SENATOR Ramon S. Guerrero won’t give up on his plan for Saipan to have its own casino.
After the Senate recently rejected Guerrero’s Senate Local Bill 13-7 which seeks to establish a casino on the island, he said he would soon come up with a popular initiative.
In order to be placed on the ballots in the next general elections, a local popular initiative should be signed by at least 25 percent of qualified Saipan voters.
“It’s a good thing that they killed the bill because there was en error in its form,” Guerrero said. “I overlooked the fact that we can’t pass a measure for establishing a casino through a local bill. I could have instead introduced it through a local legislative initiative or popular initiative. But I prefer to do it through a popular initiative which is allowed in the CNMI Constitution. This does not need to go through the House and the Senate,” said Guerrero, American Reform-Saipan.
Six senators from Rota and Tinian who attended the June 18 session on Tinian rejected Guerrero’s bill. Most of the senators believe that it is not the right time to establish a casino on Saipan especially when Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino has not yet fully realized its potential.
“Senator Guerrero should work to promote the interest of the commonwealth instead of doing counterproductive measures,” said Senate Vice President Jose M. Dela Cruz, D-Tinian.
But Guerrero said Tinian Dynasty has proven to be a “liability” to the government. “It has been operating for the last three years and has always been bailed out by the government. The revenue that comes from Tinian Dynasty only goes to Tinian through local appropriation. Saipan too has to have additional revenue. It’s a question of survival,” he said.
