The following is a news release from the Camacho • Ada campaign:
Former Governor Felix Camacho and Senator Tony Ada are calling on Governor Lou Leon Guerrero to release nearly $300 million dollars in federal stimulus funding into the island community with sustainable programs that could help offset the rising cost of living as a result of the ongoing public health emergency in Guam and policy changes of the Biden Administration.
“These funds were secured by Guam Congressman Mike San Nicolas to help the people of Guam during the COVID pandemic emergency response,” said former Governor Camacho. “$282 million is sitting idle at the Bank of Guam.”
The Leon Guerrero Tenorio Administration has reportedly held these funds in a Bank of Guam account to build a new hospital complex that has been riddled with unresolved site control issues and infrastructure issues in Central Guam. The location of the site has not received support from Guam’s medical community.
Congressman San Nicolas has stated that the time of construction of a hospital complex could take five years or more.
“Each day that money sits in that account, inflation erodes away its purchasing power and the cost of construction continues to rise,” said Senator Ada. “We are at a place where people cannot afford to pay their power bill or buy groceries.”
Additionally, original landowners have protested the location of the proposed site in Fidian along Route 15 in Mangilao, as there are ownership claims being made on the property to the Ancestral Lands Commission and other Government of Guam agencies.
“This is the first elected Governor of Guam who has implemented a policy that takes land away from original landowners,” Camacho said.
In the first 100 days of office, the Camacho Ada Administration will reverse the Leon Guerrero Administration policy that takes away land from original landowners, begin plans to support the School Facility Master Plan as outlined in the Guam Department of Education’s Five-Year Strategic Plan and expedite the release of funds intended to help the public since the start of pandemic emergency response efforts in March 2020.
“Before we talk about building billion-dollar capital improvements, let’s start by fixing the Guam Memorial Hospital and our public pools, re-opening Mangilao Public Health, and breaking ground on a new Simon Sanchez School,” said former Governor Camacho. “In the meantime, let’s help our people and local business owners with real programs that truly help offset the skyrocketing cost of living on Guam.
1 Comments
Victor San Agustin
10/19/2022 at 7:25 AM
It’s about time! Monies awarded to help the people of Guahan are being kept from the people it’s intended to help. Just sitting idle gaining interest in HER bank. Governor, please release the funds, homeless rates are going up because people are not getting the assistance they’re supposed to be getting.