Senator Romolow wants to end Compact. Why?

I was disheartened to read the recent FSM Congressional resolution dated November 19, 2015, C.R. No. 19-155, calling for a termination of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States no later than the year 2018. My sadness turned to embarrassment when I noticed that my own representative to the FSM Congress, Senator Robson Romolow, is one of the three sponsors of this insane resolution along with Senators Figir (Yap) and Nethon (Chuuk).

I have been painfully aware of the power dynamics of the COFA relationship between the FSM and the US Government. But it is also common knowledge that most of our own congressional leaders including President Peter Christian have historically been the worst abuser of the immense COFA funding at their disposal. Yet they never take full responsibility for their part in the misappropriation of public funds. Instead, they blame the United States government for wanting fiscal accountability.

Nobody knows what the new President Christian is doing except his friends in the FSM Congress. This might be some calculated move to force the USʻs hands. I donʻt know, but it smells like the same antics befitting a spoiled brat on the playground. I remember way back when Christian was head of the Amended Compact Renegotiation team and he came to meet with FSMers in San Francisco. When we asked him for clarifications of the FSM moves, he reprimanded us for speaking up against our elders. I lost respect for the businessman right then. Now heʻs president and our country is about to be turned into a playground for political bullies or political bull fighting.

Which leaves me to wonder: Is Senator Romolow, the junior and youngest member of the FSM Congress, acting on his own beliefs and wisdom? Or is he being manipulated by the elder and more politically savy senators and President Christian? Is he being used as the bull to face a most certain political sword by FSMers in the US who will be the most impacted citizens? Why all of a sudden he is risking the well-being and prosperity of hundreds and thousands of his own people…the same people who voted him into office?

Surely, something or someone is misguiding my senator who has only been in office since the summer to co-sponsor this nonsense. I can only guess that itʻs the President who accompanied the senator on a trip last month to Polowat. But who knows?

Has the good senator forgotten that he received most of his strongest votes from the Northwest citizens living in Hawaii and Guam? These are his people who have made the difficult decisions to leave our beautiful Northwest region to settle in the United States in search of better education, health care, and jobs. What could possibly be good about all of us being deported back to our nation if the COFA is terminated and we are left with no immigration protection which we have enjoyed under the COFA?

For someone who started his young career in public service at the FSM Consulate office in Guam, Senator Romolow seems to have forgotten the sacrifices of Northwest and FSM parents to build better lives for their children in the US. And that it was only possible under the immigration provisions of the COFA treaty.

Now the three senators want to terminate it all together. Why? Why havenʻt Senator Romolow met with his constituents in the US who will be most adversely affected by his decision to sponsor this resolution? Why wasnʻt this part of his campaign platform the two elections he ran for office? Surely, if it had been part of his vision people would have voted accordingly. I can assure you that those Northwest islanders in the diaspora would not have voted for him had they known that he was going to put their families and livelihood at risk by terminating the COFA.

Hopefully there is wisdom in this risky move to terminate the treaty with the US and not just a bluff to align the FSM with China. Unless we get satisfactory reasons from our so-called leaders as to the wisdom and rationale behind this move, I call on all FSMers especially my fellow Northwest islanders to be aware, ask questions, and do what is necessary to protect our families. Letʻs demand answers. And if we are dissatisfied with their answers, then letʻs use our power to remove them all from their roles in 2017.

I invite the good senator to provide his response publicly so we can all know all sides of this issue. I am willing to print verbatim his response if he provides it in an email form to vid@raatior.com.

UPDATE: Nov. 25, 2015. I have just discovered that this 2015 congressional resolution is practically the same resolution introduced by then Senator Peter Christian (now President) back in 2011. Somehow the President has convinced Senators Figir, Romolow, and Nethon to re-introduce his 2011 resolution so he can act on it as president. This is so disturbing on so many levels… ethically, legally, etc. We should be concerned about the possible breakdown of a check and balance between the Executive and the Legislative branches of our government. I’m concerned that my representative in the FSM Congress is being used by the Executive Branch for their own agendas.