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==Views of==
==Views of==
Since July 2001, shortly after Saipan Sucks was published, CNMI government officials have criticized the websites's [[Anonymity#Issues_facing_the_anonymous|anonymity]], characterized it as a "[[smear campaign]]", and stemming from reported investigations have threatened to [[lawsuit|sue]] the website's author for [[libel]] or [[defamation]].<ref name="st:7-20-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14634|title=Website slurs Saipan: Internet site dissuades visitors, workers from coming|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 20, 2001|author=Jayvee L. Vallejera|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> <ref name="st:7-24-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14677|title='Saipan Sucks' author known . Gov't starts investigation to pin the person behind the online campaign against Saipan|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 24, 2001|author=John Ravelo|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> <ref name="st:7-27-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14741|title=Fitial defends CNMI from online 'bashers'|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 27, 2001|author=Tribune Staff|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> Saipan Sucks includes a response to the CNMI government for its threatened court action, stating that they have "apparently never heard of the [[First Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]].... Is it possible the investigators don't recognize political and [[social commentary]] when they see it?"<ref name="saipansucks.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipansucks.com|title=About Saipan|accessdate=2006-11-25|publisher=Saipan Sucks|format=html}}</ref>
Since July 2001, shortly after Saipan Sucks was published, CNMI government officials have criticized the websites's [[Anonymity#Issues_facing_the_anonymous|anonymity]] and characterized it as a "[[smear campaign]]". Stemming from its reported investigations, the CNMI government has threatened to [[lawsuit|sue]] the website's author for [[libel]] or [[defamation]].<ref name="st:7-20-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14634|title=Website slurs Saipan: Internet site dissuades visitors, workers from coming|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 20, 2001|author=Jayvee L. Vallejera|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> <ref name="st:7-24-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14677|title='Saipan Sucks' author known . Gov't starts investigation to pin the person behind the online campaign against Saipan|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 24, 2001|author=John Ravelo|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> <ref name="st:7-27-01">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=14741|title=Fitial defends CNMI from online 'bashers'|accessdate=2006-11-23|year=July 27, 2001|author=Tribune Staff|work=Saipan Tribune|format=html}}</ref> Saipan Sucks includes a response to the CNMI government for its threatened court action, stating that they have "apparently never heard of the [[First Amendment]] to the [[United States Constitution]].... Is it possible the investigators don't recognize political and [[social commentary]] when they see it?"<ref name="saipansucks.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.saipansucks.com|title=About Saipan|accessdate=2006-11-25|publisher=Saipan Sucks|format=html}}</ref>


In November 2006, a local [[environmental group]], Beautify CNMI!, decried Saipan Suck's high [[PageRank]] in search engines such as [[Google]], and the fact that anyone who searches with the [[Keyword (Internet search)|keyword]] "Saipan" will immediately find Saipan Sucks in the top-ten. The group has published a plan to counter the website's ranking through a campaign of [[google bombing]] and [[anchor text|text anchoring]].<ref name="mv11-16-06">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mvariety.com/calendar/nov/16/localpage/lnews34.htm|title=Beautify CNMI! to counter ‘Saipan Sucks’ Web site|accessdate=2006-11-23|publisher=Marianas Variety|year=May 21, 2006|author=Emmanuel T. Erediano |format=html}}</ref>
In November 2006, a local [[environmental group]], Beautify CNMI!, decried Saipan Suck's high [[PageRank]] in search engines such as [[Google]], and the fact that anyone who searches with the [[Keyword (Internet search)|keyword]] "Saipan" will immediately find Saipan Sucks in the top-ten. The group has published a plan to counter the website's ranking through a campaign of [[google bombing]] and [[anchor text|text anchoring]].<ref name="mv11-16-06">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mvariety.com/calendar/nov/16/localpage/lnews34.htm|title=Beautify CNMI! to counter ‘Saipan Sucks’ Web site|accessdate=2006-11-23|publisher=Marianas Variety|year=May 21, 2006|author=Emmanuel T. Erediano |format=html}}</ref>

Revision as of 10:22, 25 November 2006

File:SaipanSucksDOTcom-website.jpg
Saipan Sucks website screenshot.
File:SaipanSucks--logo.jpg
Image of one of the dozens of variants of the Saipan Sucks logo. Other versions contain different sayings under the main caption "Welcome to Saipan". The site also makes available for purchase t-shirts and other paraphernalia featuring the logo and above saying.

