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Tinian is in dire need of an audit
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Posted on Aug 31 2008
The FY 2009 Tinian Municipal Budget is supposed to be adopted before the end of this month. The chances of that happening, properly, are somewhere between slim and none, and slim done went to Alaska.
This mayor has never requested or received a proper budget since taking office. In 2006, following the governor’s lead, Mayor San Nicolas declared a state of emergency for Tinian, which didn’t really exist. The Tinian delegation, lead then by the mayor’s son, followed the lead set by then president of the CNMI Senate Joseph Mendiola and granted the Mayor of Tinian complete reprogramming authority. Then, following in the footsteps of the Commonwealth Legislature they incorporated a “continuation” clause in the Municipal budget law to ensure they would never have to pass a real budget. Then the mayor took his family and supporters to Manila to celebrate and forgot all about the real people of Tinian.
The Tinian Municipal Council, which was originally designed to act as a check and balance on the Mayor, has never done anything except kneel before the throne and carry the mayor’s bags.
To date the Mayor has not been able to account for the over $10 million he has spent. Neither the Tinian Legislative Delegation nor the Tinian Municipal Council will demand an audit because it would be self-incriminating.
With no Tinian elected official willing to request an audit of the Tinian Municipal Fund, we can only depend on the chairperson of the Senate or House committee on governmental investigation to request an audit for us.
If none of them will do, then we must hope that the FBI will step in. They have had sufficient reason ever since the mayor was caught on television selling federally funded CUC parts to a scrap metal dealer, then supposedly depositing the money in the Tinian Municipal Fund. That issue was reportedly sent to the Attorney General’s Office for review, but we have heard nothing of it.
Tinian should be thriving community, contributing the CNMI community, were it not for the majority tyranny that now shrouds the island. We need an audit now, not 16 months from now.
[B]Don A. Farrell[/B] [I]Marpo Heights, Tinian [/I]
