Political Reviews • Micronesia 189 Kelly G Marsh References

political reviews • micronesia 189 as several incumbent senators opted former reign as island governor (MV, not to run for reelection. Veteran 1 June 2006). Leading island polls as Senator Lou Leon Guerrero stepped of this writing were former US Con- down midterm to assume presidency gressman Robert Underwood and of the Bank of Guam, and three sena- Guam Senator Frank Aguon Jr, tors ran for lieutenant governor. touting the slogan “Leadership for The year 2006 marks the first time Change” (PDN, 31 March 2006). that the island’s attorney general and Island voters will once again decide public auditor positions will appear whether to keep the drinking age at on primary ballots. This will whittle eighteen or raise it to twenty-one. down the number of contenders to Senators have proposed that voters two candidates per position, ensuring also determine whether or not to that the seats are won by a majority retain former Education Superinten- rather than a plurality of votes. dent Flores, and whether or not to When the year under review ended, raise the minimum wage. there were four teams competing in kelly g marsh the race for governor. Incumbent Governor Felix Camacho and first- Special thanks to Tyrone J Taitano time Senator Mike Cruz ran under who helped to edit this review. the slogan, “Honest Men, Proven Leaders.” They were the first team to install large signage and saturate tele- References vision airwaves with messages noting GU, GU Magazine. Bi-monthly. Tamuning, the benefits that they had delivered to Guam: Papercut Publications. the island. However, media coverage <http://www.gumagazine.com/> of government shortfalls, the nonpay- MV, Marianas Variety—Guam Edition. ment of teacher salaries, and other Monday–Friday newspaper. Harmon, problems challenged some of those Guam: Younis Art Studio Inc. claims. <http://www.mvariety.com/> A mixed-party team, Republican Lieutenant Governor Kaleo Moylan opa, Office of the Public Auditor. 2006. Office of the Public Auditor Annual and former Democratic Senator Report Calendar Year 2005. May. Francis Santos, was running for the <http://www.guamopa.org/docs/ Republican nomination. They ran a 2005AnnualReport.pdf> hard-line campaign—challenging Camacho’s description of an improved PDN, Pacific Daily News. Hagåtña, Guam. <http://www.guampdn.com/> economy and stating that they under- stood that government was “not a one-man show.” Former Guam Gov- ernor Carl T C Gutierrez and former Commonwealth of the Chief Justice and current Senator Northern Mariana Islands Benjamin J “BJ” Cruz ran with such slogans as “Real Leaders” and “Bring From July to November 2005, the the Sunshine Back.” One of their main issues in Commonwealth of the main challenges was dispelling the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) controversy surrounding Gutierrez’s were electrical power, the cancellation 190 the contemporary pacific • 19:1 (2007) of Japanese Airlines flights between because of blood relationships. In Saipan and Tokyo, and, not surpris- addition, voters not of Marianas ingly, the general election in Novem- descent, who now account for an ber. Other issues in the news included estimated 25 to 30 percent of the the continuing upswing in gasoline registered voters (higher in some prices, the commonwealth budget voting precincts and lower in others), deficit, and the drying up of foreign made their presence felt. Because investment. votes cast on island yielded such close In the months preceding the gen- results, absentee ballots from voters in eral election of November, four politi- Iraq and elsewhere became extremely cal parties pulled out all the stops in important. However, when they were financing, campaigning, and mudsling- finally counted, almost a month after ing to achieve victory. The Republican the actual election, the outcome at Party, represented by incumbent Juan the gubernatorial level remained Babauta and his lieutenant governor unchanged. Diego Benevente, and the Covenant Once inaugurated, Governor Fitial Party under the direction of former wasted no time in proclaiming that House Speaker Benigno Fitial and his the economy was his priority. One of running mate Timothy Villagomez, his first measures was to continue the were challenged by newcomer Heintz surcharge of 3.5 cents per kilowatt- Hofschneider and David Apatang, hour on utility bills, and he put the as well as former Governor Froilan Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Tenorio, whose running mate was directly under his supervision through Tony Santos. In a campaign in which the Department of Public Works. In money did not appear to make a his State of the Commonwealth difference (although much was address in March, Lt Governor Tim spent), the end result was what could Villagomez gave a detailed account of be called a three-way technical tie. the condition of the utilities agency. Former Speaker and former executive Noting that there had been no main- of Tan Holdings Ben Fitial won with tenance and no capital purchases of 28 percent of the total votes