‘Stupid’ remark irks Rota, Tinian senators

Rota and Tinian senators are taking issue with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s remarks describing some people from Rota and Tinian as “stupid” for rejecting yet again a House bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan.

“I just wish that the governor will be more respectful and civil,” Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

Manglona said the governor should not divide the people of the CNMI.

“We are one people of the Commonwealth. I ask that the governor don’t try to divide us like this,” he added.

Fitial made the controversial comment in an interview with Saipan Tribune and KSPN on Saturday morning regarding his views on the defeat of a Saipan casino bill.

“I am going to pursue my economic initiatives including a new popular initiative for the casino because I don’t think we should continue to have stupid people from Rota and Tinian dictate the lives of the majority. And that’s the problem here and they know it and they’re gonna suffer for (it) because of what they did,” Fitial said.

The governor blamed the bill’s defeat on “politics.”

“Like I told you, politics is the root of all our economic and social problems in the Commonwealth. And we got to get rid of these politicians who only care for themselves. They are very up to date in requesting for their subsistence allowance, in advancing for their subsistence allowance. They don’t give a damn about the livelihood of their own people,” Fitial said.

The governor reiterated that casinos will generate new money “that we don’t have.”

Manglona and other senators reiterated that the issue should be left to Saipan voters to decide.

The senators who opposed the House casino bill are supporting Fitial and other pro-casino lawmakers’ proposal to initiate a popular initiative so that the question can be presented to voters in the Nov. 6 election.

Manglona said a Senate bill that has been pending with the House for months would have allowed the question to be put before voters but the House has sat on the bill.

Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) said casino is not a “silver bullet” or the only “economic savior” for the CNMI.

“There have been lots of proposals on improving the economy, but they have always been focused on casinos… And why would an elected official call other people stupid when they cannot respect the will of the Saipan voters who rejected the casino twice,” he said in a separate interview.

Hofschneider said the last time he checked, it was the same governor who had promised to bring in a peanut butter factory, a shoe factory, and a pozzolan mining industry.

Sen. Frank Cruz (R-Tinian) said if leaders really want to focus on revenue-generation to help the economy, they should help Tinian and Rota’s casino industry.

Manglona, for his part, reiterated that the Senate believes there are a lot of alternatives to establishing a casino industry on Saipan, including repeal of Article 12 or the land alienation provision of the NMI Constitution, enforcement of tax laws and rules, placing the CNMI under the national food stamp program, moving capital improvement projects faster, and reducing tax rebates by 10 to 20 percent.

“The Senate passed a bill that became law that would increase the salary of the Revenue and Taxation director to entice qualified applicants and step up enforcement of tax laws, but up to now the administration has not been able to hire one. On CIPs, why are we just receiving $9 million when we could have been receiving $14 million?” Manglona said.

Besides a casino industry, Fitial is also pushing for a fee simple initiative which he shared with lawmakers during a full leadership meeting in January.

This initiative, as he has proposed, will allow existing hotels and golf courses to acquire through fee simple the public lands they are currently leasing from the CNMI government within 180 days after voters approve of such a move—a proposal that some lawmakers said is “bold” and needs careful consideration.

That initiative will allow, for example, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Coral Ocean Point Resort and Golf Course, Laolao Bay Golf Resort, Rota Resort Golf Course, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, and Marianas Country Club and Golf Course, among other hotels and golf courses, to acquire the lands they are leasing fee simple.

This initiative will amend Article 11 of the NMI Constitution.