Floor Leader calls for revenue generating bills

Saying that Gov. Benigno Fitial’s rejection of the Legislature’s proposed $165.4-million budget plan for fiscal year 2009 is not surprising, House Floor Leader Joseph N. Camacho yesterday urged his colleagues in the House to act together by introducing and passing revenue generating bills.

“I have been calling for revenue generating bills since the beginning, yet even at this critical hour the Legislature takes its sweet time to take decisive action to relieve the suffering of the people. The answer is simple—revenue generating bills,” Camacho said when asked to comment on Fitial’s veto of the proposed budget plan.

What House lawmakers should do, Camacho said, is to “get off their behinds,” introduce revenue generating bills, and continue to introduce and pass revenue generating bills until there is a surplus.

“All that is required is hard work and the collective energy of each member of the House of Representatives to commit to the idea that many of the problems can be solved if we show true leadership and think above and beyond petty party politics and the small-mindedness of individual members’ gubernatorial aspirations,” Camacho said.

Citing a drop of $8.7 million in the Finance Department’s revised revenue estimate, Fitial on Christmas Eve rejected the Legislature’s proposed budget plan for FY 2009.

Fitial urged the Legislature instead to pass measures to re-implement non-working alternate Fridays (called austerity Fridays), implement non-paid holidays, and reduce remittances to the Retirement Fund.

“These cost-cutting measures are critical to meet our constitutional requirement of a balanced budget and to continue delivering services to the people of the Commonwealth,” Fitial told the Legislature’s leadership.

Camacho said the Legislature cannot pretend to be surprised that the governor vetoed the budget because of decreased revenue.

“All you have to do is drive down Beach Road and Middle Road and see all the businesses that have closed down. The government does not run on wishful thinking and fairy dust. Government runs on taxes collected on revenues. No business means no taxes. The math is simple. Less business means less taxes which means less government services,” the Floor Leader said.