KUAM Decision 2008 Blog

Help will be hard to come by

2008-12-03T16:23:00.001+10:00

Over the past several months the United States economy has taken a severe beating and if it not obvious to everyone quite yet let me say that the likelihood of huges amounts of money coming Guam's way over the next few years from Uncle Sam is very slim. There has been no less than than 7trillion dollars lost in the stock market over the past several months.

I think any claims that will be made over the next few years made on the US as it is will not be addressed by congress.

I think what we on Guam, will have to do is to use our collective heads together to figure out what to do regarding our many needs and desires for Guam. It certainly won't be coming from the feds. I think we need to make an effort to try to wean ourselves from the many influences which stall our growthput on usd by the US. government.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger

Passage of Bill 327

2008-11-20T17:28:00.001+10:00

Now that the legislature has passed Bill 327 we can say that our leaders may be listening carefully to what we say on the air everyday. At some point over the past few days some may have had a change of opinion on native fishing rights in our marine preserves because the week before last it seemed that it had little or no support from the committee and others in the legislative body.

I am happy at the change and now we can all start looking at other things for the future.

Congrtulations to all involved.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and a guest blogger

The Chamorro Land Trust

2008-11-18T10:20:00.001+10:00

Several years ago the people of Guam were told that the lands of the Chamorro Land Trust were ready to be given out to qualified individuals qnd families on Guam. What ha resulted is perhaps one of the most messed up situations that could posibly exist in such a small place as Guam.

I believe the best way to be able restore the confidence in the way things are done on Guam is to go back to square one and put everything out on the floor and be scrutinized. I don't think if we continue with business as usual that the problems will ever get any better.

There are so many things that we need to do for ourselves and one another before we try to take care of each other. and the rest of the people of Guam.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM Radio personality and a guest blogger.

Our Loss of Freedom of Expression

2008-10-22T05:41:00.001+10:00

One of reasons why the United States has been so successful in the world is because of the freedom we have enjoyed for so long. This is not somethng that we should just take for granted because it is something that certain people think they have a right to take away from us.

There are many on the island who think that some of these freedoms are threatened to be taken away. Our fishing rights as well our ability to come out and freely express our selves regarding the location of a landfill is going to cause.

We as US citizens should have the right of our freedom of expression and that rightshould not be hampered by anyone. Many of us do not want to have the new landfill right on top of our southern water shed. Water is too precious in the modern world and ours is threatened now by a Guam receiver for the landfill.

Felix

Does it matter to the rest of us when Felix Camacho is on island?

2008-10-08T10:54:00.001+10:00

Well, people of Guam I have heard but am not sure if our governor of Guam is back on island. The question is does anyone really care if he is back or not. He has taken at least 17 trips off island and I think he would do a lot better if he were to give attention to his family members who may have needed.attention when they were much younger.

I fhe is back he only seems to be a hinderance to the progress of the island. Infact I don't remember him having a productive moment the entire time he has been governor. Except for the facts that several of his close friends and family benfit themselves while he is at the helm nothing productive comes from his office, period.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM Radio Personality and guest blogger

Guam Military Buildup may Flop

2008-09-24T09:13:00.001+10:00

For more than 2 1/2 years we have heard about the impending move of about 8,000 and their families to Guam from the Japanese island of Okinawa. Many people are aware of the news and welcome the marines to the island.

Many people who are at certain age are aware of the relationship the military have had with the local community in the past and have come out and expressed their opinions openly on the radio. Let's say that in the past the military have been less than good neighbors with the local people. Of course many of those in the business community have said nothing but good things about their arrival. We understand why but still have our apprehension about the move.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and a guest blogger

War Reparations should be settled this congress

2008-09-11T08:09:00.001+10:00

I don't know about you but I think the War Reparation issue should be settled before the next election. I don't know exactly why the counter offer made by the member of the US senate but it should be at the forefront with regard to our wanting her to continue to represent us over the coming two years.

Bring out the info and letus decide if we should for you or not.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger

Who is really in charge of GPSS?

2008-09-10T07:11:00.001+10:00

Just today the front page of the newspaper came out and said that the governor's office will not give any more money to the GPSS because it may jeopardize other things within the government that may be more important like healthcare, etc.

