The right to an adequate education
 

by Tony Blaz - 
KUAM's Political Insider
May 27, 2005

The right to an adequate education I believe is a fundamental right that all of our children are entitled to. The Guam Legislature has passed Bill 1, making this right available to our people. I certainly commend the author of the legislation, Senator Robert Klitzkie for his commitment to education, he like all of us is ambitious for our children. 

Frustrated and angry at a system that has failed us, Bill 1 is but one answer to our desire to get the quality education our children deserve. Bill 1 will give children and their parents the right to sue the government to insure they obtain an adequate education. A number of questions come to mind regarding Bill 1. We already live in a very contentious world, and our island community is beset with enough problems and a great deal of financial challenges. While education is a top priority for all of us, so are health care, fighting crime, and public safety. What about the priority of tax refunds, fixing the retirement fund, and paying vendors, especially our small business owners the money we owe them.

We've gone through numerous lawsuits. Our sue-happy AG has filed lawsuits against other government agencies on an array of different issues, from preventing the airport from contracting a private law firm, (and by the way - he has lost this battle in every single court of the land, the Superior Court of Guam, the Supreme Court of Guam, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court). He has sued the Governor to prevent the issuance of bonds to pay our taxpayers the refunds we owe them; to fix the retirement fund; to pay outstanding balances due vendors; he has lost in this case and is currently on appeal with the Ninth Circuit. 

Now the AG is suing the police department, the fire department and the Department of Corrections on overtime. My point - what was the cost of all these lawsuit - no don't hundreds of thousands of dollars but maybe even millions–to our people; what benefits have our people derived from these lawsuits. We have derived zero benefit.

Is the approach embodied in Bill 1 to ensure accountability a new wave approach? I submit to you it is because it brings about a wave of lawsuits against a government already beset with numerous obligations, and one that is barely making ends meet! Our leaders should not abdicate the obligation they have to our people to lawyers and the judiciary granted, reorganizing our government; dismantling the monster we call DOE, review DOE expenditures to ascertain where we can reduce cost and allocate our resources more efficiently can be very tedious and time consuming but the alternative of allowing doe to operate by lawsuit can be very time consuming and very, very disastrous.

Have we weighed all the risks involved in making our government open season for lawsuits? What of the consequences? Will progress be placed on hold pending the outcome of a case?

My biggest fear is that the only education our kids will derive from Bill 1 will be a very expensive one/one that might not even result in and adequate education.     

Tony Blaz hosts "Positively Local", a radio talkshow on Isla61-AM everyday from 6-10am