He, however, decided not to speak and left the House chamber before the public hearing was done.
It was the first of the six public hearings scheduled by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary and Government Operations regarding House Local Bill 17-44.
The second hearing will start at 6 p.m., today in the Garapan Elementary School cafeteria.
Those who testified on Tuesday evening lauded the Saipan lawmakers, including Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, the author of H.L.B. 17-44, for considering the measure.
Former Senate President Juan S. Demapan said he is a long- time supporter of a well-regulated casino aimed particularly at tourists.
He noted that casino investments “require a lot of money to remain competitive. This is why casino investments in Singapore, Macau and Las Vegas have billions of dollars in investments.”
Retired educator Jack Angelo, who works on the staff of Torres, said in his written testimony that taxes from casino gambling should pull Saipan out of the its economic hole and allow for more investors in many different ventures. This, he said, will translate into more jobs and more taxes to pay government workers a full wage and on time.
Angelo said that from the philosophical sense, “gambling is all around us.”
“Gambling in life is a daily undertaking for everyone who is trying to survive in a world of never-ending socio-economic challenges. We gamble in our choices of friends, lovers, married partners, having children, how to raise our children, where to live, when to change jobs to help our families, etc.,” he added.
Indigenous Affairs Office Resident Director Ignacio Demapan said a Saipan casino is the only solution to CNMI economic crisis.
Marpi farmer Juan C. Reyes cites the rising cost of living, including the cost of utilities and gasoline as reasons for considering the Saipan casino proposal.
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan and chairman of the delegation Ways and Means Committee, said it is still too early to say whether the people on island have already changed their minds about casino.
In 1979 and 2007, Saipan voters rejected the legalization of casinos.
“We still need to go out in the community and continue with the public hearings,” Yumul said.
