“The process is again up and running, paperwork and payments are being processed,” stated the governor when interviewed yesterday by Variety after his tour of CHC with CEO Juan N. Babauta.
Fitial also commented forcefully on the issue of his understanding of the federal Medicaid cap for the commonwealth.
“Why are we the only ones with a cap? Guam doesn’t have one…only us…does the federal government have a problem with brown people?”
As Medicaid currently stands, all territories — American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and the CNMI — have Medicaid block grants that set a match limit or a cap and require local governments to contribute a share.
The CNMI’s share declined from 50 percent to 45 percent as part of the 2010 “Obamacare” law.
Reprogramming authority
Variety pressed the governor for reaction to its Dec. 19 article that quoted Region IX grant program manager Michael Mann and his boss John McCarroll, manager of the EPA Pacific Islands, that “no reprogramming request had been received from the NMI nor had they provided approval of reprogramming grant money.”
Fitial’s reaction was pointed.
“I have approval from Jared Blumenfeld at EPA…. John McCarroll is dumb; he doesn’t know what he’s talking about…he just sits in the back of the meetings with his hands folded.”
Asked for a copy of EPA’s approval to reprogram funds, the governor responded that he would email Blumenfeld and have him contact Variety.
The governor reiterated his “fairness and morale” justification for placing fully federally funded grant staff under austerity and vehemently denied that the CNMI was damaging itself in lost tax revenue or money circulating in the economy.
“No money is being lost…we’re moving the money from personnel to operations within the grants.”
Variety sought clarification from Press Secretary Angel Demapan on the governor’s belief concerning reprogramming authority over all grants and the answer was more specific and targeted than previous statements.
“Governor Fitial has the authority to reprogram federal funds from personnel to operations or from operations to personnel if such action has been approved by the grantor agency.
Comments on CHC
After a private briefing from Babauta the governor toured the newly expanded laboratory and the under construction new space for the cashier’s office and was complimentary with regard to CHC’s progress.
“They collected over $1 million in receivables last month…that’s a great improvement and we expect more in the future.”
