If this is true, it is not because those folks are lazier than others, but for the reason that when the economy takes a turn for the worse, it is those who are least protected in the community they live and work in who usually bear the brunt. Since these folks do the jobs disproportionately more so than any other ethnic grouping in the private sector and the private sector does not need a cue to fire anyone, they will be left to seek unemployment benefits, even if Guam does not have unemployment insurance (and Guam Labor Director Leah-Beth Naholowaa has said that the administration has no intention of seeking it).
So while Guam elected officials are content to rest on their laurels and debate the pros and cons of the ever-changing dynamics of the military buildup, those who do the work in the private sector that pays for their salaries are struggling to make ends meet; this at a time when the senators saw fit to increase their salaries, by hook or by crook, from $55,000 to $60,000. Even the Guam governor, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, is out-of-touch with the reality of the working poor in this community, so much so that he finds it necessary to visit villages to find out how many children in local schools are on the subsidized meals program at Guam Department of Education (just ask Francis Santos, the chair of the board).
Guam has two economies: One, a government-led economy, funded by local and federal monies; and the second, a service-led economy, funded by federal overlays and tourist dollars. Those who live in the first economy are busy making plans to derail the military buildup, while those who live in the second cannot wait for the military buildup to take place now — not tomorrow, not 20 years from now.
MATT PHILIPS
Mangilao, Guam
