By Lee Webber
It is an election year and this is worth repeating.
Election years tend to bring out the best and worst in politicians and their supporters.
The politicians want to either get re-elected or elected in the first place.
Their supporters either have government jobs and want to keep them or, are vying for future government jobs so they can nuzzle up to that big sow called GovGuam.
What this always tends to bring with it are stories of the horrible things their opponents may have done in the past (true, false or distorted) and the wonderful things they have done or will promise to stay in office or get elected.
The problem is [that,] because they have become public figures, their competitors can get away with literally twisting things in all manner of ways – true or not – without proper recourse, leaving their opponents flapping in the wind now trying to explain the partial or total untruth of the accusation.
No matter how old or false or distorted that may be.
The voter challenge in all of this goes along with number one of two signs I hung in our newsroom when becoming publisher of the Pacific Daily News in 1983.
The first one read, “IF YOUR MOTHER TELLS YOU, SHE LOVES YOU CHECK IT OUT!”.
The second one, “THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR ME TODAY. BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TOMORROW?”
Now some folks laughed at those signs but I would say that the majority of the newsroom took them to heart, especially the first one. It went to the very heart of real journalism.
The second one fell more along the lines of my personality in that I appreciated your work today but you now have to repeat it!
These rules should also apply to politicians and the people that they appoint to critical positions within OUR government.
As I have said so many times before they ALL work for us and it is OUR government, not theirs. They really do have to clear all major decisions and changes with us, their employers.
The real challenge comes to us as citizens and voters to dig deeply into such political accusations and find the truth and real purpose as to why they have been tossed in the public eye in the first place even if they are years old.
It follows along with the biblical verse, “let he who has not sinned cast the first stone”.
Rather than taking in all the political rhetoric that is thrown around by incumbents and challengers about their opponents, take the time for yourself to look at what they have actually done while they were in office or average citizens?
Better yet, get hold of a copy of their political platform that gave you the idea to vote for them in the first place. See what they have actually accomplished from that list.
In short, follow my first wall sign noted above, “IF YOUR MOTHER TELLS YOU SHE LOVES YOU CHECK IT OUT!”
Remember the current batch of political officials are the same ones that have forced us all into this economic free-fall that has driven food, power, fuel and nearly all other prices right through the roof.
The legislature consistently blindly followed the governor’s lead rather than being the viable middle branch of government, challenging and questioning her for the people.
The current crop of elected officials is doing little more than pandering for votes so they can get re-elected to stay nuzzled up to that big sow called GovGuam and continue taking all of their benefits while essentially turning their heads as the public cries for help.
Wake up Guam – it is time for change!
Let’s make Guam Great Again!
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
