‘Mayor’s decision not to host 2012 Liberation Day not final’

Saipan Mayor’s Office officer in charge Henry Hofschneider said yesterday it is not yet final if the Liberation Day festivities will not push through this year.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a celebration on July 4th,” said Hofschneider during the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting yesterday.

Hofschneider said the Liberation Day committee will sit down with Mayor Donald G. Flores, who is scheduled to return from the Philippines today.

Flores earlier stated that this year’s Liberation Day festivities may not happen if the Legislature fails to allocate money for it.

The Saipan and Northern Islands Delegation did not appropriate funding for this year’s Liberation Day, arguably the largest community event in the CNMI.

The celebration traditionally lasted a month, starting in June up until July 4, which is marked with a parade along Beach Road that ends with a program by the Garapan Fishing Base. The annual event draws thousands of spectators.

Hofchneider said their office has been receiving calls inquiring about Liberation Day-related activities such as the Liberation Queen application or the float competition.

“The interest is there but the Mayor’s Office and the local delegation need to meet and square this up,” he noted.

With the Mayor’s Office’s financial limitations, the Liberation Day committee has decided to trim the celebration to just a week, yet the legislative delegation still denied the committee’s funding request.

According to Hofschneider Rep. Ray Yumul of the House Ways & Means Committee has a “black hole theory” that funds appropriated for Liberation Day will be used by the Mayor’s Office to pay for its outstanding obligations.

“We don’t believe it. We don’t agree with him,” said Hofschneider.

If the delegation fears that, then there is a “quick, simple, easy fix,” Hofschneider said. “Just create a provision in the law that would prohibit the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Finance from using the Liberation Day funds to pay for other debts.”

He pointed out that the Flores administration does not have any outstanding debts since they took office two years ago. “We’re still paying debts from the prior administrations for July 4th festivities,” he added.

Hofschneider also noted that the Liberation Day celebration “has never been officially made the responsibility of the mayor.”

He said there has not been any funding for the event in the last two years. According to him, the local delegation appropriated $45,000 for Liberation Day expenses in fiscal year 2010 but it was line-item vetoed.

Last year, he said, the Mayor’s Office ended up using its own funds from other accounts to pay for the event after being assured that they will be reimbursed for the Liberation expenses.

“We’ve been asking for reimbursement since the end of July 4th last year and we haven’t gotten anything,” said Hofschneider.

“This year, the mayor says no,” he added, referring to Flores’ refusal to pick up the tab for the event. “It’s enough.”

Hofschneider said they are looking at the option of operating a casino or other gambling activities, the proceeds for which will be used to pay for Liberation Day expenditures. He said they drafted a legislation that would allow them to do something similar to the Rotary, which hosts the Las Vegas Night fundraiser.

The draft, he disclosed, has been submitted to House Speaker Eli Cabrera a year and a half ago.

“We haven’t heard back from the Speaker,” said Hofschneider. “We’re still pushing for it, maybe amend it some more and introduce it to the Legislature so the Mayor’s Office will be authorized to have the same operation that you have.”

Rotarian Ben Babauta urged Hofschneider not to call off the event. “It won’t be complete without this community event. The people will be devastated and the entire Legislature will be wiped out,” he quipped.