In an interview after his brief meeting with the senators yesterday, Inos said the austerity bill as proposed by the administration aims to reduce cost.
“It’s not to spend the money we don’t have,” he added.
Inos said the administration will retain its $132 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2011, which starts on Oct. 1.
The administration is now in the process of sizing up the impact of the austerity measure — which will shut down government offices every other Friday — on government operations.
Inos met with Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Sens. Henry H. San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian, Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.-Saipan, and Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, in the Senate president’s conference room.
Inos said he brought up some “technical matters” that the administration wants addressed in the austerity bill, or H.B. 17-45, before lawmakers pass it.
He said he is aware that the bicameral conference committee continues to work on the bill, “so we don’t want to discuss anything prematurely.”
He added, “We have to give them (the conference committee) the courtesy of letting them discuss it.”
Inos said he understands the Public School System’s concerns.
PSS wants to be exempted from the austerity bill.
There can be exemptions, “at a certain extent,” Inos said, “but not to exempt wholesale.”
Other critical agencies such as Public Health, Public Safety and Corrections should also be exempted, lawmakers earlier said.
