Saole rep blames ‘newspaper’ for negative comments on social media

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The faipule from Saole District, Titiali’i Kitara Vaiau has strongly criticized a report published by the ‘newspaper’ as the reason for negative comments made by the public on social media against him last week.

In a forceful tone, Titiali’i did not mince words when he voiced his frustration and disappointment about the issue during a House Session this week, saying that it was the report by the newspaper that stirred up everything.

When he addressed the floor during the House session on Tuesday, Titiali’i angrily told representatives that the issue about the negative comments against him was only brought to his attention this week after his children contacted him from off island via telephone about what people said about him on Facebook.

He said the comments against him were so rude and disrespectful and it was an embarrassment for him and his family.

Titiali’i called out the name of the Samoa News Reporter who was present in the House chamber and said, “You should be thankful for the opportunity that is given to allow you to sit inside this chamber and witness the House sessions.”

Titiali’i continued, “My advice to you, report only essential issues that will benefit our people. You are not supposed to put in the newspaper everything representatives say inside the House chamber.”

He then mentioned something about an issue raised by the faipule from Aua last week where he criticized the media for not reporting what he actually said in the House Chamber. According to Titiali’i, he’s facing the same problem where people are calling him names.

Samoa News respectfully approached the representative from Saole after the House session that morning and questioned him if there was something wrong with the article published by the newspaper.

Titiali’i said that there was nothing wrong with the article published in the newspaper, but the only problem his children alluded to were the negative comments by the public criticizing him on the issue he raised in the House Chamber last week.

Titiali’i was referring to an article published in Samoa News on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 where he calls for pay raises for lawmakers saying that the current annual salary is not enough to take care of lawmakers’ daily work and business, including the $10,000 each lawmaker received from the government through the CARES Act funding for COVID-19 last year to set up offices at their homes. He said that money doesn’t even help to fulfill what is needed.

Calling himself “New kid on the block”, Titiali’i stated that it’s been over two years since the old Fono building was pulled down and lawmakers are trying to find places to do the work of their districts. He asked the Speaker of the House, Savali Talavou Ale to carefully consider his request because there are other lawmakers who have served in the Fono for many years but the salary still remains the same.

“We are lawmakers but our salaries are not enough. We don’t have offices, nor office desks or even telephones to use for our work,” Titialii said, adding that, “I’m just a new kid on the block but I’m asking for those who have served in the Fono for many years.”

BACKGROUND

Samoa News should point out that bills for pay raises for lawmakers were introduced in 2016 and 2019 — both by Rep. Faimealelei Anthony Allen — and both times the bills generated public outrage, citing the territory’s economic woes and ‘better’ use of the public’s money. Both bills were tabled and died in committee.