Flashback Nov. 23, 2000-2002

Senate approves $221 million budget[/B]

The government’s proposed spending package of $221.66 million for the current fiscal year finally received yesterday the Senate’s stamp of approval, clouded by accusations of political intimidation in the budget process. Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez was the lone dissenting voice as eight of the nine senators voted to pass the budget proposal that has substantial changes from what the governor and the House have recommended. He said more than $10 million were taken away from the budget of the Executive Branch fund programs endorsed or supported by the senators.
[B] BOE seeks AG opinion on teacher representative[/B]

Uncertain of the legality of a recent Board of Education move to fill a teacher representative vacancy within the policy-making body, BOE Chair Frances H. Diaz said yesterday the board has taken steps to untangle the legal loopholes by seeking assistance from the Attorney General’s Office. BOE earlier sent out ballots containing names of five aspiring teacher representatives to the Public School System faculty to fill a vacancy left by now Hopwood Junior High School Principal David Borja. “The ballots already came back and we counted the votes but when we looked at public law 6-10, the Commonwealth executive order, and the language of our own BOE by laws, we were unsure of whether the process we employed was valid,” said Ms. Diaz.

New law defines BPL powers, duties[/B]

Despite several identified defects, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has signed into law a bill setting out in specific terms the extent of the powers and duties of the Board of Public Land. Tenorio said he signed Senate Bill 12-123 into law in deference to the broad constitutional authority of the Legislature and to the support of the bill by the Board of Public Lands and by the Public Lands Administrator. The measure, which aims to amend the Board of Public Lands Act of 2000 and references to it in the Commonwealth Code, suffers, however, from several technical deficiencies. These deficiencies will have to be remedied by collective amendment in order to properly carry out the intent of the bill,” said Tenorio.

The Division of Environmental Quality has cited three violations against the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation in connection with the bacterial contamination level of its drinking water supply for Saipan last month. “If the CUC fails to take the steps outlined above to correct the violations, the DEQ may issue an administrative order that can include administrative fines. The maximum penalty authorized for violations of CNMI Drinking Water Regulations is $25,000 per day of violation for each violation,” DEQ Acting Director Antonio I. Guerrero said in the notice of violations.
[B] Nov. 23, 2002

House seeks resolution to CUC, CDA deal standoff[/B]

The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement drafted to heal the long-standing conflict between the Commonwealth Development Authority and the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation is reportedly in limbo following the CUC Board’s refusal to affix its signature on the deal. The CUC’s reluctance reportedly stems from a last-minute inserted amendment to the MOA that states, “Debtor agrees not to raise its utility rates without first justifying such increases to the CNMI Legislature and obtaining its approval by joint resolution or other legislative measure.”
[B] Today proclaimed as Suicide Survivors Day[/B]

Each year, over 30,000 people in the United States die by suicide, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of survivors-wives, husbands, parents, children, siblings, friends and co-workers-to cope with this tragic loss. Suicide is the United States’ 11th leading cause of death. It is estimated that for every suicide, at least six other people’s family members, friends, co-workers are intimately affected, and left to survive the terrible loss. To provide an opportunity to help survivors of suicide express and understand the troubling and powerful grief, stigma, pain and guilt they experience, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors the National Survivors of Suicide Day, which is usually observed every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which is today.