Political Reviews 0LFURQHVLDLQ5HYLHZ,VVXHVDQG(YHQWV-XO\ WR-XQH david w kupferman, kelly g marsh, samuel f mcphetres, tyrone j taitano 3RO\QHVLDLQ5HYLHZ,VVXHVDQG(YHQWV-XO\WR-XQH lorenz gonschor, hapakuke pierre leleivai, margaret mutu, forrest wade young 7KH&RQWHPSRUDU\3DFL²F9ROXPH1XPEHU¥ E\8QLYHUVLW\RI+DZDL©L3UHVV 169 0LFURQHVLDLQ5HYLHZ,VVXHVDQG(YHQWV -XO\WR-XQH Reviews of the Federated States of major issue was the military buildup Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, and resulting from the transfer of the US Palau are not included in this issue. Marine units from Okinawa to Guam (MV, 28 Sept 2012). As in the primary, Guam Bordallo won the general election National and local elections featured handily, this time garnering 58 percent prominently in news stories in Guam of the vote. this year, as local offices and Guam’s Democrats controlled the Guam nonvoting delegate to the United Legislature by a 9 to 6 margin going States Congress were on the ballot. into the November elections. When The island’s incumbent, Congress- election results came in, voters had woman Madeleine Z Bordallo, faced again chosen a 9 to 6 Democratic challengers in both the Democratic majority, although one-third of the primary and the general election and legislature was replaced. The turn- prevailed against both. In the Septem- over in one seat was due to Frank ber primary, the five-term incumbent Blas Jr choosing to run for the US faced twenty-seven-year-old newcomer Congress rather than for reelection to Karlo Dizon (MV, 14 May 2013). the legislature. However, four other Despite Dizon’s spirited campaign, incumbents were defeated, namely, Bordallo won 73 percent of the vote. Republicans Mana Silva-Taijeron and Running unopposed in the Republican Sam Mabini and Democrats Judith primary was the minority leader of Guthertz and Adolpho Palacios. the legislature, Senator Frank Blas Jr. Elected as freshman senators were Facing off against each other in the Republicans Tommy Morrison, Mike general election, Bordallo emphasized Limtiaco, and Brant McCreadie and her experience and seniority while Democrat Michael San Nicolas. After Blas said that he offered a “fresh a two-year hiatus, veteran Senator perspective.” Among the campaign Frank Aguon Jr was also elected. issues debated were veterans’ services, When the new legislature was inau- the proposed visa waiver for tourists gurated, the Democratic majority from China, and Medicaid reimburse- retained the leadership of Speaker ments. Blas was critical of the lack of Judith Won Pat, Vice Speaker Benja- progress in securing millions of dollars min Cruz, Legislative Secretary Tina due to Guam in compensation for the Muna-Barnes, and Majority Leader impact of immigrant consumption of Rory Respicio. Senator Tony Ada was local government services, as pro- chosen by Republicans to succeed Blas vided for according to the terms of the as minority leader (32nd Guam Legis- Compacts of Free Association with the lature website). Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Although Guam residents do not and the Marshall Islands. Another have the right to vote for president of 170 political reviews micronesia 171 the United States, they do participate November ballot (MV, 18 Sept 2012). in the process by sending delegations When the votes were counted, Gutier- to each political party’s national con- rez’s write-in candidacy received 4,842 vention. In August, Governor Eddie votes compared to 14,472 for Brooks. Calvo led the Republican (gop) del- Later in September, the Democratic egation to their convention in Tampa, Party asked Gutierrez to withdraw his Florida; he supported Mitt Romney candidacy for public auditor in order (pnc, 29 Aug 2012), whose son had to help with the upcoming legislative campaigned in Guam earlier in the and village mayoral races. Gutierrez year during the heated race for the GOP withdrew and explained that one of nomination (Politico website, 9 March the reasons he had decided to chal- 2012). Attending the September lenge Brooks was to draw attention to Democratic National Convention in what he felt was an often overlooked Charlotte, North Carolina, the Guam office; as he stated, “At least now the delegation, led by Rory Respicio, sup- people of Guam know that there is ported incumbent President Barack this Office of Public Accountability Obama. Respicio explained that the that could be the third-party interme- delegation focused on promoting the diary to find out what’s going on with island and addressing important Guam this government” (pnc, 14 Sept 2012). issues such as the military buildup, Because of the nonpartisan require- protecting Medicare, and access to ments of the public auditor position, federal programs. He also pointed in August Gutierrez resigned his out that the Democratic platform, post as state chairman of the Guam approved in Charlotte, called for a Democratic Party (PDN, 7 Aug 2012), partnership with Guam’s people with automatically making vice chair and respect to military matters including longtime Democratic stalwart Gloria the buildup, supported fair treatment B Nelson the new party chair. Nelson