Flashback January 9, 2001-2003

[B][U]January 9, 2001[/U][/B] [B]700 workers duped in another savings scam[/B]

A busload of angry garment factory workers trooped to the Department of Public Safety yesterday to complain the owner of Long City Traders Corp. who allegedly ran away with hundreds of thousands of dollars they entrusted in exchange for “bigger’” interest rate. This is the second time in less than a month that a group of Chinese garment workers complained to DPS of being victimized by perpetrators of this savings scam. At least 45 workers have earlier came forward to sue a couple who allegedly collected from them over $100,000 on promise that their investment will double in just two months. (See related story on Page 3) DPS said the suspect identified as Kwan Y. Chung, 53, one of the shareholders of Long City Traders, is now the subject of a police manhunt, but some sources believed the suspect has fled the island. Mr. Chung will be charged with theft by deception.

[B]Teno shoots down ‘shooting resort’ bill[/B]

Amid concerns over safety of the islands to both residents and tourists, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday vetoed legislation seeking to ease tough gun control law in the CNMI to cater to so-called “shooting resorts” proposed by Korean investors. He said he could not compromise public safety over economic benefit of the measure despite assurances by proponents that use of these high-caliber weapons would be tightly guarded and restricted within the proposed resorts. “Although the bill was aimed at boosting our ailing economy, this is not the type of development supported by our private sector or by our citizens,” the governor said in his veto message.

[B][U]January 9, 2002[/U][/B] [B]Torres wants GAO to study impact of CIP program[/B]

Since 1979, the federal government has pumped in more than half-a-billion dollars-or $657.16 million-into the CNMI under the Covenant Section 702 program, yet questions remain whether the original goals of the funding program has been met. In line with this, Rep. William S. Torres will ask the General Accounting Office of the US Congress to conduct a study to see the extent of the impact the program may have had on the Commonwealth and to verify whether the original intent of the program has been achieved.

[B]Adriano: Lift hiring ban but raise minimum wage[/B]

Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano says he will support the lifting of the moratorium on the hiring of nonresident workers, provided that certain conditions are met. Adriano, who will be the Senate Floor Leader in the 13th Legislature, said the ban on the hiring of new nonresident workers-Public Law 11-6-may be lifted on the condition that the CNMI minimum wage is raised to US mainland standards. “The minimum wage should be raised to somewhere around $4.10 to $4.25 per hour. In that way, we can attract our own people to go and work in the private sector,” he said.

[B][U]January 9, 2003[/U][/B] [B]Heinz: Payless paydays loom[/B]

Government paychecks and retirement pensions have a very distinct possibility of not reaching government workers and retirees in the near future if the move to cut government wages through work-hour reduction continues to be stalled. House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider made the forecast yesterday, still disappointed over the failure of the proposed Retirement Protection Act of 2003 to make it past the House of Representatives. The House majority voted Monday to thumb down House Bill 13-242 or the measure proposing to cut government work by an hour daily in order to save money for the payment of staggering retirement obligations and overdue tax rebates and refunds.

[B]’Abolish rebate, refund systems'[/B]

Faced with dwindling resources and undue delays in the release of rebate and refund checks, it would make better sense for the Legislature to just pass a law that would abolish the refunds and the rebates systems altogether. Fund administrator Karl T. Reyes stressed this, even as he pointed out that, with the CNMI government’s dire fiscal straits being no secret, suing it to collect on the $92 million it owes the Fund would be an exercise in futility at this point in time. Reyes said that, by doing away with the rebate and refund system, the revenue the government acquires from income taxes could be used to settle some of its obligations.