Youth centers ask: Where is our money?

Some six youth centers and their representatives will gather at the House of Representatives lobby at 8am today to send a petition letter to legislators asking them where their money is.

Together with special assistant Florence Kirby of the Youth Affairs Office under the Office of the Governor, coordinator Frances Sablan said she would submit a letter this morning to Rep. Arnold Palacios and Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero and to other key players with regards to the appropriation of $300,000 for the Youth Affairs Office.

Sablan said the money granted them would come from the Marianas Public Land Authority, through the landing fees on Managaha Island.

Special assistant Florence Kirby said the legislators who enacted the public law that appropriated the amount made a mistake by putting “Special Assistant to Youth Services Office” instead of “Youth Affairs.”

She said that when she was following up on the funding, the Office of Management and Budget told her that they could not forward the documents to the Finance Office due to the mistake. Thus, it was returned to the Legislature for amendment last month. Kirby said it has taken a month already and she has not heard of the amendment yet.

“What’s taking them so long? It’s just a very minor mistake but it’s taking them over a month now to make the amendment,” she said. She also said that when the lawmakers passed the law they, clearly said the youth centers have to use the money before the end of September or else it would go back to the general funds.

The letter, said Sablan, would represent the youth centers, which would benefit from the funding. She said her letter would contain an appreciation clause thanking the legislators and the governor for appropriating an amount to Youth Affairs but the letter would also ask them when they could receive the money. This morning, they said they want to meet the legislators, especially those who authored the law.

Kirby said the amount they would receive will be divided among at least seven active youth centers on the island: Tanapag Youth Center, Garapan Youth Center, Gualo Rai Youth Center, Karidat House of Manhoben, Mayor’s Youth Center, and Youth with a Mission.

Youth representatives met yesterday lunchtime at the Bobby Cadillac’s restaurant for a brief update on the status of the funds, which, Sablan said, is being held up at the Capitol Office.

Kirby said the youth centers could make use of the funds for their daily operations and services. She said she has already gathered the “wish lists” of the youth centers as to how they plan to use the money.

Kirby said the money, if they receive it from Finance, would be divided among the youth centers based on the need of each group. She said what all these groups want to achieve is to provide better services and recreation for the youth of the CNMI.