Anon.Gu

ANON.GU: a·non  /əˈnän/ abreviation for Anonymous Guam. We’re everywhere.

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Guam is too small. It seems whenever I try to go somewhere to ‘hide,’ I always run into someone trying to do the same.

My general coffeeshop hangout these days is not only a popular destination for the coffeehouse set and lunch crowd, but it is also becoming obvious to people that I can be found there…which can be distracting when I want to prep a blog post or work on a client project.

There is always somebody who want to pass on a tip or offer their opinion on a topical issue.

So, it was with some reluctance I abandoned my routine and headed down to the Mix at the Westin Resort to seclude me and my thoughts from the fray.

And what the ‘blank’ happens? Nothing less than a friggin’ parade!

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My ears have been on fire since lunch hour today as the Gb inbox is loaded with speculation that former governor Carl Gutierrez and Bank of Guam president Lou Leon Guerrero met today to plot a strategy to correct the misdirection the island has taken since Calvo/Tenorio took office in 2011. In addition to that heat, is buzz that Calvo was at the same time meeting with speaker Judi Won Pat to secretly plot their own mutually beneficial strategy. Ironically, one source says all four wound up at the same exclusive eatery at the Westin Resort. I wonder what thoughts and concerns whirled in the minds of the foursome when they bumped into each other and caught a gander of who was having lunch with whom.

When I spied Bank of Guam president Lou Leon Guerrero heading in my direction, I didn’t feel compelled to move. She has igged me off so successfully since her days in the legislature as to reduce me to nothingness, that I have effectively become invisible to her.

The invisible man needn’t hide in plain sight.

I ordered a coffee with a nod (they know me here, too) as she disappeared from view.

Then former governor Carl Gutierrez strutted in. Being, as Joe Guthrie calls me, a Carlista, I normally have no problem running into the Gov.

But today, well today was one of those days when I was feeling inward and antisocial…I slipped into a corner to escape his incredible observation skills.

I thought I had succeeded in acquiring my seclusion until I saw Telo Taitague. Then Lil’ Cousin Eddie and then speaker Judi Won Pat.

“WTF??!” I mumbled aloud. I didn’t need the evil eye from Calvo or the banality of small talk with anyone today.

I did my best impression of a ghost. All with such big egos, none could see past their personal agendas, thankfully.

Every one of them furtively slipped into the lower level of the hotel, so I assumed they went into that Japanese restaurant there. No better place for them to hide from the hoi polloi and riff raff than a joint that serves at least one meat items at $20 a slice.

When the coast was clear, I unplugged and hauled ass away from the Westin, and Tumon, fleeing back to the comfort and confines of my little coffeeshop haven, tucked neatly away in a nondescript strip mall in Tamuning.

Anon.Gu are legion. Many eyes in many places. I din’t have to be there to learn what was going on below me.

Apparently Calvo and Won Pat huddled at one table, plotting their private successes together, as they tried to figure out a runaround legislative opposition to Calvo’s agenda (think BJ).

This little tête–à–tête left a couple of blog followers wondering today what the Democratic caucus would think, as there’s been ample suspicion for some time about where Won Pat’s loyalties lie, especially since the career politician decimated the talent in her office to a modicum of what it once was, by her own casual (and unrepentant) betrayal of longterm, dedicated staffers and the institution of Calvo-esque draconian policies; like the one that makes it a firing offense for staff to talk about the office to anyone outside the office - or with anyone within the office, outside of the office - or some such nonsense.

Across the room at the über-expensive Isshin, one stunned diner witnessed Lou and Carl having a hushed lunch filled with lots of smiles and energized conversation.

The diner texted Guamblog - even as I was making a mad dash for the exit only a couple of floors up to report what they observed.

The dropped jaw diner sent a flurry of texts, reporting that the two parties made failed attempts to not gawk at the other. At one point, the fellow patron wrote that the gang of four did speak to each other, with someone trying to take a photo - but that notion, and the camera, were quickly put away.

Though there were plenty of eyes who witnessed this political promenade in Tumon, there were no ears. Leaving most (though not all) of the commentary received thus far mere speculation.

Ultimately, only time will tell what the two parties discussed today - but one idea that has been burning up the phone this afternoon, and the inbox, as word about this lunchtime rendezvouz got out….is that Calvo and Won Pat almost certainly had at the top of their agenda, a lengthy discussion about what to do about the Henry Taitano nomination.

After all, Henry’s mom was the treasurer for Won Pat’s last election campaign. The speaker may recuse her vote, but she is not neutral on the matter according to info coming from other Democrats.

Well, my ears hurt…so, let me get out of here now….because I think I see another parade starting.

Is The Magic Gone?

Is the magic gone already or has the dark spell of reality simply brought the dream of a better Guam crashing down hard to earth as residents cast about for a new sign of change, hope?

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In a weekend filled with sad news, as we learned of the passing of two amazing Guam souls - Sylvia Weakley and Benny Camacho, a certain chill set upon island residents. This, even as people simmer with rage in the face of the collapse of justice and safety on Guam.

Noisy chatter from the underground indicates that this weekend may have been a watershed of sorts as people are feeling at the end of their proverbial ropes.

Not so much a lifeline, than a noose, residents from all walks of life are stirring and seem ready to move in a new direction - one other than any further down.

It was only 3 months ago that Guamblog had the temerity to suggest the impossible. A winning team consisting of two giants that could not only heal their personal differences, but in that process possess the power to move the island back to a place of healing; a ‘magic’ place that makes good that which once was good before; back to the kind of paradise only the island’s man’amko seem able to recall these days, and as noted above, these are leaving us daily.

Guamblog was bombarded this past weekend with conversations and messages about what is happening to the island. The question is parsed in a variety of ways, but people want to know increasingly, who will challenge Eddie Calvo and Ray Tenorio in 2014. 

Residents are tired; sick of and fed up with “________ .” (Fill in the blank.) More and more they actively scan the horizons, tune into morning talk radio, looking, listening, waiting for a sign of hope - and a hero. 

From coffehouse to dinner and everywhere between, it’s all people could talk about this weekend, whether I knew them or not.

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Sunday morning, a prominent business leader sauntered into Java Hut with his wife. I’ve seen the couple before around town. They are a high profile kind of pair, but not my acquaintances.

However, after casting furtive glances in my direction for awhile, the husband rises leaving his wife with a peck and comes toward me with an outstretched hand.

“I’m a fan,” he said. “My wife wanted you to know that was a very nice thing you did on the blog for Carlos’ father (Uncle Benny). She loves your blog.”

I was surprised they knew me. He motioned to the chair at my table. “Please,” I said.

The high profile developer started slowly. He had something to say. “I hope you don’t mind…but, Benny and Sylvia, they represent something that is slipping away with each passing of that generation. It’s something we will not recover when it’s gone.”

The businessman’s wife peered over the rim of her coffee cup as we chatted on the other side of the room. She knew what he was saying. They had already discussed it.

“What is replacing that,” he continued, “it’s at our doorstep. We are losing. Guam is losing. Maybe we are already lost, but something has got to change, you know. And fast,” he said gravely looking back over to his wife.

When asked what “change” meant to him, he looked at me and grinned; pausing before he replied, “Lou.”

I waited for the businessman to continue. Instead he simply arose from the table and gave me a wink. I watched him as he sat back down with his wife. She looked over to me and smiled.

Bank on it
Lou - Guamblog’s “Billion Dollar Babe” - has been on the short list for a potential run since the beginning of the year because of her omnipresent philanthropy and economic development efforts that shine in the vacuum of any real effort from Adelup.

A lifelong Democratic operative who I bumped into this weekend wanted to talk about 2014, too - and “Lou.” He brought up an old discussion we once had about how the banker had been pursued (unsuccessfully) by senator Frank Aguon Jr. to be his running mate earlier this year.

“Very tepid effort,” the insider said, “After the laughing died down, it was agreed that there was no ‘there, there.’”

I had heard that before about the senator; just recently in fact.

“Not going to happen,” the executive continued. “I am sure she took a lot more serious the whispers that were swirling about her teaming up with Carl earlier this year. We’re hearing that talk again,” he said quite seriously.

