Lawmakers and other public sector employees performing “nonessential” services did not get their paychecks.
Rep. Raymond D. Palacios, Covenant-Saipan, said some lawmakers were disappointed, too, because they thought that everyone would get paid on time with the passage of House Bill 17-15, now Public Law 17-6, after Inos signed it on Thursday.
“Some of us we’re a little bit disappointed. But hopefully by Tuesday, we’ll all get paid,” he told the Variety.
Those with the Departments of Public Safety, Corrections and Public Health, the Public School System as well as federally funded posts were among those who got paid on time last Friday.
Others who did not get paid questioned the administration’s policy.
“I thought the reason why they rushed that bill to be passed is so that we could get paid on time. So what’s the hold-up?” one of them asked.
Palacios, who represents one of the poorest areas on Saipan, Precinct 2, said many government employees could barely make ends meet and the timely release of their salaries matters a lot.
A government employee who asked not to be named said they could have all been paid on time since the checks were not going to be cleared immediately — there was still time for the government to fund the checks this week.
Stores typically accept government checks as payment if a purchase of at least 10 percent of the amount is consumed.
Some government workers said they needed to buy food.
Another said the Fitial administration was purposely creating a “politics of fear.”
“I think they are doing this to force the Legislature to pass the Saipan casino legalization and the austerity bill and maybe the marijuana legalization bill too,” he said.
