I also warned local people that they were being taken by local speculators who are buying up land cheap as Mr. Aldan has just testified to publicly. The average person may not know this unless you have done your research but Article XII was agreed to by the U.S. mainly to prevent mainlanders and other nationals from speculating and buying up the CNMI during its formative years but now locals are becoming victims of other local speculators — in the animal world they call it cannibalistic when one consumes its own kind, which gives you an idea of how ugly and sad it is for me to see this happen to the local people.
Article XII did more than backfire, the economic vehicle of the CNMI is almost DEAD and the frame of that vehicle is dependent upon equity or ownership in the investments made. So if investors can’t really own the factory or building they just simply go where they can own or get a better deal. Article XII is an old rusted out frame that needs changing and the motor of our economy (the tourists industry) also needs an overhaul. I commend MVA for taking steps to overhaul the outside of the vehicle by investing in promotions and advertisement outside the CNMI. But we need to fix and improve the engine itself — meaning the tourist related attractions that will bring in tourist and the infrastructure of our tourist industry. For example: We are still mainly pushing WW II tourism when we need to be moving to more modern tourist attractions like eco-tourism. Mount Tapotchao is one of our BEST tourist stops but we haven’t even built a decent road to the top. We are redoing the Back Road (Isla Drive) and I just wonder if a bike lane is part of the plan. I could go on and on but the message should be clear, even if Article XII is change we will still have to do some work to help everyone become successful and prosperous from our tourist industry.
I feel brother Aldan’s disappointment and how he is being victimized by Article XII. I just hope he can get others to speak out about their right to free enterprise because there is talk of not doing anything about Article XII — duh. Every citizen should have the right to sell their personally owned land to ANY citizen of the United States. The CNMI is clearly recognized as U.S. soil by national and international LAW and sooner or later the feds are going to tell that to the CNMI officially like they have done on other issues if we don’t do it ourselves — duh! So we obviously have a conundrum and some people actually don’t want to fix the obvious problem. Article XII also violates the right of equality as citizens and the ability to find prosperity as an American which cannot be fully achieved by any citizen who does not and cannot own the place where they live. I can easily predict that Article XII will DIE as written and it is only a matter of when and how so hang in there Mr. Aldan. One people one direction for fixing Article XII quick fast and in a hurry!
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman III, Saipan