“Especially now, with the way things are going these days. Cant go to a BBQ or fiesta without somebody bringing it up,” said the close associate of Leon Guerrero about her candidacy. “I know she’s listening.”

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Lou Leon Guerrero, is a former senator and president of the Bank of Guam. Guamblog has received numerous messages encouraging talk about the possibility of her running for governor in 2014, as early frontrunner senator Frank Aguon Jr. seems to have faded from contention, challenged to find someone willing or able to partner with him.

His conversation reminded me about a discussion that took place at a friend’s house in Tamuning Friday night.

There I also heard an endorsement of the idea of Leon Guerrero stepping back into the political ring. This time an opinion from a retired nurse and widow of a Guam police officer.

She spoke about the hostile climate of fear women on Guam are facing as of late, explaining how the time was ripe for women to take a larger role in making change happen for betterment of all on Guam.

I asked about her thoughts on a run by Underwood, with or without Gutierrez.

“It’s about time we had a woman for governor. I like Robert fine,” she sniffed. “Carl is very strong and endured everything they threw at hi; like a bull still standing. But I think if he would run as #2 for Robert, he could do that for Lou and help bring everyone together to elect our first lady governor!”

The hostess expressed her belief that, “Women know how to raise children, and men. It’s what we did to survive the Spanish. It’s what we do every day as wives and mothers. We can do it again and make things right again.” She raised her glass of wine in a toast. “Inafa’ maolek!”

Her eyes sparkled with laughter, but her words were a serious consideration that she urged me to “blog about.” 

Meanwhile, many who were initially excited about the idea of an Underwood/Gutierrez ticket think circumstances are moving too rapidly for slow deliberate “should I-shouldn’t I” considerations by the university professor.

“Bert is like a slow boat to China,” one Democratic party leader repined over drinks a couple of weeks ago. “An empty supertanker,” he said continuing the analogy even further.

“He is slow and prodding and needs plenty room to turn around. Once that ship leaves the dock , likely he won’t be on it,” the veteran Dem said about the chances of a Democratic super team.

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He added, to nods around the table, “Now, there’s one guy you still haven’t blogged about yet…Phil (Carbullido).”

True. So, I will now.

Judging
Guamblog has been previously urged to write about the potential of F. Philip Carbullido, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Guam - and I thought about it; even personally asked him at a fundraiser event, not long ago, what the chances were of him running…he judiciously demurred. I figured why bother. 

But his name keeps resurfacing - and I have noticed him around more than the usual number of public and social events this year.

There are factors that make it difficult for both Leon Guerrero and Carbullido to make the hard choice, though both have been known for putting the best interests and needs of the island before their own wants.

Both could be substantially buoyed and handily boosted to success paired with the Gutierrez machinery, even as the Democratic heavyweight looks resolute in his determination to see the transition of a new generation of leadership into Adelup in 2014.

From Leon Guerrero, some speculate, that too-early a declaration of intent might spark the hallmark Calvo revanche, providing him with an excuse to pull the government’s General Fund from her bank.

Earlier Committee reports suggested that the Calvo-owned Bank of Saipan, is being considered for possible rebranding, and a Guam branch opened next year as the new repository for the government’s wealth in a second Calvo term.

As for esteemed judge Carbullido, he would be hardpressed to end his term as head of the Superior Court of Guam early enough for a run, despite what would surely be an enormously popular candidacy.

Nonetheless, with so much at stake having a judge as governor in the wake of the justice system’s collapse, or a real, bona fide business leader like Leon Guerrero - not one simply handed a title and promotion by Daddy - could easily do away with the empty charade that passes for leadership in the current Adelup administration and help make real progress in the next term.

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F. Philip Carbullido is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Guam, and despite judges currently on the bench under intense scrutiny lately, mostly due to their abysmal adjudication abilities, Carbullido is not one of them. In fact, he remains probably the best hope of redemption for the Guam courts, if it is ever to survive the CalTen implosion.

Magic is real
Magic is the power of influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. In today’s political environment, magic is being able to make positive change a reality.

It could very well be that the more erudite among us are too dismissive of the power of the magical, failing to understand that magic is real; it is making the impossible possible.

The notion of a superteam comprised of the giants of Guam politics, sparkled on the Guam grapevine - itself, a magical thing - but now has lost considerable luster as people wake to the idea that no sure Democratic combo has yet to congeal that could end the nightmare of Calvo’s personal dream of controlling the island.

However, one name still resounds with a mystifying force in the face of disbelief: Gutierrez.

Just seeing Gutierrez talk or lunch with someone is enough to get residents agitated to create, through their own words of hope, the power for change.

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As recently as Friday, when vice speaker Benjamin Cruz was awarded the Hustisia Award at the Superior Court of Guam atrium, Gutierrez was seen chatting with senior retired Judge Elizabeth Barrett Anderson.

It took mere seconds before Guamblog received text messages and a couple of blurry pics of the pair, pregnant with speculation about the possibility of their teaming up against Calvo/Tenorio.

Like ‘abracadabra’  - a Hebrew phrase that means “I create (A’bra) what (ca) I speak (dab’ra)” - simply matching the name of the former governor with the retired judge, was like speaking into the world of Guam politics real hope for change in 2014.

The magic may not yet be gone. If island residents can find the right words; the right names with the magic to undo this evil spell that has befallen our enchanted island the past 3 years, 2014 can still have a happy ending.

We’ll see.

GU Together in 2014

TODAY, after an exhausting discussion with Democratic insiders, it is clear that the 2014 election cycle will be a raucous and contemptuous affair as the disjointed Democrats continue to falter without any real party leadership. What is at stake is nothing less than demise of the Guam Democratic Party for another generation to come, unless something compelling develops.

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The Guamblog inbox has been flooded by emails from village leaders from the north, south and central areas over the past few weeks. Many have expressed concern that they believe there is no hope for Democrats in the critical 2014 gubernatorial race if no one steps up to challenge the inevitable run by senator Frank Aguon Jr., who many feel does not have what it takes to pull out a victory over Eddie Calvo in a head-to-head battle.

Aguon, for his part, has been reaching out to village leaders trying to consolidate support early. Filipino party activists describe visits by Aguon to persuade them for support, but few seem too excited by an Aguon candidacy, with most of them pointing to what they felt was a betrayal by the senator, of his running mate in the last election, former governor Carl Gutierrez, when he pulled out of the 2010 election challenge.

“Johnny,” a central village leader wrote, “Frank will never get into Adelup! My whole village will support Calvo before we let that rat in!”

A filipino organizer wrote to say, “He (Aguon) comes asking for our support. But we will not. Only we will support Gov. Carl. He burned Underwood first before,” said the former Underwood supporter, “then Gutierrez. My group will not support him! You cannot trust to (sic) him.”

Inside the legislature, the party moves further away from each other even as Aguon struggles to identify a suitable running mate.

Speculation has focused on three names – senator Dennis Rodriguez Jr., senator Tom Ada and former senator and NetCare executive Francis Santos. But each of these is problematic for Aguon.

Rodriguez is widely perceived to be a shill for Calvo. One insider noted today, every time Calvo gets close to closing a tax deal with his father (Dennis Rodriguez Sr.) he is squeezed by Adelup to put out a piece of legislation that they want, referring first to Bill 52 and  Rodriguez Jr.’s latest measure GMH Healthcare Trust and Development Act of 2013 – or Bill 20.

Unsurprisingly, Calvo, who’s family is in the insurance business is enthusiastic about the newest measure from Rodriguez’s office as the cost is passed onto consumers, sparing insurers, like Calvo’s SelectCare, who have taken advantage of the Qualifying Certificate program to earn record profits. With government borrowing maxed out, Bill 20 provides Calvo the money he needs to claim credit in a 2014 run for improving GMH…even if it is at insurance consumers’ expense.

The Calvo administration pushed back the date of settling the Rodriguez tax case for pennies on the dollar until next month. And Bill 20 pops out - right on cue. Further complicating things for a Frank/Dennis team-up are the backers behind Rodriguez Jr. - Gil Shinohara and the elusive Dongo (of Guam Music, Inc. notoriety). They are not “keen on Frank,” sources tell Guamblog.

