Libra Mae Sparks Chronicles: # 3

Whoa! Sparky has resigned?! Of course, I don't believe it. "Editor's Note: Yeah, Girl right, see ya next week." So, if this were true, there goes one writer of the Libra Mae Sparks Committee and a handful of them are still there.

To PTIMES, GOODBYE, but not forever. I really wanted my relationship with PTimes for life, I mean, you know, like growing old together till we're 90 and being happy that DEATH has forgotten us? I never thought there'll come a time that our love story will end. Of course, that assumes that there was LOVE between us. Most often than not, I find myself at the end of the rope, hanging there, dodging the stones being cast on me, and nobody at Ptimes seems to be willing to take my neck out of it. It's hard to understand, but I guess I'll have to try. IT'S NOT EASY TO SAY GOODBYE. For all the joys we shared, all that time we had spent. Now if I had one wish we'll forever be back again. To look again into your eyes when you're mad at me after I messed up and hold you when you cry when Uly does not submit his articles on time to beat the deadline, I'll miss those times.
Yes, my heart is crushed, it's in pain. And although pain and happiness and all emotions exercise the muscles of our heart, I still say, Goodbyes are like DEATH. Both are NEVER EASY TO SAY, they're in fact, un-utterable. I can remember all those great times we had. There are so many memories, some good, some bad and thru it all, those memories will last forever. And so I've got to say, I'm just glad you came my way. IT'S NOT EASY TO SAY GOODBYE to a great MENTOR, a PROTECTOR, a FRIEND. Chief ALDWIN, Goodbye. (Editors Note: Yeah, see you next week, girl!)
But before I leave, read my LAST WORD for whatever it's worth. I know I made a lot of enemies but I made a lot of friends, too. And often times, I toss them back and forth. Due to my Politics which is not politics as usual, my thoughts may have been muddled with, and hidden behind, the anger it sows or the jealousy from those who wanted to have their thoughts known but choose to keep mum.
My POLITICS IS SIMPLIFIED now. I believe in what Reinhold Neibuhr says that the whole ART of politics consists in DIRECTING RATIONALLY the IRRATIONALITIES OF MEN and it takes a Great Man to know his own mind and sticks to it...I say, the CNMI has found a Great Man who unfolds naturally and completely what needs to be done, and does it. Yes, my politics is simplified now and it spells F-I-T-I-A-L. And I know in my heart, I cant be wrong now as I had been wrong in the past.
With this LAST WORD, I am tendering my resignation effective immediately. I bid you farewell, Adieu, GOODBYE, BUT NOT FOREVER.

Yeah, sure Sparky.

The Reveler

Libra Mae Sparks Chronicles 1

Welcome to the Libra Mae Sparks Journal. You're right, she is that effective for bringing entertainment to the CNMI with her profound weekly column at Pacific Times. Sources told me that Sparky is no longer an individual but has now become a COMMITTEE. Ooops, did i just capitalize that word. Sorry Sparky, that's your style. Should be yours alone.

Anyway, another excerpt from her highly intellectualized column. This time she poses as a local speaking about the federalization of the CNMI Immigration and the Dekada Group, composed of Non-Resident Workers. The Dekada is composed of members that have been working in the CNMI for at least five up to 40 years on the island, yet have remained aliens:

Pacific Times, March 2, 2007 (only excerpt)
"Now, do the DEKADAS have LEVERAGE like the Philippine Veterans? NO. What have they done for the CNMI lately? Have they volunteered to risk their lives for the country? NO. In fact, they even DEPLETED our coffers by SENDING OUT close to 90 MILLION dollars every year to their country of origin. What have they contributed to the economy? NOTHING!!!! They USED our small island to improve their ECONOMIC LIVELIHOOD in their country while depleting ours. Some of them GOT SO MANY valuable things from us, including our women's HUSBANDS!! I know, I know, I am hitting people below the belt, so let me just advise the DEKADAS to be a little bit more GRATEFUL to the CNMI. They were properly paid for the services they provided, so it's a QUID PRO QUO situation. They scratched our backs, and we scratched theirs. So, the DEKADAS should NOT act like a Bunch of INGRATES.

The problem is that WE, the CNMI local residents, are also SUCKERS. We allowed ourselves to be mere bystanders to the PROSTITUTION of our land. People come and go and for as long as we see beautiful legs, bulging boobs and gyrating asses, we think we are BIG SHOTS. So now, you are starting to see your island becoming SMALLER and SMALLER, right? Who is to blame for that? The Governor? You're so DUMB and DUMBER if you think that way. If these foreign workers can make their VOICES HEARD, so shouldn't the VOICES of the CNMI local residents be LOUDER so we can be heard as well? What have we become? A bunch of MUTED SCARY CATS?

Honestly, I am in favor of improving our immigration rules. Take note, I said, IMPROVE, NOT FEDERALIZE. We need to allow the foreign workers to bring their spouses and children to the CNMI so they don't need to send money to their country. IMPROVE the CNMI immigration laws by using the US mainland formula as template. Once given the immigrant's visa, then these workers will become OURS, no longer owned by the country where they came from. We retain the 90 MILLION dollars and we GROW as a NATION. The ECONOMY OF SCALE that the Governor is talking about will then KICK-IN.

It's not STAYMAN that can make or break us, it is WE, the locals who will do that to ourselves. Remember, IMMIGRANTS made America as GREAT as it is right now. We are a country of immigrants and no amount of debates can wash away the fact that CHANGE IS INEVITABLE. We can always CHANGE our IMMIGRATION RULES to IMPROVE IT, but NEVER SHOULD WE ALLOW to FEDERALIZE IT. The COVENANT - the AGREEMENT, MUST BE UPHELD!!!!

P.S. By the way, where is DAVID COHEN?? Is he a FRIEND or a FOE? Just when you need him, he's not there. Oh, well. There are NO permanent friends. NO permanent enemies. Just permanent INTERESTS. It's okay, Governor, your goal is our goal. Your Marianas is our Marianas, so, Good Luck, sir.

Sparky has such a gift of gab. For one moment she's saying that "IMMIGRANTS made America as GREAT," then this, "We can always CHANGE our IMMIGRATION RULES to IMPROVE IT, but NEVER SHOULD WE ALLOW to FEDERALIZE IT. The COVENANT - the AGREEMENT, MUST BE UPHELD!!!!" (why so angry Sparky?)

The Reveler