Drugs and school safety among issues addressed during Congressional Debate

Many are still talking about the more than 90-minute debate that unfolded Monday with candidates for Guam Delegate, James Moylan and Ginger Cruz.

Candidates answered what can be done to secure some much needed COFA funding for Guam. 

Ginger Cruz: “One of the ways that we can get that money back from the federal government is if we get a think tank or we get the government accountability office or if we have the congressional budget office to assist in putting together an analysis that really locks down what the impact is for Guam and we need to find creative ways that we can get that covered by the federal government.”

James Moylan: “The new plan that replaces the COFA grant incorporates giving the free associated states immediate funding and services instead of waiting. This takes the burden out of the government of Guam for providing that cost. This is tremendous savings for the government of Guam.”

The drug problem including the scare with fentanyl was also debated. 

Moylan: “Our borders need to be secured. We increase the fast response cutters by an additional three. That’s really important to protect our Mariana Islands and the Free Associated States as well. Second, we were also looking at federalizing or a study for the Guam Customs Authority for a study to determine if by providing them with more funding they can protect our borders as well through the help of federal assistance. We also have additional $2 million for patrol cars for the Guam Police Department.”

Cruz: “The federal government is in charge of the US Postal Service and do you know that the majority of fentanyl that comes into our island comes in on domestic mail through our US Postal Service. There is technology that will stop that. We absolutely have to get the federal government to standup. The second thing is his idea to federalize customs. Do you realize that if we federalize customs. If there is US Customs instead of Guam customs checking all those containers coming in – they do not check domestic imported items and that is where 90 percent of the drugs are coming in. Instead they are only going to check the international.”

The candidates also debated self determination, cyber attacks and threats made toward our schools.

Moylan: “The Guam police department is in great need of vehicles there is no denying that. You can see the conditions they are in and they are constantly in use there is no denying that as well. They need the resources too. We in the National Defense Authorization Act included $2 million for roughly 20 vehicles. We also have grants for them to get their mobile command post which they asked for. Their needs are reflected in my requests to the House Armed Services Committee through attachments on amendments which weren’t in their before and if we didn’t ask for it they won’t be in their now.”

Cruz: “So why is it every time men think about a problem they want to go out and buy toys and cars and things? I will tell you what we need to do to make our schools more safe. The most important thing we can do is fight really hard for child care for our families because when we raise good citizens, when our kids are cared for, when we can go to work and we don’t have to worry that our kids are wandering on the internet and finding things that are going to make them violent or playing games or getting influenced by all of the things that are out there. When they are well cared for through child care programs that are fully resourced not only do we have better children, we have a better society and that is part of being a woman because I understand that. I have a grandson and I know that when we raise better children then we don’t have to worry that they decided they are going to go replicate something that they saw online.”

The candidates will meet again during the Guam Women’s Chamber candidate forum. 

Tickets are available now at guamwomenschamber.com.