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Senator Tina Rose Muna-Barnes (D), Senator Toni Sanford (R), Eddie Baza Calvo
Ken Wetmore (KUAM): Good evening and welcome to at issue joining me in the studio
this Friday is Senator Toni Sanford a incumbent democrat, I also have former Senator
Eddie Calvo a republican welcome, and I have incumbent Senator Tina Muna-Barnes, a
democrat, welcome. Hafa Adai to all three of you. I'm going to start off with Senator
Sanford you voted to increase the gross receipts tax, then you later voted to reduce
it, there's a perception that you waffle on the hard issues, do you?
Senator Toni Sanford: No, definitely, I was very very frank from the very beginning
Ken, that we had a two year plan to balance the budget and we could not do it in the
first year and we needed, and we had already reduced the government expenses by an
enormous amount and we needed to increase that two percent just until things go better
and less than 18 months later things got better and that was the commitment we made
that we will return the gross receipts tax right back to four percent and here we
are with a new budget and trying to care of all of the needs because of an increased
revenue.
KW: Why not stay the course, you voted to increase it, why not keep it there, make
sure the government has the revenues it needs so that we're not in a cash crunch which
it looks like we'll be in for '05?
TS: Well that's the whole point, 10 months into this fiscal year we're 25 million
ahead so we took that analysis back when we reversed it and I think that its true
to form, here we are, we've got increased revenues greater than the 410-million dollar
budget that was passed for this current year, so there's no waffling there.
KW: Former senator Calvo, you were the former Chairperson of the Healthcare Committee,
the hospital is going through a lot of problems now that they blame on mismanagement
in the past, do you feel you did enough as oversight chair?
Eddie Calvo: I did all I could do in terms of the monetary aspect. I recall as oversight
chair we introduced, and I introduced and enacted certain bills into legislation into
law, that funded the hospital, you know we had 9.5 million dollars in monies appropriated
as a senator, but at the time I think there were certain issues within the hospital
that were of great concern to me and that's why again I was holding many oversight
hearings, and we had many extensive hearings because of the administration of the
hospital there was issues of again where you have a governor who takes both administer
and policy control of the hospital as you recall we didn't have a board and we didn't
have an Administrator, and at the time with so much control with one individual things
happen so again from a standpoint as being the oversight chair when it comes to appropriation
I think we were there as the 25th Guam Legislature in terms of monies appropriated,
in terms of oversight we did have oversight hearings and there were some issues that
were brought up during those oversight hearings and of course there has been actions
that have occurred in the legal processes as a result of those oversight hearings.
KW: Senator Barnes you have oversight of the Mayor's Council, every village receives
the same amount for appropriations, don't you think that's inequitable to the larger
villages?
TMB: As you know Ken, because we have the 19 villages and they all work as first responders
for our community and villagers its important to realize that funding is always going
to be needed and sharing it across the board is usually the most equitable way but
there is solution on hand that is being looked at a pro-rata way, and that's being
looked in and being worked on right now.
KW: So that's something that you're working on right now.
TMB: yes, definitely.
KW: Is it something that you're in favor of, pro-rating?
TMB: I think that based on the population of course you can't compare Yigo and Dededo
to Merizo and Umatac, but in the same talk, they have residents and villagers, some
needs are greater than others, they have erosion control problems in the south that
they dont' have in the north, so you've got to weigh out all the issues and concerns
in that certain village.
KW: So from your perspective on a pro-rate, would you do it on a per capita basis
or would you do it on some other basis like geography?
TMB: geography is good or on a per capita could be looked into but right now it's
the first.
KW: Senator Sanford back to you, what have you done as a Senator to make life easier
for businesses?
TS: Well, first of all I think that I think we've talked a lot about economic diversification
because there's only so much money that can go on Guam, and one of my greatest accomplishments
I think is promoting captive insurance. I know I spoke that as a platform issue I
know the insurance industry is very pleased with that. We also have the federal contracting
tax credits, I think that really ushers in a benefit for our local businesses and
I think that the automation of the CPA examinations in Guam, which has been a real
benefit to Guam I think we've had challenges in the past where we'd have to turn people
away. So I've passed legislation to automate that and it has brought in a lot of revenue
for Guam and there's just so much more I think than economic diversification I think
in edu-tourism, and I think in trying to get the sports tourism to grow and enhance
that because there's just so much opportunity for Guam to bring in outside revenue.
KW: Mr. Calvo, what committee would you want to chair if you were in the majority
and what would you do?
EC: You know I come from the private sector, so I think I would bring a lot of help
in areas dealing with finances and whether that's ways and means or economic development
and again one of the things I see occurring now as opposed to several years ago when
I was last in public office I see finally hitting bottom in terms of the economic
depression we've been in and I see light at the end of the tunnel and what I'd like
to work on a policy level and even on an appropriation level is finding ways to get
this economy turning around even faster and then of course number one, with a turnaround
in our economy, jobs for our people.
KW: What do you think you can do to make that happen faster?
EC: you know there are certain things, you see vast improvements now in terms of the
military coming in here and the change in the economy in Japan, you see the Japanese
tourism picking up the two pillars of our economy seem to be getting a stronger footing;
I think there are other areas, Guam, we're in a very insecure world, that's just how
the reality is, Guam is part of America we're secure, there's a lot of American multi-national
corporations that are out there right now that I think we can do a good sales jobs
and getting them in terms of having a regional offices in Guam. I think we can work
that out through selling ourselves as part of American security, there are certain
tax benefits that we can use QC programs that we can probably tailor but of course
with a caveat that when you get in here, you invest money and you hire our local people
there are areas we can get into. Little things too, when I was in the private sector,
little things, some of the GovGuam regulations some of the bureaucracy, if we could
clean up the red tape that would not only assist outside investors that would also
assist our local businesses and our local people to help them to become to build entrepreneurship
and to help their business. KW: thank you, Senator Muna Barnes, what bills are you
the most proud of sponsoring?
Senator Tina Muna-Barnes: You know Ken, I've got to say the public private partnerships
that we joined with the Department of Parks and Recs and the non-profit organizations
and also with the Guam Baseball Federation, truly I believe that when private businesses,
non profit organization and the government work together its true development for
Guam, jobs for our people and just a better working relationship for our community
and also the preservation and protecting of our Chamorro culture which is very important
to me and restoring our historic sites, and I will tell you we will have a house for
our ancient artifacts, and for our Chamorro artifacts, I will work on that museum
at heart.
KW: So you believe that should be done by the Government, by business or a combination
of both?
TMB: And again I'm going to tell you, a combination of both, when you bring the community
together as one you have a win-win solution for everybody.
KW: I have a series of yes or no questions for everybody. First, would you support
legalizing same sex marriage in Guam?
TS: No
EC: No.
TMB: No.
KW: Would you support legalizing the use of marijuana in Guam for medical purposes?
TS: Yes.
EC: Yes.
TMB: Yes.
KW: Do you support the Governor's bridge financing that's currently held up in court?
TS: Yes.
EC: No.
TMB: Yes.
KW: Do you support the position of an elected attorney general?
TS: No.
EC: Yes.
TMB: No.
KW: Do you support the Governor's reorganization plan?
TS: No.
EC: Yes.
TMB: No.
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