in federal programs for Guam and was an elected member of the Con- the other territories, and recognized solidated Commission on Utilities Guam’s right for self- determination and past chair of the elected Board (pnc, 6 Sept 2012). of Education and the Election Com- Another 2012 campaign that mission (kuam, 14 Oct 2012). But in received a great deal of attention was October, she passed away. The party’s the race for the nonpartisan position Central Executive Committee then of public auditor. Since its creation selected Darryl Taggerty to serve as twelve years earlier, the post has acting Democratic chair until new been held by incumbent Doris Flores elections in August 2013 (kuam, 8 Brooks. In the run-up to the primary, March 2013). Brooks had no opponent and report- Aside from Nelson, other promi- edly lobbied the legislature to cancel nent members of the community who the primary election for that office. passed away during the year under This prompted former Governor Carl review were educator and researcher T C Gutierrez to launch a write-in Dr Dirk A Ballendorf, former senator campaign for the primary election and historian Dr Tony Palomo, former in hopes of securing a spot on the Chalan Pago Mayor Vicente Aguon, 172 the contemporary pacific 26:1 (2014) former Umatac Mayor Dean Sanchez, “The kpa [Korean Peoples’ Army] and former Agat Mayor Jose San Strategic Rocket Force has already Nicolas (condolence resolutions, 32nd been on a-class alert to wipe out the Guam Legislature website). In June, U.S. forces and reduce their bases in two Guam National Guardsmen serv- Guam and other regions to ashes” ing in Afghanistan—Sergeant Eugene (PDN, 29 March 2013). In response, M Aguon and Specialist Dwayne W the United States deployed a missile Flores—were killed when their convoy defense system to Guam. The threats was attacked (Saipan Tribune, 22 May caught the attention of local residents, 2013). The deaths highlighted the but there was no general sense of deployment of more than six hundred panic. However, in an interview with Guam Army National Guardsmen cnn, Governor Calvo noted that “one to Afghanistan, which had occurred lucky shot from a North Korean mis- earlier in 2013 (PDN, 1 Feb 2013). sile could do a lot of damage to our In February, in his State of Our island home” (pnc, 5 April 2013). Island address, Governor Calvo Despite concerns about the impact announced that the government’s of the threat on tourism, it seemed to chronic deficit had been “eliminated.” have none (pri 2013). In April, it was He attributed this to good manage- reported that 137,000 tourists had ment and spending controls, including visited Guam in the previous month, a reduction in the number of govern- breaking all records for the past fifty ment employees (pnc, 11 Feb 2013). years for tourism on the island. Visitor Democratic leaders in the legislature, arrivals for the year at that point were however, pointed out that this had up by 9 percent over the previous year actually been accomplished by shifting (kuam, 9 April 2013). the deficit to long-term debt through As to the military buildup itself, the issuance of hundreds of millions of Admiral Samuel J Locklear iii, com- dollars in bonds (MV, 12 Feb 2013). mander of the US Pacific Command, Guam’s status as a major US stated that current planning calls military base drew attention this year for completing the relocation of US for reasons other than the planned Marines from Okinawa to Guam by military buildup. As President Obama 2020 (PDN, 6 March 2013). Pentagon was delivering his 2013 State of the officials eventually backed away from Union Address in February, two this date and admitted that the federal Russian bombers circled the island sequestration cuts would greatly slow prompting the scrambling of F-15 down implementation of the buildup jets from Anderson Air Force Base to (pnc, 17 April 2013). intercept them. The bombers remained A controversy related to the in international air space, and there buildup was caused when, in his last was no incident (nbc News, 15 Feb public appearance, the outgoing US 2013). In March, North Korea threat- Navy commander on Guam, Rear ened to attack military bases in Guam Admiral Paul Bushong, made several and Japan, purportedly in retaliation statements regarding Guam’s history for a US military b-52 flight in South and the military buildup. For one, he Korea, issuing statements such as, called on local leaders to “man up” political reviews micronesia 173 with respect to the buildup. He also ing the right of self-determination for went on to dispute Guam’s status as a all entities on the UN list of non-self- colony, stating, “The United States of governing territories, which includes America never made Guam a colony Guam.) The Taitanos’ rebuttal went and only put enough resources into on to sharply criticize Bushong for his Guam to make it stable.” He also said lack of knowledge of the “true history that he was “puzzled” by the discus- of our island” and Lee Webber for sion of self-determination, noting that characterizing Bushong’s statements as local leaders in 1950 had sought the accurate (PDN, 11 Aug 2012).