Variety learned that during a meeting with the House leadership yesterday, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial criticized the Senate for repeatedly inserting a provision in the budget bill that would fund Rota’s charter flight subsidy, the promotion of Tinian in Japan and the payment to a tour agency for last year’s Rota charter flights.
The governor remains opposed to a 12-hour cut, saying it will result in an “unbalanced” budget. The administration may allow a 12-hour cut if the Rota-Tinian provision is removed from the bill.
In an interview, Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, said he is willing to remove the funding provisions for Rota and Tinian.
The Senate, he added, is more concerned about the work-hour cut for the government employees.
“I just wish that they (House leadership) show some sensitivity for our people who struggle because once the 16-hour cut is passed, it is going to affect them directly and drastically,” Manglona said.
In a letter to the editor published by the Variety today, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan and a member of the House leadership, claimed that “the real reason there is no budget passed is the Senate’s insistence on packing the Rota and Tinian budgets with extra cash. They want to set up a slush fund controlled by the mayors of Tinian and Rota.”
After the House passed yet another budget bill on Wednesday, the Senate again amended it to include a provision that would appropriate $360,000 from “all others” to subsidize charter flights from Japan to Rota, to promote Tinian to Japan tourists and to pay the $120,000 owed to a travel agency for last year’s Rota charter flights.
Manglona said these obligations “belong” to the Marianas Visitors Authority, “but it seems MVA does not consider these a priority.”
He said there is still no budget because the House leadership “refuses to explore all possible means to prevent employees from getting drastic cuts in their salaries.”
He said it is the Senate that is trying to prevent a 16-hour cut.
He insisted that a tax hike through the reduction of the rebate rate “won’t hurt” businesses and individuals “that much.”
“It is just frustrating that the House won’t act. They promised us many times,” he said.
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce has said that imposing tax and fee increases without plans to cut government employment numbers “is to ask businesses and individual taxpayers to dig deeper into their pockets to allow government to continue employing and spending as usual.”
Another delay
The Senate waited for the House to hold a session yesterday.
However, Variety learned that House leadership will decide today whether to hold a session in the afternoon.
“I hope it’s not intentional to continue delaying the sessions,” Manglona said, adding that he can’t believe the House’s “inaction.”
“People are screaming, saying ‘enough is enough,’ as they are fed up with us, yet they (House) still have the guts to postpone sessions? I think it is complete irresponsibility on their part,” he said.
But House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, said it was the House that had already passed four versions of the budget bill.
“All the Senate has to do is to choose from among these versions, pass it so they can send it to the governor and end the shutdown,” he added.
The House leadership said the Senate version will be vetoed by the governor.
