Palacios cries double standard in hiring of nonresident workers

U.S. officials and lawmakers opposed to local control of CNMI’s labor and immigration standards should refrain from pushing federal takeover of the island in view of efforts in the mainland to increase number of guest workers there.

This was the gist of the privilege speech read by Rep. Norman S. Palacios during a session of the House of Representatives yesterday in which he slammed what he called “shallow” protectionist policies towards the Commonwealth.

Citing statements made by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, the lawmaker said he is “puzzled” by the CNMI’s detractors who have harped against the island’s hiring of guest workers to run the local economy.

He noted recent moves in Congress support Mr. Greenspan’s contention that the U.S. need to import workers to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating, while ensuring continued expansion.

“The principle issue remains the same — the need for guest workers by both U.S. mainland industries and the CNMI,” Mr. Palacios told his colleagues. “I say that we should urge our detractors to veer from their shallow protectionist position.”

The Tinian representative, who chairs the House Federal and Foreign Relations Committee, also cited recent reports to underscore the growing demand for guest workers in the mainland, particularly for those in the hi-tech industry.

Based on Mr. Greenspan’s assessment, the U.S. must resist protectionist movement on trade and immigration so as not to undercut the economic prosperity now being experienced by most Americans.

As the nation “creates an even more complex, sophisticated, accelerating economy, the necessity to have the ability to bring in resources and people from abroad to keep it functioning in most effective manner increasingly strikes me as relevant policy,” Mr. Palacios quoted Mr. Greenspan as saying.

“The NMI has shifted from the regressive coconut economy to apparel manufacturing and tourism,” he explained. “I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Greenspan… that the ‘benefits of bringing people to do work here, rather than doing the work elsewhere… should be pretty self-evident’.”

Added Mr. Palacios: “The economy can keep growing only if American businesses have the workers they need to keep expanding.”