Your delegate candidates and their stand on the issues

Compared to the other candidates, I have more experience and knowledge regarding the job of a delegate, 80 percent of which requires political experience.
I exceed the requirement of the other candidates. I served in the Micronesian Congress and pushed for the separation of the NMI from the Micronesian District. As a result, we were granted our own political status and 78 percent of us voted for it. I’m proud to say that I was the one who granted U.S. passports to the NMI people. Also, I helped frame our current government and I also established the Carolinian Affairs Office.

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We have to change our behavior in the way we operate our government.
A sign of good economy is more exports than imports and more jobs for locals than guest workers.
We must give our own farmers the opportunity to produce the produce we need. We should use our tangan-tangan instead of bringing in charcoal from the U.S., and Tinian’s abundant ground fresh water instead of importing distilled water from the U.S. or the Philippines.

I’m afraid we have to hurt our friends and relatives who have been benefiting from CUC because they are cronies of a particular party.
The government, for example, has to purchase land for the water wells instead of leasing them on a monthly or annual basis from a private landowner. The power plant, too, should not be situated in private property. Why can’t the government relocate it to government land?
And why should the government act as a middleman in purchasing chlorine for CUC when we can buy it directly and cheaper from the manufacturer?
We should also have transparency.

I never have self-interest. Greed has no place in my system.
What I have is very dangerous both to me and those who are corrupt. I’m not afraid to talk about our problems in our commonwealth even it will affect relatives or party mates. The faster we enforce transparency the less corruption we will get.
My vision is not for the educated and rich but for the people who cannot speak for themselves.
Also because the U.S. Democrats will increase their majorities in both houses of the U.S. Congress and capture the White House as well, a Democrat will be the best delegate for the CNMI.

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My five years as a senator and 20 in private business set me apart from the other candidates. I believe that through hard work, wider collaboration, increased cooperation and constant dialogue with the federal government, the CNMI can bring about proactive solutions to the CNMI’s economic woes. My term in office as a senator has given me a lot of information about the problems the CNMI is facing both economically and politically. Further, my allegiance with the national Democratic Party will be a great asset to the CNMI, as it appears that the Democratic Party will have a solid control over both houses of Congress and the presidency.
Absent any affiliation with the national Democratic Party, the CNMI will have very limited access to the leadership and the committee chairs.

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Pragmatically, it doesn’t matter whether I favor federalization or not. In January federalization will essentially be a non-issue. The law has been passed and the part that the delegate might have played has also passed. The implementation of the law is now a function of the executive branch with input from local agencies.

As with the federalization issue, pragmatically, it does not matter whether I favor the Marianas Marine Monument or not. Again, this is a matter that will be resolved before the delegate takes office. This is another executive branch function.

I support the intent of Article 12 of the CNMI Constitution. I believe that if the indigenous people anywhere lose control of their lands they also lose a significant element of their culture.

The delegate’s ONLY job is to represent the people and interest of the CNMI in the U.S. Congress through any and whatever means available. However, it should be noted that the delegate’s office will no longer merely be an extension of the CNMI government.

The continued notion that the CNMI should continue to rely on tourism is ludicrous. For over 10 years we have heard that the tourist market can be salvaged in some way. It has only gotten worse. It is past time for the entrepreneurs in the islands to get creative. Look to what resources we have here and start to develop them. The most obvious place to start would be the development of the marine resources that surround our islands.

There are no immediate solutions for the problems at CUC that the delegate’s office can or should address. The problems at CUC are within the purview of the CNMI Legislature and should be addressed by that august body.

I didn’t think that this would be a real issue. But the fact is that after listening to the other candidates I can say with certainty that I am the only one that has the remotest clue of what the delegate’s function in Congress really is. I’ve heard about grant writing, bailing out CUC, getting stimulus checks, receiving “our” monies when we haven’t contributed anything and a host of other nonsense. I am the only candidate with a real concrete plan that addresses our economy and the dignity of the people of the Marianas.

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Yes, and even to increase long-term leasehold because it will provide long-term sustainable economic development opportunities for land owners and investors.

The main job of a CNMI’s delegate will be to educate the U.S. Congress and the federal government about who we are and what we need as Americans.
The delegate should also push for all programs and benefits for the CNMI and lobby for millions of dollars of grants and funds for power, water, wastewater, public school facilities, NMC programs and facilities, as well as public health programs.
We also need to improve seaports on Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the Northern Islands. This will allow huge ships to bring in commodities directly to each island to cut costs on the part of shipping firms, thereby, cutting prices for consumer goods.

We should change our attitude. We need to have long-term vision, be service-oriented and business-friendly in all our philosophy, approach and policies.
We must stop political connections, stop greediness, stop personal and selfish interest and think only of public interest with honesty.

