House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, who also chairs the conference committee, said the bone of contention is the work-hour cut to be imposed on government employees.
The House insists on 16 hours while the Senate wants only eight.
Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan and a member of the conference committee, said they are hoping to make a final decision tomorrow.
But Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, said “it’s not going to happen because it appears that the House conferees are not negotiating in good faith.”
In an interview, Manglona said it is very unfortunate that they will not be able to act on House Bill 17-96 today because of the deadlock in the conference committee.
He said he will ask the Senate members of the committee to discontinue meeting with their House counterparts until the House “comes back to the table and negotiate in good faith.”
“We will wait,” he added.
Other members of the Senate panel criticized the way the House conferees “negotiated” with them.
In a statement, the Senate said: “After days of failing to come to any meaningful agreement on the budget, the Senate leadership has agreed to dissolve the conference committee. We have done so because we do not believe we have a negotiating partner who is will to act in good faith.”
The Senate said there can be no negotiation when only one side is willing to change positions.
Manglona said what the Senate cares about are “the people, their families and children who have hopes, dreams and responsibilities.”
“This is about a lot more than a budget or austerity. It’s about the well-being of our people. We cannot accept a reckless attempt to take away the livelihood of our people,” he added.
He said the average government worker makes $20,000 a year.
The House proposal of 16-hour cut and unpaid legal holidays will mean a 25 percent salary cut, he added.
A person making $20,000 will get $15,000, he said.
According to Manglona, a person making $10,000 takes home $319 per pay period.
With the 16-hour cut, this falls to $190 per pay period.
In November, Manglona said, the pain will be “unbearable” because that month has five holidays and four austerity Fridays.
So in November, he added, if the 16-hour cut prevails, employees will have nine unpaid workdays.
Manglona said the Senate conferees were willing to negotiate their position of no austerity Fridays.
He said they believed that to come to an agreement, the Senate must budge from its position to hopefully meet the House’s proposals.
During the negotiations, Manglona said the Senate conferees proposed seven unpaid holidays and an eight-hour cut in working hours.
However, he said, the House panel repeatedly shunned this offer and stood firm on the governor’s proposal — 16-hour cut and 14 unpaid holidays.
The administration has said that its proposal is based on the projected revenue, which continues to decline.
Casino
Variety learned that during last Wednesday’s meeting held behind closed doors, one of the House conferees brought up the casino bill which the Senate rejected.
The senators said “it appears that the House panel wants the Saipan casino on the negotiating table.”
The Senate, in its joint statement, asked: “What is the House after that they would so relentlessly force a drastic scheme on our people?”
The statement said the House negotiators continuously insisted on the inclusion of casino legislation as part of an agreement to raise revenues.
“What do casinos have to do with a balanced budget? Our people [on Saipan] have said they do not want casinos. Would the House leadership force a drastic austerity scheme on our people so they become so desperate they agree to anything to stop the pain?” the Senate asked.
“Whatever is the reason for this relentless attempt to take away pay for mostly low income employees is not right,” Manglona said.
“And let me say something about our government employees. I am tired of hearing about what a bunch of misfits they are. Maybe the House thinks our government workers are expendable, lazy, and that they are lucky and should take whatever we give them. But I say it is we who are lucky to have the government workers. We are here because of them. They are the CNMI. Police, firefighters, teachers, bushcutters, janitors. They are all as important as I am and the House speaker. They get up every day to support their families just like me. They have kids in college just like and they want to feed their family just like I do,” he added.
The Senate, he reiterated, is willing to negotiate but there can be no negotiation if the House is only willing to say, “take it or leave it.”
