Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos indicated that the administration may ask for federal assistance, which Tenorio said is unlikely to happen.
Four years ago, the administration supported the $140 million bailout request submitted by then-Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio to the U.S. Congress, which never acted on it.
Speaker Tenorio said the House will act on the new casino measure, H.B. 17-130, once it convenes next month.
The bill was introduced last month by another administration ally, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan.
The speaker described the Saipan casino proposal as a last ditch effort to “save the people from further suffering.”
“If anybody thinks we will approve any increase in taxes, business license and other fees — they can just forget it, because we are not going to approve them in the House,” he said.
He added, “If we are going to address our fiscal problems, the casino bill is the only way to do it.”
Tenorio said the governor can easily “persuade” the senators to pass the casino bill.
“He should just start laying off people from Tinian and Rota,” he added. The two islands, which have casinos, have six seats in the nine-member Senate.
“We don’t have enough money so lay off employees on Tinian and Rota,” the speaker said. “Shut down those municipal councils over there because they are not doing anything.”
Senators yesterday declined to comment.
Torres’ H.B 17-130 also aims to help local residents pay their power bills and fund their medical referral trips to Guam.
