Taxpayers pay for lawmakers’ $400-$700 monthly car leases

Taxpayers are funding many of their Saipan, Tinian, and Rota lawmakers’ vehicle leases of $400 to $700 a month plus gas expenses, while a few members said they could survive using their own vehicles both for official and personal needs.

In separate interviews with 17 of 29 members of the Legislature, lawmakers gave different reasons for leasing and not leasing vehicles.

All of the 16 with monthly vehicle leases said they use their “operational” account for the lease.

The vehicles leased include sports utility vehicles, sedans, or pickup trucks.

Most said their office personnel and community workers also use the leased vehicles to do community services like cleanups and delivering chairs and tents.

Those who lease vehicles include Rep. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Froilan Tenorio (Cov-Saipan), House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan), minority leader Diego Benavente (R-Saipan), Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan), Rep. Joseph Guerrero (R-Saipan), floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian), Sen. Henry San Nicolas (Cov-Saipan), and Sen. Frank Cruz (R-Tinian).

Ray Palacios said his office pays $400 or $500 a month for the lease of a Ford Fusion, a sedan.

“I lend the leased car to my staff to do community work. It’s not only me using it,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Camacho said he pays a monthly lease of $500 for a Nissan Frontier, a truck. He said he and his office staff use the vehicle for official functions.

“If I forego the lease, it will hamper my community operations. It was something I considered but it would affect my services to the community,” he said.

Cabrera said his office leases a Ford Ranger, a truck, for $500 a month. He said his community worker or staff use the truck for community services.

“I use my personal car for everything, and my staff use the leased vehicle. If lawmakers turn in the leased vehicles, how can their offices perform their responsibilities to the community?” he added.

San Nicolas, for his part, said he leases a car on Saipan—a Nissan Sentra for $550 a month.

“I pay for my own gas,” the Tinian senator said, adding that without a leased vehicle, he won’t be able to go from one place to another.

Hofschneider leases a Nissan Altima for $500 a month.

Cruz, also a senator from Tinian, said he leases a vehicle but did not want to disclose the make and model, and the amount.

Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero said he pays $600 a month for a Nissan Rogue. He said while he could forego a vehicle lease, this would mean his office staff won’t be able to do community work.

Just like others, he said his expenses for the vehicle lease is within his budget.

Tenorio said he leases a Ford Fusion for $400 a month, while Benavente, a Ford SUV for $500 a month.

Tebuteb leases a Nissan truck for $700 a month. He said his office staff uses the leased vehicle for community work.

Other lawmakers question those with vehicle leases but do not have community workers.

At least six lawmakers said they do not have taxpayer-paid government leases. They are Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Trenton Conner (R-Tinian), Rep. Teresita Santos (Ind-Rota), Sen. Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), and Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota).

“In my entire life at the Legislature, I only leased for three months during the 16th Legislature,” Rep. Stanley Torres said. He said he also uses his personal vehicle for official functions.

Torres, who missed only two of 17 Legislatures, said when the monthly lease of $900 at the time proved to be costly, he decided to return the vehicle and used the money instead to hire a community worker.

He said while he does not have a problem with many of his colleagues leasing vehicles, he hopes that these leased vehicles should not be heavily tinted in violation of the law.

Villagomez, a freshman lawmaker, said his office could perform without leasing a vehicle. But he said the tradeoff is that they use a fleet card for gas expenses.

Sen. Ralph Torres said he uses his car for personal and government functions. He said he also donates gas to the Neighborhood Watch, and to other groups taking part in environmental cleanups.

Conner, for his part, said he does not lease a vehicle while he’s on Saipan. He also does not lease a car on Tinian, he said.

“I know how to budget,” he said.

The 12 other lawmakers did not want to be interviewed about car leases, did not want to return calls, or could not be reached for interviews.

They included Rep. Rafael Demapan (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Frank Dela Cruz (R-Saipan), Rep. Fred Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Sylvester Iguel (Cov-Saipan), Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan), Rep. Ray Yumul (R-Saipan), Vice Speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan), Senate floor leader Pete Reyes (R-Saipan), Sen. Jovita Taimanao (Ind-Rota), Sen. Juan Ayuyu (Ind-Rota), and Sen. Luis Crisostimo (D-Saipan).