Ada is seen as a reluctant running mate with little enthusiasm for anything, remaining content to do little as a senator. His lethargy on Port issues is evident in his reluctance to even hold a proper hearing on the scandals at PAG, even as federal officials begin to delve into a range of improprieties there. A March 5th hearing is late and no longer a hearing - rather, an “informational session.”

Meanwhile, Santos, who’s son is on Aguon’s payroll, is seen as an iffy bet because of the alienation he elicits from both Democratic and Republican voters who are still unhappy with his decision to run with former lt. governor Kaleo Moylan against Felix Camacho in 2006.

Meantime, senator Rory Respicio, likewise challenged to find a suitable running mate, is often mentioned as an alternative to Aguon. However, should he decide not to mount a primary challenge to Aguon, Respicio could ultimately toss his hat into a likely successful congressional race, thus leaving Democrats once again, looking for a gubernatorial ticket that they can all rally behind – one that does not include Aguon.

Democrats need unity for success in 2014. And Guam needs strong, experienced leadership to correct the disastrous course charted by Calvo/Tenorio and stave off a desperate situation for the future of Guam. But who has the dynamism and appeal to invigorate a fragmented party?

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  • Former Governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez and UOG president, former Congressman Robert Underwood, alone have the magic and the appeal to pull Guam Democrats together and rebuild a party rent asunder by decades of dissension. There is only way forward for GU and that’s together in 2014. It’s a win/win for Guam and for these two giants of regional politics.

Former congressman and UOG president Robert Underwood is the key to a better future, a way forward for the island. Underwood, by standing upon the rich cultural tradition of the Chamorro people, is uniquely able to reach out to his cousin, former governor Carl Gutierrez to unite the party and heal the wounds suffered by Democrats for more than 30 years.

Of course, it would take more than magnanimity on the part of both men, but only by healing their personal breach will both be able to attain a level of legacy that they both deserve – and the island so desperately needs.

A Gutierrez/Underwood team is the essence of all that is GUam. It pulls the party back together by its roots and creates an unstoppable juggernaut that will become an inspiration for another generation of young Democrats on Guam.

Their bonding would highlight and promote the traditional island value of family, the keystone of survival for Guam’s people that has enabled survival through the scourge of genocide, the turmoil of colonialization and imperialism.

Gutierrez, the senior cousin, could serve one term and Underwood, still youthful enough for two terms as governor, could have the opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the island and create a legacy for him and his family that will remain a testament to public service unlike any governor before him.

The Democrats NEED a powerful, inspiring idea to re-energize the base. No one on the scene right now can do it - except these two men. If this pair of political giants could see past their pasts, and really look into the heart of one another, remembering their bonds of family, then their act of forgiveness could inspire and redeem not only one another, but the entire island.

I urge “Cal” and “Burt” to pause in consideration of the possibilities for the extraordinary achievements they could accomplish together. Not coming together probably means doom for the Democratic party, the island and another inconceivable term full of vindictive, petty politics that will condemn us all and decimate the social fabric of Guam for good. There is only on way forward for GU…and that’s together in 2014.

 

Cats & Dogs

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Due to circumstances I won’t get into in this forum, at the end of October my blogging routine ran into a wall. By the end of November, I was simply unable to continue with my addiction/love affair with my computer. This seriously impacted Guamblog.

Speculation was rampant that the Adelup Troll Mafia had caused me egregious bodily harm or Calvo capos had bought me off. I never had the chance to express my gratitude for the concern quite a few of you had for my safety and welfare.

But the trolls did not get me…and, unfortunately, the Calvo bankroll never rolled my way. (FML.)

Nonetheless, I would, when I could, check on the Inbox to see what tidbits The Committee might be reporting. I even managed to get a post up about a fugitive feline.

The missing cat tale spun out of control when a denizen from the guampdn.com online community meandered into our neighborhood. Art Laffer is a fixture of the PDN forums; he has haunted local online forums since the K57 Board days.

In a reply to a comment by “Jake_7” on the cat story, Laffer proffered a rumor that I (romeo carlos) was “defecting” to the side of Calvo/Tenorio, calling the post about the runaway cat an “allegory.” Several blog followers have since urged me to remove or block Laffer’s comments.

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  • Now, before I go any further, let me take the time here to welcome Art Laffer to guamblog’s online community. The beautiful thing about online communities is the way they bring people together. The bad thing, is that trolls often follow, as do flamethrowers. Laffer, here you will be welcome, but only because you are not a troll. Flaming is allowed - even encouraged - on guamblog. Be advised however, this online community is way different than the environments at PDN. Guamblog is very proud to boast of the erudition of blog followers and the recondite ramblings that fill our need for more than the shallow one-dimensional dribble that passes for public discourse in your natural habitat. Bienvenido!

Laffer’s comment caught the attention of friends who immediately advised that I should read the comments. My closest friends know I seldom read the blog comments, unless they point something noteworthy out to me.

Though I make it a practice of not commenting on comments, there are times when I do. This was one of those times, if only because the absurdity of Laffer’s proposition made me nearly pee my pants with laughter.

A few guamblog faithful engaged Laffer and he not only stood by his claim, but elaborated upon his balmy babble, calling me at one point, “a running dog of Carl T. C.”

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This description of me as a “running dog” rather troubled me - as it did some friends and readers concerned that the “integrity” of my blog could be compromised if people thought I was a “stooge” for the controversial former governor.

I would have simply ignored Laffer’s comment and let it fade away as all things eventually do in life, except the idea of me “defecting” deeply bothered readers who continue to ask me to explain what was meant by that statement. It bothered me, too, still.

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So, I want to address this post to Art Laffer - and anyone who remains wondering if there is any substance to his rumor.

Firstly, I would like to think that if I were a running dog, I’d be a greyhound; and not one of those from the old Guam Greyhound racetrack. Nay, I’d be a champion greyhound!

Like the wind, I would race to end, making all those who bet on me jump for joy; screaming and cheering, calling out my name - or number - all the while enriching my master, who in this case Laffer suggests is Carl Gutierrez. With such a good master, he’d be happy and let me run around his idyllic yard in Agana Heights where I could shit pretty on the loveliest lawn on Guam.

But the truth of the matter is, I run like a girl in high heels. Not those hooker heels that have become all the rage these days, tall heels with thick platform soles. Rather, I mean the kind of high heels that Alexander McQueen devised to defy gravity. You know, the ones (see below) popularized by Lady Gaga.

I’m not senadot BJ Cruz. You’d not find me in any races with high heels. I’d never win. Then, instead of a running dog, I’d be a whipping dog…probably with broken legs. And you know when a dog breaks a leg you have to “put him down”  - and in this region, there are far too many dogeaters for that to be the sort of outcome I’d like.

No. I am not suitably tasty to be a running dog. Trust me.

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Perhaps, I could be a lap dog. But considering that I am much taller than Carl T. C. he’d probably not want me in his lap as much as Eddie Calvo intends to have Brant McCreadie in his. Besides, I have too much hair to be a good lap dog now that I think about it.

I wouldn’t want one of those bald spots like Brant has from always having his head stroked for being “such a good boy” or have to shave what fringe remains the way John Mafnas does in an epic failed attempt to hide his follicle challenge.

Fuck it. I cannot be a lap dog. I like my hair, too much. Sorry, Gov.

I like these kinds of shoes too much too (see below) to make a good running dog for Carl or anyone else for that matter. So, you see, this whole “dog” thing, it’s simply would not work out, thereby blowing Art Laffer’s allegory rumor to smithereens.

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Secondly, and furthermore, I am not and never will be Carl’s running dog for plain fact that I am (outside of his family) his biggest fan. Fans jump, scream, faint or just stand there and tremble. They don’t run, unless it’s to chase the object of their adoration and…well, we’ve already discussed my running talent, or lack thereof.

Carl T. C. Gutierrez is a man of historical proportion. In all my years on this planet I have never met any single human that has struck me with such a degree of awe for all that he has endured and accomplished.

