by John Davis, KUAM News Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Subscribe to John's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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Residents like Devin Cauthen are tired of feeling the pain in their pocketbooks because of the government's failure to meet its obligations. From, gas food, health insurance and rent, everyone is feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living. "The government needs to do their fair share first, the public, we've been burdened by all these increases, power, water everything, you know," Cauthen said.

For years the government has been allowed to accrue its debt for village streetlights, but unlike regular ratepayers - instead of being cut off for being in arrears the Government of Guam has been given a pass to keep the lights on. But things are about to change, so says chairperson of the Consolidated Commission on Utilities Simon Sanchez. "We've tried to be nice about it, but now we're just going to follow our rules and our rules say treat every customer the same, and if you're not current then you're not going to get your power."

Currently the only options presented by government leaders to pay a portion of the streetlights bill, $7.9 million to be exact, by June 1 is to increase the fee for motor vehicle registration. Bureau of Budget Management & Research acting director Bertha Duenas explained, "It would result in a projected revenue of $8 million and then it can sunset after 5 years. After 5 years we can go back down because then over 5 years, we would have paid everything."

The other option was presented by Senator Eddie Calvo (R) in the form of Bill 247. This measure would de-appropriate lapses from the Guam Public School System to make the $7.9 million payment by June. "It sure appears that we over appropriated for personnel and it sure appears even if we fund their shortfalls in operations there'll still be money left," the senator noted.

While elected leaders duke it out over which route to take to pay off the streetlights debt, the CCU has options of their own: either cut off GovGuam or pass the debt, once again to ratepayers. This makes for a situation that Cauthen says he'll watch closely when election time rolls around later this year. "This guy said he was going to do that and he did it, OK - let's re-elect him, he's doing what he's said he's going to do, these three guys haven't done nothing but sit there and go to weddings and funerals and stuff like that," he stated.

"We've got enough people attending weddings and funerals - we don't need government officials doing that."