"the insider with tony blaz"

Each week, join KUAM's Tony Blaz, host of the popular KUAM Radio talkshow "Positively Local" as he tackles some of the more poignant issues, topics and debates surrounding Decision 2004 - in the way only Tony can.

Well my dear people of Guam, the day we have all been waiting for is only four days away. Tuesday, November 2 will be our opportunity to go to the polls to elect candidates who we feel best to represent our interests and who will be responsible to all of our concerns.

This opportunity comes along once every two years and we all must be certain to take advantage of it.

For all of you who have been keeping score of all that our leaders have done for us or rather to us, this is your chance to vent your frustration or better yet wreak your revenge upon any leader whom you feel has betrayed your interest and the interests of your families.

It is also your chance to reward those leaders if any of you feel worthy of your precious vote, and if you feel that they have all been a disappointment, then enlist your friends and neighbors and throw the rascals out.

In all seriousness, my dear people of Guam, we encourage you to go out and vote. There are many great candidates running both new and old from which to choose.

When going to vote make certain that you ask the right questions: who will do what is best for you and your family? Which candidate will advocate the interests of our people and our island over special interests? Who is committed to improving the quality of our lives? In a nutshell, ask yourself - who is really looking out for you and not themselves!

It's been such a lovely campaign, free food, free drinks, good fun but, most notable are all the beautiful smiles, the wonderful attitudes, the friendly disposition and all the pleasantries from all who are seeking re-election this year. It's amazing how very helpful and responsive a candidate can be as election draws near. Your calls are returned quickly and the attitudes; man they are incredibly pleasant! All these good feelings, this goodwill - it's Christmas in November!

But manaina yan maneluhu, it is not Christmas, Christmas is two months away. Be careful because all these great attitudes, all these pleasantries will come to a screeching halt on November 2, so wake up and smell the coffee! Over the past few months, we have been bombarded with all kinds of messages, in fact, I'm sure you will agree that we've heard it all and then some! We have watched and listened and I have to say I've gotten a tooth ache from how awfully sweet so many of our candidates have been!!! And we wonder why we have such a high rate of diabetes on Guam!

So in the final analysis make certain that you take that very important stroll down memory land just like Santa does every Christmas time, take your own personal score card of all those who have been naughty and nice the best present you can give yourself and your family on election day that will make all the difference in the world as to whether the next two years will be heaven or hell we often times subject ourselves to. So the final analysis: choose carefully and vote wisely!

Our forefathers have always been ambitious about providing the best education and educational opportunities for our children and succeeding generations. This great ambition of our parents and grandparents is evidenced in the priority that our leaders have given education in years past.

Today, our island is faced with a major educational crisis, which stems largely in part to the leadership at DOE. Under the current leadership at DOE and the Education Policy Board, our children are faced with overcrowding at our schools, deteriorating infrastructure, and a lack of careful certified teachers, lack of textbooks, the direct instruction program, and the denial of over 120 students of their right to education.

In addition, the lack of cooperation with the GFT has led to the call for Mr. Juan Flores' resignation by the GFT leadership.

For over 30 years, the Department of Education and the GFT have engaged in a partnership, which has benefited DOE, our children and our community.

Like it or not, the GFT represents thousands of employees in DOE and it is imperative that the doe leadership work with, not against our teachers, our nurses and other employees.

Common sense, fair play, cooperation and respect are what are desperately needed at DOE. Our leaders must set the right examples for our children. They must step in and resolve this crisis before it turns into a catastrophe.

So my question for the day to all our leaders is what kind of legacy would you like to leave for succeeding generations of our people, providing the very best education for all our children, or continuing the big mess we have today?

Who is really looking out for you and your interests? It's a very important question to consider when you go to the polls this election. From basic concerns like education, health and public safety to more specific concerns like casino gambling and higher taxes, where do your leaders start?

Do they share your views and concerns?

Who steps up to the plate with real solutions to the real needs you and your family have?

For instance you are a resident of the south and have been beset with chronic water outages, don't you wonder why the silence among our island's elected leaders. We haven't heard from the management of GWA or the leadership of the CCU. My ears have been deafened by the silence of our leaders who have not come out regarding this crisis that many island residents have been forced to endure.

A situation in the south, which boggles my mind, is the fact that our children who attend civilian schools located only hundreds of feet away from DoDEA school have been forced to stay at home for one week while DoDEA schools continue to remain open, DoDEA education not interrupted at all because of water shortages. My question to all our leaders, civilian and military is why?

This election my dear people of Guam, ask the hard questions before you give your answer to those leaders who anxiously await your verdict on whether or not they will continue to serve our island.

It is said that variety is the spice of life. If this is true, then you the voters have quite a variety from which to choose to spice up this election. As always, there are many candidates that claim they have the right answers to solve all your problems, and then of course there are those that believe that they are the answer to all our woes.

