As ever with these folks, this requires that someone be blamed; and as usual, the finger-pointing is directed toward the Guam Legislature.
Had they really been closely following developments rather than raging about their failure to make a quick profit from their investments, they would have at least known that this agreement with Australia has been in the works for years. I think it makes perfect sense, given developments involving China and North Korea, that U.S. affiliated forces in the Pacific be prepared to work with each other.
Particularly, as regards the buildup, I have been surprised that persons who have spent their career or even entire life on Guam and display very sophisticated knowledge of business and financial matters can be so ignorant of political and social concerns in this community and how complex developments such as the Guam military buildup really are.
First, does anyone seriously believe that the big bad Guam Legislature is singlehandedly chasing away the USMC? And second, I am informed by JGPO that there is no connection between the Australian agreement and the Guam military buildup continuing. That would have been a good item for the critics to fact-check.
Regardless of facts, the latest approach to assigning blame for the alleged demise of the buildup points to five senators, conveniently all Democrats, including the entire majority leadership of the Legislature.
Now this partisanship suggests political views formed 40 or so years ago, around the time George McGovern ran for president. In that long-ago campaign, Richard Nixon’s GOP vilified the Democrats as anti-war peaceniks.
Fortunately, in 2011, that analysis or line of propaganda has very little to do with the present circumstances of the Guam military buildup or political positions taken on it by our senators.
The interesting reality is that while the 15 members of the Guam Legislature last year had varying views on the buildup, ranging from opposition to unequivocal support, they were in total agreement that important Guam community needs had to be met for it to succeed.
The three 2010 resolutions by the Legislature on the buildup and potential land-taking were passed unanimously, including the votes of former senators and now Governor and Lt. Governor Eddie Calvo and Ray Tenorio; the resolutions call for a ‘win-win’ situation where local considerations are taken into account while satisfying the military’s need for the buildup.
Expressing these concerns represents anything but opposition to the buildup.
Very much unlike what is unfolding in Washington D.C., our Guam legislators are not locked into frozen, party line positions on an issue such as the buildup. They haven’t signed pledges agreeing to support or not support the buildup, but fortunately for their constituents, they have unanimously agreed that the buildup should serve the needs of the community.
For those who insist on continuing to play this far-too-familiar blame game, I suggest that you would be well-advised to become better informed on the issues. Work a little harder and express yourself better. You have little credibility when you blast out anonymous and juvenile criticism of people who are working tirelessly to achieve a successful military buildup.
In summary, I have always been PRO-BUILDUP as long as it is a win-win situation for both the military and the people of Guam. This continues to be my position. In the end, my goal is to see a buildup that benefits all the people of Guam, and my motto to reinforce this goal is ONE ISLAND, ONE PEOPLE, AND ONE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLS GUAM HOME!
SEN. JUDITH P. GUTHERTZ
31st Guam Legislature
