2% wage tax inadvertently not deducted from some ASG paychecks Page 2 Heaven’s Touch for a “fofo” for relaxation, what a concept! Page 5 C M Y K E le toe mana’omia se isi tulafono Manulele Tausala Elementary SPED students, teachers and parents were all treated to Carl’s Jr. luncheon menu #1 or #3 for the students and any meal on the menu for teacher and parents yesterday puipuia ai sui afternoon. The treat was from the management and staff of Carl’s Jr. Fast Foods in Laufou Shopping Center, tauva o le palota Nuuuli. Carl’s Jr. adopted Manulele Tausala Elementary as ‘their’ school — but they also donate gener- Le Lali ously to all other schools when they ask for help, according to Carl’s Jr.’s Marketing Manager Phil Love. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost] ONLINE @ SAMOANEWS.COM DAILY CIRCULATION 7,000 PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017 $1.00 FLAG DAY Police Commissioner FAUTASI FEVER 2017 says budget to feed Your Family of exclusively Fine Beverages distributed by 699-1854 inmates insufficient AND, THERE IS NO BUDGET TO EVEN BUY SUPPLIES, SUCH AS TOILET PAPER Manulele Tausala, Nu’uuli by Fili Sagapolutele Foifua and Criminal Justice Planning Agency Samoa News Correspondent (CJPA) director Leseiau Laumoli appeared focused on 1st Place only olice Commissioner Le’i Sonny yesterday before the House Public Safety Com- by T. Gasu only to defend their champion- Thompson told a House committee mittee after House Vice Speaker Fetu Fetui Jr., SN Sports Correspondent ship title from last year’s com- that the approved fiscal year 2017 received concerned reports regarding problems The Manulele Tausala I petition, but are focused on the budget to cover “inmate food” at the with food for the inmates. TerritorialP Correctional Facility is “not even suf- Le’i noted the FY 2017 provides for inmate C M and II fautasi captains & crews top seed of the ‘faiga mea i le Y K from the village of Nu’uuli, tai’ — to earn another chance ficient” to provide three daily meals a day, seven food, leaving no funding for other expenses, Ituau Malosi district are pre- at being the No.1 team in this days a week, for the entire year. such as supplies for TCF — for example, toilet pared to compete in the 2017 year’s fautasi fiva competition. Currently, the inmate population is 194 and paper. Flag Day Fautasi Regatta, not the approved FY 2017 budget is $110,000 — According to the police commissioner when (Continued on page 8) which is a drop from $136,000 in FY 2016. And he took over the post he received information the FY 2017 food budget is also to help with that the previous leadership had stopped pro- food items for the 14 youths currently housed at viding breakfast for inmates and he is not clear the Juvenile Detention Center. as to the reasons behind it, but he suspects it all Now “let’s say”, for example, it costs around has to do with the lack of funding. $30 a day to feed each inmate at TCF providing Among the 194 inmates — sixty-six of them three meals a day, Le’i said. The total cost just have a case pending in court, five of them have for one day to feed the current 194 inmates is immigration related matters, seven individuals $5,820 per day — so times that by the total are housed in a separate part of the TCF dealing amount of days in a year, 365 days (unless it’s a with substance abuse service, and the rest are leap year), that comes to around $2.12 million. inmates serving time. Therefore, he said the FY 2017 budget is “not Of the five individuals held in custody due to Captain of the Manulele Tausala I is once again Manutafea Saleauau even sufficient” to feed inmates, unless the meal immigration matters, Le’i suggested that maybe Tanielu Taufete’e, while captain of the Manulele Tausala II is Fanene is “only a piece of bread and a glass of water”; the Immigration Office should contribute their Vitale Sotoa in this year’s faigamea i le tai 2017 Flag Day Regatta. and he quickly reminded lawmakers that inmates share in feeding these inmates. GHC Reid & Company, Ltd. — Oloa o Leala — “Your Family of Fine are human beings, and their rights are protected Samoa News points out that over the years, Beverages and home of Vaimalu Purified Water” is the sponsor of this under the law and the government is responsible there were times when the TCF population was year’s Samoa News coverage of the 2017 Flag Day Fautasi Fiva; and — under the law — to provide them with food. up to 220 inmates. wishes all captains & crew a safe and