Tenorio is urging Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to “call for a major action” by requesting the U.S. Congress to help address the power crisis on Saipan.
He said the governor should also ask President Bush to declare the Saipan power situation as a “humanitarian disaster” so that the White House can immediately order the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “rescue” Saipan.
The island, Tenorio added, is a “disaster area of major proportions” and the people “are obviously suffering extremely.”
Tenorio said FEMA is involved in rescuing any state or jurisdiction hit by a natural or non-natural disaster.
Last year, he said, the Minnesota bridge connecting St. Paul collapsed and FEMA was able to provide assistance to repair the damage.
Tenorio believes that if the governor will send his request to Washington, President Bush can immediately address the CNMI’s concern because it is a humanitarian appeal.
But, he added, the governor should discard his plan to sue the federal government over the federalization of immigration next year.
“He should forget about the lawsuit it will only complicate things. It is so awkward for him to ask the federal government for assistance but at the same time file a suit against the feds,” Tenorio said.
Tenorio will be heading to Washington today and will relay the CNMI’s concerns to the U.S. Congress and even to FEMA.
He added, however, that Fitial, “as the governor, must take the initiative and make the request.”
As a Washington representative, Tenorio said he can write to the president and U.S. Congress “but it will be more appropriate if the request comes from the governor.”
Yesterday, Tenorio shot footage of the operations at Power Plants 1 and 4 that he will show to federal officials in Washington.
Taotao Tano president Gregorio S. Cruz Jr. said the governor should visit Power Plant 1 and “see for himself the real situation of the power problem.”
“The governor should stop suing the federal government,” Cruz said. “Instead he should work with the federal government to establish an agreement that could help CNMI address our power crisis.”
He added, “As president of Taotao Tano I am appealing to the Department of the Interior’s Insular Affairs Director Nick Pula and to President Bush to please declare a humanitarian disaster in our homeland for the people of the commonwealth are suffering tremendously from this administration’s failures. We are also appealing to our legislative branch to support the impeachment of the governor so that we, the people of the commonwealth, can get the much needed urgent financial assistance from the federal government — let us move forward and help our people, our community and our homeland as a whole.”
Irene N. Tantiado, a workers rights advocate, said the Fitial administration should focus on the CNMI’s main issue — the power crisis on Saipan.
Instead of taking the federal government to court, the governor should ask Washington to help solve the island’s power crisis, she said.
