THERE seems to be a lot of it floating around these past couple years. I will not be so tactless to name names, but there are a number of senators in our Legislature who seem to do little more than take up space. They have catchy campaign slogans, splashy ads, and are seen smiling and shaking hands with constituents from time to time. But there is more to being a senator than simply presentation. There is real work to be done and real goals to be set and to be achieved.
Senators like Jesse Lujan have recognizable platforms and issues. Open Skies for instance or seeking increased rights and privileges for Guam and its citizens by establishing commonwealth status.
Eddie Baza Calvo is another senator who has done much as a senator and who also has recognizable issues that he has undertaken.
Such members of the Legislature are conspicuously active in the community and earn the salary that we taxpayers afford them. We need more senators like these two who prove their worth through vigorous actions and not empty words.
However, the same cannot be said of many other members of the Legislature.
With 15 senators, it is not difficult to lose sight of one or two of them. As you go down the list of senators, I challenge you to name an issue, bill, or community effort that each senator is actively involved with. I’m willing to bet that you will come up with a number of senators whose names leave you scratching your head, wondering what has he or she done in the past couple years other than just making random public appearances.
This is unacceptable. We can only hold these indolent politicians accountable so far. Ultimately, we are the ones who put them in office. We need to be more discriminating as to who we vote into our Legislature. Voting for a candidate simply because he shook our hand and said something nice is not a sound rationale. Nor should one vote for a candidate because she had more people in her roadside waves or more expensive TV ads. Vote for a candidate because of what he/she has done or what they promise to do. Equally important, hold a senator to his or her word. If they deliver, then reelect them. If not, then make room for someone who can get the job done.

ARCINIA PANGELINAN
Dededo, Guam