Saipan Tribune vs Marianas Variety

There you go. At least 55 readers voted in this poll. Saipan Tribune and Marianas Variety's online edition tied with 43.6 percent of the votes. That means the voters would usually go online to read what's the latest in the CNMI. Residents from North and South Carolina, California and Massachusetts also cast their votes on this poll.

However, 36 percent of the readers grab the hard copy of Saipan Tribune more than the Marianas Variety (30 percent). Pacific Daily News got 1.8 percent votes both on its online and hard copy editions.

Pacific Times...nil...zilch...zero.

Thanks for voting!!!!

Media acquisitions

Saipan Tribune owner Tan family will acquire Marianas Variety and Pacific Times for an undisclosed amount. Marianas Variety and Pacific Times have been having financial difficulty to a point where employees` salaries have been reduced by 10 percent since 2006 and have always been delayed in payment of workers` wages. Tan Holdings, meanwhile, after the closure of its controversial garment factory and a halt in equally controversial poker operations, has focused its resources on hotels and newspapers, among other things, thus the planned acquisition of Marianas Variety, which turned 35 years old on March 16, and newcomer Pacific Times. MCV, meanwhile is up for sale.

Gotcha there ha? This is only a joke. The acquisitions and closure are not true. It`s April 1 after all. Happy April Fool`s Day!

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

PTimes 3 Equals lie?

A nursing home, a school et. al. in the CNMI, by what broadsheet PTimes has been obviously endorsing through its articles. Below is the caption of a photo from their website and paper:

"Pleasant Care Corporation's Arbor Convalescent Hospital in Lodi, California has been reaped accolades from the federal and state departments of Health and Human Services for hurdling golden surveys, which means not a single substantiated case of abuse, medication error, and other similar issues. The skilled nursing facility has also been consistently commended for its quality of care."

Now, do your own research google the company and here's one you'll get:

Large California Nursing Home Chain Fined $1.35 Million, Ordered to Improve Resident Care

"SACRAMENTO, CA — March 17, 2006 — The California Attorney General and Pleasant Care Corporation have reached a $1.35 million settlement concerning charges of abuse, neglect and negligence at the company’s nursing homes (Press Release, March 8, 2006). Besides paying the fine, Pleasant Care must improve resident care:

* The nursing staffing ratio at all its nursing homes must be 3.2 hours per patient per day, as required by California law. Outside audits will ensure compliance.
* The staff must receive training in patient care, including topics such as wound treatment, proper nutrition and accurate record keeping.
* Each nursing home must create a plan for reporting and investigating abuse and neglect. Staff members suspected of resident or elder abuse must be put on leave during the period of investigation.
* Pleasant Care must hire a Compliance Officer to ensure the proper care of residents and accurate reporting for the state. The company must also pay for an Independent Monitor, who reports to the Attorney General.
* A new whistleblower protection program must allow employees, residents and others to anonymously report suspected nursing home violations and elder abuse.

Pleasant Care operates 30 nursing homes in California with a total of 4,300 residents. Within the last five years, the company has received over 160 citations, many for actions that put the lives and health of residents in serious danger. In one instance, a nurse was unable to help a resident with a blocked airway because the facility’s suction machine was broken. The patient died as a result. At another nursing home, a resident died from a severe pressure sore. The wound was an example of “abominable wound care management,” according to the coroner.

Shortly after the Pleasant Care settlement, the company’s subsidiary, Pleasant Care of Northern California, pleaded no contest to criminal negligence at its nursing home in Napa, CA (Napa Valley Register, March 10, 2006). The case involved six residents who received substandard care, including two who died as a result."

Died as a result? Oooh that's scary. Imagine the nurses it would train in its school...just being a devil's advocate here.


The Reveler