I think the governor's office my be making a play at the power within the GPSS and this is his way of dealing with the USDOE's letter from the AG as to who is in charge of GPSS. Oh by the way, I heard the governor just left to Hong Kong yesterday.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personalty and a guest blogger

It's hell to be a veteran on Guam

2008-09-04T08:10:00.001+10:00

Every now and then issues come up and those out in the public rally to the aid of groups on island . Over the course of the past few months I have had considerable discussion from many people from the veteran community and have become aware of their plight on a practically daily basis.

In a few days I will have a couple of those who are diligently trying to help as many of their comrades as possible to give out information or provide other assistance to others in need of help. Pay close attention when that will be on the air.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and a guest blogger.

Lessons from Lincoln - emulating Nebraska's legislative structure

2008-08-29T09:47:00.001+10:00

Members of law making bodies are strictly distinguished by their partisan affiliations- members are identified as "democrats" or "republicans", and the group having the most of their members elected gets to be "in control of the legislative body"; if there are more democrats than republicans, the democrats should organize and control the activities of the legislature.

The concept of the majority to control the activities of the legislature is embedded in our need to have an organized group of people to assume the management and operation of the legislature to assure the constituents a semblance of accountability and transparency. In the past there were several legislatures, when the entire twenty-one senators were all democrats- when that happened, the membership became fractionalized; wherein the emergence of "factions" separation based, allied themselves under one individual senator- in essence, the membership evolves into a "non-partisan" body.

On these situations also, organizational structure of the legislature were formed on the basis of appeasing the entire membership. They did it by insuring that each senator will have a "leadership" position. The legislature then would have a speaker, vice speaker, secretary, 18 committee chairman- totaling 21 members. Of course, over the years, this arrangement has proven to be non-productive and did not lend itself to what we would call "an efficient operation".

Currently the 29th Guam Legislature with a non-traditional leadership structure, with the speaker, vice speaker and the secretary , committee chairman on agenda - all democrats - and for every other committee chair position, occupied by republicans.

For all practical purposes, no one partisan group in the legislature really controls the 29th Guam Legislature - it is pure and simple "a sharing of power"- so far, it has proven to be more responsive, seemingly operates more efficiently, and decorum appears to be quite good- their individual behaviors "of and off" the legislature floor, quite frankly, between and among themselves are filled with a higher dignity and respect.

Admittedly, the 29th Guam Legislature operates more and more like the state legislature of Nebraska, similar in being the same unicameral. But, the similarity does not end there; the 29th Guam Legislature members are currently functioning on a "non-partisan" basis also.

Shouldn't future members of our Guam Legislature be all "elected on a non-partisan" basis like how the members of the state legislature of Nebraska gets elected? We can still have accountability and transparency on the basis of "individual members". Maybe, maybe, we should look at this concept.

It may not happen during my lifetime, but, I believe this would eventually happen.

What do you think?

Joe T. San Agustin has served Guam as former chairperson of the Democratic Party of Guam and as former speaker of the Guam Legislature. He is currently chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund.

Presidential influence is now on Guam

2008-08-25T16:43:00.001+10:00

I wonder who has been talking about Guam over the past few weeks about our island and tyhe possibility of the federal government securing rights to all the resources around and under the island. I am not sure how all of this will play out but now it seems that he is looking to prevent other nations and the those on Guam from hitting the waters around the island for many years to come.

I think there is beginning to become more greedy people interested in Guam the more they discover mineral deposits around the island. I think the Ptresident has more than indicayed that Guam is truly a valuable asset inside of the US sphere of influence.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM Radio Personality and guest blogger

Much in need: decentralizing decisionmaking

2008-08-22T07:41:00.001+10:00

In the past, and in a lot of mainland communities that I have worked with, Issuance of a building Permit was under the control and supervision of one department, usually the Planning Department, who in turn passed it around to the various agencies for their advise and consent,with a certain time limit to act on the process. In Guam that responsibility was given to the Department of Public Works, And the system worked well.

But our elected officials, to curry favor and secure additional votes, mandated that all the agencies must also sign and be made part of the approval process. So in the past, an applicant had to content with only one agency, now under our enlightened management system, we nearly have sixteen(16) different agencies, approving a building permit, and each agency has a veto or blackball power over each applicant, and to make matters worse, there is no time limit to the approval process from each department.

