In a letter to Congresswoman Donna Christensen, D-Virgin Islands, Cruz said he is concerned that the lawsuit might cause further harm to the local economy.
Christensen chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs and was one of the sponsors of the federalization bill.
“Governor Fitial does not understand and will not accept the federal control of our immigration system simply for the fact that a vast majority of investments in our homeland is within his control benefiting his own special interest,” Cruz told the lawmaker.
But Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said Cruz “has no credibility” and has repeatedly changed his position on federalization and many other issues.
“First, he was for it. Then he was against it and even helped to organize a motorcade to rally against federalization, and now he is for it again and probably only because the governor, who could not offer Cruz government employment when Cruz asked for a job, is against it. Tomorrow, next week, or months from now, Cruz might be against federalization again. Who knows,” Reyes said.
He said he is not expecting Christensen to take Cruz very seriously, particularly after receiving his “unconvincing testimony” during the Aug. 15, 2007 congressional hearing she conducted on Saipan.
Cruz, in his letter, said CNMI residents are not “well informed as to what had transpired between the federal government and our government and [the governor] continues to misinform our people instilling fear of the federal government taking control over the entire CNMI dismantling our right to self-governance.”
Cruz described the lawsuit as “embarrassing and disrespectful” to the federal government which continues to help the CNMI economically and financially.
Cruz said he believes that the CNMI’s natural resources, transportation, communications and public utilities are now controlled by a tycoon and “this we have known for many years but no one will dare speak of it bluntly and publicly other than Taotao Tano.”
Reyes said Cruz doesn’t represent many people in the community, especially the indigenous population.
