WE have to ask ourselves, what do we want from our government? Before that I have to ask myself what I want from this government. Actually, nothing. To mean I don’t want a local government that can only pretend to educate, to rehabilitate and to protect when I can do all those things myself. Does that mean that no government should exist? NO. I should not be selfish.
First of all, I am not desperate to see Robert Underwood or Frank Blas Aguon Jr. in Adelup. Maybe if they had had cut enough deals, they would have won. It shows a lot of naiveté on their advisors’ part to succumb a second time to a pathetically inept administrator in Felix P. Camacho and his team of cronies. I mean honestly, if you cannot engineer a victory over Camacho, you probably won’t be able to get Gov Guam out of this generational mess. I would, however, like to see Speaker Forbes and Vice-Speaker Calvo, be the agents of change NOW, not to wait until 2010 to make their case. What are you worried about? That you will offend the governor and his “support base?” That’s what Congressman Underwood did from ’95-’02 — keep quiet — so as to not offend the Gutierrez team and how did that work out?
Second, Gov Guam must be “transformed” as the CEO said in his State of the Island Address. That means a government that IS smaller but one that values merit and higher pay — much higher pay — for teachers (successful everywhere else) and nurses (successful anywhere else as well) for a start. Then we will be the talk of the town, so to speak, and we will attract the best from all over the nation (and the world). Also, pay cops and firemen top grade pay but all government employees will, in exchange, undergo drug screening on a monthly or at least quarterly basis until the drug scourge is defeated. Funding will come from both the elimination of “front office” / “central offices” in all agencies and by businesses who have escaped paying taxes for a long time (besides paying sub-par wages to their employees who are not even trained properly.)
Last, all those on assistance will be given one-way tickets to the mainland where they will have a better life. When things get better, they can come back. For now, we want everyone on Guam TO WORK and/or to STUDY/LEARN a TRADE!

MATT PHILIPS
Mangilao, Guam