by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Legislation aimed at improving sports facilities by taxing the Guam National Olympic Committee fell flat on support during a public hearing this morning at the Guam Legislature.

Bill 19 didn't score big with ballers. "Guam Basketball opposes this bill," was uttered. The bill landed in the gutter with the Guam Bowling Federation, as reps said, "I hope this bill not kill the GNOC." It teed off the Guam Golfing Federation, ""I too am opposed to the bill."

Bill 19 was introduced by Senators Chris Duenas , former GNOC athlete Senator Tommy Morrison and former GNOC secretary general B.J. Cruz. It would allow the director of Rev & Tax to assess an interim 20 percent tax on all GRT from all gaming activities in Guam that's don't have a specific tax rate. The DRT director would essentially take on the role of the dormant gaming control mission. Specifically the legislation takes aim at the Guam National Olympic Committee Lottery.

GNOC president Ric Blas said, "Senators you have chose to attack the GNOC without getting real facts , facts that would have mattered in making sound decision and attack instead of dialogue would have been in best interest to all concerned."

The facts: in 2002 the GNOC joined the sports bingo program. The gross income over the 11 year period was $22 million. $9.3 million went to the Australian Lottery Commission, $4.3 million went to GNOC operating expenses for the sports program. This included $2.1 million in software licensing fees. In addition the GNOC paid $5.3 million in prizes.

According to GNOC's Bob Steffy when all that is deducted the GNOC was left with $3.3 million in income over the 11 year period. From that amount $596,000 was paid to its partner member federations for a net profit of $2.7 million. The 20 percent tax Blas and Steffy say would shut down the organization throwing dreams of Olympic gold for local athletes out the door and furthermore flush years of work to get Guam to compete in the Olympics in the first place down the drain.

"Step back and consider for a moment how remarkable it is that Guam a territory of the U.S. with a population of 182,000 can send athletes to the Olympics when places like California when 225 times the population of Guam cannot," said Steffy.

And while the GNOC and lawmakers began discussion on the legislation it was evident that laws that are currently on Guam's books are not being enforced specifically a limited gaming tax, which shall not exceed four percent of the GRT at minimum rate of one half of two percent. Rev & Tax director John Camacho said, "As I was talking to staff, they weren't even aware this being codified into law I myself personally wasn't made aware, until this bill surfaced."

Not only was DRT not aware of the law its' failed to capture revenues from other forms of gaming activities such as cockfighting. Cruz said, "If nothing else this bill has brought out the fact that if we're trying to find some money just standing up all the commission that should be in charge of the franchise and the licensing and the setting up some of these small taxes even if its just a half percent as is currently in the law. It doesn't say it has to be 4 percent it says 4 percent or no less than a half percent. 23252 but we're not getting anything currently."

Vice Speaker Cruz said he may just withdraw his name as a sponsor of the bill an instead introduce legislation to ban all forms of gaming on Guam instead.