The natural consequences, is the ability of thevarious agencies to hold a project hostage, and extort whatever concessions theywant from the applicant. This is the major reason, a multiplicity of a vetopower by all agencies, on each permit application, why it takes nearly ninemonths to a year to approve a building permit application. The present process is a nightmare, and time consuming, for nothing, only adding extra unnecessary costs, and time to a project, which will ultimately be passed on to the consumers.
The permitting process must be retained by one department, Public Works, who will get comments and advise from other agencies,to streamline and modernize the application process.

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Complete and absolute failure, Public education is only about one hundred years old. Previously it was private religious and secular schools that provided the education for the USA. Revert back to private education, funded by a Voucher program to every child. This will bring back productivity and performance.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
The Treasury of Guam has become a free for all money pouch for our elected officials. Monies are spent and diverted without any accountability. Examples:The millions of TAWSA money collected to upgrade our sewer system.No one knows what happened or given an accounting on how the monies were spent,or where it went. The Tumon Beautification Revenue Bond, of about $53 Million. Monies wereagain diverted from Phase I and Phase II, (COLA $4 Million?) resulting thatPhase I or Phase II could not be completed. There is an empty 36" sewer line not connected anywhere.

The System Development Charge (SDC), is another scam to extort more money from developers,who in turn will just pass on this added cost to the ultimate consumer, you and I, and this includes GovGuam employees. A developer, a businessman, is not a philantrophist, all his costs are just passed on to the eventual buyer of his product.

TUMON and other Island beaches
(1) No working usable, public facilities. Where do our residents and visiting military go to the bathroom (WC), specially, after a day of drinking beer.
(2) No enforcement of the litter laws on the beach, in particular on days of heavy usage, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
(3) No prohibition to the bringing and the use of glass containers on the beach.
(4) No enforcement on bringing dogs without leash,and dog "PO" pick up.
(5) No enforcement concerning the burning of wood or charcoal fires on the beach sand. Open pit fires.
(6) No enforcement concerning the permitting and placement of tents on the beach.
(7) Where are the enforcers of the above, in particular on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays.

CONSISTENCY AND CONTRADICTIONS:
(8) Dept of Agriculture prohibits the cleaning of the beach sand, and limits the use of mechanical raking to a depth of one (1"0 inch) two days a week. The Dept of Agriculture also prohibits the taking of sea algae both in the water and on the beach. Does the Dept of Fisheries expect the fish to jump out of the water to eat the algae on the sand? Lack of cleaning Causes Excess Algae accumulation.
But there are no restrictions on GovGuam Vehicles running up and down the beach, or humans walkingor digging large holes on the beach, making deeper indentations on the beach than a mechanical raking machine.

It is my sincere belief and opinion, that this would be an easy matter for the policemen stationed in the Tumon area, to ride their Kawasaki four wheeler, ON Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays, once every hour, and drive slowly up and down on the beach, with a sign on the side of the vehicle giving first warning about littering. The mere presence of a policemen driving, will help keep the beach in a cleaner environment. And the issuance ofa few litter fines and citations, at the beginning, will enhance the depleted treasury of Guam, against the litter bugs, for a short while, until people learn to respect the environment and the public beaches.

Al Ysrael is a businessman and special contributing blogger for KUAM

Dare to challenge authority

2008-08-22T07:35:00.001+10:00

Letter To The Editor

Hafa Adai,

Do you agree with the proposed military buildup on Guam?

SPEAK UP!

I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

The long-standing history of the military on Guam IS the best defense against them in a court of law. A complaint in the federal courts in Honolulu, highlighting the abuses and constraints to our rights and freedoms as citizens of America should be documented NOW.

We can not wait decades to realize that we were all prisoners in our own island...as evidenced in 1963 with the lifting of the travel ban in/out of Guam....a military directive, no doubt.

We can not wait until the island that we love and cherrish is pulverized and blown to smitherines because we allowed it to become a depot for nuclear ordinance.

We can not wait generations to find out that toxic wastes and nuclear dumping in and around our ocean waters have become common practice, marked by the cloak of military secrecy.

