‘Cinta’s back!’

I sat back and carefully read Cinta Kaipat’s letter to the editor relative to H.B. 204. It was through a personal conversation with Cinta that I became privy to the presence of pozzolan deposits on the pristine island of Pagan. Given the circumstances and the facts, it is paramount that our leaders immediately pass H.B. 204, “The Pozzolan Extraction Act of 2004.”

A recent study concluded that the pozzolan on Pagan has immense value in that its quality can only be found in two other parts of the world, Greece and Italy. In a prior conversation with Cinta, I was amazed at her will to educate the people of an issue so critical yet so silent. After realizing that for the first time the NMI is faced with an opportunity to offer the world a product of great value and rarity, I was quite disappointed that the government agencies involved have failed to educate the general public. As indigenous people, we deserve to know!

One company is aggressively pushing for an exclusive 20-year mining permit in which the government will be given 7 percent of the revenues generated. We must not allow corporate tactics to swallow us into a deal that smells too fishy. Friends, look at the figures! Here we are with billions of dollars in our ground and we’re going to settle for 7 percent? It just doesn’t sound right. We must exhaust all avenues in order to achieve what is most beneficial to the native people of the Marianas. If indeed there is fortune in Pagan’s pozzolan, then we deserve a more equitable piece of the pie! Imagine the possibilities: reduce or eliminate the budget deficit; replenish the retirement trust fund; restore the tax rebate trust account; and even pay the debts for government utilities.

It is imperative that H.B. 204 be acted upon by the Senate and the Governor to ensure proper protection and responsible investment of an asset that the CNMI has to offer. I am not a resident of Pagan but I am a resident of Saipan who shares a deep concern for the welfare of the people of the Northern Marianas as a whole. Cinta’s right! The displaced residents of Pagan are still proud of their island and long to return home where the melodies of the birds fill the air and the sound of the waves bring solitude and serenity. The people of Pagan deserve to be involved in negotiations that will affect their island home.

To the senators of the 14th Legislature, as you deliberate on H.B. 204, I humbly ask you to put all differences aside and cast a vote that is in the best interest of the people. Vote yes on H.B. 204. The late President Ronald W. Reagan once said, “I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life.”

Angel Demapan
Dandan, Saipan