Dear people of the CNMI

My name is Pius Helgen, a retiree since 2009. I worked 31 years for the Commonwealth Ports Authority and have retired as CPA’s Ports Security chief. Nobody can say that I did not earn my keep as I worked hard day and night for CPA and have earned my retirement.

Many of us have heard loud opposition and writers addressing issues against casino and electronic games. Most, if not all, have offered nothing to replace what has been incorporated into the laws that created the casino and electronic gaming—specifically the funding mechanism that would supplement, return the 25-percent benefit cut, and most importantly sustain what the general fund have failed to do for the Northern Marianas retirement and retirees. Some writers offer ideas that are unrealistic and unsustainable.

There are known anti-casino groups and individuals out there campaigning and rallying by circulating faulty and questionable petitions against casino and electronic gaming. Billboards have littered our streets but have offered no solutions for our mess. I am not sure and frankly am appalled as to why and for what reasons Rota Resort & Country Club and Rota Water, and owner of these companies, Mr. Su Hu Cho, and managers Mr. Ed Cho and Mr. Sun, Ambrose Bennett, and Leila Staffler are all trying so hard to outlaw casino and electronic gaming. These laws were enacted by law, by a wide majority of our legislative body that is empowered by the CNMI Constitution. These laws were signed by our governor, who is also empowered by the CNMI Constitution. Do foreign-owned interests have the power to usurp our CNMI Constitution?

The Election Commission and Attorney General’s Office should monitor where all these groups and individuals are getting their funding support to underwrite the cost of their activities. I recognize that freedom of speech is a basic freedom and right of democracy, but my mention of this questionable petition is based on our smart AG’s office who, in last week’s news reports, wrote to the proponent of the public initiative group circulating their petition advising that their petition is faulty. Is it really the role of the AG to be advising or to be reviewing such petitions? We can probably say one thing about the AG and that he is part of the casino opposition. It certainly makes the governor appear to be unable to make up his mind or the case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. He holds out the promise to the retirees of a secure future but his attorney general is advising the anti-electronic gaming and anti-casino folks on how to write an acceptable petition?

I am just a simple man fighting for my constitutional rights to my promised retirement and for my family to live humbly and peacefully. I have not done any harm to any of these people or spoken evil about them.

I ask Rota Resort & Country Club and Rota Water, and owner of these companies, Mr. Su Ho Cho, and managers Mr. Ed Cho and Mr. Sun, Ambrose Bennett, and Leila Staffler or anyone else for that matter, to return the 25-percent cut to my retirement pay and offer sustainable solutions that will benefit the Commonwealth people. Let’s stop lying and misleading the people.

Pius Helgen
As Lito, Saipan