FLASHBACK – October 1, 2011

Oct. 1, 1999

CUC asks court to drop O’Connor’s lawsuit

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. yesterday asked the Superior Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed three years ago by attorney Robert O’Connor, who had accused the agency of trespassing onto his private property. William Ohle, attorney for CUC, said O’Connor has no proof-such as a written contract-to support his lawsuit. The case stemmed from CUC’s installation of electric power line connecting a customer’s house on Mt. Tapochau to the CUC’s power distribution lines. The electric pole was constructed in 1996 to provide power supply to Lot No. 153E08 belonging to Dr. George Harthorn.

PSS seeks exemption

Education officials are asking the government to exempt the Public School System from a law that requires every government agency to share one percent of its total budget with the Office of the Public Auditor. “PSS should be allowed to keep that one percent for itself since we do our own audit,” Board of Education member Marja Lee Taitano said during a committee meeting Wednesday. Taitano said an official of the Attorney General’s Office has assured her that PSS could request for exemption from the budget-sharing requirement. The law, which provides this requirement, was designed to keep OPA totally independent from the Governor’s Office and the Legislature, and avoid a situation which would compromise the agency’s auditing activities.

Oct. 1, 2001

CPA suspends hike in airport charges

The Commonwealth Ports Authority Board of Directors voted to extend the implementation of the Airline Incentive Program until 2002, in light of the looming aviation crisis brought on by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacked on the US. The extension automatically delays the implementation of the new and higher landing fees, which were originally scheduled to be enforced beginning today. However, the new schedule of rates at the seaport will be implemented by the CPA starting today, although the ports authority will continue discussions on whether to suspend it or not. During a special meeting Friday, the CPA board decided to extend the incentive program, which grants 50 percent discount in arrival and departure fees to CNMI signatory airlines that are able to bring up their arrival figures by 15 percent from their current traffic load.

Senate overrides line item veto on CIP bill

Dialysis centers may soon rise on Tinian and Rota, soon after the Senate overrode the line item veto made by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio on a measure that would appropriate $73.56 million for several Capital Improvement Projects in the CNMI. Saying they do not understand the Governor’s reason for vetoing the construction of dialysis centers on Rota and Tinian, majority of senators voted to override Tenorio’s line-item veto on Public Law 12-64, with only Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero voting “no.” Sen. Pedro P. Reyes was absent during the session.

Oct. 1, 2002

Senate OKs changes to state funeral law

Proposed changes to the Commonwealth state funeral statute-pertaining to those who are and are not entitled to the honor-were approved by the Senate last week. If enacted into law, past or incumbent elected officials, who have been impeached, recalled or expelled or those that have been convicted in the Commonwealth of a felony or crime of moral turpitude for which there was no official pardon from the Governor, are not entitled to state funerals. Elected officials who have served on the Board of Education are also not entitled to a state funeral, according to Senate Bill 13-83, as authored by Sen. Joaquin Adriano.

Chuuk governor thanks NMI

The Governor of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia has thanked Gov. Juan N. Babauta and the people of the Commonwealth for the generous help extended to Chuuk in the aftermath of Typhoon Chata’an. In a letter to Babauta, the Chuukese governor, Dr. Ansito Walter, said the people of Chuuk immensely owe the CNMI and its people gratitude for its rapid response to the disaster that struck the state. “You have indeed exemplified far beyond the norm of your executive duty as Governor of the CNMI, in some respect, for which the people the Chuuk State immensely owe you immeasurable gratitude for responding in the most expeditious manner possible to the calamitous situation and generously contributing to the critically needed medicines, food, clothing and other emergency supplies for which we are so deeply grateful,” Walter told Babauta.