Flashback — Aug. 1999-Aug. 2001

CUC asked to write off gov’t debts[/B]

The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday broached a proposal to ask the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to write off portion of the $6.8 million in unpaid utility bills that the government has accumulated over the past six months. CUC should make retroactive the forthcoming power rate reduction for the government to lessen the burden of the Tenorio administration in raising funds to settle the bills, according to Rep. Karl T. Reyes. The rate adjustment from the present 20 cents per kilowatt-hour to 16 cents, which is the same rate offered to commercial users, is scheduled to take effect by late this month—a move that utility officials said is intended to help the cash-strapped government and wean CUC away from heavy subsidy.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has disapproved a legislation seeking amendment to the Marine Sovereignty Act of 1980 to allow a federal court to rule on whether the Northern Marianas has rights on surrounding submerged lands and territorial waters. Two lawsuits are pending with the U.S. district court dealing with the marine sovereignty and control over the 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the islands. Tenorio believed the island government should wait for a court ruling first before amending existing laws to set the borders of the Commonwealth.
[B] Aug. 3, 2000

NMI needs crop insurance program[/B]

Federal crop insurance program should be extended to the CNMI in order to boost growth of the local agriculture industry, which has suffered since World War II, according to Rep. William S. Torres. The legislator, who has initiated steps to develop the farm sector in recent months, urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the possibility of implementing the federal program in the Commonwealth. He asked in particular August Schumacher, USDA’s undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agriculture Service, to implement such program for local farmers and ranchers.

Expressing regret over resignation of President Clinton’s special representative to CNMI-U.S. consultation talks, the islands’ chief negotiator, Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan, yesterday refuted alleged failure by both parties to iron out differences on labor and immigration issues. He said the talks, guaranteed under Section 902 of the Covenant, have “progressed” despite the comments made by Edward B. Cohen on the contentious issues when he resigned from the post. “I respect his view and he just also has to respect our view which is that we look at the matter as a joint effort, a partnership,” Mr. Sablan told reporters in an interview. He stressed that the talks involve mutual understanding where the two governments can meet halfway to reach an agreement on issues on the table.
[B] Aug. 3, 2001

‘No shady deals in biddings’[/B]

The Division of Procurement and Supply yesterday said it does not engage in shady deals where some public officials involved in the procurement for government contracts may unjustly enrich themselves through “under-the-table” commissions from favored bidders. Procurement and Supply Director Herman S. Sablan made the statement as a Senate committee sought for an investigation on the procurement process for CIP projects as an offshoot of recent bidding protests. “I have no knowledge of that. I have never seen any of that,” said Robert Florian, executive assistant of Sablan, speaking in behalf of Procurement and Supply. “When people (are) comfortable to protest, this “means (that) things are not pre-determined,” explains Florian, referring to bidding results.

Freshly-awarded federal dollars will enable the Public School System to convert its campuses into community learning centers after regular school hours. Through a $270,000 US Americorps grant, PSS can now push through with plans to institute a Family Resource Youth Learning Center within the year. PSS Federal Programs Officer Bill Matson said the funds will allow each public school to have its own youth center where students can spend extra time engaging in after-school activities. Matson, who arrived from Washington DC to attend the annual National Center for Education Statistics meeting last week, disclosed that PSS was able to obtain additional money from Americorps from the original $190,000 grant application to the current $270,000 grant award.