Our recent poll about Tina Sablan's running for seat at the House of Representatives received significant support from online voters. Out of 84 votes 59.5 percent of them approves Tina's mighty guts to run for office while 14.3 percent asked what the hell is she running at all? Two of the remaining options share 13.1 percent of the votes.
Our next poll is out now. In light of the CNMI's utilities situation, news is also out saying that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has disapproved legislation that would have given residential consumers a year to pay their bills with the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
According to the reports from Saipan Tribune that the governor in a letter addressed the Legislature that House Bill 15-244 was unfair to other consumer classes, and it would drain CUC financially. “Enactment of this bill into law would not be in the best interests of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, or the people of the Northern Marianas,” Fitial said of the bill sponsored by Rep. Ray N. Yumul.
He said it was against the law to grant preferential treatment to residential customers. He cited CUC's enabling legislation, which requires CUC to collect fees fairly and rationally from all consumers. Fitial noted that the bill, if approved, would give residential customers one year to pay their outstanding balances while commercial consumers would be required to continue to pay within 30 days or be subject to service disconnection.
<------ So in this regard, lead the way to our new poll.
12 comments:
i say 'no' because that's a ridiculous option. at the same time, it's also ridiculous that the government isn't disconnected when it fails to pay its bills.
it's all political posturing and a waste of time on the hill for our government to broker "legislation that would have given residential consumers a year to pay their bills with the Commonwealth Utilities Corp."
don't get me wrong, i'd like to go a whole year without paying my bill and sign up under a different name later, too.
the difference is that these folks knew that this bill would be shot down and they just want to make the gov look bad.
in the process they made themselves look foolish by pressing ahead with such a frivolous bill.
way to go ralphie! more wasted dollars that could have gone toward my 2008 jollibee calendar photo shoot.
It's a ridiculous option, but it is also ironic that Fitial chooses to use the word "fair" when it comes to conversation having to do with payments due on CUC bills. The outrageous rates are also far from "fair".
i believe it's Ray, Sand, not Ralph. ;-)
then, well, ray-ie. my bad. sorry for my Ymistake.
ever notice how cold the government offices are? i notice every time i pay my whopping cuc bill. that place is an ice box!
and i just noticed you "delinked" jeff's blog. interesting developments here. did he do the same thing to you guys n gals?
never mind, just saw his blog...
What's with everyone playing the "remove your link" game? Your blog is great and alot bigger than that.. repost his link. You'll be better for it.
I was gonna do a post on the governors CUC position but I'm just really getting tired of rediculing him, poor guy. But my question is this..Is it not also unfair to not disconnect the gov. offices for not paying, leaving the rest of us who do pay to carry the load? Politial bullshit all of it...
;-)
It`s been over a year since the government raised the power rates by up to a hundred percent. but we have not seen improvements in CUC`s services, nor the government being up to date with its payments to fuel suppliers (the reason behind the rate hike, the administration said, is mainly to pay for fuel). where did the earnings for the increased rates go?
CUC should be audited. The rate hike should be reviewed and revisited, its impact and effectiveness measured.
The over night doubling of CUC rates has killed more businesses and sent more saipan residents packing than any wage increase or federal immigration takeover ever will. It was by far the worst move I have ever seen pulled by any administration. It was a thoughtless and knee-jerk reaction. Where was the "up-in-arms" protesting that the other two measures are garnering? Where was the Chamber's "unified stance" on that measure that doubled our power bill?
Let's not forget as well.. the Governor won based on his promise to reduce the power rate.
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