Inos and his legal counsel Theresa Kim Tenorio met with Manglona, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Sens. Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan, and Frank Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, at around 2 p.m. in the Senate president’s conference room.
Manglona, Ind.-Rota, said Inos did not bring up any particular issue.
The lt. governor told senators that the administration wanted to start the new year with a “work-together” spirit among the two branches of the government.
During the meeting with the senators, Inos asked the Tinian lawmakers to give him the list of people they wanted to nominate to government boards and commissions.
Aside from revenue-generating proposals, Inos and the senators also discussed critical issues involving the Retirement Fund and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
“Our meeting with the lt. governor was a good way to close the year,” Manglona said adding that the Senate also looks forward to work with the administration.
He added, “We must work with the adminsitration so we can make sure that 2011 will not be worse than this year.”
Manglona said the fact the Inos “walked over here and extended his message of cooperation — I think that means a lot. I think we’re going to work with the administration and the House.”
The people, he said, “have so many problems trying to make both ends meet. They are suffering as the 16-hour cut takes its toll. And that is why the people should expect their leaders to work together. That is what the Senate is going to do and we hope to do the same with the House of Representatives.”
The Senate, he added is going to work on many key pieces of legislation next year.
Cruz said he was very happy meeting with Inos.
He said he has always been trying to cooperate with the administration “from the very beginning.”
In these trying times, he added, the Legislature and the administration cannot afford to work against each other.
“It just makes it more difficult when we have differences. We can’t find solutions to the problems. Let us forget our differences and move on,” said Cruz, who earlier clashed with the administration over the issue of government board nominations.
