My apologies for the short notice — this is to inform you that the Marians Public Lands Trust Board of Trustees has called a special meeting today, Friday, October 30, 2009 @ 10am in the MPLT Conference Room, Suite #107 at the Morgan Building in San Jose.
The MPLT Board is expected to discuss the $1million loan that has reportedly been approved for the Tinian Mayor's office to pay retroactive salary increases to municipal employees, and cover other obligations to the Tinian Dynasty and the Tinian Scholarship Program. I plan to attend.
Below is a letter sent yesterday to MPLT Board Chair Mr. Philip Mendiola-Long, expressing my concerns about the loan and requesting certain documents.
Thank you,
Tina Sablan
———- Forwarded message ———-
From:
Tina Sablan <tinasablan@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Subject: Questions regarding MPLT loan to Mayor of Tinian
To: Phillip Mendiola-Long <
phil@shermanconsultinginc.com>,
bigcasino@netscape.com Cc: Senator Jude Hofschneider <
sen.hofschneiderj@cnmileg.gov.mp>, "Mendiola, Joseph" <
senatormendiola@yahoo.com>, Senator Joseph Mendiola <
sen.mendiolaj@cnmileg.gov.mp>,
sen.sannicolash@cnmileg.gov.mp, "Rep. Ray Yumul" <
rayyumul@saipan.com>, Arnold Palacios <
aipalacios@yahoo.com>, "Sen. Pete P. Reyes" <
spider@pticom.com>, Cgr Heinz Hofschneider <
rep.hsh@gmail.com>, Mike Pai <
mpai@opacnmi.com>, "Rep. Edwin Aldan" <
rep.aldane@cnmileg.gov.mp>, Joey Patrick San Nicolas <
sannicolaslaw@gmail.com>, Antonette Villagomez <
villagomeza@gmail.com>, Robert Torres <
rttlaw@pticom.com>, "Governor Fitial." <
benfitial@aol.com>, "CABINET-Inos, Eloy" <
eloyinos@aol.com>, frica pangelinan <
fricajp@gmail.com>, "Rep. Edward Salas" <
etsalas@gmail.com>,
billcing@yahoo.com, Ed Buckingham <
agocnmi@gmail.com>, Deputy Attorney General <
deputyagocnmi@gmail.com>, Ross Zapanta <
rzapanta@opacnmi.com>,
rep.dlguerreroj@cnmileg.gov.mp, Joseph Camacho <
jjncamacho@gmail.com>
Dear Mr. Mendiola-Long,
I am writing to request information on the $1M loan that was very quickly and recently approved by the Marianas Public Lands Trust to the Tinian Mayor's Office, reportedly to pay out retroactive salary increases to Tinian municipal employees and to cover other obligations by the Tinian municipal government to the Tinian Dynasty and Tinian Scholarship Program.
Please provide my office with the following:
1) A copy of the loan application submitted by the Tinian Mayor's Office and approved by MPLT, including the terms of repayment if any;
2) A copy of any minutes, notes, tape recordings, or other records documenting the MPLT meeting at which this loan was approved;
3) A copy of any financial records from the Tinian municipal government, including any audit reports or detailed records of financial expenditures, that were reviewed by the MPLT prior to approving this loan; and
4) A copy of any minutes, notes, tape recordings, or other records documenting any public hearing that the MPLT may have conducted prior to approving this loan.
I am deeply concerned about whether or not MPLT has honored its fiduciary responsibilities in reviewing and approving the Tinian Mayor's request for a loan. I am also extremely concerned that this loan may violate Article X of the CNMI Constitution, and specifically the prohibition in Section 3 on incurring public debt without 2/3 of the affirmative vote of the members in each house of the legislature, and the prohibition in Section 4 on borrowing for government operations.
Please advise as to why the actions of MPLT and the Tinian Mayor's Office should not trigger taxpayer lawsuits against the government, including lawsuits against the MPLT Board members for breaches of fiduciary duty.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Posted via email from Tina Sablan