Saipan Sucks (SaipanSucks.com) is a politically and socially critical website about the United States's Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), particularly its principle island Saipan. The website seeks to call attention to what it sees as systemic societal corruption in the CNMI. It has been in existence since 2001 and has been reported in a variety of ways in local, regional, and international press outlets, and on Internet sites, forums, and blogs, including the blog of at least one book author. It has also been the subject of intense debate and censure by the CNMI government, who has threatened to sue the website's author.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Content

Saipan Sucks details allegations and cases of corruption, nepotism, racism, jury-rigging, worker exploitation, employment discrimination, misuse of U.S. federal funds, and mismanagement of the CNMI tourism industry by local CNMI officials. An excerpt of the website states:

Nepotism rules on the islands. Fueled by money paid by American taxpayers and diverted to the far-off territory, politicians run for office primarily for the sake of being in a position to appoint their relatives to high-paying sinecures.... Political campaigns in the CNMI are less sophisticated, if this can be believed, than a typical high school student council election in the Mainland U.S. They are popularity contests--family popularity contests and nothing more. Candidates are a conduit for their relatives' government employment.[10]

Saipan Sucks seeks to call attention to what it sees as systemic societal problems that have arisen through misuse of U.S. taxpayer money in the CNMI, and to dissuade U.S. mainlanders from moving to the islands to accept employment offers.[4]

Views of

Since July 2001, shortly after Saipan Sucks was published, CNMI government officials have criticized the websites's anonymity and characterized it as a "smear campaign". Stemming from its reported investigations, the CNMI government has threatened to sue the website's author for libel or defamation.[1] [11] [12] Saipan Sucks includes a response to the CNMI government for its threatened court action, stating that they have "apparently never heard of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.... Is it possible the investigators don't recognize political and social commentary when they see it?"[10]

In November 2006, a local environmental group, Beautify CNMI!, decried Saipan Suck's high PageRank in search engines such as Google, and the fact that anyone who searches with the keyword "Saipan" will immediately find Saipan Sucks in the top-ten. The group has published a plan to counter the website's ranking through a campaign of google bombing and text anchoring.[3] [4] [5] [13]

All along, counter-critics who are either CNMI locals or those otherwise knowledgeable about the island have maintained that, although Saipan Sucks uses hyperbole as a literary device, much or most of what it states is true and should be heeded.[14] [15] [6]

Alleged author

File:Betz-domain.jpg
Screenshot taken November 24, 2006, showing Administrative Contact name for domain name registration of Saipan Sucks website.

Although Saipan Sucks is written anonymously, investigations carried out in July 2001 have led to a belief in its authorship by a former CNMI Assitant Attorney General, who was reported as having disliked his position in the CNMI.[11] [3] [4]

Former CNMI Assitant Attorney General William E. Betz served in the post from October 1, 1999, until his embroiled dismissal on June 8, 2001,[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] just one day after the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority registered Betz's name as the Administrative Contact for the Saipan Sucks domain, SaipanSucks.com (see image to right).[22]

On May 17, 2002, a CNMI daily published a brief letter to the editor by Betz in which he pointed out what he saw as the CNMI government's propensity toward scamming away funds from the U.S. government, and CNMI officials' engagement in graft and kickbacks.[23]