That the feebleminded have fallen for a decade-long campaign of falsehoods and lies, trumped up charges and deceit is not my problem. I am not from here. I do not have a 10-year investment in buying into that devilish plot first hatched by former Republican governor Joe Ada, Jack Abramoff, and cloned again and again by other lesser men, jealous and frightened by the otherworldly charisma that Carl T. C. possesses. Resentful of the devotion of thousands for this man and his wife.

People here, so deeply invested in this wrongmindedness, rather than jump at the chance to correct their err, instead double-down and deny reality; their naked hubris refusing the mantle of truth. Such as these are the crux of everything that is wrong with Guam…and they will fight to maintain their wrongness - and keep things fucked up in their minds and on our island.

It is my honor, indeed it is my sincere privilege, to have made the acquaintance of a man like Governor Carl Gutierrez - and his amazing partner in life, Geri - her story, in itself, yet another monumental testament to strength, perseverance and character that most of us seldom have a chance to know outside of history books and films.

I almost feel sorry about de-mystifying Art Laffer’s rumor with the truth. It drew quite a bit of attention to the blog and created a small buzz. The reality is I am nobody’s dog, mostly, because people know I bite…and cannot be chained. But I am also quite glad NOT to be Carl T. C.’s running dog, because I’d much rather like to think that he knows I am, and always will be, a loyal friend - and admirer.

Sorry, Art.

Dems Leadership Push

Concerned about the party sputtering out just ahead of the general election drive this year, ferocious political animal and former governor, Carl T. C. Gutierrez, has withdrawn from the race for Public Auditor at the behest of Democrats - as Guamblog told you before anyone else. In the hours following Gutierrez’s unexpected withdrawal, rumor and speculation has been rampant; and we have noticed devious efforts by local media manipulators to sucker the more gullible voters about the political titan’s decision to return to lead island Democrats, as they head into crucial elections. Despite vigorously promoting this deceit in Republican-controlled media empires, the move by Gutierrez had nothing to do with any concern or trepidation the battle-hardened political veteran had taking on the entrenched mediocre Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks. Such charges are patently false and wholly uncharacteristic for a leader who has done more to move Guam forward than any other single leader in the 20th-century.

Democrats that wanted Carl Gutierrez to return to the fold and lead his people through a contentious election cycle, included more than the leadership and incumbent Democrats in the legislature. The effort to appeal to Gutierrez came as much from concerned village leaders and a number of mayors, as well. Local media failed to report that the letter from the Democrat Party sent out by party executive director Carlo Branch had more signatures than reported to the public.

A number of factors came together to create a perfect political storm for Gutierrez and his beloved Democrat party, including the rapidly deteriorating health of current party Chair, panicked Democrat operatives fearful of the huge campaign war chest that  the Calvos have personally established to secretly fund several Republican races - including a significant amount for Doris Flores Brooks - and finally, the inopportune (for Guam Republicans) revelation that Eddie Calvo endorsed a national GOP platform that would let him roll back the minimum wage for Guam’s most vulnerable workers.

Gutierrez said, “Eddie Calvo’s recent endorsement of the National Republican Party’s platform that supports minimum wage-setting flexibility for territories shows the real agenda he is working toward.” He added, that “having a Republican majority in the 32nd Legislature could really hurt Guam’s struggling workers, and those working-class families already fighting to keep their heads above the water. A Republican tide of change really threatens to sink many of our people, just so a few very rich people can get even richer,” charged the energetic former governor.

When Gutierrez was first approached by a small group, representing a couple of lawmakers and several Democrat operatives, he was reluctant to abandon his challenge to the 5-term incumbent Public Auditor Doris Brooks.

A family source tells Guamblog there was initially a great deal of hesitancy to the idea because of the well-known inability of Democrats to knuckle down and work toward a common goal for the party.

Gutierrez acknowledged this party issue in an interview with KUAM. He explained one of the reasons so many people had come to him in desperation was because of the lack of real Democrat leaderhip and no individual willing or capable of picking up and doing the hard work that will be required to energize the grassroots voter base.

“There’s nobody else that wants to do the hard work, of what I’m wanting to do out there and drum out the supporters to come out and barbeque or whatever it needs to be done,” Guiterrez told KUAM. “Nobody’s willing to do that right now. Everybody’s on their own for the Democrats.”

                
With 44% voter turnout during the primary and voter apathy, Gutierrez has learned not to take any chances saying too much is at stake, noting, “I want to make sure that I can help the senators maintain and increase the majority if possible and the congresswoman get re-elected and the mayors and vice mayors that are democrats get elected or re-elected.”

With Frank Aguon Jr. a shoe-in for office, Tom Ada and Dennis Rodriguez Jr. fairly comfortable with their assurances for another term, there exists little impetus for them to do anything more than wave a few times along the roadways of the island and count on a plethora of signage for their own success.

Judi Won Pat, often in her own world, and senator ben pangelinan, never one to be confused for a team player, often don’t even show up at Democrat pocket or village events and have never been the kind of people other Democrats could count on for direction. Thus, the Democrats, without Gutierrez, would remain comatose until after elections when the party of the people can finalize the selection of a new leadership structure.

Gutierrez, however, has never turned his back on the people of Guam, even if it has meant giving up on his own goals - and even after he was abandoned following the 2010 vote.

“Now is not the time,” Gutierrez warns, “for any of us to think we don’t need one another. Now, more than ever, as a party, we have to come together to achieve what is right for our people. I hope my withdrawal from my race will set the tone, that our individual goals should not take precedence over those needs for our people. But I KNOW if we all come together, as a real team, we can excite voters again. We will be able to not only maintain a majority but grow our leadership in the legislature. This in turn will give us the power of the people to hold this administration accountable!” Gutierrez said.

“I am not, as some have described me to media, a superstar like Michael Jordan,” Gutierrez said humbly. “I am only one man, and cannot carry the whole team alone. We need every Democrat man and woman, even those who are not Democrats but wanting better for their families and the future. It is all of us together that will make the Democrats - and the people of Guam - the winning team this November. But only if we do it together,” Gutierrez explained.

     

DOUBLE STANDARD…..”I am happy that Ms. Brooks has finally acknowledged this law (about nonpartisanship), which she herself broke during her campaign in 2000 when she attended the Republican National Convention while she was a declared candidate for Public Auditor. Ms. Brooks’ partisan political shades were again exposed in 2005 when she had former senator Ray Tenorio facilitate the removal of her term limit, effectively creating a political hold on this “non-partisan” office. Indeed, the office of Public Auditor was created to be a non-partisan position in the government, and the law expressly and strictly prohibits any candidate for this office from engaging in partisan political campaigns and soliciting or receiving any partisan political support, directly or indirectly.”

In several interviews following the announcement of his withdrawal, Gutierrez signaled his determination to follow through on his platform of accountability. “Term limits initially intended to safeguard the independence and integrity of the the Public Auditor position must be re-instated,” said the former governor, adding, “Democrats will unite to make sure everyone is accountable. It’s what the people need.”

In the meantime, noise from the underground indicate big plans from Gutierrez as he strategizes a resounding victory for Democrats this November. However, in a Democrat sweep this November lies greater potential for Gutierrez: an enduring legacy, worthy a political icon of his stature.

With term limits for the Public Auditor’s office certain to be on the agenda in a Democrat-controlled legislature next year, political observers may then also expect a heated debate in the 32nd Legislature about term limits for all elected leaders, as well. And just ahead of the island’s all-important 2014 general elections, for which the 2012’s contests are a mere staging event.

In the end, Gutierrez’s true legacy might very well turn out to be that he becomes the unstoppable catalyst for the long-awaited, long overdue debate on real electoral reform for Guam….and return of government to the people, by the people.

If there is anyone who can do that, it is Carl Gutierrez. Guess that’s why they say he’s, “still the one.”

BREAKING NEWS: “Carl, Come Back!….” WTF?

