Flashback July 31, 2000-2002

GOP weighs impact of election reform[/B]

The Republican Party will look into the impact of the new election reform bill now pending before Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio on the forthcoming primary on the gubernatorial race, according to chairman Joseph C. Reyes. In particular, he said provisions allowing the Board of Elections to administer primaries are a big concern for the GOP. “The primary is a party matter. It should be left to the party to conduct that exercise,” the Republican chairman said Friday.

As the CNMI faces an apparent tug of war between whether prioritizing concerns by the federal government or addressing problems faced by the business community amid the recession, the Commonwealth Development Authority has positioned itself to aggressively promoting the islands as an ideal place for foreign investments. In the last three years, the commerce department disclosed foreign investors pumped only about $3.5 million in fresh capital to the Northern Marianas economy through a variety of new business activities.

The Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior II, will be arriving on Saipan this week as part of the environmental organization’s continuing information campaign to assist Tanapag village which has been contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl. “We want to make sure that the planned remediation in Tanapag will be done properly,” said Maureen Penjueli, toxics campaigner.

Three missing off Tinian[/B]

A 17-footer boat carrying at least six Chinese nationals capsized some two miles south off the Tinian harbor Sunday. Three of the passengers are still missing as of press time. Rescue operations conducted jointly by teams from the United States Coast Guard, the Emergency Management Office, the Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Customs, and the Department of Labor and Immigration proved futile yesterday to locate the three missing passengers, including two women.

The Tenorio administration has decided to retain the services of Greenberg Traurig until September 30 this year to buttress the CNMI government’s efforts to block the passage of so-called anti-CNMI legislation at the US Congress. This comes in the wake of another resolution filed by Rep. George Miller at the US House of Representatives, which aims to implement mainland minimum wage and immigration requirements in the Commonwealth.

A Mount Carmel High School alumnus has been selected to grace the pages of a prestigious publication that features the country’s most gifted students. Saipan resident Bradley Matsumoto, a pre-medicine student at the Baylor University in Texas, was among the few chosen to be on the National Dean’s List, a publication that recognizes America’s best students.

Deficit threatens to escalate[/B]

Besides a severe cash-flow problem, the Babauta administration is also wrestling to contain a deficit that could go beyond $18 million if the Legislature fails to find a way for it to spend beyond the $197 million spending plan set for this year. To ensure that this does not happen, the administration, led by Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente, met Monday afternoon with the House of Representatives to map out a plan of action to get around this $197 million limit.

Hundreds of Northern Marianas residents aired their complaints yesterday over the continued delay of issuance and the alleged selective release of rebate checks and refunds. Phone calls swamped the Saipan Tribune office yesterday, with callers asking why several late filers have already received their rebate and refunds check ahead of individuals who had met the deadline set by the Department of Finance.