Political Reviews
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Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011 john r haglelgam, david w kupferman, kelly g marsh, samuel f mcphetres, donald r shuster, tyrone j taitano Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011 lorenz gonschor, hapakuke pierre leleivai, margaret mutu, forrest wade young © 2012 by University of Hawai‘i Press 135 142 the contemporary pacific • 24:1 (2012) experience in FSM and Kosrae politics Johnson, Giff. 2011. U.S. Lawmakers Seek and has served the country in vari- Limit on Micronesian Immigrants. Mari- ous capacities as a department head, anas Variety, 23 May. Archived online at a diplomat, and head of the national http://archives.pireport.org/archive/2011/ health insurance program. For Kosrae may/05%2D23%2D01.htm state, George has served as governor pir, Pacific Islands Report. Online Pacific and chief justice and has now joined news service. the exclusive political club of four at-large national senators who are eligible to become FSM president or Guam vice president. During the March 2011 congres- Dominating the news during the year sional election, voters defeated two under review were the same three proposed amendments to the national issues that captured the most attention constitution. One would have allowed in the previous year: the upcoming US FSM citizens to acquire another military buildup, the 2010 gubernato- citizenship. This amendment garnered rial election, and ongoing fiscal dif- more than 60 percent of the votes ficulties for the Government of Guam in each of the states, but it failed to (GovGuam). receive the constitutionally required As 2011 began, the proposed 75 percent. The other amendment transfer of 8,600 US Marines and proposed to extend the term of the ten their dependents from Okinawa to two-year members of the legislature Guam was still proceeding. However, to four years. In Pohnpei state, the in response to public opposition to the amendment received only 46 percent buildup plans, the pace of the buildup of the votes, and in all four states it was slowed. Initially, the buildup was received a lower percentage than that expected to bring about 79,000 people garnered by the proposed dual citizen- to Guam by 2014, with about half ship amendment. as imported labor for military con- john r haglelgam struction projects and other prepara- tory activities. As noted last year, the US Department of Defense (dod) issued a draft environmental impact References statement in late 2009 outlining the fsmis, FSM Information Services. Govern- different plans for how the buildup ment of the Federated State of Micronesia would transform the island. The docu- News and Public Statements, Palikir, Pohn- ment, over 11,000 pages long (Saipan pei. http://www.fsmgov.org/press.html Tribune, 8 Jan 2010), received over 10,000 submissions from the pub- Jaynes, Bill. 2011. Faichuk Renews Its lic, elected leaders, and government Intent to Stand Alone as a Sovereign Country. Kaselehlie Press [biweekly agencies during the public comment newspaper, Pohnpei], 30 August. period (dod 2010). The new plan in http://bild-art.de/kpress/index.php?option the final impact statement purport- =com_content&task=view&id=1392 edly would only shift marines to &Itemid=2 [accessed 8 Sept 2011] Guam after the island’s infrastructure political reviews • micronesia 143 is ready to handle the sizeable influx in federal court to block the live fir- in population. Under the suggested ing range. According to the suit, the timeline, about 41,000 new residents Department of Defense violated the would come to Guam in 2016. This National Environmental Policy Act, would be half the number initially the National Historic Preservation proposed and would occur two years Act, and the Coastal Zone Manage- later than originally projected. But ment Act when it picked Pågat as the even federal officials expressed doubts firing-range site (MV, 16 Feb 2011). that the buildup would move that The court case continued through the quickly. Still unresolved were two first half of 2011. In the briefs, DOD controversial military construction attorneys stated that no final deci- projects: the planned live firing range sion had been made on Pågat and no near the ancient Indigenous Chamorro appropriation had been provided in village site of Pågat and the dredging the current fiscal year’s budget, or the of Apra Harbor to build an aircraft next, to fund the firing range (pnc, 1 carrier harbor (PDN, 29 June 2010, 1 July 2011). In March, however, the Jan 2011). administration of Guam Governor With respect to the live firing range Eddie Baza Calvo signed a “program- plan, community opposition centered matic agreement” with the Depart- on concerns about increased traffic, ment of Defense that gave approval loss of land associated with recre- for the controversial US military ational activities, and denial of access plan to build Marine Corps training to a sacred Indigenous Chamorro site ranges in that area. Governor Calvo