Making a difference for the betterment of the CNMI

[B]By CHONG MAN WON[/B]
[I]Special to the Saipan Tribune[/I]

To the people of the CNMI:

I personally would like to thank each and every person who has supported me and will vote for me come this Nov. 4. Please understand that even though I might not have visited you or personally asked for your vote, you do matter and I do need each and everyone’s support. Even if I see you in public and I don’t ask for your vote doesn’t mean I don’t need your vote because I do. I am sorry if I didn’t attend everyone’s funeral because I feel that a funeral is not a place for politics but a place to have respect for the family. People know who is there for politics or for real intentions and I do not want to pretend because you know. If my wife or I attended, it was because it was family or friends and not for politics. I am sorry if I don’t help with every request for donations or assistance but if that’s what it takes to get your vote then I personally don’t want it. I would rather you vote for me because you have faith in me and believe that I am for the people and will try my best to help the people and not only the few. To my wife’s close relatives, I hope that you understand that we didn’t call or asked for help with our functions and events because we didn’t want to burden you all. We understand that times are hard for everyone. However, with only days left before the election, I am asking the most important help possible and that is to vote for me by marking number 2 on the ballot. Finally, I hope that everyone will remember whether I win or lose, I am the same person I was before this all started and will be the same person when it’s all over. My wife didn’t change. My family didn’t change. They are and will be the same helping and respectable people. When we began this campaign, we didn’t set out to make empty promises just to get votes but to ask the people to take a look and have faith that I will do the right things and help the people the best way that I can.

Just to clear up some points. I understand the importance of legislations but I don’t hear any candidates saying, “I will pass legislation in the next two years.” They are only saying “I will introduce” because they also must realize that almost 10,000 legislations are introduced by both houses during each sessions of Congress but on an average less than 500 become law. Legislations are important but if we expect relief within the next two years due to any legislations introduced by our delegate, don’t hold your breath. Legislations to help the CNMI and move us closer to economic self-sufficiency will take time and even the right circumstances for it to pass so we need to be aware of that. Go online and research for yourself at http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110query.html. Take a look at the other insular areas’ representatives such as Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa), Donna Christensen (Virgin Islands), Madeleine Bordallo (Guam) and Luis Fortuno (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and see what they have introduced and where the legislations are. Look at the previous sessions, not only the 110th Congress. Don’t get me wrong, legislations are important but realistically, it will take time and most often more than two years. We need help now, not four to six years from now. Our people need to be able to breathe so we can move forward.

Renewable energy is important for us to look into. With the U.S. Congress shifting more and more toward renewable energy to become less dependent on foreign oil, we could benefit but we have to begin planning and actively pursue it. As I have stated before, renewable energy could be an industry that could help contribute to the CNMI not only economically but also educationally. Wind energy has contributed to the economy by fees paid to landowners, creation of new businesses and new jobs. There are federal programs and funding available for renewable energy. Columbia Energy Partners, LLC is a for-profit limited liability corporation established in December 2003 for the purpose of developing wind power electrical generation projects in the Northwest. They received a $500,000 Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grant to assist in the construction of a 4.5-megawatt wind power electrical generation facility (Mar-Lu Wind Farm). A gentleman from Idaho received $10,000 in funding to help purchase and install a 20 kW wind turbine for his 1,900-acre farm. The power produced was sold back to Idaho Power through “net metering” arrangement. The U.S. Department of Agriculture helped a family in Rushmore, Minnesota get a five-turbine wind farm with nearly $1 million in grants from the Renewable Energy and Energy Improvement Program. Each member of the family owns a turbine along with an equity investor. The family leased the land from their cousin. As a result of the Energy Independence Act, competitive grants have been established for research and development for renewable energy technologies proposed by institutions of high education, “award competitive National Energy Training Partnerships Grants to enable certain entities to implement training that leads to economic self-sufficiency (Pathways Out of Poverty Demonstration Program) and develop an energy efficiency and renewable energy industries” and amended “the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to make an Express Loan for purchasing a renewable energy system or carrying out an energy efficiency project for a small business concern and to establish a pilot program reducing fees for specified energy efficiency loans,” just to name a few. As a result of the 2008 Farm Bill, $1 billion is provided to fund programs in the energy title, creates the Rural Energy for America Program, provides $120 million for critical water and wastewater projects in rural areas, renews critical rural infrastructure programs such as water and waste disposal grants, provides competitive grants to improve and expand farmer’s markets and provides $377 million over a 10- year period for pest and disease detection and control.

Please correct me if I am wrong but isn’t the NMI already a HUBZone which means Historically Underutilized Business Zone. I believe that Rep. Madeleine Bordallo introduced legislation in the 109th Congress, which was later modified and became Public Law 109-59. Title X subtitle B section 10203 of PL 109-59 amends the Small Business Act of 1958 by adding “…any territory or possession of the United States outside the 48 contiguous States.” Check out the Small Business Administration website http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/hzqry.asp?state=MP which states, “Northern Mariana Islands is a U.S. territory/possession that is wholly qualified as a HUBZone.”

The economy has been an issue since I’ve been on the island in 1997. At that time, it was the Asian/ International Monetary Fund problem. Then it was 911, SARS, the pullout of JAL and the garment industry. Now, it’s the worldwide housing and credit crisis. No matter what, there will always be some type of economic issue. However, if we think back to even a few years ago, we were facing economic problems but people and businesses were still able to maintain. It wasn’t until the increase in CUC rates that people and businesses really began hurting. It was then when people and businesses began relocating and closing. It was CUC that has led us to this point. Let’s face it, take out the CUC factor and see if we would be in this dire condition even with all the other outside factors. I believe that without the CUC crisis, our people and businesses would be able to sustain to some degree until there is an upswing in the economy. That is why it is important for us to resolve the CUC matter first. The entire community is gasping to breathe because of CUC’s chokehold. We must break free from the grip and be allowed to breath before our entire community collapses.

Lastly, some say, “he lacks experience” but I say experience doesn’t guarantee success. Look at where experience has led us. Lack of experience can be a good thing because it makes us ask “Why” and “How” instead of “It won’t work” and ‘I know better.” It can motivate us and motivation leads to hard work and hard work leads to success. Some say, “he’s an outsider” but I say my wife (Dora Ulloa Palacios-Won) is local; my kids are local so how can I be an outsider? Please don’t judge me for what I am but who I am, a husband, a father, your friend, your neighbor who is willing to make a difference for the betterment of the CNMI. Come this Nov. 4, I humbly ask for your vote of confidence. Have faith, vote Chong M. Won #2. Thank you.