Senators propose cost-cutting strategies

by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - While many have noted concerns with the governor's recent Spending Cuts Task Force recommendations namely its early retirement program, lawmakers in past years to today continue to throw out some ideas in terms of cut. It's not the task force's list of recommendations, but Senator Judi Guthertz is hoping the Calvo Administration will once again take into account some of the ideas she proffered a few years back.

According to Guthertz, her humane Deficit Elimination Plan would help in aiding with the Government of Guam's financial crisis. "I think we're approaching this idea of changes in the government without looking at the overall structural aspect of the government, and the question that should guide that review is what should be the responsibilities of the Government of Guam in terms of services to the people of Guam at this point in time and in the foreseeable future," she said.

The plan suggested 42 cost containment measures and  revenue enhancement ideas including abolishing deputy director positions, consolidating departments and agencies having related functions, building a local skilled labor force, being conservative about government travel and utilizing local expertise to assist departments and agencies with consulting work.

"So I know they've approached some of these matters and there's a lot more that could be used and could be considerably money savers in the government," she said.

According to Governor Eddie Calvo, they actually have incorporated some of these ideas in hopes of reaching fiscal stabilization. "We've already incorporated attrition and there has been a reduction in the workforce in GovGuam as a result of the attrition," he said. "We're also looking at further consolidation of agencies."

Assistant Minority Leader Aline Yamashita meanwhile says she remembers Guthertz's plans and it's good that other alternatives are being suggested - something she echoes as well saying we need to take an overall look at all GovGuam's supports and services. "We can leverage our resources and once we do that we will save between brain power, between the amounts of money we spend on offices, on power and utilities," she said.

And just like Guthertz recommended absorbing the Guam Mass Transit Authority into Public Works as a community transit along with looking at incorporating school bus services into the community transit system, she too has been talking about consolidating all our mass transit endeavors. She said, "I think if we take the millions here, the millions there and the millions here, consolidate it we might really be able to work with people who are experts in transportation and come up with a viable plan that's available almost 24 hours a day from Andersen to Umatac."

And while lawmakers wait for the Governor's Office and DOA to submit its Omnibus Fiscal Reform Package of 2012 or the bill outlining how they plan to implement the cuts, Calvo says the Administration hopes to work collaboratively with the Legislature in ensuring we build fiscal discipline in the government.