Fitial promises ‘candid’ SOCA today

Lawmakers expect candidness, and that is what the administration vows to give them when the governor delivers his state of the Commonwealth address this morning.

Press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the governor’s speech will be “a candid, realistic assessment” of the commonwealth’s situation.

“As in the past, the governor is not going to be very optimistic, nor very pessimistic. He will strive to strike a balance—be temperate, reasonable,” said Reyes.

According to the governor’s spokesman, the key points the governor will touch on include immigration federalization, minimum wage, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., the government’s financial status, and economic developments over the past year.

The House of Representatives and the Senate will hold a joint session today to receive annual reports from the governor and Pete A. Tenorio, the CNMI’s resident representative to Washington, D.C. The event will be held in the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, starting at 10am.

House Speaker Arnold I. Palacios said he expects the governor to provide the Legislature an honest assessment of the last two years that he has been in office. He also hopes the governor to share his plans on how to address the power crisis and the economy.

“Reality,” Rep. Heinz Hofschneider replied when asked what he wanted the governor to talk about in his speech. “I think our people deserve to know our state of affairs—no holds barred.”

Hofschneider also said he hopes the governor will appeal to the lawmakers and the community to participate in finding solutions to the Commonwealth’s problems. He said the cost of government should be at the top of the agenda. “We cannot afford to pay personnel. We need to make tough choices,” he said.

For Rep. Tina Sablan, the most important thing is the governor’s plan for CUC and the federal funds for capital improvement projects which she said should be reprogrammed to the utility.

“I want to know if the governor plans to finally tap into those funds which, if he wishes, can be used for the utilities. And if he does not wish to use them, then I am hoping for an explanation as to why,” Sablan said.

“A plan for economy recovery would also be good. But even that hinges upon the reliability of our utility,” she added.