

The new speaker ( who would be elected lieutenant governor in 2018 and governor in 2022 ) noted that they “ face a crisis of confidence in government . People will tell you that they have lost faith and that they see [ Capital ] Hill [ the CNMI ’ s seat of government ] as a

place [ where ] well-connected friends are enriched , politicians make promises they do not keep , and decisions are made regardless [ of ] the consequences [ to ] the daily struggles and plights of families and businesses . Our people are deserving of so much more from [ their ] leaders .

“ I call on all of you to restore the people ’ s confidence . We do this by making government a staunch defender of fairness and opportunity for all . We do this by making government come through on its promises for a better and prosperous commonwealth . We do this by making government a reflection of what is good and what is right about the commonwealth . We do this by making government an institution that everyone can be proud to call their own .

“ When we say that the basic duty of the House is to serve as voice of the people , that is not mere rhetoric . It is the constitutional truth . Here in the House , our basic responsibility is to listen to the concerns of the people , to debate the issues , and , at the end , to resolve the problems we face . My colleagues , the time for action — the right action — is now . We need a plan to succeed , not a shoot-from-the-hip strategy destined to fail , but one that strives for sustainable growth . Let us … advance initiative [ s ] to put our economy on a way to recovery . We need a fiercely competitive destination market ; our tourism industry and promotional efforts must be enhanced by the unique and distinctive culture of the Northern Marianas . We must also develop and follow through the concrete plans to seize opportunities and take advantage of the military buildup in Guam .

This will require additional promotional funding for [ the Marianas Visitors Authority ].

“ Finally , we must not forget our constitutional commitment to our children ’ s education . When we do not provide basic school supplies , when we do not provide adequate facilities , when we do not place schools as a budget priority , we endanger our livelihood , our future , and our ability to inspire our young children to work harder and to strive to be better citizens . I challenge you , my colleagues , not to shortchange the education of our children .

“[ This ] legislature can be a start of a new and great commonwealth . As leaders , we must be open to the thought of thinking outside the box and trying new things . We must forge a way of new policymaking , a new way of prioritizing the needs of the commonwealth together as a whole . Saipan , Rota , Tinian and the Northern Islands ; we are all together in this venture called the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands . We must work together .”

Fast forward to December 2024 . In a letter to the editor , a very concerned citizen wrote : “ Two years into the current administration , frustration has reached a boiling point . CNMI residents like myself are grappling with a reality where life has grown increasingly difficult , and the promises of a brighter future remain unfulfilled . It ’ s time for the administration to take a hard look in the mirror and accept responsibility . The truth is clear — under their watch , things have gotten worse . It ’ s time for drastic changes .”

Change ! A curiously old concept that , in politics , will never be out of fashion .

Zaldy Dandan is editor of the CN- MI ’ s oldest newspaper , Marianas Variety . His fourth book , “ If He Isn ’ t Insane Then He Should Be : Stories & Poems from Saipan ,” is available on amazon . com /.