by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - So what exactly will be the impact to Guam if sequestration occurs? Evidently no one really knows. This has prompted Speaker Judi Won Pat to call on a series of roundtables to bridge the gaps in information.

Governor Eddie Calvo was at the White House today when President Barack Obama announced a report has been compiled outlining how exactly sequestration will harm middle class families. "Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to deal with finding child care for their children. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose access to primary care and preventive care, like flu vaccinations and cancer screenings," he said.

The White House report however only provided a breakdown of the impact to states. So Guam wasn't included, leaving local leaders like Speaker Won Pat searching for answers. "The problem is, is we don't know how much it's going to affect us," she noted.

For now what is known is should sequestration occur, it will have a significant impact on the Department of Defense's plans to realign forces in the Asia Pacific Region. Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter in February stated, "All that which is critical to our strategies would be put in doubt and put in jeopardy if these further budget cuts go on."

The Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority is also bracing for the sequestration hammer to fall. Executive director Michael Duenas told KUAM News, "We are looking at and 8.5% cut for our programs. That is basically 8.5% from March forward."

And while Governor Calvo works the Washington angle, here on the home front Speaker Won Pat is taking the lead to determine what exactly will be the impact should sequestration occur. She's requesting GovGuam departments and agencies to compile a review of federal mandates, fines, fees and expected reimbursements required by the feds, this in anticipation of upcoming roundtable discussions on sequestration.

"The purpose of this whole roundtable is to get more information and hopefully to be able to of find out what that dollar amount will be and what efforts will be taken by those agencies to be able live with the cuts," she said.

The lack of details also prompted Won Pat to do her own research. She says from a Federal Funds Information for the States reports, under Guam specifically in education it noted 4% - something she's not even certain pertains to cuts in DOE or at UOG or GCC. Other research showed while the university Pell Grants were exempted from sequestration it showed college work study and supplemental education opportunity grants are at risk. "But like I said," she noted, "we still don't know to what degree the impact is going to be."

Won Pat says sequestration could also impact those in the federal government, but questions whether it means furloughs or reduced work hours both of which in the long run could affect the local economy. Ultimately she says, with more information coming in, it raises more questions and concerns, something she hopes to get a better understanding at the roundtables.

The roundtables meanwhile will begin March 8, one week after sequestration is set to take effect, starting with the Department of Education, GCC and UOG - all of which are under Won Pat's purview.

Guam Buildup Office director Mark Calvo meanwhile is also in D.C. with Governor Calvo. On the matter of sequestration, he told KUAM News earlier this month that sequestration will have an impact on the buildup, however not even DOD officials can say how much of an impact. He further adds that he doesn't believe the Obama Administration's plan to realign forces to the Pacific Region will change but the scope of the realignment is likely to be affected.