by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - It has only been a few hours since senators voted on the amendment to Bill 19 to ban all forms of gambling on Guam once GMH vendors are paid off. Already it has our island's manamko fuming. In a phone interview Sinajana mayor Robert Hoffman says, "The manamko are pissed off because no one talked to them"

The amendment would outlaw all forms of gaming to include one of our manamko's favorite passtimes bingo. According to Mayor Hoffman the money received from the bingo activities played at the centers goes to fund the centers. He adds that the senators should have consulted with the manamko but sadly they were never given a heads up making the mayors suspicious about where this is coming from. Hoffman says when measures addressing gambling were voted down in the past there were fundamental flaws not a resounding no against gambling from the people. Adding he does not agree with the all or nothing and is very dissappointed in all of it.

Hoffman says he has been receiving calls and emails from other island mayors who are concerned with how this will affect our manamko and a course of action to take.