Lorenzo LG. Cabrera said the enactment of House Local Bill 17-44 “can only be categorized as an attempt in desperation and a complete and total disregard of the wishes of people.”
Former Sen. David M. Cing, D-Tinian, said the measure is a “blatant disrespect for the CNMI Constitution.”
Cing, a member of the 1985 Constitutional Convention, said he was the one who proposed the constitutional amendment requiring that a gambling initiative must secure the support of two-thirds of voters.
He said the Constitution does not allow the legalization of gambling through a local bill.
Bankruptcy
Cabrera said he understands that due to the continuous decline in revenue and the rising cost of power, the CNMI government is on the verge of bankruptcy.
But passing a casino bill without further studies “would not only be reckless but highly irresponsible,” he added.
Although the people of Saipan have rejected casino twice, its proponents seem more “resolute, even to the point of being adamant” in pushing for its legalization, he said.
Cabrera said the casino proponents also seemed “oblivious” to the concern that creating a casino commission will be very expensive.
He said the government will have to spend taxpayer money even before a casino produces revenue.
Cabrera said when voters on Tinian and Rota allowed casinos on their islands, they have pushed the entire CNMI “into an economic abyss.”
Unconstitutional
Cing, in a separate interview, said he challenges the Saipan casino proponents to a debate.
He said that if lawmakers are using the economic crisis as justification to legalize casino on Saipan, they are still wrong.
“The way they talk about this bill they sound like it’s the end of the world for the CNMI tomorrow,” he added.
Cing urged the Tinian and Rota leadership to come out and oppose the House local bill.
“This is a matter of principle,” he added.
In a separate interview, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, and author of the casino bill said: “We are in desperate times now. We just heard from the Retirement Fund how bad the situation they are in now. So yes, indeed, we are in a desperate situation and we have to do something to save the CNMI economy.”
Torres said he respects Cing’s opinion but he also believes that the local delegation’s enactment of the Saipan gambling bill is constitutional.
