FLASHBACK – December 1, 2011

Dec. 1, 1999

Ingram hits Cepeda’s ’racial’ attacks

Public Safety Commissioner Charles W. Ingram yesterday lashed back at Rep. Frank G. Cepeda for blaming him for the alleged morale problem in the police, saying his accusation of “lack of leadership” in the department is stale. He also questioned the chair of the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee on the results of an oversight hearing on DPS that Mr. Cepeda called earlier this year in the wake of last March’s prison standoff and string of jailbreaks. “What morale problem does Congressman Cepeda allude to? Is this… from DPS personnel being overworked and underpaid,” Ingram said in a statement.

MTC vows to fight phone rate hike

Despite IT&E’s recent decision to drop its legal challenge, Micronesian Telecommunications Corp. and its parent, GTE Corp., continue to pursue their appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s rate integration policy. If successful, MTC/GTE’s lawsuit could result in significant rate increase for CNMI consumers who make off-island telephone calls to Guam or the mainland U.S., according to a press release issued by the Governor’s Public Information Office. Under the FCC’s rate integration policy, carriers operating in the CNMI (as well as Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa) are required to conform their long distance telephone rates with the generally lower rates which they charge consumers in the U.S. mainland.

Dec. 1, 2000

NMIRF taps OPA to help fix accounting system

Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund Administrator Juan S. Torres has asked the Office of the Public Auditor to help the $400-million financial institution improve its accounting system. The Fund has hired the services of Brian Macmillan to make sure that its accounting system is in compliance with the OPA recommendations. But Mr. Macmillan is apparently no longer interested to continue providing services due to the recent controversy involving his contract. Mr. Torres said the OPA has pledged to help the Fund fix its accounting system at least temporarily. “This is priority because this is a $400-million institution. Imagine the implications if we cannot even count our assets correctly-it will be a disaster,” he said.

MVA rejects ’shooting resort’ plan

The Marianas Visitors Authority Board yesterday opposed a proposed legislation that will ease the tough gun control law in the CNMI to accommodate the establishment of so-called shooting resort in the Northern Marianas. In a monthly meeting, the board said it is leaving to Rota and Tinian leaders the decision if they would want shooting resorts on their island-municipalities. Although Board Chair Dave M. Sablan supports the proposed legislation, he sought a consensus among the board members so that MVA can submit a unified stand to the Legislature.

Dec. 1, 2002

Governor to go after taxes meant for NMI

Gov. Juan N. Babauta has made tax collection another thrust in his trip to Washington D.C. this coming week, as he disclosed plans to meet with officials of the Internal Revenue Service to recoup taxes that Northern Marianas residents have paid to the federal government. Babauta, in a news conference Friday, said that over the years, CNMI soldiers and federal employees based in the Commonwealth have forked out tax obligations that should have been channeled to local coffers. “I think it’s time the IRS turn over to us the money they have collected that should be ours. And I’ll be signing the necessary agreements to begin the release of these taxes that have been withheld,” Babauta said.

$500K set aside to enhance crosswalks

House members have agreed to set aside half-a-million dollars to upgrade Saipan pedestrian crosswalks by adding signal beacons to warn motorists of crossing pedestrians. The House, in a resolution it adopted last week, is pressing for the installation of warning flashers as a deterrent to the high count of traffic and pedestrian related accidents, some of which have led to fatalities. Legislators are also worried that a big chunk of road accident victims have been tourists visiting the Northern Marianas. The House Resolution, authored by Vice Speaker Manuel A. Tenorio, seeks to re-allocate $500,000 from the Transportation Improvement Plan Fiscal Year 2003, specifically from the Beach Road Hazard Elimination Project.