‘When all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks likes a nail.’

That how I felt reading Vincent Sablan’s letter regarding casinos on Saipan. Clearly there is a level of ignorance amongst the local population of “how the world really works,” based firmly on their current box of tools that they use to fix things with. He states how all these industries like the garments and tourism were all successful here on Saipan, and somehow he connects the dots to postulate that now a casino will also be a success. Dude, wake up.

First, ex-governator Big Flo Tenorio is only cramming the casino model down the islands’ throats because he and his posse got a personal back-end interest in it all happening. More about that in a later letter. Why do you think he came out of mothball?

Second, the Tinian Dynasty hasn’t contributed a darn thing to rebuilding the CNMI’s economy; it still is a deadbeat taxpayer owing millions in back taxes that will never be paid, we all know that. That money is gone, baby. Rota’s failed casino is another example. Clearly more of the same kinds of businesses do not mean that any of them will be successful as you naively think, Vincent.

Third, the garment industry only succeeded because you had the lucky gift of an immigration law that enabled Asian businessmen to make millions off the backs of farm girls from Hunan, Nubei, Shaanxi, and Yunan provinces of China. These were country girls who looked for a better income, and a dream of escaping China into America and had no problem working in sweatshops and slave labor conditions of the 1990’s on Saipan. This enabled these garment companies to reap profits with a “Made in the US” premium label. Yes, garments supplied good tax revenue to the CNMI, but its success was not rooted in anything endemic to Saipan or its people doing a good job. Saipan contributed only a macroeconomic platform that was “given” to you by the U.S., and which became quickly abused by foreign businessmen. In fact many locals sucked that garment industry fast buck nipple dry, such as being paid to simply be on the salary of these companies to fulfill local requirements, and never did a damn days’ work. Ya’ got a freebie on the backs of these Chinese girls, not because the CNMI was successful and brilliant in business.

Fourth, tourism was a gift from the Japanese go-go economic era, and your God-given three-hour flight proximity to old Nippon. You didn’t have to do much at all to attract the hordes of newly minted cash rich Japanese to get a cheap sunburn and tickle at a Garapan girlie bar. Saipan was darn lucky, you were in the right place at the right time with the Japanese tourist but that’s all changed now, right!

Bottom line to all you who think a casino will save your economy, just look clearly and deeply at the reasons for the short-term success of both garments and tourism, and see how in fact these industries have actually failed the CNMI in the long run, and were not a success like what Mr. Sablan and many locals think.

Until you start electing non-locals into running your island and getting rid of half those bloodsucking American lawyers who have all set up shop there over the decades, you’ll continue to sink in a ship without a rudder. Put people like Tony Pellegrino up on Capital Hill and other haole businessmen who know the Pacific island economics from decades of experience.

Sorry, Vincent, you may be a well-meaning, nice guy who really cares about his island and people, and I salute you for taking the time to express yourself (it means you care), but you’re misguided and being fooled by your own elected relatives. It’s time for your people to accept and go beyond the shortsighted limited vision the local CNMI people have and get a new perspective from the outside. When all you have is a hammer, the whole world likes a nail. Rome is burning. And finally, stop voting for your relatives.