Flashback – Oct. 1999-2002

Postpone action on takeover bill[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday urged U.S. lawmakers to hold off action on legislation extending federal immigration laws to the Northern Marianas as he expressed disappointment over its approval by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee despite CNMI’s protests. But he remains optimistic that other members of Congress will weigh the full impact of the proposal to the island’s economy. “Hopefully, I’d like to see that they would take it very seriously and try to give us the opportunity to delay implementing the INA,” Tenorio told reporters in an interview.

Federal Labor Ombudsman Pamela Brown may have overstepped her authority when she asked the Department of Labor and Immigration to reconsider its action against a nonresident who was found working with expired entry permit, according to officials. Brown sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General Robert Goldberg appealing DOLI’s decision to file a civil case against Vivian D.J. Maglalang on behalf of the Filipino worker in connection with her unauthorized “training” at the Intermodal Cargo Forwarders. But sources from the administration claimed the parent company of Intermodal, Ambyth Shipping Micronesia, Inc., employs Mark Blackburn as agent, whom they said is “related” to Brown.

Students march against violence[/B]

Hopwood Junior High School students aired their message loud and clear yesterday when they took to the streets of San Antonio to seek an end to the escalating violence in the community. Twelve-year-old Mary Lou Gariguez, a member of the HJHS marching band, said playing her musical instrument as the hour-long parade made its way through the San Antonio Village was her way of expressing opposition to mounting violence directed at children. “Violence should stop. To all the people, please let’s stop child abuse. We should instill discipline in children but first and foremost, let’s love the them,” said Ms. Gariguez.

Re-entry of Korean travelers to the Northern Marianas pushed overall visitor arrival figures in the first half of the year by three percent to 257,800 from last year’s average of 250,900 tourists, government records disclosed. A report on economic indicators compiled by the commerce department’s Central Statistics Division also revealed a modest drop in the arrival of Japanese tourists to Saipan during the first semester of the calendar year 2000. The Quarterly Economic Review, which quotes figures submitted by the Marianas Visitors Authority, indicated a 0.5 percent decline in the number of visitors from the CNMI’s largest tourism market to 190,700 from 191,750 in 1999.
[B] October 27, 2002

Govt in for tougher times ahead[/B]

Gripped with a cash flow shortage primarily weighed down by the huge deficit that was a carry over from the previous year, Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente assured Friday that the government continues to devise ways to recover from the pressing financial difficulty. He said the administration intends to remain afloat by keeping with cost-saving measures within the government and looking at other means to raise revenues. Warning of probably tougher times in the next few months, Benavente appealed to other government agencies to bear with the sacrifices that have to be made. “We’re asking our government offices to make sacrifices, not in years, but in months [only]. And I think we can do that. I really think that we can hold off on expenditures to overcome this,” said Benavente.

House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider appealed to the administration to give House Bill 13-126 a chance, following efforts by the Executive Branch to resolve issues surrounding Public Law 13-1, or the measure defining government positions exempt from civil service. HB 13-126, legislation crafted to address loopholes in PL 13-1, has passed both the House and the Senate without amendments. The administration, however, has yet to act on the measure. “As a matter of appeal to the administration, [it would be fitting] to sign it [HB 13-126] into law and see what are its detailed impediments, so that we can correct those. But until it’s signed into law and have it applied, and we see what obstacles HB 13-26 generates, we can only argue on the basis of theoretical application of 126,” the Speaker said Friday. Gov. Juan N. Babauta this week coordinated a meeting with Legislature members and the Office of Personnel Management in an attempt to resolve the issue on the advance notices that would have terminated at least 354 government employees.