Senators bicker over $24M CIP projects • Disagreements focused on expenditure authority

At least four senators blocked attempts yesterday to overhaul the CIP bill that will appropriate more than $24 million in both federal and local funds in fear it would risk yet another veto from Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and delay spending of the construction grants.

The Senate instead had to settle on a minor amendment to House Bill 11-408, interchanging the amount set aside for two projects on Rota, while junking proposal from Rota delegation to give expenditure and reprogramming authorities to local mayors.

Although the measure passed with a 9-0 vote after a hour-long debate, senators from Rota expressed dismay that the amendment did not win support of their colleagues from Saipan and Tinian.

“I’m going to holler like hell,” said Sen. Edward U. Maratita in an interview after the upper house voted on the bill. “It is not about trust, it is about moving the projects.”

The senator stressed restricting expenditure authority only to the Public Works Secretary would deny Rota and Tinian immediate release of funds as what had happened in the past where both municipalities had to wait for years before receiving these funds due to the department’s inefficiency.

According to Maratita, he would pursue the issue when the bill heads to the House of Representatives to approve the amendment before it goes to the governor for signing into law.

Risking governor’s veto: But Sen. Juan P. Tenorio prodded senators to give the administration-sponsored bill a chance by passing the same version without amendment, saying granting these authorities to mayors would mean “a slap” in the face of the governor.

“Let’s try to set aside hypocrisy and let’s work together. We need to infuse funds into our economy,” he added.

Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez likewise argued during the session that pressing the amendment would only invite protest from the governor.

The local chief executive earlier had vetoed the same provision when the first appropriation measure under the Covenant 702 funding was passed in fear it would comprise the integrity of the CIP master plan.

“Why can’t we give him the chance to let the CIP get going,” Villagomez asked. “Let’s show him that we can work together on this bill.”

In an unusual twist, even Tinian Sen. David Cing, who is a Democrat, sided with the governor against giving spending powers to municipalities, noting that the two islands got the projects they wanted to be included in the CIP plan.

“This amendment is a 180-degree turn from what the governor wanted us to pass,” he said in an interview.

While Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes originally opposed the amendment, he had a change of heart later on after the Attorney General’s office backed the proposed changes to the bill.

He said that if the governor rejects the measure, the AG should be blamed for coming out with a legal opinion not objecting to the proposal, which was requested by Senate President Paul A. Manglona.

Pet projects included: Introduced by House Speaker Diego T. Benavente, the administration-drafted bill will set aside more than $24 million for various infrastructure plans of the government, including pet projects by lawmakers.

Seen as a compromise measure, HB 11-408 represents the second batch of CIP-funded projects following appropriation of nearly $9 million for the first phase of the new prison and completion of Marianas High School Gymnasium.

Pet projects, such as the expansion of the Rota airport runway as well as improvement of the Tinian airport, that were inserted by the Senate at the last minute in the first bill were earlier shelved by Tenorio to the disappointment by some members.

But HB 11-408, a supplemental to Public Law 11-78 that set aside funds for the new prison and the gym, has reinstated funding for these projects in an apparent effort to please legislators, adding them into the final list so that they would be eligible to receive federal assistance.

This represents a portion of the $154 million provided in the entire package, half of which will be made available by Washington until 2002 on condition that the CNMI sets aside equal amount.

Island officials have pinned hopes on the CIP money to spur the local economy amid continuous decline in tourist arrivals as well as anticipated slowdown in garment manufacturing due to the recent $1 billion lawsuits.