Fitial wins speakership, outlines economic agenda

Newly elected House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial laid down four major policies he likened to the four pillars of the traditional taga stone during his speech yesterday at the inaugural session of the 12th Legislature.

Under the new coalition he formed with Republicans, Democrats and Independents at the House of Representatives, he vowed to pursue better economic opportunities for the CNMI people, educational investments, environmental protection and preservation of island way of life.

He also pledged to work with “friends” in Washington sympathetic to the conditions in the Commonwealth to ensure that the island government keeps control of local immigration, minimum wage and custom standards.

“Our new leadership team is dedicated — there will be no federal takeover of our islands,” the new Speaker said at the jampacked session, attended by families, relatives, friends and supporters of the 18-member chamber.

“We all know that this will brave a fight, but it is a battle worth waging. The prize is nothing less than the strong self-government and local self-determination we bargained hard for in pre-Covenant days and will not surrender to bureaucrats in Washington,” said Mr. Fitial.

He also called on his colleagues to support policies he described as the four “e’s” to refer to economy, education, environment, and essentials, which he said will mark his leadership at the lower house for the next two years.

“[W]hen you combine this vision with the relationships we have with our friends in Washington D.C., there is nothing we cannot accomplish,” he explained.

“I ask you to embrace this vision. I ask you to stand together with our friends in Washington. I ask you to dream about why these things are possible instead of dreaming up reasons why they are not,” added the Speaker.

As strong as taga stones

These policies “must be as strong and enduring as taga stones,” said Mr. Fitial. “Together they will support the future we all want for our children and ourselves.”

Citing the continuous economic difficulties confronting the island and the federal takeover threat by Washington, he stressed the CNMI must focus its energies in trying to change the current conditions through these policies.

“Our critics are good at telling us what they don’t like, but when it comes to digging out of the hole they want to put us in, we’re on our own. We must fashion our own future,” added Mr. Fitial. “We have done it before and we can do it again.”

These policies include:

On economy – The new leadership will seek ways to expand tourism and garment industries and diversify the local economic base. Eco-tourism, retirement villages for foreigners will be promoted as well as exploration of fisheries and aqua culture.

Tied with the investments climate, CNMI control over its immigration and minimum wage will be retained, while providing tax incentives to attract new investors here.

On education – It will invest on state-of-the-art educational system such as modern telecommunications and Internet technology to train local workers. It will also transform the Northern Marianas College into a center of educational excellence in the region.

On environment – It will adopt efforts to reduce pollution on the island and protect its limited resources. It will push for clean up of Puerto Rico dump and other areas contaminated with highly-toxic materials.

On essentials – It will promote island ways of life and culture by strengthening the community through tougher criminal justice. It will also eradicate drugs and eliminate outside criminal influence, while at the same time maintain quality of life through improvements of basic infrastructure requirements, such as road, water and power.