[1] What does Mayor Mike Rama really want for his 2023 budget: the full P50 billion or much less? Would he stake his political career on it, or settle for a smaller amount?
In his speech Monday (December 12, 2022), during the flag-raising program at City Hall, the mayor said he’d want to do in three years the work of nine years and the City has the money to support a P50 billion or even P100 billion budget. And he’d stake his “political capital” on it. He was elected last May for a three-year term. He has to run for reelection and win in the next two elections to cover the nine-year count – or quit in 2025, thus the imperative of rushing things now.
The mayor’s real intent is important as it would determine the fate of the multiple increases of taxes and next year’s budget.
[] How far would the councilors go in moderating Mayor Mike’s demand? Minority BOPK is outnumbered on votes. And among majority Barug stalwarts, it’s not known how many would stand up to the mayor this early?
Mayor Mike said Monday the councilors are unanimous about increasing taxes but he didn’t specify rates. Kons Wenceslao, the budget and finance committee head, told me Friday, December 16 they’ll “finalize (the budget) next week” and do the revision of taxes first.
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‘GILABAYAN OG NEWSPAPER.’ Broacaster Eric Siras Manait of DYCM radio posted also on Friday the question, “Kinsa man ning konsehal nga gilabay og newspaper ni Mayor, ha.”
Apparently Eric referred to Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama but whom did the mayor throw the paper at and which of the city’s two dailies? Eric didn’t say.
A source at City Hall said it was Kons Wenceslao. The councilor is a veteran returnee to the Sanggunian, chairman of the committee on budget and finance. I asked the councilor about the incident but he denied that it happened, ”Dili to tinuod Atty. nga gilabayan ko’g newspaper niya.”
PAPER AS LITERAL WEAPON OF CHOICE. I’m basically a print person, though I had also been into radio and TV journalism. Thus I’m glad the newspaper is useful not just in publicizing praise or criticism, It can also be used literally as attack weapon. Another public official I know shows mild aggression by hurling a ball-pen or paperweight, which instills more fear.
Also last Friday, December 16, Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo publicly declared, pronounced and intoned that mainstream media — powered by print of course — is “more credible” than social media. With the additional function of being a paper missile, the newspaper can still be a force to reckon with, can it?
WHAT LIT MAYOR’S FUSE. Tempers could’ve run high when the city’s decision-makers tangle on such a divisive issue as the proposed P50 billion budget for next year and the bundling of tax increases.
Some say the newspaper-throwing probably didn’t happen. O if it did, Kons Noel wasn’t hit. O if it struck him, it caused no injury. But people are speculating as to what must have lit the fuse. And the budget and tax issues are convenient fodder for speculation.
FROM MIKE’S GRANDPA. Monday morning, at the said flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Mike talked about the city’s twin blockbusters – big-time spending and higher taxes – and, guess what, his temper, which he acknowledged would occasionally explode.
Mayor Mike said he got it from his grandfather, the late Don Vicente Rama. The mayor said in effect he’d sometimes explode but just as quickly cool down and forgive and forget. He said he’d get angry when his instructions are not followed. Do the occasional furies include the recent brush with Kons Wenceslao? Noel said no; two other sources said yes. Like other puzzlers at City Hall, this one may remain unresolved.