existing on GovGuam-owned land explained that GovGuam dropped its (Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans opposition to live firing ranges after 2010). The site has been listed on both the US Navy guaranteed unimpeded the Guam Register of Historic Places public access to several sites, including and the US National Register of His- the ancient Chamorro Pågat Village toric Places since 1974 (Guam Pres- site. In response, representatives for ervation Trust 2011). The proposed We Are Guahan said that their group dredging of Apra Harbor drew fire still opposes the training ranges and not only from island residents but also any military construction in Pågat. from the US Environmental Protection They further stated that the group Agency, which cited the “unaccept- would continue their lawsuit, claiming able” impact of dredging on seventy- that “the DOD broke the law because it one acres of coral reef (Harden 2010). did not consider alternate sites for the Even with these open questions, ranges” (Stars and Stripes, 9 March the Department of Defense issued a 2011). The case is scheduled to be Record of Decision that formalized the heard in court by September (MV, 18 plan to relocate the marines to Guam Feb 2011). (PDN, 1 Jan 2011). In the wake of mounting federal In November, the Guam Preserva- deficits and natural disasters in Japan, tion Trust, the National Trust for new questions arose regarding when, Historic Preservation, and the We or even if, the buildup would occur. Are Guahan activist group filed suit In May, Japanese Minister of Defense 144 the contemporary pacific • 24:1 (2012) Toshimi Kitazawa suggested that the General Accounting Office and Japan could agree to delay the 2014 the Senate Armed Services Commit- date for the relocation of the marines tee. By the end of June, the Senate from Okinawa (afp 2011). Japan also Appropriations Committee had cut put a hold on the $3 billion in funding $155 million in buildup-related proj- to relocate the marines to Guam. The ects from the Pentagon budget (PDN, US Navy said that the hold on funding 1 July 2011). But even with these has suspended buildup-related projects developments, Assistant Secretary of such as the new headquarters for the the Navy (Energy, Installations and navy base (ann 2011). Environment) Jackalyne Pfannenstiel The US House of Representatives stated that she was “confident” the approved the Pentagon’s funding buildup would happen. This view was request for buildup-related proj- echoed by spokesmen for Governor ects in June. In the Senate, however, Calvo and by Guam Senator Judith the relocation of the marines came Guthertz, chair of the Guam Legis- under mounting criticism. A General lature’s Military Buildup Committee Accounting Office report estimated (MV, 17 June 2011). Also in June, US that the move could cost as much as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and $23.9 billion over the next decade Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Stars and Stripes, 28 June 2011). In Takeaki Matsumoto reaffirmed their the Senate Armed Services Committee, 2006 agreement to realign forces in Senator Jim Webb proposed altering Okinawa, which would include relo- relocation plans—in effect, reducing cating the marine contingent to Guam the number of forces to be relocated (PDN, 24 June 2011). In spite of the out of Okinawa. He was supported disagreement between the US adminis- in his efforts by the committee chair, tration and the Senate, some buildup- Senator Carl Levin, and Republican related projects, including upgrades to ranking member Senator John McCain air force facilities, continued in 2011 (pnc, 15 June 2011). Senators on the (Guam Buildup News, 30 June 2011). committee further called for a freeze Also, the Apra Harbor dredging proj- on buildup projects until the Depart- ect was still planned, although on hold ment of Defense issues a full master pending the completion of a marine plan (pnc, 15 June 2011). Another habitat study (Guam Buildup News, shadow was cast on buildup plans 22 April 2011). in late June when the dod Inspector On Guam itself, a pro-military General issued a report stating that the buildup organization called Para Hita department “did not provide reliable Todu was launched in 2011. Its stated Guam realignment costs for Congress” goal was to collect 15,000 signatures and that, as a result, “Congress cannot expressing support for the buildup, ensure that Guam realignment costs purportedly to show Washington lead- are properly allocated” and “Con- ers that a silent majority on Guam was gress will not have reliable historical in favor of the military buildup (pnc, cost data for planning future military 8 July 2011). The majority leader, realignments” (pnc, 27 June 2011). Senator Rory J Respicio, pointed out This report echoed earlier reports by that although Guam residents may be political reviews • micronesia 145 supportive of the buildup, they are not forced marches” (Stars and Stripes, supportive of it “at any cost.” Para 23 Dec 2010).