THIS reporter spoke to several voters on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, to ask them about the issues they found important.
Many voters said the economy was at the forefront of their minds.
Richard Baleares, a 22-year-old Precinct 1 voter, said, “I feel like this is an answer that everyone is going to say, but it’s still important — it’s the economy.”
He said education funding and healthcare are “near and dear and important” to him, but the economy affects those issues.
“The budget is like a pie and everyone gets a piece of the pie. But if the pie is small, then everyone is going to get smaller pieces,” he said. “But if the pie grows bigger, then even a small chunk will be bigger than it was before. If we can fix our economy that would be great.”
Baleares said he would be open to a greater military presence to help grow the economy, but the CNMI must maintain a “balance,” meaning “not having too much military influence and also not seeing the environmental impacts the military presence can have on a jurisdiction.”
He said CNMI leaders should also consider expanding the islands’ tourism markets, whether it’s China, Australia or Southeast Asia.
One businesswoman in Precinct 5, who wished to remain anonymous, said the economy is “the biggest issue in the Marianas.”
She added, “The CNMI needs to improve its economy. Businesses are closing. And it’s just really hard on everybody. We’re businesspeople and we haven’t’ recovered since Covid.”
She believes “tourism is not there for us.”
“When [tourism] was good it was great, but right now we need to find something else,” she added.
Keona Torres, also from Precinct 5, is hoping that CNMI leaders will fix public roads and ensure proper road maintenance and drainage.
“We’ve been experiencing rainfall, and even getting into my own compound — it was impossible,” she said. “It took about three days for them to mitigate it by putting some … dirt on it. But that’s something that we should think about other than just backfilling. What else can we do that’s sustainable and is a nature-based solution to keep our roads intact?”
Marilou Ortega, a first-time voter, said, “Tourism in the CNMI — make it great again.”
For Guadalupe Borja-Robinson, who voted in Garapan, “a lot of work needs to be done about the economy.”
“Years ago,” she said, “I remember the older Japanese came here for the history. Now we have to cater to younger tourists. The older Japanese have passed away. It’s a different clientele now.”
She worries about the impact a declining economy can have on the island’s population.
“We need more tourists because a lot of businesses and buildings are getting empty. It’s becoming a ghost island, not a ghost town but a ghost island. This is my home. I love Saipan and it hurts me when our young folks are leaving for better opportunities in Guam or the U.S.”
Candidates and their supporters campaign for votes outside Garapan Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
