Celina Roberto Babauta once again will be surrendering a portion of her government paycheck to remain in solidarity with government workers who are sacrificing through a now-70-hour pay period throughout Fiscal Year 2024.
According to an October 4 directive from CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios, the so-called Austerity Mondays will continue, reducing the typical 80-hour pay period to 72 hours. This is a continuation of Mr. Palacios’ fiscal policy from the previous fiscal year following his January inauguration and his discovery that Ralph Torres had ransacked government coffers, leaving behind a massive debt. This fiscal year, Mr. Palacios is reducing pay period hours by an additional two hours, by contracting work hours every Friday. Effective October 4 and for the remainder of the fiscal year, government work hours for the executive branch on Fridays will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ms. Babauta, a member of the Senate, last fiscal year voluntarily ‘cut’ her pay by 10 percent – the same pay cut executive branch employees took – by donating $3,200 of her $32,000 salary to Kagman High School. Effective October 1 this year, Ms. Babauta is increasing that donation to 12.5 percent – in line with the pay cut executive branch employees are taking. That amounts to $4,000, which she also will donate to Kagman High School.
The senator also will be donating the corresponding $1,000 in income taxes deducted from her paycheck to Kagman High School, making her total sacrifice $5,000.
