They actually want us to believe the results of a hearing that no one attended and a meeting that was apparently designated in a way that there would be no opposition. I doubt if there is anyone who will believe there is no opposition to Saipan casinos. Duh! But that’s just half of it; the assertion that there are no other alternatives is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard an educated person say in these modern times. There are thousands of industries that that expand into numerous areas expediently in the millions, new frontiers in technology, communications and the potential of our imagination and creativity is limitless if we are just willing to do the work the good old American way. But the proponents of casinos don’t want to do the work. They just want to sell us out to the casino owners so a few locals can get rich while the rest of us suffer the raw consequences.
The funny part is they are not just talking about one casino – its casino with an s. They want to completely dedicate the Capital of the CNMI to GAMBLING – how grand will we look in Washington. But lucky for the CNMI, I’m not the only one with common sense who can see the Dynasty is still struggling and it defies logic to believe that casinos on Saipan will be any different, just a thousand times more local customers. I’m not the only one who knows casinos will only add to the existing gambling problems in families. I’m not the only one who knows casinos will create an array of new criminal elements in the CNMI – and the list goes on.
As for alternatives, we are already committed to a tourist industry and our tourist industry is a very good industry if we do the work to grow the industry to be more productive. We only need to start doing more home work in unison with all the players to improve the industry – simply put, all our tourist industry needs is a “make-over” to be more competitive in this day and time.
We are standing on a gold mind but our leaders just don’t know how to work it and for an outsider to offer a solution is useless because nothing from an outsider can penetrate the wall of Social Imperialism that has been established – it’s either a local’s way or no way, which is why we are in the bad shape we are in today playing it the local way in a federal game. Just think about it, there are no proven local economic theories for this region, there is no establish philosophy or theory for local politics based on real principles and there has never been an established local form of government based on philosophical or principles. So why do we continue with the “local way” of politics which you can see leads to nowhere. The local way should end with cultural practices and traditions and not in the politics of governing a society.
The CNMI is part of America and that is the CNMI’s best asset to fixing our economic woes. The Japanese went to war over these islands, the Koreans, Filipinos and Chinese also love these islands but we chose only to try and take advantage of the wealth and the people from these countries appose to working with these nations to build on the relationships. The CNMI should have been seeking an economic treaty with all of these countries years ago to allow for the governments and their approved investors to invest in “education, sports, power & fuel and tourists related activities.” In other words, create a real contract to work with these nations, oppose to the empty hand-shakes we are presently exchanging.
An economic treaty with Japan, S. Korea, the Philippines and China will almost instantly change and improve the economic conditions and outlook for the CNMI. But here is the kicker, President Obama was recently in Japan and China and in both places he stated that he “wanted an economic treaty with these nations”. It’s just amazing to me that I really have to spell it out as to what the CNMI needs to be doing given this revelation. I wrote about this once before and the GOP even adopted it as part of their platform but the ball was dropped after losing the gubernatorial election. Maybe now this alternative to casinos will be more appealing and someone will even pick up the ball and literally score big time for the CNMI. We (the CNMI) only needs to do the diplomatic work in Washington to get a treaty with these countries but we will never get a Treaty approved from the fighting posture we are presently demonstrating. The CNMI must change this posture to reflect that we are trying to do something for ourselves, oppose to begging for more federal dollars.
There are countless economic and social benefits for the CNMI with an Economic Treaty but just to give you a sample of the potential economic possibilities of a Treaty with S.E. Asian countries. Japan just gave Palau millions but they can’t give or do anything for the CNMI without a treaty. If Koreans will create schemes for U. S. investor status just think what they will do when they can get it legally – they will be standing in line for approval. Do the Work!
The Treaty countries will be allowed to build museums and monuments to reflect their history and connections in the Marianas along with other tourist related activities.
Sports facilities for their warm weather athletes to train during their winter months
New Educational Facilities and the birth of an Education Industry in the CNMI with foreign students from the Treaty countries.
An Independent Service Station from the Philippines to keep the cost of fuel more reasonable as we are closer to the oil fields and the refineries yet we are still paying a higher cost simply from the lack of real competition that is created by independent stations.
We should also be seeking decommissioned planes and ships from the U. S. and all the Treaty Nations to add to the appeal of the CNMI as a tourist destination.
The investment of foreign governments in our Tourist Industry will create real partners in the Treaty countries to promote the Tourist Industry in the CNMI. The tourists arrival rates will surly establish new records.
The Treaty will create many jobs and in many different fields along with establishing a long term means and methodology for maintaining and growing our tourist industry over time.
But just to show you what I mean by doing the work, I’ll offer another possible alternative: pozzolan. We only know pozzolan is rare and valuable but we don’t even know how valuable it is on the world market, what types of uses and applications for the mineral, what kind of processing of the mineral that can be done in the CNMI to support the mining of the mineral, what other possibilities of exporting the mineral which could be a long and valuable list. Pozzolan could really have the potential to be a gold mine but no one will do the work. I’m also very confident a Treaty with S. E Asian nations is more realistic and more appealing than casinos and the only question is will our leaders do the diplomatic work. So does the CNMI really sell out to a few rich men or do we do the diplomatic work to make us all better off? One people headed in one direction for doing the work to create a Treaty with our S. E. Asian friends and Pozzolan mining.
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman, Saipan
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