by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Whether they're a Democrat or Republican in the Guam Legislature, it appears both sides are concerned about the spending cuts that were cleared by Governor Eddie Calvo. Majority Leader Rory Respicio is concerned about how the plans were released in a press release and lacked details, and the fact that plans were drafted without input from the people they're directly impacting, such as the Government of Guam Retirement Fund.

Respicio told KUAM News, "The biggest concern I have from the legislative perspective - we've always seen his press releases we haven't seen a bill or any proposals to that affect. We've only seen press releases and in the past. The Administration has been known to step away or go away from what they say and what they actually do, and so I think we're all anxiously waiting to see what those proposals are."

Republican senator Mana Silva Taijeron meanwhile is concerned about the Spending Cuts Task Force's plans which single out the Guam Fire Department. Specifically, nearly $3 million in cuts through the elimination of GFD non-productive pay, plus reduction of GFD overtime to six hours and the elimination of GFD incentive pay.

She said, "I think in this particular case there's misunderstandings and misnomers associated with that non-productive pay - people don't understand that it's not hours where their just sitting around doing nothing, this is actually leave that they've accrued that they've earned. And so if you're looking at how the firefighters accrued their leave, it's its based differently, when you compare it to the 80-hour worker you're gong to have differences because they don't work a typical 80-hour week. They work 120 hours and they're schedule is based on a 24-hour schedule, so with the non-productive pay they're leave is obviously different from that of an average GovGuam worker.

Senator Taijeron said the term non-productive pay is deceiving. She added that if there were going to be cuts, it should be government-wide not just one agency - and in this case Guam Fire.