FLASHBACK – August 11, 2011

Bill restricting hiring of foreign workers by nonresidents vetoed[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday disapproved a proposed law restricting employment of guest workers in businesses owned by nonresidents on the island, saying the measure may face legal questions from existing firms. He, however, expressed support to the proposal and prodded legislators to seek assistance from his legal counsel to draw up a new version that will address his concerns. Offered by Vice Speaker Jesus T. Attao and Rep. Oscar M. Babauta, House Bill 11-247 aimed to forbid alien workers who entered the CNMI for employment before July 28, 1987 to bring in foreign manpower for their own businesses.

Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas yesterday allayed fears of Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona that the agency has left behind Rota International Airport in its development plans. Salas said the upgrading of Rota Airport is within the five-year master plan, but construction of the new runway in West Tinian Airport has become a priority because of the presence of a hotel-casino complex on the island. Despite its limited funds, the ports authority will carry out the repair of Rota Airport runway because it becomes slippery to aircraft during rainy season. CPA and the Municipality of Rota have signed a Memorandum of Agreement in connection with the repair of Rota International Airport runway which will reimburse the ports authority the cost of the A&E Design work amounting to $68,000 using Capital Improvement Project funds.

Affordable housing for Rota’s low-income families[/B]

Northern Marianas Housing Corp. Board Chair John S. Tenorio yesterday said tenants in government subsidized housing in Rota and Tinian for low-income families may be able to have their own homes in the future. At present there are 30 tenants each in Rota and Tinian who have availed of the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program, a federal program for low-income families. Since some tenants in these houses are even working in government agencies, NMHC will evaluate the financial capability of these people to determine whether they can own the houses they are currently renting.

The nation’s largest manufacturers and distributors of recorded music conspired with various retailers to fix the prices of their products, Attorney General Herbert D. Soll and his counterparts in 30 other states and territories charged yesterday. According to an antitrust complaint filed in New York federal court, the companies engaged in an unlawful scheme designed primarily to stop retail outlets such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Target from offering music at deep discounts. The emergence of these discount music outlets in the early 1990’s began to offer stiff competition to mall-based music stores selling at high list prices, often “suggested’ by manufacturers or distributors.

Manglona to Guerrero: What OPA audit?[/B]

Senate president Paul A. Manglona shrugged off Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero’s threat of having him and Senate floor leader Joaquin G. Adriano audited, saying he has already asked the Office of the Public Auditor to look into the financial books of the upper chamber several months ago. “The auditor has been informed already by my office to audit the Senate. No question about that. This was late last year before this started, so I don’t know what the senator is requesting but I already wrote a letter asking for that audit. I don’t know what else is he going to ask,” said a puzzled Manglona. Guerrero had warned that both Manglona and Adriano are playing a dangerous game with him and that matters could become even nastier for the two with his plan to request for an OPA audit on their accounts.

The failure of the Republican Party of the Northern Mariana Islands to field a Precinct II candidate for the House of Representatives is regrettable in that it appears as if the precinct was abandoned by the party leadership. Veteran lawmaker Sen. Thomas Villagomez said it looks like every Republican in Precinct II were abandoned by the party after its elected representative, Andrew Salas, threw his hat into the senatorial race and the party failed to find somebody on time to replace him. “Usually incumbent members will try to work within their own precinct. If they should decide not to run, they give the courtesy to the party to seek for an alternate candidate. But, as I understand, on Precinct II there is no Republican candidate. It looks like they were abandoned by the move of Salas from the House without trying to get any replacement down there,” he said.