They will steal your land

Just the other day I happened to catch Dwaine “The Dog” Chapman, The Bounty Hunter, as I was surfing cable channels. Once again he was hunting down one of those of Hawaiian decent that had failed to show up in criminal court. The Dog visited various beaches, bridges, and jungle habitats where many of the homeless native Hawaiians now live since mainlanders and others had long bought up their islands, pushing the price of land far in excess of what a local could earn or pay. Most natives will never be able to buy land in their homeland. There was no Article 12 to protect the land of the Hawaiian islands.

Many say Article 12 stops business investors from buying land and setting up their businesses in the CNMI. I think that most business people do a little research and discover that the CNMI government has a history of taking private land without just compensation. In fact there is a law that stops the government from paying civil judgments if the Legislature does not specifically appropriate the funds to pay a judgment against the government. What a deal for the government. As an investor why would I risk millions of dollars to buy land in the CNMI if the government can take it if they choose or decide they need the land for something else or someone else? And by local statue they wouldn’t have to pay me if they did not want to.

Of course if outsiders could hold land fee simple in the CNMI, you can bet that someone (maybe even the governor) would somehow find ways to sell public land such as beaches, golf courses, and of course that homestead land and it would somehow end up in mainlanders or relatives’ hands. Those that live in the CNMI know that is a true statement.

Once the open season on land begins, there will be people coming to the CNMI to buy or to steal your land. That’s right, steal your land. Need money to remodel? I have money to lend at 5-percent interest (the contract’s fine print clearly states that is per week). Can’t pay, sorry but I am going to take your house and land. See you in court. Too bad you cannot afford a lawyer. After a few months, your land is my land. Once Article 12 is repealed, the crooks will come and figure out a way to take your land legally or otherwise.

Buy low and sell high, the mantra of all real estate developers and investors. Right now land is very cheap in the CNMI and those of NMD cannot afford to buy it. They have no high paying jobs and cannot afford land payments at this time. But if good paying jobs show up in the future then maybe they can purchase some small piece of their homeland, provided it not sold to outsiders by the repeal of Article 12. For those who are concerned that their great-grandchildren will not be able to inherit their land, don’t worry, most of the land will be owned by mainlanders, Japanese, Koreans, or others. Your heirs will be strangers in their own lands if Article 12 is repealed.

Kenyetta, the first president of the African nation of Kenya, once said, “When the white missionaries came to Kenya, they held Bibles in their hands and we held our lands in our hands. Then they taught us to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened our eyes, our hands held their Bibles and the missionaries’ hands held our lands.” They have taken most islanders’ land, most Native American lands, lands everywhere. They have bought and stolen lands around the world. Do not add the CNMI to the list of conquered lands. If Article 12 is repealed, they will take your land and those of Marianas decent and their children will have no real homeland.

Brad Doerr
Rio Rancho, New Mexico