DELEGATE candidates John Oliver Bolis Gonzales, Kimberlyn King-Hinds and Edwin Propst said the upcoming 902 talks between the U.S. and the CNMI should focus on the local economy.
Section 902 of the Covenant provides for consultations between the CNMI and the U.S. on matters that affect their relationship.
“I would like to see priority placed on our economic development,” said Propst, the House floor leader
“Realizing that the 902 talks need to be focused, I think any of the following critical issues would be ripe for discussion with our federal partners: increasing 702 funding provided to the Commonwealth under the Covenant and reauthorizing the use of those funds to support government operations and services,” he added.
“As the governor has already requested: [the 902 talks should] address…our transportation issues, including reexamining the Jones Act and obtaining a waiver from applicable cabotage laws; increased funding for infrastructure; more technical assistance for capacity building; closing gaps in federal data collection that negatively impact the CNMI’s access to federal programs; and removing Medicaid funding caps and providing parity with the states,” Propst added.
A lawyer and a former board chair of the Commonwealth Ports Authority, King-Hinds said “the Palacios-Apatang administration has adopted the ‘Thanos Economic Approach,’ which is kill the part of the economic ecosystem that you don’t like to be able to save the CNMI. [These are] the underlying policy arguments they’ve been making about the pivot. In doing so, they’ve voluntarily shut down 40% of the revenue stream, which supports our tourism industry,” she added, referring to the China tourism market.
“Businesses are suffering,” she said. “If the CNMI is taking this position because of the federal government, then the 902 must be focused on discussions as to how to ameliorate the economic conditions in the CNMI whether it be the tourism industry, labor shortages or transportation challenges. We are headed towards harder times. If tourist dollars are good for America, why is it not good for the CNMI? How are we going to pay for our obligations? How are we going to afford basic services? All this requires money and the CNMI needs to figure out really whether being stuck in a welfare economy is what we want because that’s where we are going under the current conditions. It’s wrong. It’s anti-self-determination. It ain’t self-government. It’s anti-Covenant,” King-Hinds added.
For Gonzales, a former TV personality, business consultant and grants writer, the 902 talks should focus on “NMI-only immigration policy that is sensible and sustainable to jumpstart our economic recovery and avoid further delays to our billion-dollar pending capital infrastructure improvement projects and that balances the U.S.’ acute parameters for a secure and safe Indo-Pacific region.”
He said the federal government should also “reduce the CNMI share of Medicaid to increase coverage for more comprehensive insurance and expand medical insurance access to the rest of our large hardworking middle class and senior citizens.”
Gonzales also wants the federal government to “equalize benefits and programs in all sectors and areas alluded to above to NMI U.S. citizens the same as for those afforded to mainland U.S. citizens especially due to a stagnant and depressed economy, continued depressed unemployment, relentless exorbitant high cost of living with high costs of utilities, food commodities, home construction, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, etc.”
Moreover, Gonzales said the federal government should provide “immediate financial assistance to sustain the NMI’s dire financial straits and a depressed economy to temper and insulate our people from social and economic Armageddon.”
In an earlier interview, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said labor, immigration, the economy and infrastructure are among the pressing issues that the CNMI will raise in the forthcoming Covenant Section 902 talks with the federal government.
