Taotao Tano members still have questions about federalization

By Emmanuel T. EredianoVariety News Staff (101507 mv)

DESPITE last week’s meeting with U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary David Cohen, most of the Taotao Tano CNMI Association members are still uncertain about how the proposed federalization of the local immigration will affect the lives of local people.Cohen, according to Taotao Tano president, Greg Cruz “was very good in answering all the questions” raised by those who attended the consultation at American Memorial Park on Thursday.But he said there are still a lot of unanswered questions.One individual asked about the CNMI’s exclusive economic zone, Cruz said, and all Cohen “could say about it was that, the matter was still in the court.” But Cruz said he “admired and respected” Cohen for accepting their invitation.He said they asked for a meeting with Cohen because “we wanted to hear clearly and directly from him what exactly was going to happen to us after federalization.”Cruz said he told Cohen that the federal government “looks as if it is discriminating against the CNMI indigenous population.” The indigenous people did not have the chance to speak up during the April public hearings on federalization conducted by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs.“When word about this federalization spread, we noticed that only two things were being talked about: The plight of nonresident workers and homeland security. How about the plight of the indigenous people?” Cruz said.He said Taotao Tano cares about the future of the indigenous people “yet most of them do not really know what’s happening.” Cohen told Taotao Tano members that the federalization bill also protects the rights of local workers.