Magofna’s back-to-back trips defended

Corina L. Magofna

Citing the need for the CNMI to network with major casino/gaming industry players, Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) defended yesterday Senate floor leader Corina L. Magofna’s off-island trip to attend an Indian gaming convention in San Diego, California.

In response to Saipan Tribune’s request for comment, DeLeon Guerrero said the CNMI must network with major gaming/casino industry players if it wants to understand the industry better. She underscored the importance of getting ideas if the CNMI wants to pursue further on how to turn this casino industry issue into a viable and sustainable one, such as creating a hotel with a gaming amenity concept.

After attending the ASEAN Gaming Summit in Manila last March 21-23 with six other lawmakers, Magofna (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the Senate Gaming Committee, then attended the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention at the San Diego Convention Center, in San Diego, California, last March 27-30.

As of yesterday, Magofna has yet to comment about her San Diego and Manila trips. It’s not clear yet whether she is still off-island.

Magofna notified DeLeon Guerrero last March 19 that she will be out of the CNMI on official business trips from March 19 to 29. She said she will be back on April 6.

DeLeon Guerrero said the San Diego conference has a different focus that could provide the CNMI a different operational concept similar to such as those managed to benefit the American Indians.

The Senate president said potential casino industry investor consultants in the United States have been looking at the CNMI.

“This is the opportunity for the CNMI to network, to gain insights from these experts with clients looking to diversify their investment portfolios, that could help guide the CNMI into exploring a different gaming industry approach,” she said.

DeLeon Guerrero said the CNMI has to diversify and market the destination with industry amenities, while at the same time conduct due diligence.

“And, yes, legislative actions may be unpopular but we must do so to help revive our economy or sit back and hope for something miraculous, but as we all know it does not work that way in building one’s state economy,” she said.

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios is cutting the work schedule of some Executive Branch employees to just 72 hours starting April 24, 2023, and through the end of fiscal year 2023.

In his directive issued last March 16, Palacios said affected employees are those under the Executive Branch whose personnel costs are funded in whole or in part by federal American Rescue Plan Act funds or local revenues.

Citing that the fiscal challenges the CNMI faces impact the whole government and the whole community, Palacios urged the Legislature and Judiciary, as well as the autonomous agencies of the government, to similarly implement cost-containment measures, particularly with respect to operations or personnel that were funded in whole or in part by the ARPA in fiscal year 2023.