We’re pretty darn broke

With the loss of the garment industry and the flat tourism market of around 400,000 tourists a year bringing in less than we need, our islands need some new income. Not the same old money that is already here being recycled but some fresh new money.

In the absence of any better ideas that can start to produce cash within a few months the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation has a bill to allow restricted and controlled casino gaming right here on Saipan. We need cash for our “cash strapped” government and for our “cash strapped” businesses and hey, even for your “cash strapped” personal needs too. Most of the money that gets into your wallet is “made” by some local business. That money circulates through the economy and taxes are paid on it and wages are paid out of it and local supplies and services are purchased out of it. Sooner or later the cash comes around to you.

Saipan is where the big airport is, where the big seaport is, and where there are already eight or 10 big resort hotels that can provide a place for casino gaming that can be enjoyed by our tourists. Saipan has the infrastructure, golf courses, roads, power, and labor base to support this new industry. Saipan is the obvious choice of location for this kind of business but entrenched self-interest groups and a few special-interest politicians have kept this vibrant and cash rich industry from opening here.

Public hearings have already begun about this new source of money and income for our islands. The always vocal few will attend and voice their sad, naysaying reasons “why-we-can’t-do-it”—but we can do it and it can be a whole new form of income producing business for us. This can help get our sagging economy back on the right track again. You should attend and speak out if you can.

Yes, there are other ways to make money and get our islands back on a strong financial footing. So let’s get those started right away too. Agriculture is often mentioned. This can bring in additional money if we export the products or can feed us here locally at less cost than imports. Can farming bring in as much money as casinos? Yes, if you turn most of the islands land into farms like they were in the ’20, ’30s and ’40s. Who would complain about using all flatland for agriculture? Why, the same cyber rats and general complainers who don’t want us to benefit from casinos. Even so, let’s begin to do all we can to foster income producing farming and aquaculture ventures.

Likewise educational tourism and geotourism and eco-tourism have all been mentioned and efforts to get all those profit cents going should commence right away too. Yes, even the maligned peanut butter and shoe factories should be looked at. Anything that will give us a new “job” should be examined and started if feasible. Yep, countries and states need jobs just like families do. No job equals broke and can’t afford to buy or pay paychecks. No job equals no money for expenses and no future to look forward to.

Our islands are broke and it is up to us, and only us, to get the economy going again. A positive attitude, some attainable goals, and a plan to get us there will win. Sitting and griping and cyber ratting all day will just get you more broke than you are today. Maybe that is what the cyber rats and naysayers really want. Maybe they want us to be broke so they can say “I told you so” or “I told you, you couldn’t do it on your own” or “I told you that you needed us in order to live.” Not so. We can do it and we should do it and we should start by attending the public hearings and speaking out about how our islands need a new industry and new income like we need the breath of life.

We can start right away and be earning income from our new “job,” the casino gaming industry, within just a few months. We just need to get off our collective butts and do it.

As someone once said, “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.”