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Unanswered question
Thank you and your professional journalists for revealing that the Air Force Divert Facility project for Tinian has been postponed for a year, although it was the worst possible news that the people of Tinian could receive at this time. We had been hoping that construction would begin this year, or very early next year, to provide some cash-flow for our island, and, ultimately, for the CNMI.
The question is: Why did the people of Tinian have to wait so long to find out about the change in status for a military project on our island? The answer to that question is: The governor has refused to implement the Tinian Civilian-Military Advisory Council, as provided for in the Technical Agreement to the Covenant.
The obvious person to comment on this issue is Senate President Jude Hofschneider. He was serving his first term in the Legislature when former Tinian mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz asked then-Gov. Eloy S. Inos to implement the Tinian Civilian-Military Advisory Council. The governor did not respond. Former mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas asked the same question of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who also did not respond. Perhaps it is time for Senate President Hofschneider to ask the governor to implement the Tinian Civilian-Military Advisory Council, with the Mayor of Tinian as its chair.
With the Tinian Civilian-Military Task Force in operation, not only would the people of Tinian get more reliable information about military developments on Tinian, but also have the opportunity to resolve problems between the military and the civilian community on Tinian’s military leased lands.
Don A. Farrell
Marpo Heights, Tinian
