Retirement on Guam
 

by Tony Blaz - 
KUAM's Political Insider
June 3, 2005

When the founding fathers formed the United States they established the concept of three branches of government - the executive, legislative, and the judicial branch, designed to be independent of each other, co-equal and work in concert with each other for the benefit of the entire community.

The very nature of each branch being co-equal, independent, not to mention its political nature can often times result in a confrontational and adversarial atmosphere leading to stalemates, name-calling, well, situations that we're all very familiar with. But when our leaders set out to break those political chains, like ego, special interest, self-interest that bind them and work together many, many good things can happen.

The retirement bill, now public law, is a perfect example of what happens when our leaders work together. This new law requires the government to pay the retirement fund all the interest and penalties owed the fund in addition to the missing contributions for employees who want to retire, plus interest. The new law prohibits the education department, GMH and any other government agency from engaging in the same practices of non-payment that led to the denial of many employees from retiring.

The lesson we can derive from this new public law is that many wondrous deeds can be accomplished when our leaders choose to work out their differences for the sake of our people.

Governor Felix Camacho, Speaker Mark Forbes, chairman Joe T. San Agustin, and Dr. Joe Cruz of DOE and others came to the table in this spirit. They may not have agreed on every single issue, but they were guided by the spirit of inafa maolek and the desire to complete the mission of ending the nightmare that has haunted this community. Now as a result of cooperation, not confrontation, dialogue, not diatribe, the dream of retirement for many hundreds of employees who have served our government and our people faithfully can now come true.     

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