Fitial slams economic meeting

House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial yesterday brushed off offers of economic salvation for the CNMI from the Office of Insular Affairs without taking into account the continued threat of federal takeover of the island’s immigration, minimum wage and custom standards.

He said the attempt by the Clinton administration to strip local control over these authorities is still the biggest obstacle to the economic development of the Commonwealth.

OIA Director Ferdinand Aranza met the other day with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to sell the idea of a package of economic initiatives that a high-level group in the White House is mapping out in hopes to improve living standards among U.S. territories.

A meeting will be held late next month between the governors of the CNMI, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa and the group comprised of senior officials assembled by the president in what is described as the first-ever highest level attention granted to the islands.

Although it has economic agenda, Mr. Aranza told reporters after his meeting with the governor that the federal takeover issue will not be tackled in the discussion in order to move forward with Mr. Clinton’s plan and that both OIA and CNMI have agreed to disagree on this.

CNMI officials and business leaders say that the island’s economy is at risk in the attempt by the federal government to extend U.S. laws on local immigration and minimum wage — CNMI authorities that have been responsible for its growth for the last 25 years.

“Mr. Danny Aranza is a jerk because he’s trying to fool people who don’t understand the real issue,” said Mr. Fitial in an interview with reporters. “The big picture here is our economy and federalization is the biggest threat to our economic survival.”

Asked what will be the benefits of the proposed White House-backed economic initiatives to the CNMI, the Speaker said “if they are sincere and they are willing to help us fight the federal takeover, the CNMI will benefit. If they are still big supporters of federal takeover, then the CNMI will never succeed economically.”

President Clinton has formed the inter-agency working group on insular areas to embark on major economic initiatives, including financial assistance, in order to bring the quality of life on the islands at par with the U.S. standards, according to Mr. Aranza.