Democrats’ vision of good governance
My dear people of the Commonwealth:
I write this letter of my own accord to share some insight with our Democratic Party, now that Tina Sablan and Leila Staffler are no longer on the ballot. I have been a Democrat virtually all my life and have the privilege of being the first female senator to serve in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate. To this date, I am still very thankful to all of you for your vote of confidence in my ability to serve you.
The Democratic Party stands for progress and equality for all. As a Democrat, we believe in good governance. This involves planning, execution and commitment. Under the leadership of our current Gov. Ralph Torres, we have seen many plans being executed all around our islands that are consistent with the core values of the Democratic Party. These include the following:
$1.20M in direct distribution and payments to CNMI residents to support economic activity;
Direct distribution of food, butane gas, sleeping cots, CUC vouchers, rice, and the like. These direct contributions bypass many other costs and expenses and provide immediate and direct help to residents and families;
$30M to Northern Marianas College and Public School System to stabilize our education system and $4.9M in scholarships;
$4.2M for water infrastructure projects throughout the CNMI, and $47.8M for wastewater upgrades, rehabilitation water supply and gains toward 24- hour drinking water on Saipan, crucial to our health and our environment;
Implementation of public transportation, such as the COTA , which serves many underprivileged members of our community.
To continue these improvements and progress, please vote for Republican Gov. Ralph Torres and Vinnie Sablan on Nov. 25, 2022, No. 2 on the ballot. They are our best option for the Marianas.
Maria Frica T. Pangelinan
Garapan, Saipan