peaceful race. [Photos: TG] Le’i, along with TCF Warden, Comdr. Foifua (Continued on page 2) Page 2 samoa news, Thursday, March 30, 2017 ➧ 2% wage tax inadvertently Police Commissioner says… Continued from page 1 The committee was also informed care of in a decent manner. not deducted from some by Le’i that in the past, TCF had no He also said that he is not sure as cook, and it’s just recently that CJPA to why providing breakfast was previ- approved funding to hire a cook for ously halted but there should be break- ASG paychecks TCF, and a janitor for the Juvenile fast — even if it’s limited, for example, Detention Center, which has a cook, maybe to one egg, along with another by Fili Sagapolutele nation of the memo on the wage tax and but funding for their food supply food item. Samoa News Correspondent apologized to the affected employees. comes from the main TCF inmate food Le’i also told lawmakers of a pre- For American Samoa workers: No It’s unclear as to how many employees budget. vious practice, in which the food you didn’t get an increment raise, and no were affected, with the next ASG payday At this time, the Education Depart- supply was purchased to cover three the 2% wage tax has not been repealed, due next week Monday. ment is helping the Juvenile Detention months, but the problem is that “there and yes — you are paying it back, if it Samoa News heard from a few gov- Center with breakfast for the young- is no accountability where that food is wasn’t deducted. ernment employees and family members sters housed at the facility. going” and “there’s no procedures to With the roll out of a new ASG after the ASG payroll was released Mar. Le’i said he has been given TCF’s follow” to make sure the purchase is computer system, the 2% wage tax was 20 that the 2% wage tax was not taken inmate food item list, which includes based on the available budget. not deducted from payroll checks for out of their paycheck. They were asking things such as cases of mackerel Now, the food supply is ordered some American Samoa Government whether there is a new law, repealing this (pilikaki) and cases of turkey tails; and once a month, he said and suggested the employees, says Human Resources tax. looking at the list, that means food to committee give him a month to work director Eseneiaso Liu, who has also set Other affected employees had won- feed the inmates is “kaleve pilikaki with DPS officials as well as Fo’ifua a deadline for submission of employees’ dered if there was some sort of error on the (mackerel gravy), but there are many to address this issue, and when called time sheets to ensure they are paid come government’s part because many of their inmates who suffer from gout, there- back by the committee, he would then payday. coworkers had the wage tax deducted, fore it’s a sure thing that these partic- be able to provide an update. Liu made the revelation in two sepa- while others spoke of an ‘unannounced’ ular inmates will be in need of hospital He also revealed that DPS is rate memos — both dated Mar. 24 — as increment, perhaps? treatment. working on a supplemental appropria- well as a verbal explanation during the TIME CARDS There are also cases of chicken and tion request to the governor for DPS. governor’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday On the issue of time card deadline sub- bags of rice on the food list, but again However, he didn’t provide any other at the Agriculture Department confer- mission, Liu said that to enable DHR to the approved budget is insufficient, he details, but he did remind lawmakers ence room. better manage paychecks for employees said, and noted that he has received that the $110,000 is only for inmate Payroll Division has been under the going forward, the department is imple- word that family members of inmates food — there is no money to purchase jurisdiction of the Department of Human menting a “time card submission dead- visiting TCF also help by bringing supplies and other needs to adequately Resources for about two years, based on line of 3p.m. on the Monday prior to pay- food. (Family members of two inmates take care of the inmates. a directive at the time from Gov. Lolo check Monday.” told Samoa News recently that on the Of the total money budgeted for Matalasi Moliga. “Complete and accurate time cards weekends, especially on Sundays, they inmate food, Le’i said that to date, WAGE TAX submitted by this drop dead date will take extra food for other inmates, as $39,000 has been expended.