We can not wait until Tun Juan and Tan Maria start glowing in the dark to realize that something went wrong.

We can not and must not assume that Big Brother will watch our backs....because his long-standing record showed otherwise.
SPEAK UP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Will be in Honolulu September 20 thru September 24 to finalize our court documents for filing. Anyone interested in becoming a part of this historic Fiesta, please send us an email with your comments and support: chamori@excite.com

Chonik ham mo'na gi chalan minaolek,

NORBERT PEREZ Panama City, Panama

Norbert Perez is a special guest contributor to KUAM Blogs

A plan to restructure GMH

2008-08-22T07:34:00.003+10:00

One of the busiest places on the island is the Guam Memorial Hospital, we always hear stories of patients having had to wait for several hours to be admitted due to the shortage of hospital beds, and especially at the emergency clinics where numerous people had to wait for several hours before they get to see a physician.

As you can imagine, this hectic activity generates a tremendous vehicular traffic, which has overtaxed the parking lots at the hospital, and it has been extremely difficult to find a parking slot, especially during visiting hours.

Additionally, the hospital occupancy rates have been consistently 100% – fully occupied.

An enterprising entrepreneur would envy the hospital "business" side, yet, we all know that gmh has serious "cash flow" problem; and you would think that the hospital rates should be at an amount to resolve this problem, which unfortunately, doing so, has it own– socio–political obstacle. Surely, there must be some alternative sources to generate revenue without having direct impact on the way the hospital provides patient services.

I am talking about three areas to generate revenues at the hospital

1. Why not do what the airport is doing with its general public parking lots? They charge by the amount of time the vehicle stays parked at the airport lot. The hospital parking lot with a car capacity of over 100 cars, surely would generate sufficient revenue.
2. The hospital as constructed has in each room, fully wired for telephone and cable tv. What is really keeping the hospital authority for not making use of these facilities? Surely, both GTA and MCV Guam, both private firms, should be allowed to install both services at each room, and the cost for such services, could be part and partial of the patient's room charges. The hospital should be able to agree with these two private firms a sharing of the revenues– which the hospital presently not getting a "cent".
Recently, during my routine medical check in la hospital, one of the doctors when learning that the GMHA hospital room does not have "cable tv", asked – how does the patient cope with boredom, while lying in bed? Of course, with a cell phone readily available, maybe we do not need to install a telephone. On the other hand, cell phones may not be allowed since it might interfere with some of the electronic hospital equipment.

These three are common and readily available in all hospitals, be they be in the U.S. or in Philippines. Why not implement them at Guam Memorial Hospital?

Joe T. San Agustin has served Guam as former chairperson of the Democratic Party of Guam and as former speaker of the Guam Legislature. He is currently chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund.

Prediction: 2 Republicans will get bumped

2008-08-22T07:32:00.001+10:00

This is a poll we did with an emphasis on the primary, therefore, the republicans ran low here. Following the primary, these numbers should adjust to the final stretch by the third week of September. One crude measure we use at this point is to stagger the democrats with the republicans to get an idea of true ranking.

As expected, Ada and Aguon will bump two incumbents. Who will be bumped and why is something we are following closely.

The normal strategy for the primary will be for the republicans to coast and the marginal democrats to try to bolster their inner party placement. Some of these candidates may have been affected by the struggle over the majority. This will probably be cleared up after the post primary correction. (When the actual general slate is finalized.)

Due to the El Farol Bar principle, every republican percentage point below 40 will mean an artificial primary election for the democrats due to cross over, not true partisan voting. Therefore in real terms, the legislative primary is a fairly meaningless process.

In effect, the taxpayers of Guam are providing organizatonal welfare to the political parties by providing them with this costly primary.

We will follow the legislative election closely, right now not a lot will happen between now and the primary. The numbers here compared to the finals in November will be fluid in the top 20.

Note: these are the likely leaders following the primary. In our experience, 1 or 2 candidates might emerge from the 16-20 ranks and finish in the top 15. This doesn't always happen though. In 2004, there were was an issue cascade that shifted the ranks 6-10 spaces in three days before the election and flipped the majority back to the republicans.

