“No means no,” she said referring to the voters’ rejection of a proposal to legalize casinos on Saipan in 2007.
The casino legislation, she added, should no longer be part of the budget talks.
She said it is time to come up with new ideas in revenue generating schemes which must include cost-cutting measures that should have been done a long time ago.
The government, she added, should conduct a desk audit.
Sablan said there are many items that can be cut since a lot of money is still being wasted on many contracts.
The House conferees on Friday told their Senate counterparts that 383 government employees could lose their jobs if the senators insisted on an eight-hour cut instead of the 16 hours and 13 payless holidays proposed by the administration.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, and other senators who were in the House gallery during the conference committee hearing, walked out of the chamber after Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, said the Senate should re-consider the Saipan casino bill which the Senate rejected early this month.
In an interview, Manglona said that by again bringing up the Saipan casino issue, the House is trying to “suffocate our people so in the end, they will support casino legislation.”
Manglona said he doubts whether the House conferees sincerely want to negotiate with the Senate in drafting a budget bill acceptable to both chambers.
“It is very unfortunate for this government and for our people that the House continues to insist on a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude in the conference committee meeting,” he added.
The government will shutdown if lawmakers fail to pass a new budget before Oct. 1.
