Guam Statehood’s financial stupidity | Letters to the publisher

The other day I heard Senator William Parkinson’s great interest about his legislative resolution to support statehood for Guam. I thought back to all sessions where I was present where there was sub-Sen at the time. Michael San Nicolas tried to remove the GUAM tax code from the IRS -US Tax Code. I remembered all the people who had occurred and testified that we could not rely on the people in Guam to lead a fair and impartial tax legislation. The speakers included Guam, government employees and many managing directors who feared that Guam was not missing any people with the skills and integrity of creating and operating a fair tax system.

The reason why I indicate this is the first thing that would happen if Guam has actually succeeded in maintaining the status of statehood that would be levied on Guam.

A little more than 500 million US dollars per year are currently being charged in taxes on Guam. The money collected remains on Guam as part of our status as a US territory. Should it be successful to achieve statehood, 500 million US dollars per year will transfer tax revenues to Washington, DC, for use at will. This would leave a hole in the Guam government budget of around 500 million US dollars a year, which requires the creation of Guam State of 500 million US dollars per year that were collected in Guam to compensate for the loss to finance the local government. The end result would be that the citizens of Guam would pay twice as much tax as we now pay. And for what? The privilege of voting for the president?

Whenever people talk to me about statehood, the reason why they quote as why they want statehood, the fact that people on Guam cannot vote for the President of the United States. This is a position that I find ironically when you consider that even people who live in the United States do not vote directly for the President of the United States.

As part of the election college, voters are appointed using various methods. Some are appointed by the governor, some are appointed by the legislator, some are appointed by the political parties, and they are those who submit votes for the President of the United States – not the people living in various countries.

If the right to submit a voice for the president is the only reason why you want to double the taxation you pay as residents of Guam, you have too much money.

I hate being the wearer of bad news, but if you want to make changes for the better here on Guam, it is in our hands from us, the voters. Nothing will change on GUAM for the better as long as we repeatedly choose the same people and expect to do something that they have never done before, namely the quality of life of the people in Guam.

Up to a time when the majority of the elected politicians improve the quality of life of Guam for the people in Guam, the political veterans will continue to do what they have always done, which improves the quality of life for politicians and their politically well -networked insiders.

Ken Leon Guerrero lives in Sånta Rita-Sumai.