Top 20 (Pre-Primary Table) 500 Registered Voters Sampled (In- person/random; sample error does not apply) (First week of August Completed Aug 7-8)

Rank/Name/Number/Party/

1) GUTHERTZ, JUDITH P. (I) 253 (D)
2) CRUZ, BENJAMIN J.F. (I) 245 (D)
3) CALVO, EDWARD J.B. (I) 212 (R)
4) PALACIOS, ADOLPHO B. (I) 210 (D)
5) AGUON, FRANK B. JR. 207 (D)
6) WON PAT, JUDITH (I) 206 (D)
7) BLAS, FRANK F. JR. (I) 200 (R )
8) ESPALDON, JAMES V. (I) 197 (R)
9) ADA, THOMAS 180 (D)
10) SHIMIZU, DAVID L.G. (I) 171 (D)
11) ISHIZAKI, FRANK (I) 162 ( R)
12) RESPICIO, RORY (I) 162 (D)
13) TENORIO, RAY (I) 154 (R)
14) BARNES, TINA ROSE MUNA (I) 147 (D)
15) PANGELINAN, VICENTE (I) 138 (D)
-------------
16) FORBES, MARK (I) 129 (R)
17) TAITAGUE, TELO T. 96 (R)
18) RECTOR, MATTHEW J. 94 (D)
19) LUJAN, JESSE (I) 86 (R)
20) MOYLAN, DOUGLAS B. 56 (R)

DEMOCRATS
=============
ADA, THOMAS 180
AGUON, FRANK B. JR. 207
BARNES, TINA ROSE MUNA (I) 147
BENAVENTE, ROBERT L.G. 39
CARBULLIDO, IVAN 29
CRUZ, BENJAMIN J.F. (I) 245
CRUZ, PHILLIPE J. 47
DUENAS, LUIS P. 43
GUTHERTZ, JUDITH P. (I) 253
LEON GUERRERO, JOSEPH B. 49
PALACIOS, ADOLPHO B. (I) 210
PANGELINAN, VICENTE (I) 138
RECTOR, MATTHEW J. 94
RESPICIO, RORY (I) 162
SAN MIGUEL, ROSSANA D. 31
SHIMIZU, DAVID L.G. (I) 171
WON PAT, JUDITH (I) 206

REPUBLICANS
==================
BENAVENTE, JOHN B. 49
BLAS, FRANK F. JR. (I) 200
BORJA, DENNIS T. 30
CALVO, EDWARD J.B. (I) 212
ESPALDON, JAMES V. (I) 197
FLORES, RONALD 31
FORBES, MARK (I) 129
ISHIZAKI, FRANK (I) 162
JANSSEN, JULIAN C. 20
LUJAN, JESSE (I) 86
MOYLAN, DOUGLAS B. 56
TAITAGUE, TELO T. 96
TENORIO, RAY (I) 154

Dr. Ron McNinch is a professor of public administration at the University of Guam and also serves as KUAM's political analyst

Independence for the People of Guam.

2008-08-20T15:08:00.001+10:00

This morning I had the opportunity to have Trini Torres and Tony Artero Sablan on my radio program and was glad at the response of the listeners. It will be a challenge for the people of Guam to come out and say that they will unify and support this political status but today was very informative form me and a good chance for my guests to get the word out.

There are options out htere and the people to bring it all out.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger

Southern Little League at Williamsport Pennsylvania

2008-08-18T17:43:00.001+10:00

I am extremely proud of the little league members who are now in Williamsport representing Guam in the little league world series. I wish them well and hope of their advancement through their pool. They managed to win their first game yesterday 7-6 and did their island and themselves proud and my hope is for them to continue in their quest.

When crunch time comes you leave it up to someone from Guam to perform in unfamiliar territory. Continued good luck to all of you.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger.

The Big Bash at Government House

2008-08-14T17:17:00.001+10:00

" If it looks like a gun then it must be a gun." Those are the words of our Police Chief Paul Suba when describing the officers justification in gunning down Mr. Garcia in the Veterans Cemetary last year. I feel a lot different than he does about the incident.