           
    

The elephant (no pun intended) in the middle of the Democrat Big Tent has finally refused to go unnoticed. Incumbent democrats are alarmed at the vacuum of leadership within their party, as they have been unable to work together as a group to excite voters over the past two months. This deeply disturbs the majority of the incumbents. These tense panties are increasingly wound tighter in a bunch as September barrels on by with nothing happening on the ground to build Democrat voter interest in this election. Key voices within the Democrat party are desperate and already tried to reach out to the Gutierrez family privately to “drop a hint” and “float an idea,” according to a democrat hotshot. He confirms the pressure has been amped up even greater the past 48 hours on Carl Gutierrez, and his advisors, as an impressive bloc of party elders and village leaders hope to convince Gutierrez to withdraw from the Public Auditor race and return to lead the listless party before they lose the majority in November. 

           

Guamblog is on record for being very critical of efforts by the Guam Democrats to really commit to organize and properly champion the traditional values of the party. Despite efforts by senator Rory Respicio to try to move the party toward unity ahead of the crucial 2014 elections, Democrats are hopelessly divided and the party remains unable to fulfill a progressive mission.

One of the biggest problems with the Guam Democrat party is Carl Gutierrez. There is no one on the current scene that comes close to being able to electrify and motivate the grassroots like Gutierrez can. When he leaves the room the oxygen goes with him, thus leaving the Democrats sputtering helplessly, gasping and floundering for relevance.

Thus far, for the most part the Democrat caucus has choked.

When Gutierrez accepted the push by supporters for him to challenge the Public Auditor’s position as a write-in candidate, the relatively new head of the Guam Democrats had to step down to focus on the non-partisan race.

Leaving no one with the energy, talent and stamina to recharge the party faithful ahead of the important Primary election almost two weeks ago, election night analyses were spun out positively, but in reality, people shit their pants.

Further crippling the party’s ability to maneuver in this election cycle, Gloria Nelson, who transitioned to Democrat Party head after Gutierrez stepped down, has been incapacitated for health reasons. She is not expected to be able to provide leadership of any kind, any time soon.
     

Incumbent Democrats deeply rattled by their placement in the recent beauty contest had already begun to openly seek support for installing new leadership as soon as possible. More recently, the legislative leadership, and all the people who depend on them for patronage and jobs, have been profoundly troubled by party prospects as Nelson, a Democrat stalwart, valiantly battles to regain her health.

Now, deeply fearful they could lose the majority, and maybe even the Delegate’s seat, Democrats were suddenly jolted into feeling the absence of Gutierrez on the Democrat stage. If the Republican sharks - and their little chihuahua, too - smell fear, they could be emboldened to actually go out and fight for the majority - a heretofore unthinkable possibility.

Even as KUAM ran a junk news piece tonight that posed as a legitimate news item, three influential Democrats sat in a booth at a local eatery trying to decide if their best strategy to convince Gutierrez to genuinely entertain their pleas and return to lead the party had worked.

Giving up his run for Public Auditor would deny the people of Guam our best chance at real accountability in this government. But, Gutierrez could avoid the onslaught of a large amount of money being readied for use by Adelup. And Paul Calvo would be able to save a lot of his own money, too.

Under Calvo/Tenorio we are witnessing the largest transfer of public wealth in to the pockets of a handful of very rich people on Guam. Gutierrez said he is running to make that point clear to the people and to provide real accountability as watchdog for the people.

As Public Auditor, no one would dare conceive that Gutierrez would cover or look the other way as this Administration oversaw and facilitated that transfer of wealth. Nonetheless, I learned to heed the local rumor mill, but in this instance I really hope it’s just fanciful thinking by some who would like to see Gutierrez out of the way.

We need real accountability in government right now. That’s why I will write-in Gutierrez for Public Auditor no matter what happens in the days to ahead.

It was my sincere hope that whoever was spreading this idea around (and you know who you are) would find no traction. But, in the past week the rumblings have only grown stronger and now involves a number of mayors concerned about the direction of the party without real leadership.

Gutierrez will have to address these voices within the party in the coming days.

Watch for it!

Still the One!

    

CARL GUTIERREZ IS STILL THE ONE…! Yesterday, the candidates for Public Auditor, former governor Carl Gutierrez and incumbent Doris Flores Brooks were at the Guam Election Commission Offices to finalize the order of placement on the ballot in November. Gutierrez will be first on the ballot. 

Gutierrez’s son-in-law Richard Arroyo was there to draw for the candidate, while incumbent candidate Doris Flores Brooks unashamedly had her husband James Brooks, represent her. Mr. Brooks - a disbarred lawyer and convicted federal felon who served time not long ago for swindling clients - drew first, coming up short with the #2 position.

Besides the coincidence of the draw that will motivate some Gutierrez supporters, what stood out as questionable was Flores Brooks decision to have her husband in such a highly visible role.

In this critical election for Public Auditor, where “ACCOUNTABILITY,” is the inescapable keyword in the race, the idea of letting a notorious felon pull for her, was one more fumble in Flores Brooks’ floundering campaign for re-election.

It could just be the luck of the draw, but maybe it’s a sign that Carl Gutierrez is still the one, after all!

  • 29 Plays

One of the most elusive concepts in government management is accountability. In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions within the scope of your role or position. It encompasses the obligation to report, and to be answerable for resulting consequences.

Candidate for Public Auditor Carl Gutierrez contacted Guamblog early this morning after reading our post about Doris Flores Brooks’ incriminating statements before the Rotary Club of Guam yesterday.

Gutierrez says, “A successful Public Auditor must also hold himself accountable to following through with accountability. One of the biggest failures with making transparency in government a reality is starting the process and then not follow through with it.”

The former governor went on to say, “This causes the public to lose respect for the process and government employees to question the commitment of the Public Auditor. This is not good for anyone,” Gutierrez believes. “It can undermine the entire governmental organization. Once accountability becomes a real and meaningful part of our management style, the people of Guam will see improved results and we will have more satisfied government employees, as well.”

I asked what he thought about the morning papers. He told me I should go to the PNC website and listen to what he had to say earlier this morning on K57’s “The Breakfast Show with Ray Gibson.”

I downloaded it. You should hear it, too. Just click on the link at the top of this post.

Gibson queried Gutierrez about incumbent Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks’ stunning admission to the Rotarians that she failed to comply with the mandate of the Organic Act of Guam by not establishing a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, or CAFR for the past 12 years that she has held office.

Trying to find some cover for the perfidious incumbent Public Auditor, Gibson wonders in the interview, if the CAFR isn’t a Citizen Centric report. Such a report initiative is intended to foster innovative means of communication between governments and the people. However, most Guam resident have never heard of such a report, let alone know one was issued just last month…in contravention to the whole point of the term “citizen centric.”

It is NOT the same as the more complex and more substantive requirement for CAFR.

The public are entitled to transparent financial management information, and government has an obligation to provide it. Nonetheless - despite the Office of Public Accountability - GovGuam is failing to meet its financial management reporting needs, and that poor performance has created a problem of trust between island residents and their elected leaders.

The Public Auditor has a duty to lead efforts for government transparency and accountability, working with lawmakers to provide the needed resources and legislative work to facilitate new innovative means of communication to overcome the challenge of restoring public trust in government on Guam.

Incumbent Public Auditor must remember, ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS - all the time. It is a core value central to the effectiveness of the office…and not merely a catchy slogan.

The Fight for Accountability

These past few weeks have allowed voters to witness firsthand the most glaring examples of conflicts between core supporters of healthcare reform for Guam families and those who would rather see reform efforts fail.

While much of this primary season has been focused on the local Congressional and legislative races, the winner of the contest for Public Auditor will have broad influence over local insurance and healthcare consumers’ lives. Whether voters choose the power of accountability or choose to keep the status quo in place, a real fight over millions in profits for island insurers or affordable healthcare for the rest of us, promises to reshape the role of the Office of the Public Auditor for generations to come.

Former Governor Carl Gutierrez recently resigned as chairman of the Democratic Party of Guam to pursue the nonpartisan post of public auditor. He will face off against a bitter political foe, incumbent Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks who would have run unopposed following the decision of former OPA staffer Zeny Asuncion-Nace, to inexplicably pull out of the race at the last minute.

