‘Alternative Zero’ hopes to share fourth option not included in EIS
Sometimes, the best option is no option. This is what “Alternative Zero,” a local group concerned about proposed live-fire training in Tinian and Pagan, hopes to get across.
In an interview, one of the group’s leaders Pete Perez, and member of the now reactivated Paganwatch, said, “Alternative Zero is designed to bring the truth out.”
The U.S. military has been working on the draft environmental impact statement for the live-fire training for years. The impact statement details three “alternatives” for the proposed training. Three public hearings are set next week.
Perez said the conversation now should not be about mitigation, but should be about “what do we want to do with our land?”
“The question is do we want to change our society? Alternative Zero tells our story. What the people want our community to be,” he said.
“We don’t even have to talk about the [impact statement]. We should be able to say thanks…but no thank you,” he said.
Perez said the group will set up tents outside the public hearings an hour before and hour after the hearings.
His message to the public is to “show up” at the hearings.
“Just show up. Come into the tents. Enjoy the company. See what the military has to say,” he said.
“This is our home. We just need to talk to each other and make sure we shout out with one strong voice, ‘No.’”
He said the only way the military will win is if the public remains quiet.
Those interested in making financial contributions to the group can head to Rosal Zest, a print company, on Monsignor Guerrero Road near Atkins Kroll, or buy 50 bumper stickers and distribute them.
Is it really “our land” if we’ve leased it to the military? Yes, Uncle Sam, we will take those shiny blue US Passports, and please keep the food stamps and Medicaid coming, but the land we leased to you in exchange for these things…you can’t use that as you see fit, even though that’s what was agreed upon and some of us have been trying to get you to come build up a base here for decades because we thought it would help our economy… Alternative Zero, your bumper sticker slogan should be “Not in My Back Yard!”
During the Covenant negotiations, the Department of Defense said they needed 2/3 of Tinian to build a military base, and Noos (FDM) for training. That is the issue – Tinian was leased to them to build a base – not a live-fire bombing range.
The promised base was never built. No jobs, no business opportunites, no military community that would contribute to the local economy. Just some minor lease-back of limited value. Over 15,000 acres of flat, useful land that could have been used for so many positive and productive uses has been wasted for 40 years.
Using this prime CNMI land for bombing practice is obviously not okay. It is the same as renting a car and using it in a demolition derby.
The military has every right to use Tinian, but not to destroy it and our tourist industry in the process.
By the way, there are far, far more mainland Americans on food stamps and than there are here, and that has nothing to do with the issue anyway.
Buenas Chamole,
Like we told one of the elected official, the military or the feds has the ultimate power when it comes to national security. According to one of our founding fathers (Pinchang), he stated there was no turning back and the United States have every power to annex any property in the CNMI. Our founding fathers gave away Tinian for military purposes and military purpose meant destruction and what is the beef with military purpose this day & age.
As for the food stamp, it is part of the perks of being afforded the blue passport from the bombing and potential bombing of the CNMI via the military. We are afforded economic aid each year base on the Covenant and the United States of America can bomb the CNMI based on that sacred document.