I MINA'BENTE OCHO NA LIHESLATURAN GUAHAN 2006 (SECOND) Regular Session

Resolution No. 211 (LS) As amended.

Introduced by: J. T. Won Pat F. B. Aguon, Jr. A. B. Palacios, Sr. R. J. Respicio J. M.S. Brown Edward J.B. Calvo Mike Cruz Mark Forbes L. F. Kasperbauer R. Klitzkie J. A. Lujan Ray Tenorio A. R. Unpingco

Relative to commending and congratulating Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz on his service in I Mina'Bente Ocha Na Liheslaturan Guahan and to the people of .

1 BE IT RESOLVED BY I MINA'BENTE OCHO NA LIHESLATURAN 2 GtiAHAN: 3 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz, a son of Guam, was born on 4 March 3, 1951 to Juan Quenga Cruz (Deceased) and Antonia Franquez Cruz; 5 and 6 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz, has two (2) sisters, Marceline 7 and Elaine; and

1 1 WHEREAS, after graduating from St. John High School in Bellflower; 2 California in 1968, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz attended Claremont Men's 3 School, where he earned a B. A. Degree in Political Science and Economics, 4 writing his senior thesis on "The Constitutional and Legal History of Guam"; 5 and 6 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz love of the law led him to the 7 University of Santa Clara, where he was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1975; and 8 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz subsequently passed the Guam 9 Bar Examination and continues to be an active member of the Guam Bar 10 Association; and 11 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz operated a private law practice 12 and served as Minority Legal Counsel in the 15th and 16th Guam Legislatures; 13 and 14 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz served as head of the 15 Washington, D.C. Office of the Governor during Ricardo J. Bordallo's second 16 term as Governor; and 17 WHEREAS, in 1984, Governor Bordallo nominated the Honorable B. J. 18 F. Cruz as a Judge of the Superior Court of Guam, where he served as a Judge 19 until 1999; and 20 WHEREAS, in 1997, Governor Carlos T. C. Gutierrez nominated the 21 Honorable B. J. Cruz to the of Guam, where he served until 22 2001 the last two (2) years as ; and 23 WHEREAS, throughout his seventeen (17) years of judicial experience, 24 Judge Cruz won praise from the Bar and the public for his courage in

2 1 handling many controversial matters, his wisdom and compassion in dealing 2 with crimes of violence and conscience in advocating for better facilities and 3 services for youth offenders; and 4 WHEREAS, in 2003, the Twenty-Seventh Guam Legislature passed 5 legislation establishing a Unified Guam , a cause Judge Cruz had 6 long espoused and fought for; and 7 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz has always strongly advocated 8 the promotion of Chamorro cultural and political rights, serving as Legal 9 Counsel to both OPIR and P ARA-PADA; and 10 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz has strong advocated against 11 nuclear waste storage and dumping in the Pacific area; and 12 WHEREAS, in 2003, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz served on the Guam 13 War Claims Review Commission, a body created by federal legislation to 14 review the claims of Guamanians arising from World War II and said 15 Commission recommended to Congress that such awards be paid; and 16 WHEREAS, in 2004, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz sought and obtained 17 the support of the people of Guam, who elected him Senator in I Mina' Bente 18 Ocha Na Liheslaturan Guahan; and 19 WHEREAS, as a Senator, the Honorable Benajamin J.F. Cruz helped 20 pass legislation increasing Guam's minimum wage, raising pay for teachers, 21 and appropriating more funds for health care as well as drug and alcohol 22 treatment programs; and 23 WHEREAS, during his term as Senator, the Honorable Benjamin J.F. 24 Cruz has been a voice of fiscal restraint, while at the same time advocating the

3 1 spending of funds on education and health related projects that will benefit 2 Guam; and 3 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz has won the admiration of his 4 fellow Senators for his courage, eloquence and judgment, while at the same 5 time remaining willing to co-operate in the name of the people of Guam and 6 their best interests; and 7 WHEREAS, Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz is leaving I Liheslaturan Guahan, 8 but is certain to serve the people of Guam in some new capacity as he has 9 done all his life; now, therefore, be it 10 RESOLVED, that I Mina'Bente Ocha Na Liheslaturan Guahan does hereby, 11 on behalf of the people of Guam, commend and congratulate Senator 12 Benjamin J.F.Cruz on his service in I Mina'Bente Ocha Na Liheslaturan Guahan; 13 and be it further 14 RESOLVED, that the Speaker certify, and the Secretary of the 15 Legislature attest to, the adoption hereof, and that copies of the same be 16 thereafter transmitted to Senator Benjamin J.F. Cruz; to Mrs. Antonia 17 Franquez Cruz; to Speaker Mark Forbes; and to the Honorable Felix P. 18 Camacho, I Maga' lahen Guahan.

DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED BY I MINA'BENTE OCHO NA LIHESLATURAN GuAllAN ON THE 29TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2006.

fi>WARD f B. CALVO Senator and Secretary of the Legislature 4