I just want to say that letting uninvited guests into the Government House grounds for a bash should be grounds for the officers present to be fired. Anyway I just want to say that if they look like illegal substances/drugs then they must be illegal substances/drugs.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM Radio Personality and guest blogger.

Where is Felix Camacho?

2008-08-14T17:09:00.001+10:00

The last I remember hearing about Felix is that he was headed off to Beijing for the start of the Olympics. I have no idea what he has been up to and except for an occasional whisper from his subordinates nothing else has come out of Adelup.

I wonder how his time with President Bush was spent. He probably gave him a briefing about the troop movement to Guam in the coming months to get his attention. I heard he may be off to Washington, D.C. once again to check on his work over the past few years.

Anyway whether we know of his presence is irrelevent because here or not nothing gets done by him and if we ever missed him before we don't anymore.

Felix Aguon

Dededo

637-1835/727-7277

Guam Election Commission

2008-08-13T14:58:00.001+10:00

Over the past couple of days I have received a lot of enquiries about thing related to the upconing election. We all seemed to think that I right that I invite John Blas and some other guest from the GEC to be on my program to answer some questions from the listening public.

It sounds like a great idea and I have already caleed and John Blas will let me know when he mat be able to come on.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger

GPSS Schools and the conditions of being a kid

2008-08-12T18:04:00.001+10:00

This morning my grandkids were supposed to have started school and it seems that because of our overcrowded school one of them was kicked out of the school he had been going to for more than 4 years now. We are talking about a place he had been going to school for a time now and instead of being able to attend school this year he is now out of his school without an afterthought.

I feel for the parents who are non influential in this situation. We are talking about out of district kids of which there are hundreds if not thousands of them on Guam. Why was this information not given the course of the summer break? He already, as did his brother, gotten his school uniforms for the school year and had already opened them up.

I think some people in the GPSS need to be fired from their jobs. This is such an example that people need to be released because it seems they had forgotten who the important people in the GPSS really are. THE KIDS.

I appeal to the new Superintendent to start looking at the incompetent employees and get rid of them ASAP.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM Radio Personality and a guest blogger

The law not requiring a diploma to get GovGuam jobs

2008-08-08T08:39:00.001+10:00

Our 29th Guam Legislature has recently enacted a law not to require a high school diploma to get govguam entry jobs. Organic Act of Guam mandates that every child must be in school up to the age of 16 years, which in most cases; the child must be at least at the 10th or 11th grade level in High School. Effectively, the new law "encourages" students at the 10th or 11th grade level to "drop out" and seek govguam jobs at the entry levels, which has yet to be defined what are the "entry-level jobs".

ALL job categories have "entry-job "positions, from helper-trades, to an account clerk, to as high as a "political appointed positions" within the govguam job classification system, which clearly needs to be identified. I am sure that the over 8,000 present government of Guam employees feels that the key measurement for educational achievement are no longer required to get govguam job. I sure that these employees would be insulted that government jobs do not have any minimum standards, having work so hard to maintain a high work quality to provide services to the people of Guam.

This Law has effectively established a new classification of government jobs. If the entry levels are allegedly in the lower positions, such as helper-trades, janitor, bush cutter, clerk 1, and so forth, these employees once hired are doomed to have no advancement opportunities, unless of course, as it is customary in past government practices, to provide a grandfather protection, to move up in the job ladder. As the years progressed, it can be predicted that our entire government work force would be in this unfortunate category, a clear indication of what kind of government services, the people of Guam would be receiving. This is the real legacy of the 29th Guam Legislature to the people of Guam, now and in the future - a lasting one.

It seems that the clear message that our astute leaders in both the Legislature and at Adelup would be to politically portray to give the dropouts equal opportunity treatment, reduce the financial strain on the public welfare system by employing dropouts. At the same time, the crystal message would to tell those thousands of students struggling to graduate from High School and the hundreds of government employees now attending the University of Guam and the Guam Community College, most of them at their own time and personal expenses, to quit and just do not bother.

My dear friends, people of Guam, lets repeal this Law before real harm can happen. Id we do not repeal this Law, the cause and effect would be felt in the future.

I, for one, do not want to have anything to do with this Law. Education has been and will always my priority. I would never condone a non-illiterate society on Guam.

Would you?

