Best Sunshine discussion

I commend the leadership for holding down the casino industry. Now it is the law and we are in America. Our country is governed by law; now it is brought up to the next level. One great leader states there is no good or bad law—it has to be decided by the people. If people are happy with the law, it’s a good law. If people are not happy with the law, it is a bad law. Now is the time for the people to judge. Let it play out to the people and let them be the judge. I assume CEO Mr. Brown is continuously asking the Legislature and governor for more laws to be passed for Best Sunshine. We can understand his role, huddling with the leadership, but now it is up to the people.

From the inception of the casino law up until now, with an investment of $7.1 billion (to be the only one to operate), is a very long time. Saipan people should already have smiling faces and sending their kids to better schools. Due to the impact of cash flow, already the entire island should feel the momentum. Seven billion dollars is a large amount of money.

Of the $7.1 billion, the people expect at least $1 billion should already be committed to environmental impact study and casino to lead the economy. I suggest you commission local engineers who can design/develop a model that would sustain the impact. That would make the Marianas the best and most attractive place in Asia under the American flag. Without this in place, no tourist will ever come to the Marianas for the next 100 years because it is the filthiest place and the local population will never prosper either.

To only concentrate on the Samoan Housing area as development commitment and start the $7.1 billion from there might not be a positive approach. The proposed hotel in Samoan Housing must connect to the sewage line. The present sewage line is inadequate as well the water system and power supply to the community. The impact study as well as the road system is definitely inadequate to withstand the number of tourists projected to visit the Marianas (we are talking Marpi to San Antonio, Forbidden Island to Topachau, Samoan Housing to Obyan).

I suggest Best Sunshine should also include a Northern Marianas descent. John S. Pangelinan would be my best choice to be the indigenous CEO and Best Sunshine CEO Mark Brown should continue in his role and lead this great development and industry.

It is important that an archaeologist is commissioned, which is just one component in respecting the culture of the Chamorro people—but to find only American G.I. and Japanese canteen, big fish bones to prove evidence that ancestors existed is wonderful to know, but cannot go back further than Taga House on Tinian—that’s it!

Japan also has an interest to lease one of the Northern Islands to dispose of tsunami waste (more than billions of dollars). Billions of dollars is a lot of money and shall be seriously and completely managed for our children and their children’s future on Saipan. Best Sunshine should already have a model development plan including the enormity of tourists for the next 30 years.

Simple math:

– $1 billion for people already benefitting—Saipan should be lush and flourishing;

-Another billion goes to environmental impact study of the entire island with model on the table;

-Maybe $3 billion for development plan (high end business: 10/15 star hotel if there is one)

-$2 billion for developer and other

The end result: the people will all be on the same page—total and complete support and not to be doing same thing over and over and expect different results. You cannot always calculate 1+1=3

Jack Atalig
Sinapalo, Rota