The problem is not discrimination. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CNMI IS NOT A STATE! Please remember that the local leaders negotiated with the U.S. government to be a COMMONWEALTH — NOT A STATE. THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND THE PLEASURE OF PAYING STATESIDE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES TAXES IS NOT A PART OF THE COMMONWEALTH AGREEMENT. If locals had to pay U.S. income taxes you would really be unhappy. In April 2007 when I last taught school at HJHS I had to pay an extra $6,000 to the IRS because I made too much money in 2006. MAY BE THAT OLD SAYING APPLIES HERE — BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR…YOU MIGHT GET IT.
If the CNMI became a state you would automatically have equal rights with all the other 50 states. This problem is a legal matter — not one of discrimination. If the CNMI became a state you would get two senators and a certain number of voting representatives based on population. For example, the states of California and New York each have two senators but they have more representatives than 10 or 15 small states because the population is so large in these two states. Because of this the U.S. Senate has 100 senators —two from each state — and 435 representatives of the states.
Mr. John Del Rosario wrote about this not too long ago and said that he did not vote because it was a false or unrealistic thing to send a non-voting delegate to Washington. He has always been unhappy that the CNMI can’t just do whatever the local government wants to do. AGAIN — IT’S NOT DISCRIMINATION BUT A LEGAL MATTER. If local people are unhappy with these things as they are — change from a commonwealth to a state.
FRANKLIN KEIPER
Mayer, Arizona
