Fitial says he respects PSS’, CUC’s autonomy

House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, a Covenant Party candidate for governor, said he respects the constitutional autonomy of the Public School System, as well as the autonomy of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

Fitial, for example, does not support Gov. Juan Nekai Babauta’s educational initiative, saying it only benefits a few, select schools instead of the Public School System as a whole.

“The Babauta-Benavente administration’s educational initiative improperly infringes on the constitutional autonomy and authority of the Public School System,” said the Speaker.

Fitial said Babauta’s education initiative “politicizes public education because it offers the governor another avenue of getting credit for dispersing public funds.”

“As governor, I would be more interested in helping PSS as a whole instead of politicizing public education just so I can get political credit for helping a few schools at the expense of PSS’ constitutional autonomy and authority,” said Fitial.

If elected, Fitial vows to do away with the education initiative and allocate such funding to PSS and the Northern Marianas College, for the Board of Education and the Board of Regents to use as they see fit.

Fitial also faults the Babauta-Benavente administration “for squandering millions of public funds” on Lt. Gov. Diego Benavente’s controversial Water Task Force, which has reportedly drilled tens of wells with little or no result.

“The Water Task Force is yet another example of the BB administration playing politics with public funds,” said the Speaker.

Fitial believes that the Water Task Force politicizes the issue of water to give credit to the Babauta-Benavente administration. The Speaker believes the WTF should never have been created in the first place, arguing that water delivery is the proper concern and function of CUC, rather than a politicized Water Task Force that wastes public funds.

If elected, Fitial would scrap the Water Task Force and direct its functions under the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., “where it rightfully belongs.”

Fitial believes CUC can be functional if managed by a competent and ethical board of directors, as well as a qualified executive director.

The CNMI Water Task Force, whose procurement practices have been questioned, did not exist before the Babauta-Benavente administration took office. It is reportedly a special pet project of Benavente.

Many local residents are reportedly unhappy with the water meters established by Benavente’s Water Task Force, complaining that the meters are not accurate and do not accurately bill for actual water usage. (PR)