Asuncion-Nace, left the OPA office some time ago after what Guamblog sources allege was growing discontent within the OPA with Flores Brooks’ partisan approach to her job, including Flores Brooks’ role in creating a defamatory and corrupt investigation of the former governor at the behest of Attorney General Office hack Joe Guthrie, among other issues.

As evidenced in a lengthy email exchange between Flores Brooks and Guthrie, Flores Brooks clearly colluded with Guthrie to fabricate a politically-motivated strategy to defame and discredit Gutierrez through headlines trumpeted through accomplices in the local media like the Pacific Daily News.

Asuncion-Nace would eventually resign under less than happy circumstances and move to the University of Guam where she is currently employed as comptroller. However, lingering ill will towards Flores Brooks, Guamblog sources contend, was the initial motivation for the former OPA staffer to challenge Flores Brooks for her job this year.

In yet another message, astute blog readers close to the situation allege that UOG president Robert Underwood, widely believed to have been a critical player in the Calvo/Tenorio race for Adelup in 2010, moved on behalf of Adelup to prevent Asuncion-Nace from challenging Flores Brooks.

Right, Zeny Asuncion-Nace, CGFM, CPA, CFE is the Comptroller at UOG. In this photo, dated January 2011, the former OPA staffer poses with governor Eddie Calvo, left, who several Guamblog readers allege worked with UOG president Robert Underwood recently to increase the comptroller’s compensation from the university to dissuade the government accountability specialist from a possible challenge to Doris Flores Brooks for the position of Public Auditor.

The confidential source tells Guamblog that Asuncion-Nace was convinced to remain out of the Public Auditor’s race with a considerable pay raise and other considerations, despite her well-known commitment to government accountability which had previously put her at loggerheads with Flores Brooks.

Particularly now, in light of the glaring failure of Banking & Insurance Commissioner Art “The Invisible Man” Ilagan, the Office of Public Auditor must strive for professional excellence in safeguarding taxpayer dollars, uncovering abuse and promoting good management practices for the local government. 

Because of the failure of the insurance commissioner to perform his proper duties, the next Public Auditor will be required to play a pivotal role in monitoring how the new federal healthcare reform law is implemented and investigating insurance companies such as TakeCare and SelectCare.

The general role of insurance commissioner is as a consumer protection advocate and insurance regulator at a time of great change and heightened scrutiny for healthcare coverage. This is something that the compromised commissioner Ilagan has steadfastly refuses to do. Guam voters have only the Office of Public Auditor left to ensure island residents are not deprived the benefits of healthcare reform locally.

                     
Doris Flores Brooks colluded with Guam Attorney General lawyer Joe Guthrie to create a fraudulent charge against former governor Carl Gutierrez and a former Government of Guam Retirement Fund director, John Rios. The two men were the subject of a politically-motivated Office of Public Accountability audit in 2004.
An electronic trail indicates that Flores Brooks took an active role in helping to fabricate patently false charges with Guthries in order to file a criminal case against Gutierrez and Rios. The Supreme Court of Guam upheld a lower court decision to dismiss the case against Gutierrez and Rios, who were accused of conspiring to artificially boost the then-governor’s retirement benefits, despite the fact OPA staffers had informed Guthries and Flores Brooks in separate emails that the actions of Gutierrez was not - and still is not - illegal. The OPA staff strongly reminded Guthries and Flores Brooks that former republican governor Joe Ada had also done the same thing, but Guthrie expressed that he “did not care” and insisted that Flores Brooks instruct her staff to just take everything and “throw it at the wall” to see “what sticks.”

The refusal of Doris Flores Brooks to perform as an advocate for an open and accountable government cripples the ability of the Office of the Public Auditor, the only office remaining that could ensure the current Adelup administration’s promises of accountability are kept, according to Gutierrez.

“A good Public Auditor blows the whistle and keeps all the players following the rules of the game - equally!” Gutierrez replied in an email to Guamblog’s request for a statement about healthcare reform implementation on Guam.

The iconic Democrat leader says that he believes the role of the Public Auditor is crucial to the success of healthcare reform for the island. Former governor Gutierrez believes accountability and knowledge are key for healthcare consumers. “Everyone is accountable,” Gutierrez charges, adding, “If our families know the rules and details and are fully informed, I trust them to make the decision that is best for their family,” he wrote.

“The insurance commissioner should serve the people and not the interests of the companies he is responsible for regulating,” Gutierrez warns. “If the Public Auditor also then fails, well then there are no checks-and-balances on this administration and information about government healthcare expenditures. That is the most critical thing right now as we fight to make this government accountable to the people again.”

Everyone is accountable!

The Office of Public Auditor is important to making sure the people of Guam are getting what we pay for through our taxes. Governor Carl Gutierrez is not running for congress or a seat in the legislature,despite thousands of signatures on a petition that shows remains a centrifugal force in local politics. He should really consider those calls for him to get back in the fight for the people and go for the Office of Public Auditor.

We should write-in Gutierrez for the job of Public Auditor. Doris Flores Brooks seems to have become as complacent in office as our congresswoman.

He was the Ways & Means Chair for years, governor twice. He would know where to look and what to look for to try to find out how, for instance DOE still cannot properly spend federal money - even with a third party receiver.

Gutierrez would not be intimidated or ignored as the Guam Public Auditor - and more importantly, would not have t wait to be asked, repeatedly, by government officials and lawmakers to do his job. And he would do it vigorously and diligently.



Corruption and an outright jobs-for-votes operation tasked by former senator Eddie Calvo to Anisia Terlaje (herself holding a $146K+ job to dole out these jobs as a reward to Delegate Bordallo from Calvo, for her undying support during the flawed elections of 2010); excessive profits by government insurance carrier and questionable handling of federal grant money intended to study local healthcare reform compliance, unusual vendor payment priorities at GMH; tax returns used as patronage - all point to the need for a serious individual not too afraid or complacent to do the job as Public Auditor and guard the best public interest.

By now, even Calvo/Tenorio supporters can see the shades of suspect legitimacy drawing tighter as we witness more and more practices throughout this administration every day.

Let’s shake it up and write-in for Guam Public Auditor: CARL GUTIERREZ!

It’s not a democrat or a republican thing. It’s the right thing because we must hold this administration accountable. Everyone is accountable!

Saint Madeleine

“Si Madeleine,” the squat sweaty seaman said through pursed lips, “she made a career from Ricky’s halo after he died. She’s like a saint to plenty people and that’s why her own shit don’t stick to her. The People loved Ricky. She’s no Ricky though,” Capt. Willy huffed with a smirk.

Only a few months after her late husband and popular former governor Ricardo Bordallo blew his brains out in a dramatic, over-the-top dispatch during rush hour traffic, widow Madeleine announced her failed plan to run for governor. Many old-timers point to this as the beginning of a mercenary career that thrived on fostering the factionalism within the Democratic Party of Guam.

The old southern peskadot continued to speak in awe of the late former governor Ricky Bordallo for what seemed to be forever. He wove a tale ripe with intrigue, scandal and passion, with the movement of generations - and power.

He wound a tight tale of the rise of politics on Guam to the level of a mixed martial art. But it was all sounding hauntingly familiar. It sounded like he was recounting today’s headlines and the madness that is Guam politics today. Maybe it’s just what I get for hanging out with old fishermen who’s favorite sport is politics.

“This time she got a problem, nai,” he continued without a break, “she got to watch her back for Frank and she can not handle both him and Carl in a race. Not now. Not anymore, nai. You see that halo is fading. She’s fading,” the senior seaman said, smoothing his scraggly goatee.

“People don’t remember how it was. The old gal just don’t fish and it’s just like when all those Vietnamese were going to come here. Ricky told the feds what our infrastructure needed and he’s the one that built the hospital and helped make Tumon so popular for tourism. We need somebody who can do that again.”

   

The late former governor of Guam Ricardo Bordallo is greeted by an adoring throng of man’amko, residents of Bordallo’s first major project as governor: Guma Trankilidad senior resort housing in Tumon.