Among the new candidates seeking membership in the 28th Guam Legislature your menu will include a variety of excellent choices. For instance, there are four doctors, three medical doctors, and one Ph.D, two former speakers of the Guam Legislature, one former vice-speaker and a chief justice of the Supreme Court, a chief marshal, a chair of the Board of Education.

You get to choose from two federal civil employees, a former advocate, a DYA director, a CCU member, and a successful businessman. There are four women to add to the four already in the Guam Legislature.

There you have it my dear people of Guam, the tried and true, professional and working class, the few and proud, they constitute your selection for Decision 2004.

It's the sign of the times. The political season is upon us and with it has come all kinds of different political signs in an array of different styles, sizes and shapes. They range from the very expensive and the very chic to a few simple but neat homemade signs. Some signs feature sensational candidates looking almost like "moviestars". Other signs make certain candidates look great on the billboard but not in person - well, you be the judge.

Many signs include promises, logos, campaign slogans and judging by the expression of at least one candidates' sign it simply spells relief.

Regarding signs, is there a correlation between the quality, size and quantity of signs and a candidate's success? Well, maybe in the last election, Ray Tenorio and Frank Aguon had the biggest and most signs, they ended up number 1 and number 2, respectfully.

One can add that, the bigger the signs the better your chances of becoming a senator.

But we have to think, my dear people of Guam, does a BIGGER sign mean QUALITY LEADERSHIP? Does it mean BETTER laws being passed or a better and higher standard of living for all of us?

Don't fall victim to the glamour and glitz of the election season.

Bigger does not always mean better! Sometimes it simply means "the lack thereof."

A number of legislatively-mandated pay issues are the source of great concern for many island voters. The controversial supplemental annuity sliding scale has wreaked havoc on the lives of thousands of our island's elderly who rely on their annuities for their survival.

The freezing of salary increments and reclassification for the Government of Guam workers has caused great hardship for thousands of families. These measures were undertaken in an effort to reduce GovGuam's bloated budget.

Interestingly though, one benefit that applies to all eligible elected leaders who qualify, which allows your senator to avail themselves of their full salary and benefits as well as their entire retirement annuity was not eliminated by our leaders when they were looking at ways to reduce government cost. Leaders who qualify for this benefit have been affectionately referred to as double dippers.

It's no wonder why some elected leaders will never give it up, but what they will not hesitate to give up are your salary increments, they have no problem reducing your parents' and grandparents' annuities and raising your taxes.

This is why it is vitally important you exercise your right to vote this November.

What makes people want to run for public office? As an ordinary citizen, Bob Klitzkie decried career politicians, saying that if elected, he'll work hard to finish his political agenda in one term, clean it all up and be done with it. Well, lo and behold, even Mr. Skeptic himself seems to have been captivated by the senatorial mystique.

What is so captivating about the office of senator? That even the biggest skeptic will spurn his skepticism to do it again.

Then there are those old timers like, Tony Unpingco, Don Parkinson, Larry Kasperbauer and Ted Nelson who don't ever want to give it up! Is it the salary? Is it the glamour or the title? Or do they just enjoy being senator? I honestly don't know.

Oh wait - I got it - it's the desire to serve! The desire to make a difference in all of our lives, after all everything is just so wonderful on Guam! Our current Legislature fixed our schools, our children aren't sweating it out in their classrooms, the Ordot Dump is finally closed! Our beaches are clean, we had millions of tourists visit Guam!

Yeah, right!

This election, it's you're call, my dear people of Guam, you be the judge - which candidate is in it for the mystique and glamour, and who really wants to serve?

Join me on Positively Local Monday through Friday on Isla61-AM on KUAM Radio, from 6-10am for an insider's look at each and every candidate.

Hafa Adai I'm Tony Blaz, Election 2004 is upon us and boy, there are many surprises.

But what's very surprising for all of us is not whose on the list of people running, but NOT on the list. For instance, Senator Carmen Fernandez, saying sometimes politics gets in the way of true improvement. She decides not to run for senator...yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then of course there's former governor Carl Gutierrez, rumored to be a candidate for senator, and possibly a candidate for governor in 2006. He's not on the ballot this time around, that's because he's too busy fighting Douglas Moylan, our attorney general. There's Robert Underwood - many thought would be on the ballot this year. He's not on the ballot either.

On the Republican side, we're seeing two doctors throwing their hat into the ring. They feel they have the prescription for making our government the best it can possibly be. Doctor Noel Silan and Dr. Jerone Landstrom have thrown their hats into the ring. Women are also running in this election. Three women on the Republican side (not as highly represented as in years past) but maintaining at least some degree of representation.

On the Democratic side, there are six women. But, hey, not to fear - there are men that will not step up to the contest in the Congressional Delegate race, in which Madeleine Bordallo is running opposed and of course the Public Auditor, Doris Flores Brooks running unopposed. No male wanting to take on these two fine women.

Otherwise Decision 2004 promises to be a very interesting one and we're going to give you an insider's look from here on in, my dear people of Guam. So stay tuned for the insiders look at politics in Guam in Decision 2004.