By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

GOVERNOR Felix P. Camacho yesterday stood pat on his decision in signing the controversial Bill 74 despite a clamor for its veto, saying his administration won’t be influenced by political endorsers.
“We are not in office to make a decision on every single issue based on what one group says it considers good. When making decisions, we’re always looking for the greater good,” the governor said in a telephone interview.
He was reacting to a statement made by Guam Democratic Party chairman Tony Charfauros, who criticized the governor’s decision to sign the 2007 revised budget bill despite an appeal from the Committee to Keep Guam Working to reject the legislation.
The committee, a coalition of private employees organizations representing 40,000 members, endorsed Camacho and his running mate, Mike Cruz, now the lieutenant governor, during the November elections.
“The Democratic Party lost the election because of the committee’s endorsement of the Republican team. I’m surprised that the governor didn’t listen to the group’s advice for him to veto the bill, which doesn’t represent a balanced budget. The new budget law also burdens people with fee increases,” Charfauros said.
The governor, however, said his administration has a good working relation with CKGW. “We may agree or disagree on some issues but there will always be opportunities for me to hear their concerns,” he said.
Camacho reluctantly signed Bill 74. “While there are many concerns regarding the final version of this bill, it is the assessment of this administration that a veto of the bill would cause greater harm to the future viability of this government and its ability to deliver critical services to the people of Guam,” the governor said in a press statement after signing the bill on May 18.
Charfauros said the timing of the bill’s signing was suspicious. “He signed the bill at the last minute on a Friday, hoping that the people would forget about it the following week,” he said.