Torres: Pay hike bill ‘dead on arrival’

111407 Moneth G. Deposa Variety News Staff

REPRESENTATIVE Stanley T. Torres said yesterday that the bill which would allow executive branch officials to get higher salaries is “dead on arrival.” Introduced by Speaker Oscar M. Babauta on Nov. 8, House Bill 15-323 proposes to restore to 1998-2006 levels the salary ceilings for certain officials — despite the government’s worsening financial condition.“It’s dead on arrival,” Torres said, adding that the minority bloc and non-Covenant Party members of the House will not support the bill. Babauta’s bill will increase the salary ceilings for the attorney general to $80,000, and for the secretary of Public Health to $70,000, or $100,000 if the secretary holds a doctor’s degree. Torres, R-Saipan, said Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, introduced a similar bill on Aug. 31.“That bill made it to the first reading by voice vote where it was placed on the calendar but was later ignored and never voted on,” Torres said. He said the new bill has specific figures for certain government positions.“This is the second attempt and I don’t think it will get attention or much support from any of the House members,” Torres said. “Most members will vote it down because why would we make such salary increases and adjustments when many of our people are crying for help? Why is there a need to do these high-salaried people a favor and ignore low-income people?” he said. Torres noted that last week, the administration notified about 400 government employees about the termination of their service contracts on Dec. 22.“With all this happening in our government, what was in the speaker’s mind when he introduced that bill again? It’s very bad judgment to come out with that idea of giving a raise to the secretaries and directors when the low-income earners cannot even pay their utility bills,” Torres said. Babauta’s bill benefits department heads, deputy department heads, resident department heads, and division chiefs or special assistants. Under the Government Compensation Act passed in 1991, the maximum salary for department heads was $54,000, for deputy department heads, $42,000, for resident department heads, $36,000, and for division chiefs or special assistants, $40,800. Between Oct 1, 1998 and Oct. 1, 2006, annual salary ceilings were applied to raise the pay of deputy department heads to $50,000, the resident department heads to $45,000 and the division chiefs or special assistants to $45,000. However, the fiscal year 2007 budget did not include such funding provisions. As a result, the salary ceilings for the officials reverted to the 1991 levels for the first time in eight years. Under the bill, the public auditor may also receive up to $100,000 a year, and the public defender, $70,000. A department secretary or activity head who holds a doctor’s degree, an MBA, or is a U.S. certified public accountant may get up to $80,000 a year.