The sea dog hoisted a large beat up cooler from the back of his nearby boonie truck. We carried it over to a small table Capt. Willie had set up beneath a ratty old canopy since the dawn of this particular day.

“Madeleine’s been there 10 years and that’s enough for her. It’s time,” he laughed to himself and repeated, “It’s time!” a few more times to his obvious delight. Private joke, I supposed and watch him pull a sharp knife from thin air.

As he spoke, a vermillion sunset flared it’s last and and in an instant, the guts of a large parrotfish pulled still writhing from a large white cooler splashed onto the ground at our feet.

“Ricky was big. When he walked into a room, you knew it, nai. Everybody knew it,” the captain says waving his knife in the air in front of him without looking up from his task with the fish. “He stood up for himself. For Guam. Carl’s like that,” referring to former governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez.

“Always has been. That’s why Madeleine always had to work this divide,” Capt. Willie emphasizes his meaning with one long, slow but precise slice of the parrotfish into two large filets.

The old southern resident, like countless others on Guam, is an armchair political pundit and historian; and a devoted Democrat though he admits to voting for Felix Camacho/Mike Cruz and sitting the last election out.

“She got to learn the game from the best. But when Ricky took that crazy exit, the one to inherit that magic that he had, was nobody but Carl. He’s not a tenth of what Ricky was, but maybe that’s a good thing, nai? Nobody has that connection to the grassroots, the people like Carl right now. And he is the last of his kind.”

I heard about Ricky’s charisma and the magic that filled a room or a canopy when Ricky came in and people would start to talk about how he had made a difference in their lives. It reminded me of how people spoke of Gutierrez at pocket meetings and on the campaign trail back in 2010. Capt. Willie explained why to me.

He continued, “Now, she got big trouble now. Yes indeed. Because not only do we want somebody who is tough, but we NEED somebody that is strong who will stand up fight for his own self and for the people.” The captain pauses to consider the splayed carcass, lost in a thought. “Nobody fights for us no more,” he said with a final stab at the fishy remains.

“It’s like they said at the meeting, nai…’she on the fringe.’ It’s no big secret how she worked against Democrat unity since a long time already because she needed to build her own base in the party. Even if it meant Republicans would win in the legislature and governor’s office she really don’t care so long as she can keep getting hers. It’s time for ours now!” the old man demanded.

It’s a charge that more than a few guamblog readers continue to make, as well.

“So, what do you make about the fact that the Congresswoman and governor have struck a bargain, and Carl won’t run for congress?” I asked.

Capt. Willie guffaws and kicks over the large white cooler spilling the water inside and reaches into a smaller blue one to retrieve the last beer. It was time to go home.
 

“That’s bullshit!” Willie shrieked after drawing deep from his frothy beer. “She’s not going to help Gutierrez for nothing! So what? She asked Alicia Limtiaco took look into ‘the matter,?’ For what?! She sure is pretty but Alicia won’t do nothing; she never did. And when it’s too late for Carl to run for congress, then what?” the feisty old coot queried rhetorically.

“Madeleine always resented Carl because he was the One. Not her. She had no choice except quietly to keep the division in the Party going so she can keep her job and all that benefits that go with it. She been doing it too long now to stop. United she loses. That’s why.”

He shrugged his shoulders and nodded toward his beat up old truck with no tailgate and 3 spare tires (you know, those skinny little weird tires), less windows in the doors.

“Na-a-a-h,” I said. “I drove. Thanks anyway.”

Q:Today was a crazy day. I want to know so much. What do you think about the airport report about the cop brutalizing that GCC student and saying it was all good. And about the Senator in Washington who said guam shouldn't get anything for war reparations and not knowing about why the US owes it and not Japan. And what about the new DOE superintendent and how no body is even talking about it. Then there is the stuff I read about the hospital and losing millions from medicaid and now that they are giving out big raises to the bosses. I am sorry there is so much. But I really want to know whats going on and I dont feel I can really trust what I see on TV on in the newspapers on Guam. So what up with all this crazy stuff?

Anonymous

                                       

“This morning - under the instruction of Speaker Boehner, Leader Cantor, and Whip McCarthy - I presided over a pro forma session in the United States House of Representatives, preventing Congress from going into recess and blocking PresidentObama from issuing recess appointments.”

Republican Jeff Landry was acting chairman for the emotional hearing before a House Natural Resources subcommittee on Thursday, regarding war reparations for Guam. He’s just another one of the countless ignoramuses that rode in on the 2010 Tea Party Express - you know the train of losers where intelligence is subject to uninformed opinion. You shouldn’t expect much from this bunch. No one wants to really address the elephant in the middle of that room: the Tea Party energy is derived from White Americans who are so deeply disturbed by the notion of a Black man as POTUS that they don’t care who they vote into office so long as it is someone they can trust to bring Obama down.

 Landry’s 3rd Congressional District is disappearing, which frees him up to be needlessly provocative and rude. For example, when President Barack Obama asked House Republicans to the White House earlier this month to discuss the nation’s critical fiscal issues, five of the invitees from Louisiana accepted his invitation. Landry refused. He is proud to be a cockblockin’ fool, I guess, as can be gleaned from his quote above.

Norm Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, was not amused by Landry’s self-publicized snub. “It is more than a little arrogant,” Ornstein said. “It belittles the office of the presidency and shows that Landry has little understanding of the political process, the role of the constitutional institutions, much less basic politeness.”

                

Guam will have the last laugh on Landry however. Landry is not likely to last past January 2013. Louisiana is losing a congressional seat, and at the beginning of the year, his state’s other five congressional republicans and Cedric Richmond, the only House democrat, were said to have met over Chinese food and voted Landry off the island. This could explain his hostile attitude toward any islands - including Guam.

However, more importantly than Landry’s ignorance was something no one on Guam seems to have picked up on…painfully obvious in a video recording of the hearing is how Landry stumbled and mangled Congresswoman Bordallo’s name - as if he never met her or heard of her before Thursday.

             
Seems to me that if war reparations are in fact a priority issue for Guam’s congressional delegate, she would have at least made an effort to talk to Landry BEFORE the hearing - if nothing more than to introduce herself and preface the concerns and provide some history. Bordallo seems to have this tragic habit of merely reacting AFTER the fact on such serious situations, as opposed to being proactive and engaged ahead of the curve. This is exactly the sort of thing that gives such strong impetus to sending a man like Gov. Carl Gutierrez to Washington, DC.

I can’t imagine Landry or anyone else flubbing Gutierrez’s name, remaining so ignorant of Guam’s history or being so flippant to Carl and getting away with it if it had been the former governor at the table.
                                     
I also doubt that if the former governor were the one in Washington full-time for an entire decade - like Bordallo has been - any member of Congress would be short of knowing about Guam or who Gutierrez is. The job of the Guam delegate is to lobby, since they cannot vote. I mean, really, if Bordallo is not doing a good job lobbying for Guam so that Congress understands what is going on here, then it is time to find a real voice, a strong presence that won’t be ignored and one that people will remember. Bordallo might be easy for members of Congress to forget, but no one ever forgets Gutierrez.

Edumacation
As for DOE, the choice for a new superintendent is clear to Guam Blog. It should be a new generation of leadership with not only experience actually making a difference, but one who possesses real experiences as a student in a modern school environment. I think the people who have been at DOE ever since ever since are part of the problem and should not be considered for the position. These same people have no clue what it is like to be a student in contemporary society. They are remote from youth culture, youthspeak, their technology and socialization dynamics, leaving them at abeyance with today’s students. They are simply too old and outdated for the job. Guam DOE needs fresh leadership and energy, new ideas and new blood. This leaves only one sensible and logical choice for the job: Will Mendiola Castro.

Unhealthy hospital
The problems at GMH are like poor people - we will always have them. Inarguably, Gov. Calvo has not had an impressive start to his first year as governor, in most instances. However, I think getting rid of the old hacks that were previously ensconced at GMH and putting in new management - competitively compensated at that - is the right step in the right direction. Now, the onus is upon the new management team at GMH to prove they are worth their salaries and pick up the pace of change needed to correct outstanding problems at the hospital. If they are unable to do that, at least with the proper salaries in place, GMH should be able to attract real talent and not just depend on the eager political hacks and incompetent sycophants that have traditionally wound up in these critical hospital executive positions.

