One CNMI

This summer I had the fortunate opportunity to attend Stanford for a Summer Program sponsored by JSA – Be the People. Before the actual program started, I, along with other CNMI and U.S. territory students, had a generous week to prepare for the summer program in order for us to get used to the time difference and whatnot. I had just read Tuesday’s article on casinos on Saipan and I couldn’t help but think about what one of my professors of the Prep Program had taught us—the definition and true meaning of the word “representation.” He said that representation is serving the people, listening to them, gaining their trust, and fulfilling their best interests. So I still don’t know why the Legislature is still discussing this whole legalizing casino gambling on Saipan issue. The people of Saipan have voted against it—TWICE. I also had the opportunity to attend the UP Close Program Forum a few months ago and heard many students voice their opinions against this as well.

Now let me reiterate my opinion on the matter. Like I had said at the Up Close Program, we need to look at this situation as if we were teachers, responsible for the productivity and growth of three students: Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Saipan, we’ve noticed, is a lot more advanced and has great advantages but Tinian and Rota, on the other hand, are developing slowly and do not have the same advantages as Saipan. Now whom should we pay more attention, more time, more money on? The advanced student or the disadvantaged ones? I had read in the article and have been reading comments about how it’ll benefit the “CNMI” but never have I read any benefits a casino on Saipan would have for Tinian and Rota. We need to understand that Tinian and Rota are struggling much more than Saipan is, with their limited transportation and high cost of importing goods. What these disadvantaged islands are mostly banking on are Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, which brings in the tourists that the island relies on greatly, and Rota’s developing casino industry. Won’t it be that if there is a casino on Saipan, Tinian and Rota would be damaged greatly and would have to rely on Saipan? This is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—and even if Saipan houses our capital, we should work together to better our economy.