Why we can and must prosper again: Part II

This week let us examine how to begin our road to prosperity. As I mentioned last week, we have many assets that we are not fully aware of or have not explored thoroughly. All the assets for success and happiness surround us. We have good people, beautiful scenery, fertile land, a bountiful ocean, and a huge market close by to sell to. Let us explore some of them.

First, we have good, friendly and kind people eager to work and eager to improve their lives. Despite the fact that over the years they have not been motivated, we must start motivating them now. A motivated populace can overcome many obstacles.

We must desire to develop strong work attitudes and a willingness to take risks. We must desire to regain control of our economy. We must desire to become small business owners. We must desire to become free from dependence on outsiders to do our jobs. We must desire to do jobs ourselves. Without that desire, there can not be improvements. All things start with a strong desire.

It has been reported that every year we export about $165 million to the home countries of our nonresident workers. Isn’t this a major drain on our economy? Consider how that large amount of money circulating in our community could benefit all of us.

The economists tell us that based on the theory of the multiplier effect this $165 million will circulate about nine times as it is passed around. Imagine having $165 million X 9 = $1.48 billion extra money circulating every year! See what we are throwing away yearly because we prefer to have others do our work! When will we learn?

The time is fast coming when we will have to be independent. Thus a strong-willed and determined populace is the first step to prosperity. Prosperity will never come to us from the outside. It must be created from inside and from our hard work. When we change our attitudes, we change the world!

We must start motivating ourselves by studying how prosperous countries succeed. What have they done and are doing to be successful? Let’s study the positives and negatives they have experienced on their road to prosperity. Let us copy their good points. As we do, we will notice that very few of them have had natural resources that created their prosperity. Prosperity has always been created by its educated and hardworking citizens. The road to success is a joint-effort by all of us. No one should be left behind.

We must begin by operating our own businesses. We must set up training situations to foster opportunities to do so. We must become a nation of shopkeepers and skilled tradesmen. We must make it happen. If we fail to understand the importance of having a trained and skilled workforce, we will really feel the pain in the near future.

Turn and walk down to the beach with me. As we stand here watching the waves lazily roll onto the shore and slide back into the ocean, notice what we have done to the coastline. What once was a clean beach flowing out into deeper water is now overrun with sea grass. This is both unsightly and makes swimming in it a slimy feeling. How did we allow this to happen?

We have ruined miles of otherwise perfect beach front. As a result tourists have only a few remaining areas where they can swim or sunbathe in comfort. Sad to say, this situation is getting worse everyday. Soon we will have no beaches for tourists or for ourselves to enjoy. Why do we continue to desecrate our God-given natural beauty? Does anyone care? Why aren’t we cleaning this up?

If we are to increase tourism, we must reclaim these beaches. We must proudly show miles of pristine shoreline and beaches with clean blue ocean waters. Tourists should be able to stop wherever they find such a beach and simply swim or sunbathe and enjoy its quiet beauty. After all, why come to a tropical island when its beaches and ocean are polluted and unsightly?

Another asset we have is beautiful islands that we can sell as paradise for tourism. We have the ingredients for making our three islands attractive to tourists. The secret to success in tourism is to find a niche. Let us not try to emulate what other places do. Instead of creating another concrete jungle as many other places are doing, let us improve the beauty of our islands and create a romantic and pristine paradise—a true escape for the tourists. All of us dream of going to a tropical island. Let’s really create that feeling for the tourists.

Remember our tourists come here to escape the cold climate and pressure of work. Also they lack beaches at home. A beach reminds all of us of a special place that we feel attracted to. By offering clean sandy beaches and clean ocean to swim in, we do not need amusement centers or other distractions. One of the main reasons tourists come here is to escape from their environment and a desire to capture the allure of a tropical island.

This blue ocean also can be the home to a highly profitable business in aquaculture. Many species of fish can be grown in tanks and in protected areas along the coastline. The market is almost insatiable for fish. We have clean and protected pockets in the ocean where a thriving industry can be started.

Drive along the shores of Saipan, Tinian and Rota away from the main areas. There are many pockets in which aquaculture could be cultivated. This activity takes individuals with strong desires to succeed and who are willing to be risk takers. But the end result is very rewarding.

Driving around the islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan, acres and acres of untilled land remain. For years we have been talking about growing food and selling it locally as well as exporting. But to date this activity still remains talk. If we truly want to become the food basket to ourselves, to Guam as well as to the rest of Asia, it is doable. In fact this activity has now begun and will develop within this year.

It is not my intention to explain all the possibilities that are available to us to become prosperous again. However it is my intention to stir up our desire to help ourselves. Repeatedly I keep mentioning about all the opportunities right under our feet. We should rely on foreign investors to a certain extent. I have no problem with them, but to think that they will solve the dilemma and restore our economy is a myth. Only hardworking and trained citizens can do that. You and I must do that!

This past week I attended the Economic Development Conference. Many good ideas came forth. Sources of funding were identified. Sources of technology were cited. Four major industries were identified. They are agriculture, aquaculture, call centers and educational tourism. These are a beginning. Many of us got all fired up about doing things to spur the buildup of the economy. But will we follow through after all the rhetoric dies down?

The future lies in our hands. How we mold it will determine the nation we become. As stated above we have all the assets for success and prosperity. And we have the people ready to start working. It is us who determine how we will utilize them. There is no secret formula for succeeding. It is only through hard dedicated work from all of us.

Let us part with this quote from Kahlil Gibran from his book The Prophet:

[I]Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.[/I] [I]Pellegrino is a longtime businessman in the CNMI and is the former president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce.[/I]