May I suggest that he begin with those CIPs that will produce the most immediate financial returns, such as the fuel storage system at the Tinian International Airport. Last December the Department of the Interior agreed to the reprogramming of Tinian CIP funds for the completion of infrastructure at the airport. They did this only because the new casino-hotel project was coming on line and the Dynasty was struggling to survive without air transportation. The federal government agreed that by completing the airport and filling the hotels on Tinian, sufficient revenues would be generated locally to pay for the other needed local CIPs.
Because the instrument landing system is essentially an FAA project, it is apparently on schedule, except for the need for a brown tree snake mitigation plan, which has hopefully already been submitted.
However, the $2 million reprogrammed for the fuel farm has not even been touched. The CNMI will look foolish, again, if the FAA finishes the instrument landing system and then the planes can’t refuel when they land.
I do hope the speaker will look into this problem immediately, keeping in mind that as soon as airplanes full of tourists begin landing on Tinian, significant needed revenues will be created for the CNMI general fund.
DON A. FARRELL
Marpo Heights, Tinian
