By The Star Staff
Attorney Verónica Ferraiuoli Hornedo, a member of the incoming government Transition Committee, on Monday told agencies that have yet to depose before the committee to prioritize in their reports the essential needs of the agencies, if there is a risk of losing federal funds, and other concerns that must be addressed instead of listing their achievements.
Ferraiuoli Hornedo expressed discomfort in the middle of the morning hearing with the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its initials in Spanish), saying that it was a “personal request.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m a neophyte in these things, but I thought that the transition meetings were going to be a little different,” she said. “We are from the same [political] party and there have been some differences in how to execute things. … I thought that what we were going to hear here from the different agencies was not necessarily the achievements. …”
“I also thought that what we were going to discuss were the agencies’ concerns, especially about federal programs that are ending or changes to the law,” Ferraiuoli Hornedo added. “We have a golden opportunity, a majority in the House and Senate, to make some changes. …”
Ferraiuoli Hornedo took the DTRH’s presentations as an example because agency officials left out of their report important issues that needed to be discussed, such as the shortage of personnel.
“I do not believe that I saw anywhere that concern from you that more people are needed [in the agency] to carry out the changes we have in force and those we want to make,” she said. “I did not see that in the presentation, and I do not believe that I have seen it in other presentations.”
“I honestly didn’t think it had to be done, but we will have to request that the agencies inform us if there is any program with funds that will run out,” she added. “We have to have a real picture of what programs we have and we will make that request in writing. So, for the agencies that are preparing their reports, it would help us a lot if they [take us up on] our position without having to ask them. …”
Also on Monday, Caridad Pierluisi, the sister of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi and director of the Office of the Governor, stated on Magic 97.3 FM that she does not understand why the incoming Transition Committee should complain about agencies’ performance under the Pierluisi administration.
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