We respectfully request:
1) That the President of the United States declare a federal state of emergency on the failing power, water, and wastewater infrastructure of CUC and expeditiously mobilize the resources necessary to avert a worsening crisis, pursuant to his powers under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act, as amended;
2) That the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands guide CUC into federal court-appointed receivership, and ensure strict and competent oversight in the overhaul and rehabilitation of the CNMI’s critical infrastructure;
3) That the U.S. Department of Justice conduct a thorough audit and investigation of all funds, federal and local, that have been collected and expended by CUC in at least the past 10 years, and bring to justice all individuals who have committed acts of public corruption relative to CUC; and
4) That CUC shall remain in federal court-appointed receivership until such time that essential public utilities are restored, CUC’s financial condition is stabilized, and CUC is completely restructured to ensure that the entity is transparent, accountable, reliable, credible, and free of destructive political interferences in the future.
We appeal to the U.S. Government to provide the aforementioned forms of federal intervention and assistance pursuant to the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America. Under Section 701 of the Covenant, the U.S. Government pledged to assist the CNMI Government “in its efforts to achieve a progressively higher standard of living for its people as part of the American economic community and to develop the economic resources needed to meet the financial responsibilities of local self-government.”
With rolling blackouts, soaring electric rates, contaminated and insufficient water supply, and inadequate wastewater treatment, the standard of living in the CNMI has declined dramatically, and continues to decline as public utilities deteriorate. The crisis has become so acute that it is beyond the capacity and the resources of the CNMI Government to resolve on its own. We fully recognize the fundamental and systemic weaknesses of our CNMI Government. We petition for federal intervention in this time of crisis not only to restore critical public services and protect the health, safety, and welfare of our community, but also to assist us in our efforts to improve the quality of governance in our islands, and ultimately realize a progressively higher standard of living for present and future generations.
REP. TINA SABLAN
& other beleaguered
CNMI residents
