FLASHBACK November 18, 1999-2004

Teno, senators bicker over scholarship funds[/B]

Legislators and administration officials appear headed into a major collision over the local scholarship program in the wake of aggressive campaign by the Senate to slash the proposed budget from non-essential services to boost its funding. A group of senators met the other day with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and some of his staff to discuss several issues, among them the plan by the Legislature to increase appropriation for the scholarship program under the FY 2000 spending package.

The Department of Public Health has asked the Agency for Toxic Disease Registry to carry out an extensive medical testing in Tanapag amid fears that residents may have been affected by the cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Based on the preliminary review of the people’s medical records in Tanapag, the Commonwealth Health Center has seen an increase in incidence of cancer cases and chromosomal abnormalities among the residents, said DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez.

Medical emergency fails to nudge issuance of rebate[/B]

The continuing saga relating to the non-issuance of tax rebates has not spared even a family that has ties to the Babauta administration, after appealing in vain for the immediate release of their money due to a medical necessity. Like the many taxpayers who have yet to receive theirs, the couple has their own tale to tell. Alvin J.U. Hofschneider-brother of Public Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider-and his wife Louise recently asked Gov. Juan N. Babauta in a letter for the urgent release of their rebate for the medical expenses needed by their teenage daughter, who was diagnosed to have a heart ailment. Like most, the couple has so far failed.

A private company has shipped out a total of some 6,000 tons of Saipan’s discarded heavy equipment and metal scraps in an effort to promote a clean island environment. Kenji Ito of KP Company Limited, which initiated the free collection and disposal of the heavy metal junk this year, said this is just is part of the firm’s public service in the CNMI.

New Senate majority emerges[/B]

A group of five senators who have emerged as the new majority in the upper house yesterday passed a resolution suspending senators David M. Cing, Pete P. Reyes, Thomas P. Villagomez and Ramon S. Guerrero for a period of 30 days for alleged violation of the CNMI Constitution and the Official Rules of the Senate. The suspension came following the group’s decision–made up of senators Paul A. Manglona, Joaquin G. Adriano, Diego M. Songao, Paterno S. Hocog and Joseph Mendiola–to adopt a new set of Senate rules that essentially amended the required number of votes to achieve a suspension, from seven to five.

As far as Sen. Pete Reyes’ bloc is concerned, Pam Brown’s nomination for the Attorney General portfolio had already been rejected by the Senate, and it could not be revived. Reyes made this clear yesterday amid reports about the confirmation of Brown by five senators in a Senate session on Rota.

FSF to bite into family budgets[/B]

Commonwealth residents may have to forego the traditional Christmas lights this December, as they face an almost certain implementation of a 3.5-cent fuel surcharge next month and an additional 2 cents per kwh by January. This early, Saipan households are planning to cut down on power consumption, in the hope of lessening the impact of the fuel surcharge on their budget.