Do you know the utilities commission candidates?
The three seats up for grab for the CCU has attracted a diverse set of candidates.
October 31, 2014Updated: November 1, 2014
By KUAM News
By KUAM News by Ken Quintanilla
Guam - On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls and while many anticipate the race for Adelup and the Guam Legislature, there's also a heated race for close to a dozen candidates running for the Consolidated Commission on Utilities.
The three seats up for grab for the CCU has attracted a diverse set of candidates. Number one on the ballot is former senator and current CCU chairman Simon Sanchez, who said, "These are complex utilities, complex problems but they affect everybody's daily life, so I think I can help make the utilities, continue to provide better service and do it as affordably as possible."
Second on the ballot is former Public Works director Andrew Leon Guerrero. He told KUAM News, "But what we really need is somebody that can open the books, can crunch the numbers, make rational and educated decisions on which direction Guam should take as far as GPA and GWA and whatever form of renewable energy there are out there."
Former senator and Guam Education Board chairman Francis Santos is third on the ballot, and said, "In terms of qualification, my background is really in business and I feel that since most of the issues right now affecting our power company, GPA and water have to do with the rates, so I can bring that level of expertise to this new board."
Earl Garrido is number four on the ballot and retired as a systems manager for the Guam Power Authority after 32 years. "I feel that I'm a credible candidates because I know the insides and I know the outsides which is the ratepayers because since I'm retired I live on a fixed income so every time the rates go up it hurts my pocketbooks just as it does the average ratepayer," he said.
Fred Tupaz is a planner by nature and a consultant by trade with over 27 years of work experience and is number five. He shared, "As a planner and a consultant I've worked hard to work with constituents to reduce the costs of how the government delivers their services to our end users and I think with those qualifications and my ability to think critically and creatively, makes me a good candidate for the position of CCU."
Bill Hagen operates Pacific Pest Control and Pacific Solar and Photovoltaics and is number six on the ballot. "Our company started renewable energy about six years ago and we think it's time for Guam. Guam is about ten years behind with the rest of the US with renewable energy we have a lot of catching up to do and at least I have something I can bring to the table," he told KUAM News.
Former senator and current CCU member Benigno Palomo is number seven. He says he is a strong individual who wants to ensure the system is fixed so people have adequate power and water.
At number eight is Joseph George Bamba, who not only served as a senator but chief of staff for two governors, but said, "I think it's incumbent on the CCU to focus, since they're elected by the people at large, to focus on the need of the rate payer sand the consumers, because and lessen the burden of the power costs on them."
At number nine is William Payne, who considers himself a true blue collar product. "I want to be able to contribute and add to the worker-be upgrade and I want to make sure we have competent technical people running this show, it just can't be one or two people for the rest of our lives," he said.
Number ten is Jose Servino, who was an engineer for the Defense Department for 30 years. "I think customer service is very important, I hear a lot of people complaining and I want to help people out and resolve their issues, and I want to try to eliminate these high costs that happen in the past," he said.
And rounding out the list of candidates is current CCU member Eloy Hara at number eleven. "We already have all our integrated resource plans, our master plans - and our progress is ongoing and I want to serve four more years so I can see all those plans that we put together through to fruition," he said.
Guam - On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls and while many anticipate the race for Adelup and the Guam Legislature, there's also a heated race for close to a dozen candidates running for the Consolidated Commission on Utilities.
The three seats up for grab for the CCU has attracted a diverse set of candidates. Number one on the ballot is former senator and current CCU chairman Simon Sanchez, who said, "These are complex utilities, complex problems but they affect everybody's daily life, so I think I can help make the utilities, continue to provide better service and do it as affordably as possible."
Second on the ballot is former Public Works director Andrew Leon Guerrero. He told KUAM News, "But what we really need is somebody that can open the books, can crunch the numbers, make rational and educated decisions on which direction Guam should take as far as GPA and GWA and whatever form of renewable energy there are out there."
Former senator and Guam Education Board chairman Francis Santos is third on the ballot, and said, "In terms of qualification, my background is really in business and I feel that since most of the issues right now affecting our power company, GPA and water have to do with the rates, so I can bring that level of expertise to this new board."
Earl Garrido is number four on the ballot and retired as a systems manager for the Guam Power Authority after 32 years. "I feel that I'm a credible candidates because I know the insides and I know the outsides which is the ratepayers because since I'm retired I live on a fixed income so every time the rates go up it hurts my pocketbooks just as it does the average ratepayer," he said.
Fred Tupaz is a planner by nature and a consultant by trade with over 27 years of work experience and is number five. He shared, "As a planner and a consultant I've worked hard to work with constituents to reduce the costs of how the government delivers their services to our end users and I think with those qualifications and my ability to think critically and creatively, makes me a good candidate for the position of CCU."
Bill Hagen operates Pacific Pest Control and Pacific Solar and Photovoltaics and is number six on the ballot. "Our company started renewable energy about six years ago and we think it's time for Guam. Guam is about ten years behind with the rest of the US with renewable energy we have a lot of catching up to do and at least I have something I can bring to the table," he told KUAM News.
Former senator and current CCU member Benigno Palomo is number seven. He says he is a strong individual who wants to ensure the system is fixed so people have adequate power and water.
At number eight is Joseph George Bamba, who not only served as a senator but chief of staff for two governors, but said, "I think it's incumbent on the CCU to focus, since they're elected by the people at large, to focus on the need of the rate payer sand the consumers, because and lessen the burden of the power costs on them."
At number nine is William Payne, who considers himself a true blue collar product. "I want to be able to contribute and add to the worker-be upgrade and I want to make sure we have competent technical people running this show, it just can't be one or two people for the rest of our lives," he said.
Number ten is Jose Servino, who was an engineer for the Defense Department for 30 years. "I think customer service is very important, I hear a lot of people complaining and I want to help people out and resolve their issues, and I want to try to eliminate these high costs that happen in the past," he said.
And rounding out the list of candidates is current CCU member Eloy Hara at number eleven. "We already have all our integrated resource plans, our master plans - and our progress is ongoing and I want to serve four more years so I can see all those plans that we put together through to fruition," he said.