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Stop Marpi homestead project ASAP!
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Posted on Apr 07 2009
Dear concerned citizens of the CNMI: I drove up to Marpi this morning to see the homestead project firsthand. I had heard about it from friends and from reading about it, but I had to see it with my own eyes.
It took the wind out of me. I was shocked. Confused. Angry. But mostly saddened. How could this project have gotten this far without proper input from our community? Where were the public hearings on this?
As much as homesteads are a good thing for our people, why must it be a few hundred yards away from Suicide Cliff? Why must it be in the heart of Marpi?
We need to stop making this an issue about the haves versus the have-nots. Whether a homestead recipient builds a nice mansion or a modest home or a small tin house, why are we sacrificing the unspoiled beauty and sanctity of Marpi with any type of development?
What do our tour agents have to say about this? Why isn’t MVA saying anything about this? What is stopping us from doing something about this?
Let us not forget how precious and scarce our land is here in Saipan. We have only one area on our small island that is virtually untouched and unscathed, and that is Marpi, and we need to do everything we can to keep it that way. Any type of development in Marpi, whether it is a homestead or a hotel or a first-class condominium complex, should not be condoned. At the very least, a series of public hearings is necessary to get the proper feedback from our people.
We need to put our differences aside and come together to put a halt to this project immediately. The homestead project has moved at lightning speed, something that is a rarity when it comes to our government’s way of doing business…all the more reason for us to keep our guard up and leave no stone unturned when looking into this project.
If you would like to assist in organizing against the destruction of Marpi, please e-mail me at edpropst@gmail.com. You can also call me at 483-7361. The fate of Marpi is in our hands. Let’s work together to save it!
[B]Ed Propst[/B] [I]via e-mail[/I]