                        

Yes, the world around us on Guam (and everywhere else I might add) indeed seems to have gone crazy. Such are the times in which we live. I’m telling you, Anonymous reader, You better buckle up good! I really do believe Jesus is coming soon to put an end to all the madness! And thanks for the questions.

                                 

Q:Last year when I first read your blog and some of the crazy stuff you would write on GuamPDN you would piss me off. I really didn't like you even if we never met. I only wanted to say that lately you have grown on me. Like a wart maybe but you still growed on me. The points you make in this blog I might not always like but I admit are very good and hard to refuse. Tho I hate to admit it you are pretty fair. I just wish you would take easy on Eddie tho cause he really is a nice guy when you get to know him. Biba Calvo! Oh I almost forgot my question. Is it just me or has the election season for 2012 already started?

Anonymous

Uh, yeah…I’ve heard that I tend to piss off people a lot. 

 But, I am glad you gave me a chance to grow on you - like a wart. And I am sure Governor Calvo is a nice guy. They all are….well, most of them anyway. Responsible criticism doesn’t require vilification of an individual, though many on Guam seen to think so. As to your question about an early start for 2012 - I would have to say YES - and NO. It is an early start to 2012, especially with the growing buzz around sending former governor Carl Gutierrez to Washington. No, because the 2010 election cycle just never came to an end, really. The very real possibility that the major fuck ups on the part of the Guam Election Commission could end up with a court decision that virtually upends the election results from November 2010, means we might just see a do-over of the 2010 general election AND a legislative election all next year. It will be interesting to see how that turns out…

A Great Idea

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,” instructed the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, “people will eventually come to believe it.”

For nearly 10 years, the big lie repeated about former Governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez has been that he’s a corrupt leader. Responsible critics called him diffident, manipulative and secretive. Irresponsible critics called him a crook and criminal. Now, even after his brilliant defeat of false charges and spurious accusations leveled by individuals with their own hidden agendas, detractors are complaining that the former governor used his powerful influence to corrupt even the courts.

Some of this maligning simply reflects the same savage partisan attacks people have made against their opposition since time immemorial. Some of it reflects a darker conspiracy against Gutierrez - and indirectly against the people of Guam. But it also shows our outdated and wrongheaded notions of leadership.

Making up lies and false charges, spreading them around like a disease is easy. It takes very little courage and even less strength to create false fear, uncertainty and doubt. Quiet, cool, competence that gets results - like standing up and consistently showing through the courts the fraudulence of allegations and trumped up charges - is hard. It is dfficult to handle a relentless barrage of personal attacks and attempts at character assassination - and harder still to remain civil and open to your attackers. That is real strength.

Through the unfair assaults on him personally and politically, Gov. Gutierrez remains the only politician on Guam who has demonstrated the ability to reach out to his enemies and engage them in dialog, not trying to destroy them the way that has become the norm for so many in politics these days.

A friend, a lifelong Republican, told me not long ago, “The reason I voted for Gutierrez is because he’s not hateful. Even to those who did him seriously wrong, he still talks to them and listens.” Sadly, that is not something that can be said of the current governor or his predecessor. It cannot be said of leadership in either the Republican party or even in certain Democrat corners of their party.

It was during the most egregious era of divisive bitterness in our nation that President Abraham Lincoln urged the public and politicians alike to remember,
“…with malice toward none, with charity toward all.” It’s worth noting how closely Gutierrez’s philosophy of leadership approaches that of Lincoln.

It’s just this kind of open dialog and leadership without bitterness, but with remembrance, that Guam needs now. It is this kind of strength the island must count on in Washington, DC to assure the best possible future for Guam and its unique culture. It is a great idea whose time has come.

Guilt By Association

On Guam, a deeply disturbing belief system has corrupted common sense and compassion. It is a notion called “guilt-by-association.” The flawed logic inherent in this troubling ideology is used as a cover for people to continue to unjustly harangue former Gov. Carl Gutierrez and others they do not agree with or who don’t share their same worldview. 

Joseph “Joe” McCarthy was a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin. Starting in 1950, McCarthy fueled fears of widespread communist subversion by making claims against people based on their “association” with others. Ultimately, McCarthy’s tactics and his inability to substantiate his claims led him to be censured by the US Senate and die in utter disgrace.

      

The term “McCarthyism” was coined by Washington Post cartoonist Herbert Block. Block and others used the word as a synonym for demagoguery, baseless defamation, and mudslinging.

McCarthy era demagogues had a name for those whom they deemed “guilty by association:” they were called “fellow travelers” - people who “traveled” in the same circles as communists and avowed communist sympathizers. Their twisted logic understood that association implied agreement.

That was how guilt-by-association was during the McCarthy era, and it’s true today with many people on Guam who would like to hold embattled former Gov. Carl T. C. Gutierrez responsible for the secretive plots of his friends in whom he committed a deep investment of trust.

                         

It is only natural that we evaluate people and groups as responsible or not, depending on how seriously they take their responsibilities. Often we do this informally, via moral judgment. Sometimes we do this formally, for instance in legal judgment. 

Many would however be surprised to learn that the word “responsibility” is a modern term. Paul Ricoeur, among the most impressive philosophers of the 20th century has observed that the notion was “not really well-established within the philosophical tradition.”

The original philosophical usage of “responsibility” was political and reflected in the origin of the word. In all modern European languages, “responsibility” only finds a home toward the end of the eighteenth century. This, within debates about representative government, or government which is responsible to the people.

The Oxford English Dictionary cites the debates on the U.S. constitution in the Federalist Papers (1787), and the Anglo-Irish political thinker Edmund Burke when explaining the etymology of the word. In the middle of the 19th-century John Stuart Mill further pointed out that responsibility is not about free will, but with the principles of representative government.

                

So yes, there is a definite obligation and expectation for our elected leaders to be responsible. This stands without argument. I further agree that it is responsible for us to ask what a candidate’s associations say when they raise troubling questions about character and judgment.

Hiring someone who is incompetent, a known commodity of corruption and laziness and questionable values should not be overlooked. That is fair. But when do we stop holding an elected official responsible for trusting in a friend or associate who had hitherto shown no evidence worthy of distrust?

In today’s political discourse many jump blindly and hastily to link the actions of one person to that of any group or person he or she associates with. All this accomplishes is to seed dark clouds and perpetuate a climate of hate. The perpetuation of guilt-by-association is a tactic to intimidate political enemies. If such attacks are not political, then accusations of guilt for the actions of another individual would relate as well to non-political actions and non-political folks - like you and me.

Guilt-by-association is terribly unfair, but all of us, as with gossip, are guilty of practicing it. When our friends and relatives marry slimes or tramps, hang out with bores or thugs, or join congregations or political sides that we don’t like, it affects our opinions of them. So, though we ought to be judged strictly on our own merits, politicians like Gutierrez rarely get cut any more slack than the rest of us.

                  

It’s time to stop that double-standard of silliness, because what we need to do is choose real leadership for Guam, and not a personal entourage. We really must start thinking about fairer ways to evaluate political guilt-by-association if we are to ensure a prosperous future for our families.

The voters of Guam need to get over the lame guilt-by-association “gotcha” assumption that holds candidates and elected officials are somehow responsible for every fuck up, by every clod who gets a title in their campaign or administration.

The point is, none of wants to be held to the fire and blamed for the actions of someone close to us. It is not fair to do so with Gutierrez. It’s not fair to any of us. He cannot continue to be held accountable for Shelton or Shinohara, unless he somehow condoned their bad behavior - which he clearly has not.

Bottom line:if guilt-by-association scandals tell us anything about ourselves and our leaders, it is rarely as much as the rhetoric and records of our own actions. And from the looks of it, Gutierrez’s record shows him to be a man of fortitude and strength, resilient, unbreakable - and NOT GUILTY! just the kind of traits we should all wish to be associated with, in my opinion.