Closing Routed Roads

Recently there's been a big stink over granting mayors the authority to close routed roads. Our know it alls at the Department of Public Works (yeah the same people who screw up traveling on roads for our residents), has been noisy in their opposition to granting mayors the power to close routed roads. Evidently the Federal Highway Administration is threatening to withhold millions of dollars in funds that are needed to maintain Guam's roads.

Where is DPW when it comes to the roads in Tumon being closed for festivals and what not? Everytime the road in Tumon is closed because of one festival or another, our know it alls are suspiciously missing in action.

Our mayors are smart and intelligent enough to know when to close down routed roads. In fact, when it comes to deciding who is smarter when it comes to roads (between the leadership of DPW and our mayors), I am strongly leaning towards the mayors.

UPDATE: Senators by a vote of 7-7 with one excused absence rejected Bill 443, which would have given the authority to close routed roads back to our know it alls. Now, DPW is warning that millions in highway funds are at risk. Not a BIG SHOCKER there eh?

Creating new revenue sources BEFORE harming our hardworking government employees.

It is a mighty shame that when it comes time to reducing deficits, that the first and it seems THE ONLY option our government cares to look at is laying off its employees. As if our employees were the ones who created the massive deficits that were made under past administrations. Other ideas should be looked at before laying off a single government employee is done:

1. Increase the driver's license / motor vehicle fees for new residents to Guam.

2. Require that any tourist / military personnel staying on island for up to a month and who wishes to drive shall obtain a temporary driver's license.

3. Eliminate the practice of handing out Qualifying Certificates to off island companies and reserve the issuance of such certificates or tax breaks for local companies whose management are 50% plus one manned by Guamanians.

4. Allow sports organizations to rent DOE sports facilities (when not in use by the students).

Other cost saving ideas:

1. Turn government house in Agana Heights into the island's new museum.

2. Stop buying new vehicles for non-emergency operations.

3. Eliminate the office of the Lt. Governor and hand the limited duties it has to other agencies or the Speaker of the Legislature.

4. Reduce the $1,000 dollars for every meeting commissioners of the CCU receive.

5. Limit the number of employees in the Office of the Governor to 65% of the current total.

6. Find a more cost effective health insurance carrier.

7. Eliminate non essential publicly funded island travel for the members of the Executive and Legislative Branch for one fiscal year.

8. Stop funding the Guam Territorial Band for one fiscal year.

9. Mandate a 25% across the board salary cut for all government of Guam agency heads for one fiscal year.

(New) Potential senatorial and congressional candidates

(Per the Guam Elections Commission website, the following candidates have picked up senatorial campaign packets) - Joining those on the earlier list.

1. Michelle Taitano - Republican

2. Committee to Draft Shirley A. Mabini - Republican

3. Javier Atalig, Jr. - Republican

4. Roland Blas - Republican

New potential congressional candidate

1. Mr. Jonathan Blas Diaz - SINAHI CULTURAL PARTY

While everywhere else in the US seems to see lower gas prices, of course we on Guam have to do our own thing.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2012/04/13/oil-price-hike-fizzles/

So, when are we gonna see year ago gas prices here on Guam? Sigh...

GovGuam's apparent love to tear up roads and make driving on island purposely bad.

We all remember the infamous tri-intersection road project that was suppose to have been completed by a certain date, than the completion date was pushed back, and then pushed back even further owing to one issue or another....turning a normally quick drive through Barrigada and Mangilao into at best, a literal nightmare.

Now, another road project is about to begin...brought to you by the awesome planners at the Department of Public Works; this despite work still ongoing at the tri-intersection area, several locations in the southeast and southern portions of the island, and work still being done on Route 7a in Hagatna.

The people who have to navigate the soon to be terror that will be in Hagatna are told the same thing they were told when the tri-intersection was being worked on: WE HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL, WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR MISTAKES, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE WORK ON THIS ROAD, IT IS BEST WE DO IT NOW, WE KNOW WHAT IS BEST SO YOU ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO SUCK IT UP AND WAIT UNTIL WE ARE DONE.

If the work to redo the bridge in Hagatna was SO IMPORTANT, why couldn't it have been worked on BEFORE the tri-intersection area was torn up? Two years (if we are lucky) is the expected time of completion for the soon to be affected area in Hagatna, let us pray that two years doesn't end up turning into five years.

Changes to Mayoral/Vice Mayoral Elections

Changes to our ratings for the Mayoral / Vice Mayoral Ratings will occur generally along the following timeline.

1. First change = week after candidates turn in packets.

2. Second change = August 1, 2012

3. Third change = August 19, 2012

4. Fourth change = September 3, 2012

5. Fifith change = September 29, 2012

6. Sixth change = October 15th, 2012

7. Seventh change = October 30th, 2012

8. Eighth change (FINAL RATINGS) = November 4th, 2012

Election Dates and Times (via GEC website)

GUAM 2012 PRIMARY ELECTION

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 - SATURDAY

POLLS OPEN FROM 7:00AM TO 8:00PM

NOVEMBER 6, 2012 - TUESDAY

POLLS OPEN FROM 7:00AM TO 8:00PM

PRELIMINARY BASE RATINGS - MAYORAL/VICE MAYORAL ELECTIONS

**THESE RATINGS ARE BASED ON PRIOR MUNICIPALITY VOTING HISTORY, STRENGTHS OF INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES, WHO IS RUNNING AS OF APRIL 2012, ETC. RATINGS WILL CHANGE AS MORE CANDIDATES COME IN OR DROP PUT.

