In an interview on Friday, Representative Tebuteb, R-Saipan, said they should have listened to Rep. Ray N. Yumul who warned prior to the enactment of Saipan Local Law 17-9 that there would be not enough poker money for Saipan projects other than the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance.
Yumul, R-Saipan chairs the delegation’s Ways and Means Committee.
Tebuteb noted that the delegation still went head to appropriate $3.4 million for SHEFA and 17 projects that included the Flame Tree Arts Festival, the Liberation Day festivities and the Saipan Little League Baseball.
Only $3.2 million in poker license fees were eventually collected.
Tebuteb said in light of the declining poker revenue collection, they may also have to revisit the selection process or the criteria for SHEFA.
In a separate interview, Rep. Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan and the chairman of the delegation’s Judicial and Governmental Operations Committee, said they need to sit down “and come up with some sort of priorities.”
He said they want to accommodate everyone but “unfortunately we just can’t.”
