In an interview yesterday, Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said he has asked his colleagues to pass the bill as soon as Rep. Ralph S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, introduces it.
The former governor, however, noted that some House members are “scared” to vote for the measure “too soon.”
A long-time casino proponent, Tenorio said the people should support it “if they care about the commonwealth, their job, their children, their business or pension.”
He added, “We must have casinos on Saipan as soon as possible.”
Tenorio said it is not a secret that the CNMI government is running out of money. It needs additional revenue or it will go bankrupt, soon, he added.
Without a new source of funds, he said, “we can expect more layoffs, and pensions will be put at risk. With less money in the hands of our people, private businesses will shut down and go bankrupt. We will become less and less attractive to tourists, which means even less revenue.”
Tenorio said “there is only one alternative to this gloomy picture, only one way to restore our economy. And that is a casino on Saipan.”