HAGATNA

Mayoral Election: STRONG REPUBLICAN HOLD

AGAT

Mayoral Election: LEAN REPUBLICAN HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: TOSS UP

AGANA HEIGHTS

Mayoral Election: LIKELY REPUBLICAN HOLD

ASAN-MAINA

Mayoral Election: LEANS REPUBLICAN HOLD

BARRIGADA

Mayoral Election: STRONG DEMOCRATIC HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: LEANS DEMOCRATIC HOLD

CHALAN PAGO

Mayoral Election: LIKELY DEMOCRATIC HOLD

DEDEDO

Mayoral Election: LIKELY DEMOCRATIC HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: LIKELY DEMOCRATIC HOLD

INARAJAN

Mayoral Election: LIKELY REPUBLICAN HOLD

MANGILAO

Mayoral Election: LIKELY REPUBLICAN HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: LIKELY REPUBLICAN HOLD

MERIZO

Mayoral Election: TOSSUP

MONGMONG-TOTO-MAITE

Mayoral Election: STRONG REPUBLICAN HOLD

PITI

Mayoral Election: TOSSUP

SANTA RITA

Mayoral Election: LIKELY DEMOCRATIC HOLD

SINAJANA

Mayoral Election: STRONG DEMOCRATIC HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: STRONG DEMOCRATIC HOLD

TALOFOFO

Mayoral Election: LIKELY DEMOCRATIC HOLD

TAMUNING

Mayoral Election: STRONG REPUBLICAN HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: STRONG REPUBLICAN HOLD

UMATAC

Mayoral Election: TOSSUP

YIGO

Mayoral Election: STRONG DEMOCRATIC HOLD

Vice Mayoral Election: STRONG DEMOCRATIC HOLD

YONA

Mayoral Election: LEANS DEMOCRATIC HOLD

Potential Republican Senatorial Candidates (as of April 2012)

Those individuals / committees who according to the Guam Election Commission website have picked up a senatorial packet and have indicated they are a Republican.

POTENTIAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATES (as of April 2012) (per the Guam Election Commission website).

Mr. Antonio A. Aquiningoc

Mr. John B. Benavente

Committee to Draft Adonis J. Mendiola

Committee to Draft James G. Ungacta

Committee to Draft Roland Blas

Mr. Juan D.P. Diaz

Mr. Christopher M. Duenas (incumbent)

Mr. Michael Limtiaco

Mr. Brant McCreadie

Mr. Joaquin Naputi

Mr. Alan G. Salas

Mr. William Sarmiento

Mrs. Mana Silva Taijeron (incumbent)

Mr. Bill Taitague

Ms. Aline Yamashita (incumbent)

List will be updated every week upon reviewing GEC website and we do anticipate it changing as more candidates pick up packets, candidates decline to actually run, etc.

Mayors and Vice Mayors of Guam (by political affiliation) - as of April, 2012

Mayors and Vice Mayors of Guam (by political affiliation)

Agana Heights – Paul McDonald (R) - MAYOR

Agat – Carol S. Tayama (R) – MAYOR

Agustin G. Quintanilla (R)– VICE MAYOR

Asan – Vicente San Nicolas (R) – MAYOR

Barrigada – Jessie B. Palican (D) – MAYOR

June U. Blas (D) – VICE MAYOR

Chalan Pago – Jessy Gogue (D) – MAYOR

Dededo – Melissa B. Savares (D) – MAYOR

Andrew Benavente (D) – VICE MAYOR

Hagatna – John A. Cruz (R) – MAYOR

Inarajan – Franklin M. Taitague (R) – MAYOR

Mangilao – Nonito Blas (R) – MAYOR

Allan Ungacta (R) – VICE MAYOR

Merizo – Ernest T. Chargualaf (R) – MAYOR

Mongmong-Toto-Maite – Andrew Villagomez (R) – MAYOR

Piti – Vicente Gumataotao (R) – MAYOR

Santa Rita – Dale E. Alvarez (D) – MAYOR

Sinajana – Roke B. Blas (D) – MAYOR

Robert Hoffman (D) – VICE MAYOR

Talofofo – Vicente S. Taitague (D) – MAYOR

Tamuning – Francisco Blas (R) – MAYOR

Louise C. Rivera (R) – VICE MAYOR

Yigo – Robert Lizama (D) – MAYOR

Ronald Flores (D) – VICE MAYOR

Yona – Jose Terlaje (D) - MAYOR

GEB (finally) selects new Superintendent.

Today we hear that the Guam Education Board voted unanimously to select Mr. Jon Fernandez (a former Guam resident) to become the new Superintendent of Education, replacing Interim Superintendent Taling Taitano.

We congratulate Mr. Fernandez on his selection and hope that he will safeguard the education of our children as well as ensuring that our teachers and DOE staff receive the support they need.

Potential Candidates for Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives

*These individuals / committees have picked up campaign packets for the Guam Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives election as of April 6, 2012.

REPUBLICANS

-Guam Senator Frank Blas, Jr. - current Minority Leader in the 31st Guam Legislature (has officially announced he is running for Delegate).

DEMOCRATS

-Incumbent Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo (has officially announced she is running for another term).

-Committee to Draft Carl T.C. Gutierrez

-Mr. Karl Dizon

*deadline for submission of packets for the PRIMARY election is July 3, 2012 by 5:00 p.m.

Guam Election Commission (http://gec.guam.gov)

Welcome

This blog is for serious analysis, discussion, and projections for Guam's 2012 primary and general elections as well as the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. As time goes by, we hope to bring a local perspective to elections and politics. Keep Checking Back for updates!!