Second gubernatorial debate is just as heated
Gubernatorial candidates picked up where they left off: with their gloves off.
October 15, 2014Updated: October 15, 2014
By KUAM News
By KUAM News by Ken Quintanilla
Guam - With less than three weeks left before Super Tuesday, both gubernatorial teams squared off for their second meeting at The Hyatt last night. Your gubernatorial candidates picked up where they left off last week during the Rotary Club of Guam's forum - with their gloves off.
During last night's Guam Medical Association debate both teams exchanged blows. In his opening remarks, Governor Eddie Calvo described his opponent's politics of destruction also about the progress made in healthcare over the last four years. "Look at how it's improved not only in operating and emergency room but expansion in other areas, on public health, on outreach, for drug education, substance abuse, our finance has finally been fixed up and economy is going strong," he said.
For former governor Carl Gutierrez in his opening remarks he pointed out how Governor Calvo fired the hospital board and replaced them with his appointees. Gutierrez says now is a serious time for our hospital, announcing, "It calls for serious leadership, not more press releases or election years stunts - it calls for leadership that will stand up for the interest of every family on the island and not just one health insurer or one family."
Considering it was the GMA, a majority of the questions covered healthcare from medicinal marijuana to Obamacare to mandatory private insurance coverage. And while both candidates touted their accomplishments, they also disclosed their biggest regrets as governor. "If there's one thing I really regret, is Senator Ben Pangelinan was a great man," said Calvo. "Senator Ben served the people and my issue here is my relationship should have been better. Maybe I should have done a better job in reaching out and taking out mistrust between us and I'm just being sincere. That is a regret."
Gutierrez said, "My biggest failure as governor of Guam is not working with the legislature - the legislature became polarized with Carl Gutierrez and I was just thinking I'm governor I have to do it this way. I've come to realize that's wrong, that the legislature dictates by law what we should be moving forward on."
What set this debate apart from the rotary forum a week ago was the fact that the candidates for lieutenant governor were also given a chance to talk. Both Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio and Attorney Gary Gumataotao spoke about why they were more qualified than the other. Gumataotao says he not only was better educated but more seasoned, saying, "I understand vets and their problems and I've also worked very hard to accomplish other things I'm a commodore in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, I'm one-star admiral. When the military knocking on your door about buildup, I'm ready to talk."
Tenorio on the other hand says unlike Gumataotao, he has been serving the people of Guam for 30 years as a police officer, senator and lieutenant governor. "I have been able to not just deal with one star, I've dealt with three, four-star generals and admirals, so never mind your one star, this is not about the number of stars you have on your shoulder this is about the number of credentials behind you the things that make it a real leader," he said.
Some of the other issues brought up during the debate included experience with disasters, Gutierrez said Calvo didn't have any while during his administration he had to deal with several such as Supertyphoon Paka, the Asian economic crisis, and the Korean Airline crash.
Calvo however responded he has had to deal with disasters such as a $300 million deficit when he came into office, fires at Ordot, tax refunds, COLA and EITC that hadn't been paid. He said those disasters started with his opponent.
The two also answered questions about the possibility of layoffs and whether Calvo had ever wrote-off taxes for his family. The governor denied the allegations and also welcomed an audit by the public auditor; Gutierrez however said he wanted an independent forensic audit.
There are two more meetings for the gubernatorial candidates set before the general election on November 4.
Gutierrez said, "What we're saying to you is Gary and I will only have the people of Guam as our only business. We'll take care of you, we'll have Geri Gutierrez get people helping people back to catch you on a safety net. We have to come together as a community, this belongs to us, this island cannot be continued to be run by elite."
Governo Calvo stated, "I am honored to have worked for such a good people and I'm asking for four more years, because I'm here to serve the rich, the poor, the weak the old the young, and its not by pointing fingers or being divisive at the end of all this, we'll all come together."
Guam - With less than three weeks left before Super Tuesday, both gubernatorial teams squared off for their second meeting at The Hyatt last night. Your gubernatorial candidates picked up where they left off last week during the Rotary Club of Guam's forum - with their gloves off.
During last night's Guam Medical Association debate both teams exchanged blows. In his opening remarks, Governor Eddie Calvo described his opponent's politics of destruction also about the progress made in healthcare over the last four years. "Look at how it's improved not only in operating and emergency room but expansion in other areas, on public health, on outreach, for drug education, substance abuse, our finance has finally been fixed up and economy is going strong," he said.
For former governor Carl Gutierrez in his opening remarks he pointed out how Governor Calvo fired the hospital board and replaced them with his appointees. Gutierrez says now is a serious time for our hospital, announcing, "It calls for serious leadership, not more press releases or election years stunts - it calls for leadership that will stand up for the interest of every family on the island and not just one health insurer or one family."
Considering it was the GMA, a majority of the questions covered healthcare from medicinal marijuana to Obamacare to mandatory private insurance coverage. And while both candidates touted their accomplishments, they also disclosed their biggest regrets as governor. "If there's one thing I really regret, is Senator Ben Pangelinan was a great man," said Calvo. "Senator Ben served the people and my issue here is my relationship should have been better. Maybe I should have done a better job in reaching out and taking out mistrust between us and I'm just being sincere. That is a regret."
Gutierrez said, "My biggest failure as governor of Guam is not working with the legislature - the legislature became polarized with Carl Gutierrez and I was just thinking I'm governor I have to do it this way. I've come to realize that's wrong, that the legislature dictates by law what we should be moving forward on."
What set this debate apart from the rotary forum a week ago was the fact that the candidates for lieutenant governor were also given a chance to talk. Both Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio and Attorney Gary Gumataotao spoke about why they were more qualified than the other. Gumataotao says he not only was better educated but more seasoned, saying, "I understand vets and their problems and I've also worked very hard to accomplish other things I'm a commodore in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, I'm one-star admiral. When the military knocking on your door about buildup, I'm ready to talk."
Tenorio on the other hand says unlike Gumataotao, he has been serving the people of Guam for 30 years as a police officer, senator and lieutenant governor. "I have been able to not just deal with one star, I've dealt with three, four-star generals and admirals, so never mind your one star, this is not about the number of stars you have on your shoulder this is about the number of credentials behind you the things that make it a real leader," he said.
Some of the other issues brought up during the debate included experience with disasters, Gutierrez said Calvo didn't have any while during his administration he had to deal with several such as Supertyphoon Paka, the Asian economic crisis, and the Korean Airline crash.
Calvo however responded he has had to deal with disasters such as a $300 million deficit when he came into office, fires at Ordot, tax refunds, COLA and EITC that hadn't been paid. He said those disasters started with his opponent.
The two also answered questions about the possibility of layoffs and whether Calvo had ever wrote-off taxes for his family. The governor denied the allegations and also welcomed an audit by the public auditor; Gutierrez however said he wanted an independent forensic audit.
There are two more meetings for the gubernatorial candidates set before the general election on November 4.
Gutierrez said, "What we're saying to you is Gary and I will only have the people of Guam as our only business. We'll take care of you, we'll have Geri Gutierrez get people helping people back to catch you on a safety net. We have to come together as a community, this belongs to us, this island cannot be continued to be run by elite."
Governo Calvo stated, "I am honored to have worked for such a good people and I'm asking for four more years, because I'm here to serve the rich, the poor, the weak the old the young, and its not by pointing fingers or being divisive at the end of all this, we'll all come together."