Action speaks louder than words

Several years ago, when we go to gas our cars, we should be able to fill up the tank costing some $15 - now, in order to do this, it would cost some $45 to $50; a sack of rice not too long ago, cost about $12; now one has to pay around $21; and I need relay what has been happening to the ever rising health insurance premiums, along with the increasing so-call deductibles. And, I am not going to tell you about the cost of just lighting up our house. You know that more than I. And you know we have not yet seen the end of the ever increasing utility expenditures.

These are happening on our island while we continually talk about the forthcoming economic boom, attributable to the anticipated arrival of some 8,000 US marines, sometime between the years 2010 and 2014.

They say "talk is cheap" and action speaks louder than words.

The most vulnerable group of our local citizens affected by these increasing cost of living is our elderly citizens, who are on fixed incomes, There are over 7,000 government of Guam retirees, and most likely the same number who are retired US civil service employees and retired military personnel, not to mention the thousands who are only receiving social security benefits.

One who retires in the year 2000, with a fixed income, now find himself unable to afford the same essential items, with the purchasing power of $1.00 then is now worth some 60 to 70 cents.

We talk about Universal Health care for our island, and to seek the extension of Medicare to all our elderly citizens, for some many years!

I remind myself of the Roman Emperor Nero, who "supposedly played the fiddle" while Rome burns. Do you ever wonder if the people in Adelup and in the Legislative halls maybe "playing the old fiddle" while our elderly citizens continues to suffer.

Let us hear - what are you going to do these coming elections?

Special contributing blogger for KUAM Joe T. San Agustin has served Guam as former chairperson of the Democratic Party of Guam and as former speaker of the Guam Legislature. He is currently chairman of the GovGuam Retirement Fund.

The gem that is Tumon

TUMON is the proverbial chicken that lays the golden egg for the benefit of the Island of Guam, and in particular to the Treasury of Guam, which is another name for our pocketbooks. Tourism is the life blood of this Island, we have other minor sources of income but Tourism is King. It is regrettable that this major source of Income is now being jeopardize by our own elected officials and some Governmental agencies. Lets re-invest a small portion of the millions that have been collected from Tourism back into Tourism. It is ironic that some of our elected officials and some Directors, Supervisors, and consultants who have benefited the most from the bountiful chicken that lays the golden egg are the most vociferous in their attempts to kill the chicken that has benefited so many.

How quickly they have forgotten the screaming headlines of "PAYLESS PAYDAYS" of a few short years ago, now back again. How easily they have forgotten the salary increases, the retroactive pay increases, $5040.00 salary increases, and the bonus and double dipping received by Government of Guam employees, and the numerous public work improvements; All of these benefits to so many was made possible by the miracle of TUMON. And yet it is the same elected officials and Directors, Supervisors, and consultants who received the largest bonuses, pay increases, and retroactive pay benefits, that are the loudest in condemning TUMON. Feed, protect, and pamper the chicken that lays the golden egg. So many, in particular the Treasury of Guam, AKA our pocket books, have benefited from the miracle of TUMON. Re-invest a little of this benefit back to the source of the many benefits being generated by Tourism.

BEACHES, our most prized possession. Keep it clean, and free of the disgusting algae green slime, that abounds on the seashore. Over the last thirty years that I have lived in Tumon, I have literally felt the water depth become shallower, due to the accumulation of silt and muck. Dredge TUMON, and bring it back to its original depth. Remove the silt and muck that was not there to begin with, and just remove the excess silt and dirt from the ocean floor. This can be done ecologically without damage to the environment. This is done constantly in other beach resort areas. Contrary to popular wisdom and belief, the residents of Guam are the major users of Tumon and its facilities. Count them, I did. The bulk of the people on the beach live and work in Guam. Our visitors comprise a small portion of those that use Tumon. And these thousands of residents who use Tumon on weekends and holidays, have no toilet facilities. Where do they relieve themselves.

Without Tumon and its attendant Hotel facilities, we would not have the fine dining and entertainment that is utilized by every resident in Guam, not just Tourist. Sit back and think, when you think of going to the finest and best restaurants, Tumon comes to mind immediately, when you think of nite entertainment, Tumon again comes to mind as the first choice. These dining and entertainment facilities cannot exist by relying on the local trade. It is the tourist that makes it economically possible to offer these facilities to others at a very competitive rate. Prices in Tumon are reasonable when compared to the same products being offered elsewhere, even in so called cheap places such as Manila, Bali, etc. Tourism is a gift to our Islands, it is not a right or prerogative for our elected officials to use as their private bank for irrational purposes or pork barrel. Please read the latest article on Saipan and Guam, whose general contents is now appearing on a more permanent basis in the Japanese Travel Industry.

Tourism is the Goose that lays the Golden Egg. But this Goose can go elsewhere. Better management and establishing priorities, with an enforceable accountability is the only solution for the financial problems of GovGuam. Adding more money to GovGuam coffers, means more wasted money, and irresponsibility.

A Tale from Grimm's Fairy Tales: Ten men were talking When Tax cuts were being analyzed, a poor man said: "I only saved a dollar. It's unfair that the rich got ten times more than I!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth man and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

SO SPEAK OUT, ITS YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO EXPRESS

Al Ysrael is a businessman and special contributing blogger for KUAM