Investigate MDC’s eviction

Investigate MDC’s eviction

Congratulations are in order for the Secretary of Public Lands and Representatives Tina Sablan and Ed Salas. Once given the opportunity, the secretary reviewed the legislation sponsored by the Tinian delegation and adopted by both the CNMI House and the Senate that would have given the Mayor of Tinian, the Tinian Delegation, and the Tinian Municipal Council sole control over certain important parcels of public land on Tinian. As the secretary correctly stated in his proper review of the legislation, it was unconstitutional. Public lands do not belong in the hands of politicians.

It should be remembered that when the bill reached the floor of the House, no public hearing had been conducted on Tinian or Saipan. Wisely, Representatives Tinian Sablan and Ed Salas suggested that the bill should be referred to the appropriate committee, according to the officially adopted House standing rules, so that the secretary would have time to review the bill and give comment. The rest of the Legislature ignored this sound advice and passed the bill anyway, saying they “trust” the Tinian delegation to know what is right for the people of Tinian. Now they know that the Tinian legislative delegation is not worthy of the public trust they were sworn to uphold.

There is a related issue that the Legislature and the secretary should investigate immediately. On or about Sept. 5 the Tinian delegation, without public hearing, refused to accept the Micronesian Development Corp.’s request for an extension on their lease. Knowing that their lease was expiring, the MDC management had been in the process of clearing away all the scrap metal on their property and generally cleaning up, including offering the general public an opportunity to buy the remaining cattle at much reduced prices. Instead of giving MDC a short extension, allowing them to finish the cleanup, the mayor sent Tinian DPS to evict the MDC employees from their homes. Despite the fact that these residents had been contributing members of our community for so many years, they were thrown out on the street. Approximately 100 head of cattle were left unaccounted for.

Now, the roads into MDC are officially closed to all except the mayor’s office’s special employees. MDC has become the personal cow hunting grounds for the mayor’s office. Who knows what is happening to the buildings on MDC property, the employees concrete barracks and the manager’s house, and the fencing, which should now be public lands assets—the people’s assets—not possessions of the mayor’s office and his cronies.

This is a tragic end to the legacy of Ken Jones, the Tinian MDC ranch, their Tinian shareholders, and the men and women who have worked for MDC since 1965. The Bar-K ranch has provided employment to dozens of local families, and brought many new and productive people to our island. I would ask the Secretary of Public Lands to immediately visit the property, make a proper determination on the status of the MDC lease assets, and proscribe a proper mechanism for their management.