Marianas Milk-Anti-Corruption

Hot and humid and still.

 

I wanted to depict the tools that are being used to aid and carry out corruption.  I couldn't really think how to visualize them, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed important to just convey that these kinds of things are tools--emergency declarations are a tool to overcome procurement regulations and to provide the governor with power to take over and do things.  He uses those not for natural disasters and true emergencies, but for "emergencies" created by bad management.  

The ice epidemic isn't just a phenomenon occurring independently--it must be supported and managed as part of the government. I come to this conclusion from the tip of the iceberg that has been revealed--the governor's chauffeur dealing ice out of the governor's own car, customs officials being a ring of operators, a congressman admitting he's dealing ice and no consequences taken against him (his case being brought up just before the impeachment vote, but now that he voted not to impeach the case is sinking out of sight again).  The people who are still loyal are living on false promises and nepotism/government jobs.  The governor's cronies, old and new, form corporations and days later get sole-source contracts.  Lies and more lies are so common we can't even keep track of them.  

Bad cops were revealed so clearly when a whole slew of them pleaded the 5th amendment right not to incriminate themselves in the impeachment hearings--as if we weren't already worried when Ray Mafnas interfered in the Luhk girls disappearance, tried to redirect searching away from certain areas, and managed to get an ice-using fireman (I think) out of the CNMI without any arrest.  We are still waiting for the promised press release of news about Emy Romero's murder. 

Vacancies in the civil service have completely gutted the operation of this constitutional agency that is supposed to protect government workers from political influence--instead we have a government workforce that is afraid to do anything against the governor for fear of reprisals--and we are seeing reprisals. Think of the DPS official who didn't take the 5th at the impeachment hearings--who has now been re-assigned to rookie cop duties despite his many years (11?) on the force. 

Thugs are so active we have repeated attacks on prominent citizens--Glen Hunter's tires slashed, Tammy Doty repeatedly harrassed, Tina Sablan threatened--all by the governor's close supporters--his thugs.

We are being hammered, screwed, nailed, wrenched, attacked with pliers, greased and bolted and just worked over with so many tools of corruption that our society is an ugly mess.

 

Friday Milk

It's just past midnight and pouring down rain.

 

I have been trying to figure out how our Governor continues to lure voters to his side.  This image just popped into my head.  It is, of course, a twist on the poem-step into my parlour, said the the spider to the fly.  Although the fly resists many advances, in the end, he gives in to flattery when the spider speaks of his mirror and how good the fly will appear if he looks into it.  Politics in the CNMI is sort of like that.  Promises of better times, how good people will see things, the lure of what they want to hear and believe.  Flattery (and other forms of corruption) are at the core of what is happening here now.  Unless and until we change it...

 

Marianas Milk today

Some beautiful sun and some misty rain.

While Glen was in watching the vote on the impeachment, someone slashed the tires on his car.  It was a very childish action, yet annoying and mildly threatening.  I don't think the DPS actually said anything like I show in this cartoon, but the attitude here does not inspire confidence in the police.   Any excuse not to find a culprit...  hence the comment from the little guy that this is going around.  The girl's comment reflects a different world view--there is in fact a mildly popular band in the states (washington? oregon?) called Slashed Tires. 

Friday's "Purposeless" Cartoon

hot and overcast.

This cartoon was inspired by George Hasselback's turn at the impeachment hearings.  He gave clear and concise testimony about the ARRA contract between the CNMI government and Mike Ada and how it violated the CNMI's statutory provisions.  He was rashly accused by Daling Ogumoro of having a "personal agenda" against Ed Buckingham because George quit the AG's office when Ed pulled the plug on prosecution of a case George was handling.

The evidence George presented at the hearings was clear and included a federal review report noting the probable CNMI violations by the ARRA contract.  So I thought of a clear window--shattered by Governor Fitial's sole-source deals, in this case the Ada $400,000 waste.

I title this post "purposeless" cartoon because in today's Variety, the Governor's Press Secretary, Angel Demapan, takes a pot shot at me in his tribute to Ruth Tighe, saying Ruth earned respect of friends and foes because she didn't engage in "name-calling, childish acts like manipulating personal photos or drawing purposeless comics."  Angel chiding the governor's foes for name-calling? How ridiculous as the Governor is on record calling the people of Rota and Tinian "stupid" and calling Alan Fletcher a "liar" and does more name-calling than anyone. As for the rest, Wendy swirls and photo-shops photos, so I think that part of the comment is aimed at her.  But the cartooning dig is obviously meant for me (and possibly Mitch Westland who has also contributed an editorial cartoon recently).