Obtain Compact-Impact and CIP funds to build a new power plant that is integrated with renewable alternative energy practices.
Declare the CNMI an under-served rural community to qualify for assessment and construction grants from the federal government’s rural electrification system.
Work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. military to help us solve our power crisis.

Because of my untainted character and the integrity that comes along with my being young, dynamic and energetic. I represent change that we need, and that is for the delegate to put our people first, and believe in a bright future of our economic and social prosperity.
Also, the voters should choose me because I make bold decisions, I believe in taking risks and thinking outside of the box. I embrace innovation and long-term planning to deliver the promises of the Covenant, and that is a strong, respected self-government and vibrant sustainable economic developments of high quality standard of living for families and businesses.
I’m a B.A. political science graduate of Washington State with a master’s in international business management from Arizona.
I’ve helped countless youth groups and community organizations.

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I am opposed to federalization with some qualifications such as national defense and security.
Unlike Guam, the CNMI is not a federal territory. Through the Covenant, we have retained a greater degree of self-governance. Congress should not attempt to take control of local government functions. It is disturbing that Congress has provided us with a delegate seat only after passing laws that the delegate could have effectively influenced before passage.
If elected, I will stress that any federal laws or regulations that specifically apply to the CNMI must meet two requirements. First, the law must be tailored to suit our local conditions. Second, the timetable for enforcement of such laws must account for our unique economic and historical circumstances.

I believe that the submerged lands issue must be settled in the U.S. Congress before a final decision to erect the proposed Pew monument is made. This will help clear up the mistrust that has been generated by what seems to be a push to hastily finalize the marine monument before the people of the CNMI are comfortable with it.

I’m in favor of it and I believe the CNMI Legislature should not amend it. I strongly believe that allowing persons of Northern Mariana Islands descent the privileges of Article 12 for another 55 years from 2011 is the right course of action. There are abundant reasons to maintain Article 12 and no good reasons to abolish it. Article 12 does not deter investments in the CNMI. Our own experience with Article 12 over the past 30 years irrefutably supports this. I do not favor increasing the leasehold interest to either 65 or 75 years. There is no compelling reason to change the leasehold interest at this time. It will not change the incentive to invest in the CNMI. There may be two facets of Article 12, however, that should be considered for change. One is the rule regarding condominiums. Changes in that area will help the investment climate. The other would be a policy to accommodate those who are not of NMI descent but who have made our islands their home and have resided here for a number of years. We are an accommodating people. But to remain a cohesive people with our own cultural identity and underlying economic stability, we must maintain the land tenure that Article 12 provides us.

We must take better advantage of, and make improvements to, what the CNMI has to offer to the world economy.
We should focus on improving the Rota and Tinian seaports. This could be a joint project with the military, resulting in local jobs and also in ferry transport between Rota and Guam. This in turn would give the military greater access to Rota as an island for rest and relaxation for members of the armed forces, their dependents and guests, and further increase local employment to support the increased number of visitors.
We must also create a long-term strategic plan to promote our islands to the greatest number of investors and visitors. We should involve countries such as Russia, China, Japan and Korea to gather ideas on how to improve our economy and tourism. We must encourage more foreign students to study on our islands, and elders to retire here.
We must also realize that investments in education is a long-term economic investment in our future. We must invest now in our youth by providing them with superior education that anticipates the needs of our local economy. I also would like to invest CIP funds into employment and apprentice programs for the different trades.

The CNMI government, whether through CUC or another entity, has a fundamental responsibility to provide adequate electrical power to all residents. We need new power generators that will be operable for the next 50 years. Power generation should be overseen by a quasi-public corporation with substantial private ownership. Ten percent stake should be reserved for people of Northern Marianas descent and funded by MPLT.
Simultaneously, I would work with Congress, the federal agencies and the Pentagon to seek creative out-of-the-box solutions to resolve our electricity woes.

We need a delegate in Congress who will be a strong advocate for the people and our issues. I have been a lawyer for almost 30 years, and served as a judge of our Superior Court for 10 years. I respectfully believe that this experience, together with my passion for our islands, my deep understanding of the issues, and ability to build and maintain relationships, would make me the CNMI’s strongest advocate in Congress.

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Our people know that we need to fix our economy for the long term. Our problems with our schools, our problems with our hospital, and our problems with CUC can be helped by an improved economy. Getting our economy performing is one thing but getting our economy performing, growing and expanding for the long term is a goal that I have set for myself if I am elected delegate.
Our economy is our greatest priority. I have remained focused on that issue and I will remain focused on that issue if I am elected delegate.

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I supported the federalization legislation when it became apparent to me that the U.S. Congress was intent on “normalizing” our immigration system. As resident representative, it was my responsibility to ensure that the CNMI was represented “at the table” and engaged in discussions about what the legislation should include. In doing so, I was able to see to it that critical provisions necessary to develop our economy such as visa waivers for tourists, continued access to needed non-resident workers, CNMI only H visas, etc., were included in the legislation that would provide long-term benefits to the people of the Northern Marianas.

