Legislature scrambles for cash to fund pet projects

The powerful House Ways and Means Committee has been instructed to check into the availability of funds under a previous appropriation law in an an obvious attempt to raise funds for several pet projects of legislators seeking reelection.

Rep. Karl T. Reyes is expected to meet this week with officials from finance and public works departments as well as from the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to see whether there is still remaining balance from the $23 million allocated by the Legislature in 1994 for road, sewer and water projects.

The move stemmed from attempts by House members to scramble for funds to push their respective projects in precinct level which are otherwise not qualified to receive money under the Capital Improvement Projects.

While it has become a practice for elected officials to pitch projects for their constituents, political observers believe it has become more pronounced this year due to the financial crisis besetting the CNMI government where it has made it more difficult to source funds.

During a House session last Friday, representatives debated heatedly on a piece of legislation that seeks to re-appropriate more than $90,000 in unspent funds from the Oleai Waterline project into drainage and road paving plans in Precinct III.

Vice Speaker Jesus T. Attao, sponsor of the measure, claimed the money is still available based on the records obtained from CUC, which oversaw the completion of the project.

But other members argued there might be no balance left in the appropriation, citing reports from finance officials. If there were, the funds should be used for other more critical projects, they said.

Rep. Oscar M. Babauta, who was trying to set aside more than $400,000 for the renovation of cafeteria in William S. Reyes School in his district, believed more than $3.1 million has yet to be spent from the entire package.

“We want to find out what happened to all the funds,” he told in an interview. The representative from Precinct II prompted the Ways and Means Committee to look into the status of the funds to resolve differences on the issue.

Reyes, however, pointed out the Finance records showed no balance and it is likely that there was miscommunication between DPW and CUC when they reported the expenditures to the department which keeps track of the spending.

“I don’t know whose records is correct,” he told reporters. “At this point, we just have to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

The meeting between House members and administration officials is scheduled for Thursday.