In an October 2002 lawsuit filed by Betz in New York against the CNMI, Betz characterized his dismissal from his post as breach of contract under the behest of then CNMI Attorney General Herbert D. Soll who, "with the participation of others under his direction, acted towards Betz in a manner that was discriminatorily different from others in similar situations and intentionally engaged in behavior and arbitrary decision-making calculated to demoralize him and undercut his work". The case was dismissed because New York lacked sufficient jurisdiction over affairs conducted within the CNMI.[21]

Betz has never made a public statement associating himself with Saipan Sucks.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Jayvee L. Vallejera (July 20, 2001). "Website slurs Saipan: Internet site dissuades visitors, workers from coming" (html). Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  2. ^ Randi Bjornstad (May 21, 2006). "Treatment of Women in Marianas a Total Disgrace" (html). FYI News Service. Retrieved 2006-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  3. ^ a b c Emmanuel T. Erediano (Nov. 16, 2006). "Beautify CNMI! to counter 'Saipan Sucks' Web site" (html). Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2006-11-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) Cite error: The named reference "mv11-16-06" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Marianas Variety (Nov. 16, 2006). "Local Group To Counter Critical Web Site" (html). Pacific Magazine. Retrieved 2006-11-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) Cite error: The named reference "pm11-16-06" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Emmanuel T. Erediano (Nov. 16, 2006). ""Saipan Sucks" draws battle lines in CNMI" (html). Pacific Islands Report. Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center ( Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i). Retrieved 2006-11-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  6. ^ a b "Putting things in perspective" (html). Beautify CNMI!. Nov. 16, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ David Stanley (Nov. 16, 2006). "Saipan Sucks" (html). South Pacific Travel Blog. SouthPacific.org. Retrieved 2006-11-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  8. ^ "saipansucks.com" (html). Forums.Saipan.Com. Saipan.com (Wayback Archive). Feb. 09, 2005. Retrieved 2006-11-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. ^ "What do you think about SaipanSucks.com?" (html). Forums. MyMicronesia. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  10. ^ a b "About Saipan" (html). Saipan Sucks. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  11. ^ a b John Ravelo (July 24, 2001). "'Saipan Sucks' author known . Gov't starts investigation to pin the person behind the online campaign against Saipan" (html). Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) Cite error: The named reference "st:7-24-01" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ Tribune Staff (July 27, 2001). "Fitial defends CNMI from online 'bashers'" (html). Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  13. ^ Angelo Villagomez (May 24, 2006). "Let's Do Something About Saipan Sucks!" (html). Angelo Villagomez. Retrieved 2006-11-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)CS1 maint: year (link) Villagomez is Restoration Chairman of Beautify CNMI![1]
  14. ^ Tribune Staff (July 27, 2001). "Letters to the Editor" (html). Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  15. ^ Ken Phillips (2006). "Pot Stirrers" (html). Marianas Trenchant. Retrieved 2006-03-11.
  16. ^ Willaim E. Betz (2005). "A Government Hijacked" (html). Book Commentary. Baltimore Chronicle. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  17. ^ Marian A. Maraya (May 10, 2001). "Gov't lawyer may face sanction" (html). Local. Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  18. ^ Marian A. Maraya (May 11, 2001). "Betz denies allegations" (html). Local. Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  19. ^ Marian A. Maraya (May 17, 2001). "Soll told to expedite ruling on lawyer's tenure with AG" (html). Local. Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  20. ^ Tribune Staff (June 15, 2001). "Betz gets the ax" (html). Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  21. ^ a b "William E. Betz v. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands" (html). Index No. 104484/2002. Supreme Court of the State of New York. Oct. 7, 2002. Retrieved 2006-11-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  22. ^ "Register.com whois lookup" (html). Query with saipansucks.com on Nov. 24, 2006. Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. June 07, 2001. Retrieved 2006-11-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  23. ^ William Betz (May 17, 2002). "Hillbloom International Airport?" (html). Letters to the Editor. Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2006-11-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
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