Sablan was among the 14 House lawmakers who voted in favor of an override.
“As expected, the administration’s response to the override has been to threaten massive layoffs and even the shutdown of the government, claiming that such actions would be the inevitable result of the Legislature’s enactment of the budget — but conveniently refraining from any explanation of how layoffs and government shutdown could have been averted in the absence of a budget,” she said in a statement.
Lawmakers said the $148 million is a balanced budget that allows each department to adjust their operations and personnel expenses to avoid a deficit.
The governor said the budget is still not enough because the Department of Finance’s projected revenues for FY 2009, which covers the period of Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30 this year, are projected to fall below that amount.
He wants the Legislature to separately enact legislation that would mandate the government to impose austerity holidays —the forced shutdown of public offices every other Friday — and unpaid holidays.
He also wants unlimited reprogramming authority.
A total of 17 austerity and unpaid holidays were proposed to be applied prospectively or from the date of its enactment through September this year.
Lawmakers said the administration is on a hiring spree in anticipation of this year’s gubernatorial election.
“The administration continues to insist on the reinstatement of austerity measures — measures that badly failed in the past, and were used to accommodate continued government hiring and other questionable expenditures. That he would rather have no budget at all signals a disturbing preference for the deliberate and reckless deficit spending which has brought this government to its knees,” Sablan said.
“That he would push for the reinstatement of a failed austerity policy reveals either an unwillingness to learn from the mistakes of the past and consider other cost-cutting options, including options that are already available under the Planning and Budgeting Act, should further cuts be necessary this fiscal year,” she added.