But seriously, Ruth Tighe of all people, would approve of the cartoons.  She appreciated all forms of political expression.  And Ruth,  more than anyone, as a librarian and highly educated and literate person, would understand that political comment through cartooning is not purposeless.  It has been an American fixture of journalism since the Civil War.  Beloved children's book author and illustrator Theodore Geisl, bka Dr. Seuss, drew more than 400 political cartoons during WWII.   The best satirists win national and international prestigious awards. Political cartooning is hardly "purposeless."

As described here, it is

"an enduring presence in American political culture. In its telling is exemplified those salient themes dear to the collective scholarship of the medium, such as it is-- the power of the giants of the genre to fuse creative caricature, clever situational transpositions, and honest indignation to arouse the populace and alter for the better the course of human events. "

Roger A. Fischer, Them Damned Pictures: Explorations in American Cartoon Art. (North Haven CT: Archon Books) 1996.

I do not claim to be the best, or even good at political cartooning, but I do understand the need for the three considerations-creative caricature, clever transpositions of familiar situations, and honest indignation--all for the purpose to arouse the populace to a better course of action.

For more on political cartoons and lesson plans for middle and high school on the subject: see this page at cincinnati.com

Monday Milk

Still raining here...we are in the monsoon season.

I have a whole series of kiosku cartoons, but this is the best, in my opinion.  The CNMI spent a lot of federal dollars in ARRA grant money for the leadership kiosku, which turned into a joke as the committee that decided what names to put on it insisted on adding all their family.  A number of people who were actually convicted of crimes were nominated, and a lot of small people who would hardly qualify as leaders have their names up there.  Meanwhile, the CNMI continues to sink further into economic, political and cultural chaos.  

Our "leaders" have their heads in the sand, at best.  Some are corrupt. Some are seemingly heartless (although it is difficult for even me to say they are in fact).  Some are blinded by loyalty to unworthy people.  Few if any think of principles, only personalities.

I borrowed some of this concept from political cartoons on the web, but added the kiosku arch (which in fact is quite pretty) and the head in the sand ostrich and man.  The little people comment on both the cost and the sorry example that such leaders give for our future generations.

Marianas Milk

I created this cartoon based after the competing rallies--this one from the support Fitial party.  How ironic that they had this big sign complaining of the "do nothing Legislature" when most of the House are completely devoted to doing whatever Governor Fitial wants.  They are his puppets, and of course they do nothing but what he wants. When I first made this cartoon, I labeled the puppets--T. Santos, Basa, and Fred DLG--all illustrious members of the House who seem to be among the Governor's puppets. 

 

This cartoon relates to the fact that the Commonwealth Health Center has been placed on "immediate jeopardy" not once, but in three separate notices. Each one seems focused on more serious and problematic issues than the one before.  At one point after they came out, the newspapers reported how some of the Board members were over at CHC trying to find the CEO, who was not there.  I "borrowed" the lobster content from other Administration figures (press secretary Angel Demapan, insider trading ex-official Mike Ada, the Governor).  The politics makes ordinary people lose their appetite. 

Marianas Milk

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 

This editorial cartoon was inspired by comments in the Variety after the first "immediate jeopardy" notice was issued to CHC by CMS (the federal medicaid/medicare inspectors).  Juan Nekai Babauta, CEO of Commonwealth Health Center had plans to attend some conference off-island.  There was no subsequent report that he actually left island, but he has travelled so often during his public life, including as CEO of CHC while it was deteriorating to its present near-collapse, that his travel-love and callous disregard of CHC make this pictorial comment valid.

Marianas Milk-today

The CNMI is in a total state of disarray. Governor Fitial claims innocence.  Makes me think of a child destroying the house.  And as the little guys say, makes me think of Richard Nixon during Watergate.

Today's political cartoon

This cartoon was inspired by the many, many times our Governor has insisted on his way, despite what the people want.  The people did vote for him, and re-elected him, but they also want the central government to pay its share of CUC bills so our power rates don't keep getting jacked up, to pay the NMIRF for employee contributions so government workers will have a retirement fund, to maintain agencies like the Civil Service Commission by appointing members and the DPS by appointing competent chiefs.  Well, the list is very long... The governor is calloused to those he governs.  The little guy is exhausted but perks up at the word "change."  The other guy is flat broke and "change" just means money to him.

More of my political cartoons (in the Variety)

The western themed cartoon was inspired by Saipan Fox or Fitial Forever--commenters in the Marianas Variety who continually refer to Governor Fitial as "our great leader."  The vulture cartoon is a comment on Fitial's assertions that, as a Republican, he has important friends, friends in high places, and so we should all be impressed and support him. Both trade on the reality on the ground that the economy is at a new low, and government agencies are falling apart.