Prosperity in rental?

I would like to challenge the Ways and Means Committee, the secretary of finance and budget leaders to show the public how much in rentals the government is spending for FY 2000 and how of the general fund is wasted for this purpose. The $2.4 million expected office rentals for FY 200 is misleading and it seems they are trying to hide the actual figures from the general public.

Office rental is the most evil government expenditure of all. It is robbing the CNMI government resources and making few people very rich.

Why can elected leaders get together and put all these departments and agencies in those government housing units in Capitol Hill. Or stop the Marianas Housing Authority from selling those units in Garapan and house these agencies in them. It will be a tremendous savings for the government and enough money for scholarships and retroactive pay for 1991 through 1994.

Way back I asked our governor to start planning and to build our CNMI government offices to move us out of rental situation because it is causing the government close to $10 million per annum.

I also want our governor to be remembered for his good leadership. He’s the one who started the planning of government buildings, which was continued by his predecessors.

If I am not mistaken neither Rota nor Tinian have much government buildings except the schools and their facilities. None was mentioned about the CNMI Liaison Offices in Guam and Hawaii.

Pedro DLG Pangelinan