Legislature OKs baseball project funding

The House of Representatives has passed an appropriation bill that includes a $100,000 budget to complete the funding for the construction of a $240,000-baseball field on Capitol Hill.

This came despite opposition from certain lawmakers who said they would rather appropriate the money for school-related projects than a baseball field.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb said that the “inserted” $100,000 budget could better be spent on schools.

“I mean, we know that there’s a shortage of classrooms, chairs, supplies, etc. in the public schools. Why use this money to build a baseball field?” asked Tebuteb.

Earlier, Sen. Luis Crisostimo expressed great dismay over the Senate’s approval of the bill during his absence.

During a session this week, Crisostimo accused his colleagues, specifically those from Rota and Tinian, of “not respecting” requests for Saipan.

In an interview, Crisostimo said he was upset by the fact that House Bill 14-178, a bond interest proceeds appropriation measure that inserted $100,000 for the baseball project, was passed while he was off-island.

“What is more important—baseball or classrooms? As a leader, it’s my duty to make sure that our students have books, chairs, and classrooms to use,” he said.

He cited that the baseball money could have been appropriated to pave the road to the Dandan kindergarten school.

Meantime, Rep. Justo Quitugua, who pushed for the $100,000 insertion, said he respects the argument but he noted that the baseball project had long been approved and money had been earmarked for its construction.

He said the Department of Public Works has in fact issued a solicitation for the project construction.

Quitugua said the $100,000 is just an additional budget needed to complete the project. He said that some $100,000 was earlier earmarked through House Bill 14-1, which he authored.

Besides, Quitugua, who chairs the House Committee on Education, said that while the idea to fund schools is noble, $100,000 is not enough to even build a classroom, which he said requires at least $150,000.

The baseball field project was originally introduced by former Rep. Frank Aldan but it was abandoned for lack of funding and limited time.

Quitugua said the project site should be developed now because it has been sitting idle for over two years. “It’s a favorite recreation area for man’amko. Now they can’t even use it because it’s all diggings. And people are wondering what’s really our plan,” he said.

The baseball project includes the construction of dug out and bleachers, backstop, booth, chain link fence, and toilet.

The funding also covers lighting fixtures and power pole as well as the construction of a parking facility for 40 cars.