FLASHBACK – Jan. 16, 2012

Drive vs abortion gains ground[/B]

Noting the need to call attention to the sanctity of life and family values on the islands, the House of Representatives has joined various church groups to mark January as “Celebration of Life” month. Legislators backed activities initiated by the religious sector to oppose moves advocating abortion and to promote pro-life values among island residents. In a resolution adopted last week, they maintained it is in the best interest of all people in the CNMI to work together to “promote abstinence, responsible behaviors and the delayed onset of sexual activity in an effort to prevent pregnancy among adolescents.”

The Commonwealth Development Authority is eyeing the institution of a program that would help curb the increasing volume of delinquent borrowers in light of worsening economic condition on the island. CDA corporate division officials will sit down today to discuss possible ways to assist borrowers cope with their financial obligation amid hard economic times, according to Development Authority Board Chair John S. Tenorio. The government’s major lending arm has been swamped with concerns on the increasing delinquency rate, as well as requests from borrowers for loan restructuring to allow them more time to settle their credit.

Recession cuts through ranks of garment makers[/B]

January brought no good news to the ranks of garment makers, whose numbers are expected to shrink in the coming months in the wake of the U.S. recession and economic upheaval emanating from the 9/11 tragedy. Combined with warm weather leading up to Christmas, worldwide apparel sales were clobbered, particularly in December, despite being the traditional time to splurge and make merry. Faced with mounting goods that just wouldn’t get sold even at the peak of the shopping season, retailers were dropping prices by as much as 70 percent. The pain of the steep markdowns will surely be felt all the way down the retail supply chain but industry watchers are saying the brunt will be borne not by the stores, but by the apparel makers and wholesalers.

Local emergency units yesterday responded to a bomb threat at the Department of Labor and Immigration office in San Antonio, barely a day after the new administration took control of the CNMI government. The bomb threat, which virtually welcomed the administration of Gov. Juan N. Babauta, is also the first incident reported this year, following a series of prank calls received by different government offices after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. “We got a call this afternoon, I think at about 2:05pm. One of the staff of the administration office received the call,” said acting Labor and Immigration Secretary Jeff Camacho.

OPM running out of patience over ‘inaction’ to SB 13-114[/B]

The Office of Personnel Management aired frustration over the slow-paced action on the pending legislation that was hoped to end the long-standing Public Law 13-1 controversy, saying the impasse is preventing the agency from fulfilling its responsibilities. Personnel Director Juan I. Tenorio expressed his disappointment to Gov. Juan N. Babauta, adding that if the Legislature fails to take action soon, he would have to take the necessary steps to implement PL 13-1. That law amended sections of the Commonwealth Code, expanding the ranks of excepted service employees to include those under the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Resident Representative to the U.S. and the municipal councils for each senatorial district.

Saipan Rep. Stanley Torres has questioned the Northern Marianas College’s alleged use of some $10,000 education tax credit money as payment for a visiting resource speaker in November 2002. In his Jan. 13, letter to NMC president Kenneth Wright, Torres said the college administration channeled the money that was meant for the students to “a needless training session on Saipan.” “The most ironic and questionable part of this ‘fundraising’ training deal is that NMC used $10,000 from local Educational Tax Credit donations, which should have gone directly to NMC students’ needs,” said Torres.