CAN you say “boondoggle?” Well, you can and certainly should when discussing the Bureau of Women’s Affairs.
As GovGuam continues its downward spiral into economic oblivion and we are forced to consider the possibility of furloughing thousands of government employees, must defer retirees their allotments, and cannot maintain our educational system, what does Governor Camacho do to help save money? He wastes $50,000 a year on the completely wasteful and useless Bureau of Women’s Affairs.
Slowly but surely Guam’s economic infrastructure is becoming destabilized but rather than address this problem directly, Camacho chooses to create ridiculous jobs for his cronies.
Even if there were a legitimate need for the Bureau of Women’s Affairs at this time, which there most definitely is not, how is Telo Taitague qualified to serve as its head? What political experience does she have? What educational background does she have? What relevant background knowledge and training does she have? Last time I checked, Telo was a lounge singer/insurance agent with a paralegal diploma.
There is nothing wrong with these things, but there is definitely something wrong when these characteristics describe the leader of an agency for which she has no relevant qualifications and who is paid $50,000 a year! Has nepotism reared its ugly head again in GovGuam?
Right now, GovGuam had better wake up and start getting its priorities straight. The economy needs to be stabilized and job security needs to be assured for the GovGuam workforce. Telo talks about how we need to ward off discrimination against women in the work place; as a woman, I certainly agree with this, but she has put the cart before the horse.
It does little good to protect women’s rights in the work place when the very work place they work in is in jeopardy of disappearing. Instead of seeking out water, Telo and Governor Camacho are deciding on draperies for a house that is burning down around them.
There is a time and a place for everything, but now is not the time to revive the Bureau of Women’s Affairs. Let’s worry about discrimination in the work place when there are enough secure jobs for women to hold and be discriminated against!

ARCINIA PANGELINAN
Dededo, Guam