Froilan wants casinos to pay retirees, blasts senators for ‘obstructionism’

Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan) blasted Rota and Tinian senators for “obstructing passage” of a House bill seeking to legalize casino gambling on Saipan, even if he said most of the tax money and other revenues collected as a result of the bill becoming law would be used to pay government retirees’ pension, restore 40-hour workweek and revive the earned income credit.

Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) told Saipan Tribune that his Senate Committee on Federal Relations and Independent Agencies has yet to meet to discuss House Bill 17-240.

Hofschneider, chair of the Tinian and Aguiguan Legislative Delegation, assured that the committee will thoroughly review the bill.

Tenorio is not a co-author of the casino bill, introduced by Rep. Rafael Demapan (Cov-Saipan) and Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan).

Tenorio, whose casino bill was killed by the Senate in 2010, said Rota and Tinian senators are more interested in protecting their casinos from competition that they are in protecting their own retirees.

Tenorio, a former governor and speaker, said senators prefer to raise taxes and take public lands out of the Marianas Public Land Trust.

“I will not let that happen under my watch,” he said.

Tenorio called on all retirees and their families on Rota and Tinian, including those overseas, to write to their senators in support of the House casino bill.

“Your own senators are standing in the way of your pensions, which will soon be reduced or eliminated without this bill,” he said.

Tenorio pointed out that the casino bill would dedicate 100 percent of the business gross revenue tax from casinos throughout the CNMI to the NMI Retirement Fund until the government’s past due obligations to the Fund are fully paid and the government is able to pay its contributions on time.

He said a 1 percent BGRT surcharge on casinos would be used to restore EIC.

Tenorio said a $0 million one-time license for each Saipan casino could be used to end the austerity program and restore regular working hours for government employees.

He said after other revenues are enough to fund the full work week, remaining license funds would become local funds for Saipan.

“I even offered the senators a portion of the Saipan license fees for use on Rota and Tinian, but they would rather see our own people pay, instead of getting the funds from casinos and their foreign patrons,” Tenorio added.