cast. equipment in many years, he painted Former legislator Hofschneider a picture of imminent doom. The (Independent) came in second with 27 governor himself, using a PowerPoint percent of the vote, followed by for- presentation, described the economy mer Governor Babauta (Republican) in similar terms. He told the crowd with 26 percent of the vote. Former that there would have to be salary Governor Tenorio (Democrat) came cuts, reductions in personnel, or both, in a distant fourth with 18 percent. if the commonwealth was to get out There were over 14,000 registered from under its burgeoning debt. He voters and an 80 percent turnout. said he was going to ask the legisla- This election was painful for the ture to cancel the government’s con- general population because the tradi- tributions to the retirement fund for tional family unity behind a single government employees, and organize candidate broke down early in the a us$40 million loan from the retire- campaign. Many families had two or ment fund for the Commonwealth more candidates calling for loyalty Utilities Corporation to purchase new political reviews • micronesia 191 generators. He also promised to sell cies having “earmarked” sources of approximately five hundred govern- funding, the college has suffered the ment vehicles to the public and cancel loss of the dedicated fund in favor of all but the most essential individual the general fund, and received only telephone services, including govern- us$6.1 million for an us$8 million ment-owned cell phones. payroll. As of this writing, telephone ser- Throughout this process, the vices have been cancelled, a directive specter of the Tom DeLay/Jack has been issued that in October 2006 Abramoff saga continues to impact all government agencies will be the commonwealth. Almost every responsible for their own utility bills, news story dealing with those two and an inventory has been conducted figures refers to their involvement in on government vehicles (some of the commonwealth. For example, which turned up missing). Some DeLay’s 1999 trip with his wife to “nonessential” employees were given spend Christmas on Saipan as letters of termination. The governor Abramoff’s guest (allegedly using reassured them that they would be money paid to Abramoff to block an rehired if he got his debt-reduction increase in minimum wage and the plan through the legislature. So far, federalization of immigration) is often even though a little over half of the mentioned. The situation, confirmed legislators are members of the by Representative Pedro A Tenorio in Covenant Party, no substantial legis- his State of the Washington Office lation has been passed except those message in March, has practically allowing the governor to cease sealed the fate of any legislation in employer contribution to the retire- Congress to establish a nonvoting ment fund, and authorizing the CNMI delegate in the House of Rep- us$40 million loan. However, there resentatives. Most recently, Represen- are legal issues regarding the gover- tative George Miller (Democrat of nor’s authority to take these actions. California) came out with a new bill More importantly, perhaps, many that would transfer control of the retirees and retirement fund officials minimum wage and immigration to are protesting the move as a violation the federal government. The bill uses of the sanctity of the fund. the phrase “indentured servitude” In this climate of economic slash throughout, referring primarily, but and burn, both the public school not exclusively, to conditions in the system and the Northern Marianas garment industry in the late 1980s College have been severely affected. and 1990s. Although Mr Miller does The public schools, whose enrollment not recognize it, these conditions has increased substantially, but whose have actually improved. Statements budget has not changed in five years, by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, will receive no new funds from the also of California, calling the people administration. In the past, the college of the Marianas “criminals,” also has received funds generated by the suggest that many in the US House new hire and renewal process for of Representatives, at least among contract workers through a dedicated the Democrats, believe nothing has renewal fee. Along with other agen- changed from the bad old days. 192 the contemporary pacific • 19:1 (2007) Apparently, a feature on the common- five-thousand-seat convention center wealth in the spring 2006 edition of at the Garapan fishing base. Another Ms Magazine, called “Sex, Greed and would like to build a shopping mall Forced Abortions in ‘Paradise’” on on the site of the Garapan Elementary the cover, was widely circulated School, while a third is interested in within Congress. setting up a resort on the land There is still much apprehension in presently occupied by Hopwood the commonwealth about the impact Junior High School. All of these cases of Abramoff’s testimony to the federal have generated very significant public government.

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