House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, moved for a vote on the override that would retain the budget provision mandating MVA to spend $360,000 for the Rota charter flight subsidy and the promotion of Tinian in Japan.
However, Rep. Francisco S. Dela Cruz, R-Saipan, said he wanted to hear from MVA first whether the charter flights actually resulted in new revenues.
He also wanted to know what kind of marketing for Tinian was supposed to be funded by the appropriation.
Rep. Ralph S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, agreed, saying they need to see the results of the charter flights before the CNMI government pay for them.
Rep. Eliceo D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, echoed Fitial’s line-item veto message, saying that instead of subsidizing a private entity, the Legislature should work with MVA in promoting the entire CNMI as one tourist destination.
Rep. Fredrick P. Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan, said that if the charter flights to Rota and the promotion of Tinian are local matters, the CNMI government should not fund them.
MVA takes care of those programs, he added.
But Rep. Ray A. Tebuteb, R-Saipan, insisted that these items are not local matters, thus, the Legislature has to appropriate the needed amount.
Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said the CNMI government should not subsidize a private firm.
Rep. Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian, asked his colleagues to defer action and to hear from MVA first before voting on the override, which the House leadership doesn’t support.
