Thursday, July 10, 2008

MC82- A BUDGET, REALLY?

BENAVENTE PUSHES FOR A MANDATORY BUDGET...
Well it's about time....
Diego Benavente introduces a initiative in the House to penalize the governor and lawmakers for not passing an annual budget on it's given schedule. Why did this take so long for lawmakers to realize that without an annual budget the economy runs amok. This has been a problem for four out of the last ten years and a huge factor for the awful state our financial condition is in today.
I believe the house passed it unanimously. Maybe we'll find out in tomorrows news...
This should move to the Senate soon and anyone throwing a monkey wrench into this bill should be tarred and feathered. The governor will then be the final signature for this bill to become law, could there be a hitch there, I surely hope not.
Along with a balanced budget must come a few other mandatory conditions:
A limit on government employees to fit the budget, no political hires to overrun the salary caps and personnel limits...
The hiring of qualified, trained and experienced personnel to be heads of critical departments, such as CUC, CHC, DPS, PSS, MNC, to name a few...
An open and honest reporting of all financial dealings, contracts, leases and all purchasing for the public to review...
No nepotism, at all!
This would be a good start at the beginning of each fiscal year, and a constant for the duration of the year also....
Good work Diego...Keep it up!
.....GED.....
P.S. Read the whole story here....
I am correcting a few errors on the origional post...
This will not go to the governor, it will go to the ballot if passed by 2/3 of the Senate...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Genn apparently you are just as bad as Diego Benavente. WTF are you going to introduce an initiative when our constitution states that a budget has to be passed.

Secondly, an initiative to make sure the governor and legislature are doing their job.

This is as outrageous as the total amount of initiatives that will be introduced which will be about 50 by the time we have to vote on it.

glend558 said...

Apparently there are no penalties in the present rules to demand a balanced budget in a timely manner. This initiative would shut down the governor if he misses his deadline and next the legislature if they don't make their deadline.
Also their salaries would be suspended until a budget is reached. There is nothing in the present rules for that or it is being blatently ignored. The budget (or lack of one) is the heart of this governments fininicial problems.

Anonymous said...

glenn that's where you are wrong. It's high time that voters become responsible and vote these clowns out and that my friend is the penalty.

Diego's initiative is another political ploy to get votes. It's been more than 8 years and that equates to three terms for these legislators so what was the problem...we continued to vote them in.

Anonymous said...

Personal take on "Diego and Tim" Tandem extracted from: http://pub43.bravenet.com/forum/3663190917

What a combination. We have a traitor and a fish market entrepenuer whose business went belly-up. I'm surprised the Feds are not looking at how the federal grant used for this market was spent. Diego should be held accountable for the mishandling and misappropriation of these federal monies (if any).

Considering that both Diego and Tim or closely related shows greed on both men. Greed for power that is. Also, how do they plan to determine who will be governor and who will be the Lt? The fisherman or the traitor. Well, the fisherman should be the Lt. since he is desperate enough to ask his relative who is not only a traitor but... a man who carries the "Better Times" stigma on his shoulders.

Lastly, what makes these two clowns think they have a shot when combined, both of them had eight years to lead the CNMI to which they miserably failed to do.

No to Tim and a definite Hell No! to Diego.

glend558 said...

Anon. so what was the problem...we continued to vote them in.
The problem is this...
They are the only ones on the ballot. The problem starts at the ground floor and there is no others to vote for. I went to the polls this last election determined to make changes, to vote for new blood, so to speak, but all I had to chose from was the sane old tired names so I didn't vote in many cases. To stop voting in the same old boys is to have new names on the ballot, How do we do that? there lies the problem and the answer to your question above.

Anonymous said...

Here's a better answer: GOP reject Tim and the Feds investigate Diego. This way, Tim is chastised in the local political arena while Diego serves a possible prison term. Simple rocess of elimination my friend.

glend558 said...

That still dosen't place any new names on the ballot, Does it?

Anonymous said...

Then run Glen? Or wait, it's easier to criticize.

Anonymous said...

Glenn come on gachong! You know damn well that they are not the only ones on the ballot for Gov and lt. gov.

Take for instance the legislature how many of those worthless politicians kept getting re-elected because of the familia ties? When mid term election came there were many individuals to select from but no we decided to get the same ol shit guys in.

Do you really think Diego and Tim are the only two that will run? How long did you say you have been in saipan?

glend558 said...

Where do you get your information your responding to? I never even said anything about Diego nor Tim.
You do know the anonymous responses are not my ideas?
I only mentioned Diego sponsered a penality clause for not passing a budget on time, something that is badly needed.