CNMI: still under attack

The Federal takeover threat is not dead, nor has it subsided even for a moment. The Federal menace is still alive and well, lying in wait, ready to pounce upon us yet again, as early as February 15 of next year, to be precise.

When the U.S. Senate adjourned for the year, an American Senator we did not elect rose to make a statement. In his statement, the Senator publicly committed himself, “on record”, “to proceed to S. 1051, the Northern Marianas bill, by February 15.”

“We would have liked to have been able to go ahead and get a complete unanimous consent about the total arrangements for it being handled,” said the Senator, “but Senators who did have questions are now probably on airplanes headed halfway across the country.”

What about the unanimous consent of the people being affected by this bill, Mr. Senator? The people of the Northern Marianas? Shouldn’t they have a say in the matter too? Or should their wishes be callously disregarded because they are located half-way around the world?

“We will work together,” proclaimed the Senator. “I will make a commitment to bring this up by the 15th.

Why not just drop it? Why not just let it go already? The people of the CNMI have been under Federal siege since 1992. We are going on eight years already. We are sick and tired of this constant Federal takeover threat looming over our heads. When will the people of the Northern Marianas finally be free of unwarranted Federal harassment? When will Federal officials finally work with the people of the CNMI instead of against them?

“Does Senator Daschle want to make any comment on that?” asks the U.S. Senator. “Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I appreciate the commitment made by the majority leader. I know Senator Akaka is disappointed that it is not in this package of bills. He has worked, along with senator Murkowski who, I think, may be a co-sponsor of this legislation, to pass it tonight. That is impossible. But I think Senator Akaka is certainly willing to accept the commitment made by the majority leader that by the 15th we will take up this legislation and hopefully resolve it successfully in the not-too-distant future.

“This is an important bill, the Marianas. It is an important bill for Senator Akaka, and I am appreciative of the commitment that is now part of the record that we will come back to this bill in a matter of months.”

Mr. Dashle, Mr. Akaka and the other Senators should have no say in this matter. This is not American democracy in action. This is colonial tyranny. This is taxation and regulation without representation. This is Senator Akaka towing his labor union special interest party line. This is Senator Akaka trying to kill the CNMI as a tourist destination and competitive rival to his home state of Hawaii–by cutting off the CNMI’s nonresident labor supply.

Brace up. The merciless attack will soon come again.