By Lee Webber
We don’t need more of the same type of government that has been experienced in the past.
We need better, more aggressive, more efficient government focusing on the real pressing needs of the community revolving around health, public safety and education.
That translates into fewer people and departments efficiently and effectively run by people who sincerely care about finding solutions and fixing problems for Guam residents.
It translates into a legislature that ignores petty personal projects and focuses on the real needs of the community as a whole.
While there are many more, a few key examples are mentioned above health care, public safety and education.
In the health care venue, it means getting the current hospital up to certified condition and kept that way until a new hospital can be built. Protect the overall health in the community.
After looking at the Matrix study recommendations, all of the long existing earthquake zones and the multitude of buildings that have been built on those fault areas, including current Adelup offices, the existing, old GMH Tumon location, remains the best for a multitude of economic, proximity and use reasons.
Health care has languished during the first six years of the current administration and it is high time to change that and then maintain it until the new hospital is built.
No excuses, no claiming knowledge because of some previous experience. Go with the economic, current health care professionals experience and proximity to proposed location coupled with millions of dollars’ worth of existing health care service units.
In public safety, realistically balance pay scales between all GovGuam sworn and warranted law enforcement officer positions across the island based on real world experience, training and competence. This will drastically reduce the loss factors between agencies and improve morale overall.
Improve overall morale within the public safety arena by taking politics out of the system. It’s not who you know but what you know and how well you do your job fairly and efficiently for the betterment of the department as well as the entire community that moves you upward in rank.
In education only hire, train and promote Department of Education personnel based on not only credentials but the quality of their work and how that is transferred into better overall schooling for our children.
Ensure the proper and regular maintenance of all Department of Education structures and classrooms.
There should be regular, unscheduled, non-intrusive, “management by walking around” visits to all education related structures island-wide. Reports should then be generated for scheduled sit-down meetings with administrators to ensure work is getting done in a timely and efficient manner.
Administrative officials and legislators need to be servant leaders that set the example for exactly what they expect from their appointees and then enforce those attitudes on their selectees or gracefully replace them with people who agree with their approach to leadership.
Simultaneously the Civil Service Commission needs to be addressed and revised to protect employees while at the same time improving the quality of government employees and their environments overall.
Once these key sectors are improved and on a solid track for continued growth, downsize the government through leveraged buyouts coupled with the privatization of selective sectors much like was done with the Guam Telephone Authority.
It is definitely 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
