Senator blasts AG ‘extravagance’

Outraged by unnecessary expenses, Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez on Friday lambasted the Attorney General for spending more than $3,000 in taxpayer money to bring in from the U.S. mainland a “potential applicant” to an AG post.

The senator at the same time urged Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to tighten austerity measures implemented by his administration and to refrain from granting requests that will cost additional expenditures to the cash-strapped government.

In a letter to the local chief executive, Villagomez said the AG’s action may further taint prospect of Senate confirmation for acting Attorney General Maya B. Kara whose earlier nomination was rejected by senators.

“It strikes me as blatant insensitivity to local people in need of jobs as well as a total disregard of the very serious fiscal dilemma we now face to fly an applicant for such a position from Seattle as if the (AG) office were a high-powered private law firm,” he told Tenorio.

Villagomez’ letter followed discovery of a travel authorization (TA) indicating that the CNMI government had paid some $3,096.25 for the plane tickets, car rental and per diem allowance to Joseph H. Race who stayed on Saipan from November 13-20 for interview for AG’s chief of investigation position.

While the governor admitted signing the TA, he maintained the request was based on Kara’s recommendation. Saipan Tribune tried to contact the acting AG for comment last Friday, but was told she was not in the office.

But Villagomez, who is also vice chair of the Senate Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigations, questioned the move to spend for an applicant seeking a job in the island government when local people can be considered for the position.

He said the U.S. government does not extend similar provision. “Why does Ms. Kara believe that the commonwealth is wealthy enough to do so?”

The move also reflects her lack of capability to head a sensitive post, according to the senator, bolstering his decision not to support Kara’s appointment.

“Here is just one example of Ms. Kara’s lack of ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the Commonwealth Attorney General and to wisely administer the power — expenditure and otherwise — of the office,” he said in the letter.

In an interview, Villagomez also disclosed that the AG even had to turn down five weeks ago the application of a local lawyer who recently passed the bar examination, telling him that the office was observing cost-cutting measures in line with the administration’s policy.

“The sad thing is you have people coming back from the U.S. believing that there is a job back home,” he explained, “and now you cannot give them priority.”

The Northern Marianas is reeling from its worst economic crisis in years as a result of the financial turmoil gripping Asia, the island’s main source of investors and tourists.

Because of the anticipated drop in revenue collections by 13.4 percent for the current fiscal year, the Tenorio administration has put in place wide-ranging austerity measures that include restriction on official travels and freeze on hiring of government personnel.