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Just some random musings .

Thursday, August 14, 2008

House passes "Vote for me - Appropriations bill of 2008"

Yesterday the house passed the "Vote For Me - Appropriations Bill of 2008".

It is important to note that the bill was handed to the members just hours before the session (a session that was called just a day prior).

Nearly $5 million was appropriated for the following pet projects:

  • $3 million for the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance;
  • $100,000 for the SHEFA operations;
  • $45,000 for the 2009 Liberation Day activities;
  • $50,000 for the CNMI Little League;
  • $25,000 for the Fishing Derby;
  • $20,000 for the Agricultural Fair;
  • $15,000 for the Flame Tree Arts Festival;
  • $75,000 for the Saipan Zoning;
  • $30,000 for the A&E design and construction of the Anthony T. Benavente Baseball Field on Navy Hill;
  • $111,400 for road improvement and paving of Gloria Drive on Navy Hill;
  • $200,000 for road paving and drainage improvement of Egigi Road, Piligro Lane, Sea Coast Lane, Rota Place, and Orhopay Place;
  • $100,000 for the construction of a pavilion, procurement of children's playground equipment, and improvement of the public facilities at the Capitol Hill Children's Park to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • $200,000 for road paving of Gangoche Road to Pika Road in Precinct I;
  • $200,000 for road paving and drainage improvements and renovations of public facilities in Precinct II;
  • $10,000 for the improvement of public facilities at Pakpak Beach Park;
  • $21,000 for repairs and maintenance of Dandan Elementary School; and
  • $100,000 for the Northern Marianas Trades Institute

road pavings, baseball fields, fishing derby, lib day festival, playgrounds, etc...

How in good conscience could anyone pass this bill at this time?

If your father recently got fired and your mother's salary was cut in half would it be appropriate to ask them for a new swing set and cash for a rod and reel?

CUC is crumbling, Retirement fund is looted and about 700 million in the hole and growing, PSS is in need of funding, the list goes on and on.

$5 million to these projects is ludicrous.

Time to speak up.

Time to rise up.

26 comments:

Lil' Hammerhead said...
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Anonymous said...

Mr. PooPooHead,

You are also Pragmatic Plato!

We know your MO. You Stupid Chilipino!

Pragmatic Plato said...

So you would like to believe noni. But such is not the case. There are many that share like views in the CNMI and oppose this status quo that has lead to the situation we are in today. I think it is high time you took a step outside of your bubble and realized that it is you who are the minority.

We have discovered this fact and the time to speak up has come.

PP

Anonymous said...

Whats more disturbing than the bill is the Gov's attempt to takeover everything...Fitial is trying to SOLE SOURCE THE POWER HERE...hahahaha :):):)

Now that, sports fans, is a true joke.

Pragmatic Plato said...

So out of $5 million in allocations $21,000 may be justified?

Although, I do believe that a large portion of poker fees collected are already earmarked for public schools. If this is correct than even the allocation for that one school is not justified.

PP

KAP said...

SHEFA?

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with paving roads and fulfilling promises to the constituents.
Flame Tree-worthwhile event we all attend.

Baseball fields- this is needed for the youth.

and others. Either way the members all knew of the appropriations ahead of time. Those who did'nt well, that's just too bad just vote against it.

Pragmatic Plato said...

Yes noni. That is my next blog topic. The infamous "CUC EO by Fitial".

PP

Pragmatic Plato said...

Yes, Kap. One in the same. Why not throw more money at a group that cannot even put together a coherant report to justify their past expenditures?

Unbelievable!

PP

Anonymous said...

Where on Capitol Hill is the Children's Park?

Where's the Northern Marianas Trades Institute?

Why is SHEFA still operational?

Anonymous said...

hey, if you appropriate funds to the derby and then you enter the derby and win and receive the prizes for the derby does that constitute a conflict of intrest?

how did heinz vote?

Lil' Hammerhead said...
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Lil' Hammerhead said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pragmatic Plato said...

It has just been brought to my attention that the listing of appropriations is incomplete. We also appropriated $450,000 to the rota gaming commision.

If I recall correctly the general fund and Saipan and Tinian get nothing in terms of revenue from the Rota Gaming. All funds will remain in Rota.

Lil' Hammerhead said...
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Anonymous said...

I will not vote for any of the members who voted in favor of this legislation.

Anonymous said...

Just what exactly is your objection with the appropriations measure? The Mayor of Saipan was there to support it. John “Bolis” Gonzales was also in the Legislature building to show his support of the measure.

Anonymous said...

You know what is ridiculous and crazy on that appropriation bill? $30K A&E for Anthony T. Benavente. You know this guy shot and killed a young girl and he stole from the government and use for himself 2 x 4s. He was acquitted of all the crimes because the girl was his niece (the family beg for his acquittal) and the 2 x 4s, because of Diego his brother. Diego should not even be voting on the bill -- a conflict of interest.

One other crazy thing the legilasture have done#%$&*? naming the baseball field after Anthony. Where the hell can you find a living person with bad records, killer and stealer given a memorial place.

Pragmatic Plato said...

"Just what exactly is your objection with the appropriations measure? The Mayor of Saipan was there to support it. John “Bolis” Gonzales was also in the Legislature building to show his support of the measure."

My objection is that this measure was passed. That $5 Million (projected poker revenues) have now been allocated to frivolous pet projects.

We are raping our Retirement Fund, we have just borrowed from MPLT, we claim that we have no funds for CUC fuel, Finance just came out the other day to urge a cut in gov't spending, we have a huge deficit, we have not been able to pass a balanced budget, shefa should not be allocated any funds until they retract their last letter and pen a coherent one, Rota should fund its commission with its own funds (seeing as how the revenue generated stays in Rota), the fishing derby can be privately funded by sponsorship, we have a ton of baseball fields existing(do we really need more fields?), etc.

The fact that the Mayor and John G. backed this bill is reason not to ever support them in any upcoming elections. No vote for John G, No vote for Mayor, No vote for the members that voted to pass this.

PP

Lil' Hammerhead said...
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Anonymous said...

Why all the round number on the appropriation? Wasn't a detailed budget submitted for each project? Or, as I think, they just guessed and threw money at the project with no idea of the real costs of doing it. Some beggar needing to suckle from the government tit told them that they needed $30K so they said OK Bro.

Anonymous said...

Juan Bolis is everywhere were he can get exposure free of charge. He wants to be seen at every function that he will not cost him a cent to have a political advantage.

Pragmatic Plato said...

"Why all the round number on the appropriation? Wasn't a detailed budget submitted for each project?"

Exactly. They throw these bulk amounts at these projects and have no real idea where the money is going. There is no budget there is no listing of the details of where the money will be spent.

If these projects need funding than at the very least they request should be accompanied by a detailed budget for the use of the requested funds.

Same way we handle the attempts at budgeting. "How much money do we have to divide up?" Rather than "How much money is actually need to efficiently run the government.

PP
REVOLT

Anonymous said...

Try to get federal funding. They want every financial detail down to the estimated mileage for fuel. They even want to know what is being donated towards the project, like vehicle use, space and time. Here you just say you need 50 grand.

Anonymous said...

Noni above wrote: "Juan Bolis is everywhere were he can get exposure free of charge. He wants to be seen at every function that he will not cost him a cent to have a political advantage."

True but I work for the Legislature and John O. walked up to me asking me to vote for him during the SNILD session last week.

Nothing's wrong with this except that I doubted if John was on leave and he was in a government building at the time.

IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO CAMPAIGN ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.

So, since John does not know even our own laws well enough, he therefore cannot represent me in DC.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Plato!