APPENDIX
APPENDIX
IV
IV
Chapter 3
Page 14
This administration, indeed, supports the concept of self-determination and
encourages the territories to determine for themselves what is best for them
in their relationship with the United States.
It should be noted that all
territories have expressed at various times their desire for closer ties with
the United States.
Rs
3-
In the first full paragraph, the year "1976" should be changed to "1978",
because it was not until the later year that the government of the Northern
Marianas Commonwealth came into being, even though the Covenant received U.S.
approval in 1976,
Page 15
*
In Table 1, we offer three suggestions:
~- The final date in the Table (1977, pertaining to “Granted constitution”
for the Northern Marianas) should be 1978, because it was in that year
that the Constitution became effective;
-~- In Footnote a, instead of “now a constitutional government” (which
either full or substantial legislative authority."
Page 16
In the second paragraph, first sentence, it would be desirable to change
“guaranteed only" to “limited”.
As written, the implication is that citizen
residents of the territories, while not “guaranteed” the right to vote in
national elections, could still be granted that right.
They cannot, without a
Constitutional amendment, and the suggested change would make that clear.
Page 18
In the first incomplete paragraph, second to the last line, the use of “tax
exemption" is not inaccurate, but more meaning would be conveyed if there were
substituted for it the words “exemption from the Federal income tax laws".
That is the tax about which controversy has swirled, and for which a graduated
reduction was proposed by the former Governor.
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-- Add a further footnote, keyed to the Table's use of “Elected first local
legislature".
In fact all five areas had local legislatures, generally
elected, prior to the dates shown, but some had advisory authority only
(as in Guam), and others were subject to various but serious constraints
upon their authority.
To overcome this problem, the footnote might
read:
“The date given relates to the first elected legislature with
.f
Bie iesinWetter
suggests that prior to 1952 Puerto Rico's government was
unconstitutional), insert in lieu of that phrase the words “governed
under a constitution locally drafted and approved"; and