Special contributing blogger for KUAM Joe T. San Agustin has served Guam as former chairperson of the Democratic Party of Guam and as former speaker of the Guam Legislature. He is currently chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund.

The struggle for the Speaker's gavel?

2008-08-08T08:36:00.002+10:00

The other night KUAM showed how our esteemed legislators depicted- the "struggle for the Gavel" clearly disputing the mathematical truth that "8 is more than 7". These video clips were quite vivid showing how members of the Legislature "react" when the obvious does not seem to be quite obvious.

We all know that this happen due to the untimely death of my friend Senator Tony Unpingco who was replaced upon the election of Senator B.J. Cruz a Democrat. Effectively, this changed the "number of which party becomes the majority" in the Legislature. Here we were in the middle of the 29th Guam Legislature we now have eight democratic senators, and seven republican senators. A change in the control of the Legislature should be automatic; but, not with our 29th Guam Legislature. The titular head of the Republican Party, Governor Camacho publicly called for the Republican senators to step aside and allow the now majority party to assume the leadership of the Legislature, notwithstanding the existence of a Legislative Rules which calls for a higher number of votes to change the leadership structure.

Thanks to KUAM, we all saw the "play-back" game of parliamentary rules, which eventually culminated in the middle of the night session when the people of Guam vividly witnessed the "struggle for the gavel between Senator Ray Tenorio and the newly elected Speaker Judith Won Pat". We quickly learned about the "underlying principles" towards working an effective political process. This is "the art of compromise, notwithstanding the fact that "eight is always more than seven".

The 29th Guam Legislature did compromise- the majority party, the Democrats, took over the "leadership positions, i.e., Speaker, Vice Speaker and the Secretary, which are essentially "presiding functions" , and the "minority"- "Republicans" continues to retain the :working functions", the committee chairmanship positions. I guess we can call the compromise results a "sharing of power" and then we wonder who is in ‘CHARGE". Which group shall we call for ACCOUNTABILITY?

The real question would be "which political party shall we give credit to the success or failure of the 29th Guam Legislature". Would I be partisans in voting in the forthcoming election? Maybe there is universal truth that we really do not need a primary election, contrary to the newly enacted law which mandates a political primary for both Parties. Most likely our vote would be on popularity rather than actual or meritorious accomplishments.

ALL THE INCUMBENT SENATORS ARE RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION. THE SEVEN INCUMBENT REPUBICANS AND EIGHT INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS. SENATORS ARE ESSENTIALLY RUNNING "TOGETHER" AND NOT AGAINST EACH OTHER.

Since this year , we would not be voting for a governor, I wonder what will be the "political issues" to assist the voters to determine who among the senatorial candidates to vote for? I also wonder what would be the "voter-turnout" since there would not be any real political contest, whatsoever.

Aside from the Democrats "committing political suicide", the Democrats most likely be the majority in the forthcoming 30th Guam Legislature. This would happen only due to the lack of alternative senatorial candidates.

Take a look at the senatorial candidates "running"- and decide yourselves what would be the "obvious".

Special contributing blogger for KUAM Joe T. San Agustin has served Guam as former chairperson of the Democratic Party of Guam and as former speaker of the Guam Legislature. He is currently chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund.

What's going on at government house when Felix is gone?

2008-08-08T07:23:00.002+10:00

I don't know about you but when the governor is off island his official residence may be used for really things it should not be. While our governor is spending some time off island and attending the Olympics and briefing the president on the troop movement to Guam someone is not taking care of the frying pan n the kitchen.

In the meantime it seems that a member of his family is having a wild party in the living room with some characters with some controlled substances. I am glad that they are putting together a kind of coverup that may once again bring his male son to the fore front in any illegal activity. I can see him once again being exonerated completely of any wrong doing in this matter once mom and dad get home.

When the cat's way the mice will play.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personalility and guest blogger

Be Smart during this election

2008-08-01T14:59:00.002+10:00

This election it will more than likely be one where you would like to see change for the better. It is most unfortunate that we are having mid term elections at this time.

Learn as much as you can about your candidates because if they are successful you will have them as your reps for at least two years to come. Dig deep if you get a chance.

Felix Aguon is a KUAM radio personality and guest blogger