But he said casino revenue is needed to pay for the program, which was implemented when he was governor in the mid-1990s.
He estimated that the CNMI government would need $6 million to $7 million to pay for the EITC program.
Unfortunately, he said, all revenue-generating measures are being blocked, referring to his casino bill and the House proposal to increase government fees.
Right now, he added, the CNMI government is already struggling to pay its employees. “So where can we find $6 million to $7 million to pay the EITC?”
The administration’s announcement of payless Fridays, he said, shows that the CNMI government is about to run out of funds.
He said the senators seem to be unaware of this reality.
The Senate not only rejected the casino bill, he added, it also proposed an eight-hour cut instead of the 16 hours recommended by the House and the administration.
“Don’t you think that is in conflict with what’s happening on Friday? Payless Fridays show the economy is really bad,” he said.
The Senate also reduced the discretionary funds provided annually to each lawmaker from $130,000 to $86,000, which is its current level.
“If the senators want to reduce their discretionary fund to $86,000, I could reduce it to zero,” Tenorio said in jest.
