Ombre Ga’chong: A look back at the same problems, promises, and people for decades

By Lee Webber

This is the first column I wrote for the Pacific Daily News when I returned to Guam from my stint in Hawaii as President of Gannett Pacific that ran from Fall 2007- Fall 2010. 

Little had changed in those 13 years…

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“Bacon frying, coffee perking, a woman’s eye …and politicians all promise more that they could ever possibly deliver” 

The air is filled with sounds and smells of political season. Car fumes, beer and barbecue fires punctuated by the shouts of “Biba” somebody, followed by somebody who then spews promises for a better tomorrow and how they and their party claim to be capable of delivering what people want to hear but they know they could really never deliver. Wooing people with the promise of being able to belly up to that large sow called GovGuam.

Seemingly unending lines of cars drive around the island, like critters following a Pied Piper to the sound of honking horns, screaming voices and a myriad of loud music filled vehicles overflowing with throngs of seemingly euphoric followers — many of whom work for the government already and others who hope to in the future.

This usually culminates at a location filled with more loud music, food and drinks — followed by more claims of how this particular candidate, more than anyone else, is the “real” person we all need to elect so they can fix Guam’s many problems and spare us from the always-impending catastrophes that lie ahead – if we will simply vote for them next Tuesday. 

If all that fails, they turn to telling us about the bad things their competitors have done and how that competitor cannot possibly delivery whatever they, too, have promised. Or, worse they turn to some dastardly event that their competitor became entangled with in their personal life. 

Failing that, some simply spread “disinformation” (a nice word for lying or distorting the truth) to get your vote.

But, after the smoke and mirrors clear, the food and drink no longer flow, the music is gone and the promise makers fade into nice taxpayer funded offices, we, the average citizens are left in the same place we were before it all began and nothing has really changed.

As we all look toward that critical decision-making day next week it’s important to remind ourselves of the large number of very real issues that have and will continue to plague our island and exactly how those running for office really plan to fix, repair, improve or otherwise rid us of these problems.

Let’s look at a few of these unending challenges that have crippled our island and our families through so many administrations and legislatures.

Let’s see now, poor performance and over spending at the Department of Education; maintenance issues throughout the government (save key political office spaces ☺); not enough ambulances, police cars or school buses that are operable; problems with the island’s water system; perennial problems at the Department of Public Health and Social Services; pothole and bump-ridden roads further crippled by poorly-planned road construction projects; ongoing dilemmas with Guam Memorial Hospital; underfunded departments that are tasked with enforcement of environmental and safety issues; an improved but continually limping power grid and distribution system and the list goes on and on.

Now ask yourself, how many people on the current list of candidates have had ample opportunity to fix/properly address any or all of these problems? Are they asking to run again with the promise of finally make change and improving our lot in life? Or are they resting on their laurels and empty promises?

Do you HONESTLY believe they have the political will or can make change? Who among them can work together given their history of dysfunctional behavior? Why can’t these otherwise intelligent adults get this all together for the benefit of our island’s future?

Now I know you are very likely thinking, it is easy for Lee to write about these problems that need fixing and the fact that so many of the current candidates have had ample time to do so. But remember, that is what I do – tweak your thinking – rather than allow you of simply going with the flow.

In reality, all of us as citizens must carefully, very carefully, exercise our precious right to vote and select only those people we believe will FINALLY do something constructive to bring us together as a people rather than try to divide and conquer for their own personal gain. 

If this does not happen, we will continue along the same dysfunctional path allowing problems to persist, debt to accumulate and those we elect to continue to deliver nothing more than empty promises while they prosper off of our hard earned tax dollars.

Remember, government produces nothing – it is consumptive by nature. 

It is a pivotal choice that we will make this coming Tuesday – never forget that elected officials do work for us – it is not the other way around.  

We must look at what their past habits and accomplishments have been. Do they hold grudges, do they play/work well with others? Then, elect those people with solid character, integrity, the ability to choose people from the same mold for key leadership positions within our government.

We can and must hold all candidates and appointees’ feet to the fire, making them accomplish what they promise and boot them out of office if they do not. 

If we do not, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the situations in which we find ourselves.

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In next week’s column I will share more about my background – for the benefit of new-comers to Guam – something other than the fact that I was the former Publisher of the Pacific Daily News for 24 years.

Esta.

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Lee P. Webber is a businessman and civic advocate, the former publisher of the Pacific Daily News, a former president and publisher of the Honolulu Advertiser, and a former director of operations for USA Today International/Asia