By Kelly Simmons and Ana Vinas
Following on the heels of a demonstration by the federation of teachers over the state's "erratic" education efforts, Chihuahua Governor Francisco Barrio Terrazas gave his fourth Report on the Government before the State Congress in early October. Barrio has served four years of a six year term and is a member of the conservative National Action Party (Partido Accion Nacional, or PAN).
Governor Barrio reported that the federal government had reduced the 1996 budget approved for Chihuahua by $127 million pesos between 1995 and 1996. During 1995, the Treasury Secretary forwarded two projections for General Federal Funds for 1996. The first projection was based on estimates by the federal tax collection office and the second was based on calculations of the Fund.
Due to these appraisals, the $1.753 billion peso budget that was approved by the State Congress for the revenues of state government for 1996 were reduced to $1.670 billion by the Treasury Department representing a loss to the state of $82.5 million pesos. Barrio noted that the state's finances were also negatively affected by a $45 million peso negative adjustment from 1995, but were rebounding by the middle of 1996.
The public debt as of August 31 was $971.9 million pesos and the annual expense for the debt is $113.2 million pesos, representing 3% of the state's direct budget. Governor Barrio reported that 82% of the State's funds come from the federal government, while only 18% comes from its own resources. He noted that Chihuahua has been suffering from an inequity for some years because the federal government has been participating in only 15% of the costs for education and health while most of the rest of the country has been receiving 20%.
While stating that, despite political differences, he will support the President, Barrio also added that other states have 100 percent of their education costs covered by the federal government and Chihuahua receives only 40 percent. With the imminent decentralization of the Health Secretariat, he stated "we will not accept any scheme that aggravates the finances of that agency, like the one that has occurred with education".
In the area of housing, 7,651 new houses have been constructed during Barrio's administration, distributed in 6 municipalities, in addition to the 30,000 constructed with federal investment and private sector funds. In comparison, public documents from the last Report by previous Governor Baeza indicates that Baeza's administration constructed 6,800 houses as part of the 29,363 developed by various federal agencies.
Barrio also has assumed the paving of 810 kilometers of roads in the state, which, along with the estimates for the rest of his administration, will bring the total under his leadership to 1,300 kilometers by October 1998. As a reference, Governor Baeza, who became known as the "road Governor" had paved 1,160 kilometers during his six years in office.
Barrio also claimed success in bringing electricity to rural villages and colonias. In the past four years of his administration, 222 colonias and 392 rural villages have been electrified.
His administration has constructed 18 rural medical units, rehabilitated 54 clinics and equipped six hopsitals for a total investment in health infrastructure of $39.19 million pesos.
From 1993 to 1996, Barrio reported they have invested 371.75 million pesos in 1,298 drinking water and sanitation projects. 888 were drinking water projects, 383 were sewer treatment projects and 28 were sanitation projects.
Barrio indicated that controversy over his Jalemos Parejos program was due to politics more than anything else. The program is not intended to substitute the legal authority of municipalities nor exclude other areas of government in bringing about public works projects. The purpose, he added, is to develop a new political culture that seeks citizen participation. He blamed political schemes and administrative collusion in resisting the program and stated that these elements were out of touch with reality.
The citizen participation program covers 50% of the cost of public works prioritized by neighborhoods in a community. This year there are 196 actions in progress representing an investment of $11.48 million pesos. Of those, 48 percent are state government funds, 24 percent are municipal funds and 28 percent are funds raised by those who benefit from the project.
Reaction to the report was mixed with the leftist Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Democratica or PRD) the most critical of Barrio's remarks. Reports on reactions by members of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional or PRI) were somewhat more complimentary, with members of the PAN the most positive. One issue that stood out most frequently in reactions by those interviewed in news reports was concern over the state's debt.
Sources: Diario de Juarez, El Norte, Reforma