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.<\/p>\n
This came despite opposition from certain lawmakers who said they would rather appropriate the money for school-related projects than a baseball field.<\/p>\n
Rep. Ray Tebuteb said that the \u201cinserted\u201d $100,000 budget could better be spent on schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, we know that there\u2019s a shortage of classrooms, chairs, supplies, etc. in the public schools. Why use this money to build a baseball field?\u201d asked Tebuteb.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Sen. Luis Crisostimo expressed great dismay over the Senate\u2019s approval of the bill during his absence.<\/p>\n
During a session last week, Crisostimo accused his colleagues, specifically those from Rota and Tinian, of \u201cnot respecting\u201d requests for Saipan.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is more important\u2014baseball or classrooms? As a leader, it\u2019s my duty to make sure that our students have books, chairs, and classrooms to use,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He cited that the baseball money could have been appropriated to pave the road to the Dandan kindergarten school.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He said the Department of Public Works has in fact issued a solicitation for the project construction.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The baseball field project was originally introduced by former Rep. Frank Aldan but it was abandoned for lack of funding and limited time. <\/p>\n
Quitugua said the project site should be developed now because it has been sitting idle for over two years. \u201cIt\u2019s a favorite recreation area for man\u2019amko. Now they can\u2019t even use it because it\u2019s all diggings. And people are wondering what\u2019s really our plan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The baseball project includes the construction of dug out and bleachers, backstop, booth, chain link fence, and toilet.<\/p>\n
The funding also covers lighting fixtures and power pole as well as the construction of a parking facility for 40 cars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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