Winnie Atalig, I couldn’t have said it better, thank you

Your letter in the Saipan Tribune on July 24 was right on. Two casinos, $15 million a year from each would be a much better deal but we know now Best Sunshine was a set up from the get go. Inos and the other four that went to Macau must have promised BS they would get their exclusive license before they even got back to Saipan. The sham consultants had to be in on it.

This is the news release the Lottery Commission put out: The (lottery) commission yesterday also approved the hiring of the companies that responded to separate requests for proposals for casino resort development consultant and law enforcement review investigator. It hired California-based B2G Global Strategies to assist the commission in investigating the background of the applicant, and the Florida-based Innovation Group to review the applicant’s business and development plans and strategies. B2G is an international consulting firm specializing in a wide range of services including private investigations, background screening, security consulting, policy guidance and strategic solutions for the business sector and government entities in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. The Innovation Group is the premier provider of consulting and management services for the gaming, hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries. Igisomar said they approached the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which informed them which organizations could do the specific tasks. “We did our due diligence on this. First, we had our DPS commissioner and the counsel work with the FBI and get their references and learn the best way to go about this,” he said. The companies, he said, “are legitimate in the sense that they can accomplish what we are looking for. We picked the right individuals.”

This looks like the commission circumvented the usual RFP route in favor of some locally recommended company, apparently a drinking buddy of some of them and a coworker of Gomez. Nowhere can I find the original announcement, a list of responders, minutes to choose the best candidate, an actual copy of the two contracts or the two final reports. I’m still looking and I will get it. Both Gomez from B2G and Soll from Innovation told me they used the facts and figures supplied by the two casino companies and did not actually check some very important items they should have, like the bank guarantees’ authenticity. When Gomez said that BS scored higher than Tinian Dynasty in ‘”experience in operating a casino” I just knew the fix was in. You are right also in that we have never seen a picture of what they promised to build. That is very unusual in this industry. The Fat Lady has not sung yet, folks. Keep it up Winnie.

Retirees, how about this?

Last Thursday I was riding through Kilili Park in Susupe and saw about 20 young people having a fundraiser so I stopped to see what it was about. They were from Kagman High School and were raising money for a 17-year-old classmate that needs heart surgery. Since you retirees are so greedy and demand 100 percent of the casino money and refuse to budge, how about you all, all 3,800 of you, donate $5 a month to a fund that the governor can use for medical referrals. The government could take it out before they send your retirement checks out. That wouldn’t hurt you at all, and it would raise $19,000 a month for this much needed service. You won’t miss $5, and you will all be heroes of the CNMI. The governor could have certificates printed up to give you and you can feel good and tell each other what good people you are for helping people like this unfortunate young girl. My hats off to you young people of the CNMI, like these from Kagman High School.

Seems MVA just cant catch a break anymore

Between letters to the editor and front page news items, MVA would seem to be lacking leadership. Seem? MVA is lacking leadership just as almost every other department and agency, both public and autonomous. Leadership is not sitting behind a big desk with a giant “I’m the manager, supervisor, department head or boss” sign sitting on it for all to see, and apparently bow down to.

Being in charge not only means you know everything that your area of responsibility is accountable for, but that you are responsible for thinking of new processes, new ideas, new applications, new methods and implementing them to make your operation better and more efficient. It actually requires you to get your hands dirty once in a while to show people the way you want things done, the way you want them to be done. You actually have to get out of your chair and go outside once in a while. If you are the manager of MVA, you really have to visit every nook and cranny of the CNMI, every single place a tourist might conceivably visit and determine how to make it more tourist friendly, get the people to do it and re-visit it to make sure it is the way you want it.

I’m only singling out MVA because it is the most important position in the CNMI, even more important than the governor or the Legislature because that’s where the money is. Of course, if any director hasn’t the training and experience then he probably hasn’t a clue as to what a real manager does, so it is moot, and we will continue to see MVA spotlighted on the front of the news.

Gary DuBrall
Chalan Piao, Saipan