By DANNY O. SAGUN

NEW-PO vice-mayoralty bet Vlad Mata last Wednesday hurled a challenge to the Fernandez camp – face him in a debate at the public plaza perhaps under the aegis of the media.

He hurled the challenge during a press conference with opposition senatorial bet Sonia Roco, widow of the late Senator and education Secretary Raul Roco at the Magic Cafe.

Mata said he and mayoral candidate Brian Lim are ready to discuss any issue affecting the city – finances, prosecution of programs and projects, etc. We do not know if the former mayor’s group is willing to face the so-called New Politics camp.

If that debate materializes, it should contribute much to an informed choice among the voters.

What caught our attention during that press con was Lim’s program on fiscal management, which was actually the first in his line of priorities. We don’t know if he was contradicting or even attacking his father, Benjie, whose administration was accused of putting the city’s finances in the red thru overspending, securing of huge loans, and alleged irregularities.

When the elder Lim took over more than five years ago, Dagupan’s coffers were overflowing with cash, literally. Year after year, the city was realizing surpluses, meaning, expenses were way below the realized income. And former Mayor Al Fernandez was beaming with pride for that feat, which was made a regular feature of his annual city state address.

Lim had thus plenty of cash to spend when he came around in 2001 enabling him to put forward programs and projects and innovations which appeared to be new for Dagupenos- massive streetlighting, street dances, bangus feast, modern market, etc.

He was applauded for such moves, to be fair with him.
This corner itself congratulated him as our past columns will show. When was the city practically placed in the world map thru the longest grill? Not during Al’s time. When were all major city streets and national roads up to the boundary areas so well lighted one would imagine he was in Disneyland? Only during Benjie’s time. And that new Malimgas market rose during his term. Applause.

The ovation came to a close. Independent-minded well-meaning individuals paused and came to think of what’s happening in their midst. A Commission on Audit report showed Dagupan is in a spending mood so that nothing is left virtually in its coffers, contrary to what is taught us during our school days about being thrifty and saving for the future or any contingency.

No matter how city officials like Administrator Raffy Baraan deny allegations about the city being on the verge of bankruptcy, (he even boasted that the city has plenty of money) people know whether he was telling the truth or not.

How explain the non-renewal (read: termination) of services by some 150 contractuals/casuals last year if the city indeed is awash with money? How explain the long-delayed implementation of the reorganization plan which will allow employees to avail of early retirement packages? Simple. The city’s got no money to defray the needed millions in pay packages.

Many mediamen in that forum therefore raised their eyebrows when they heard Brian talk about sound fiscal management. We wanted to clarify that matter with him when our chance to ask question came but Butch V asked us to shoot questions instead to the main guest, Roco, and just reserve local issues for the Patrima Kapihan scheduled on the following day (last Thursday which featured Lim and his group).

Well, Mata and councilor bet Ric Avelino took turns clearing up[ issues about surpluses and expenditures. They claim it was not a good fiscal management to just let money deposited in the bank to the neglect of basic services delivery.

That may be true. But how would you judge a person who spends all of what he earned for the day? Ilocanos may have a term for that.