I have publicly stated and I truly believe that the issue of whether or not to support the marine monument proposal is a matter that should be up to the people of the Northern Marianas to decide. I feel that the CNMI needs more time to consider this proposal and to study its implications for our islands. Perhaps during the next general election, the issue should be put on the ballot as an initiative.

As one of the negotiators of the Covenant, I was directly involved in the development of Article 12. The restriction on land ownership had a 25-year life and is up for review in 2011. The people of the NMI will have to decide whether or not Article 12 should be retained, amended or abolished. I will support any decision democratically chosen by our people.

My main job is to ensure that your voice is heard within the halls of Congress. Chief among my responsibilities will be to introduce legislation that will have a positive effect on the lives of the people of the Northern Marianas. It will also be my job to ensure that we are not included in any federal legislation that would be harmful to our commonwealth. I will also work closely with federal agencies directly responsible for coordinating grants and other federal assistance available to our government. Constituent services are also a priority for any congressional office.

The CNMI Government needs to come up with a comprehensive long-term plan to jump-start our economy. This plan should include the diversification of the economy through newly established industries, tourism markets, role with the military, etc. Our economy must also strive to become less dependent on foreign workers and promote locally owned small businesses.

CUC should be an accountable public corporation that distributes electricity to homes and businesses after it purchases power from a variety of independent power producers that offer a mixture of fossil fuel and environmentally friendly generation techniques.
As your delegate, one of my immediate priorities will be to obtain sufficient funds from Congress to provide our people with a reliable and affordable power generation system.

In all sincerity, I feel that I am more qualified than the others because of my substantial relevant experience in both elected and appointed positions of our government which I feel has prepared me for this difficult job as a delegate. I participated in the negotiation of our Covenant. I fully understand this important document and I feel that I am most appropriate to defend our Covenant in Congress.
I was a lt. governor for eight years, and during those years I appeared on many occasions in Congress to testify on many matters affecting our islands. I have made many friends in Congress, both personal and professional, and I have gained their trust in my commitment to work closely together. These friendships I currently enjoy are irreplaceable while others have to start over and work really hard to establish any meaningful relationships and trust.
I truly believe that experience is the key to success in being a delegate from the CNMI, but equally important is the knowledge that one possesses about the concerns and problems of our people in the CNMI. I know our problems and the solutions to many of our problems, and if given the chance to prove myself, I will continue working for you the moment I am sworn into office to represent all of our people in the CNMI.

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I am in favor of Article 12 because I feel that it protects land ownership for the Northern Marianas descent. There are good points on both sides of the issue; however, the decision to either retain or repeal Article 12 should only be decided by persons of the Northern Marianas descent. If it is repealed then so be it. If not then so be it.

It is to represent and to protect the interests of the CNMI. A delegate should be someone who informs our people of what is happening in Washington and to get a broad perspective before making any decisions that will or could affect us here. As long as you put the interest of the people first, you can never go wrong.

First, we must correct our basic necessities that most other places take for granted such as affordable and reliable power along with clean drinking water before tackling the issue of the economy. How can we expect to improve the economy when our teachers, doctors and our bright and young people are leaving? Ask the majority of the people who have left and they will say that they tried to cope but just got tired and frustrated so moving was their only option. How can we improve the economy with the closure and relocation of businesses? Most of the people’s paychecks are to pay for CUC so there are very few dollars left to spend elsewhere. The economy has been on the downturn for many years but it wasn’t until the outrageous CUC rates that people and businesses began feeling it. So to improve the economy, we must first take care of this basic necessity.

We should have a board of directors who are highly qualified and are not politically appointed. We need to take the politics out of CUC. The board members must be held accountable for their decisions and actions made regarding the well-being of CUC. Ultimately, we need to pursue renewable energy as a source of power to help alleviate the power demands and to reduce utility rates. We need to make use of the federal programs available.

I believe I am the best candidate because I am not politically affiliated. I do not have anyone behind me pulling my strings and telling me what to do. There are people giving me advice and their opinions but at the end of the day, I know which are for their own interest and which are for the people’s interest.
I say experience doesn’t guarantee success. Look at where experience has led us. Lack of experience can be a good thing because it makes us ask WHY and HOW instead of IT WON’T WORK and I KNOW BETTER. It can motivate us and motivation leads to hard work and hard work leads to success. Some say, I’m an “outsider” but I say my wife Dora Ulloa Palacios-Won is local; my kids are local so how can I be an outsider? Please don’t judge me for what I am but who I am — a husband, a father, your friend, your neighbor who is willing to make a difference for the betterment of the CNMI.