Flashback October 20, 1999-2002

Teno: ‘I don’t mean to put Lang in jail'[/B]

Saying he is just complying with the law, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday denied claims by former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio that the administration wants to put him in jail in connection with a court ruling on a taxpayers’ lawsuit ordering him to pay $12.4 million.

“I don’t want to see anybody in jail… I have no intention of putting people in jail. We just want to follow what is the requirement of the law,” he told reporters.

His statement came as the Attorney General’s Office wrapped up its review of the request for assistance sought by the former governor ahead of the court hearing on his appeal against the decision.

According to the governor, government lawyers are expected to come up with their decision soon and that information will be provided to media regarding the status of Froilan’s request.

Gov’t reports all-time low in hotel occupancy tax collection[/B]

A strong manifestation that the islands’ tourism industry is at its lowest point, the CNMI government has reported a record-low in the amount of revenues collected from hotel occupancy taxes since 1996.

Government records disclosed hotel occupancy taxes averaged $2.8 million in the first half of the financial year 2000, which translates into about six percent fall from the year ago’s semestral average of $3 million.

Figures from the finance department, listed in the Quarterly Economic Review prepared by the Central Statistics Division, revealed hotel occupancy taxes contributed $6 million into the overall revenues generated by the CNMI government in Fiscal Year 1999.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday approved infusion of additional $3.8 million into a loan program administered by the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation to help low and middle-income families secure financing to build their homes.

The funds came from the $10 million loan package extended by the Marianas Public Land Trust in 1995 to the government housing agency for its various programs.

About $6.137 million have so far been used by NMHC to grant approximately 120 mortgage loans to local families, according to officials.

USPS: Port lockout trapped some mail[/B]

Letters and packages that were trapped at the West Coast port during the lockout week are expected to be delivered to CNMI recipients in the next two months, according to the United States Postal Service on Saipan.

However, mail backlogs only include letters and packages that were sent through the standard or ground delivery system.

USPS-CNMI Postmaster John William San Nicolas, in an interview Friday, explained that the traffic of letters and other items that were sent through the special delivery system, which is offered on premium rates, was not disrupted by the weeklong work stoppage at West Coast ports.

All set and eager to get down to business, elected members of the 5th Youth Congress set off into their first organizational session yesterday during an inauguration ceremony bedecked with pomp and style.

In the presence of no less than the Commonwealth’s top leaders, led by Gov. Juan N. Babauta, 23 new youth senators vowed to serve their youth constituents by addressing the most pressing issues besetting their generation today.

The induction ceremony, held at the Hon. Jesus P. Mafnas Memorial Building in Capitol Hill, marked a turning point for three re-elected youth senators and the 20 newcomers who are relishing their first taste of life in political office.