Teno’s spending

Teno detractors must have been quite surprised when they read a Saipan Tribune article the other day. For the Tribune article reported that Governor Pedro P. Tenorio actually saved money on government office space rentals. According to the Saipan Tribune, the Teno administration saved 15.5 percent on office space rentals in 1998.

This is very interesting, because most Teno critics have long been suggesting that the Governor’s austerity measures are highly misleading, particularly when it comes to private office space rentals.

According to most Teno critics, the governor has been giving Joeten a free ride. They claim that Joeten has been the primary beneficiary of government office space leases. However, according to the recent Tribune article, most of the major commercial building leases, including the Joeten Dandan building, were actually contracted during former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio’s term in office. Governor Teno had little or nothing to do with it.

If this recent report is true, then Governor Teno’s critics must have been lying. For even if they claim that a certain Villagomez family benefits from government office space rentals, the fact of the matter is: the government is still saving money on office space leases.

Indeed, Governor Teno should also be commended for wisely withdrawing from the Pacific Basin Development Counsel. We should not squander our precious financial resources on useless organizations that do not benefit us in concrete, tangible ways.

Also, while it is certainly true that Governor Tenorio does retain some government consultants in his employ, the number of these consultants is not entirely outrageous. Froilan Tenorio probably hired more consultants–and also paid them much more (especially David Cahn).

At the same time, Froilan PIOs Mark Broadhurst and Bruce Lloyd did not need Sunset Advertising to help them prepare their press releases for them–or, in other words, to do their jobs for them. Trained professionals that they are, they obviously much preferred to do their
work for themselves.

I am sure PIO Frank Rosario feels much the same way, and would probably have no objections to canceling Sunset’s contract and saving the taxpayers some money. Mr. Rosario must no doubt feel alienated by the Sunset Advertising contract, because it may suggest to some that he needs it, which, of course, he clearly does not. He can handle it all by himself, without Sunset’s $4,000 (or so) help.

So the Teno administration, while clearly cost-conscious and frugal, probably still has some room for further cost reductions here and there–perhaps beginning with Mr. Juan Nekai Babauta’s “spendthrift” ways.