Guam – As the bond debate continues the administration appears to be putting on the full court press as various cabinet members and administration officials were in attendance at today’s session. Lawmakers are still discussing the governor’s bond borrowing measure to pay out tax refunds.
The public hearing room was filled with people brandishing signs urging lawmakers to pass the governor’s bond borrowing bill to give them their tax refunds. Isabel Ibanez went to the legislature to support Governor Calvo’s bond borrowing bill. “I want the people to get their money. I want the people to be paid so that the people will get their money. They need their money otherwise if this bill is not passed it will never pass for more years to come so let’s do it now senators pass the bill,” said Ibanez.
Senator Rory Respicio said he wants to pay people their tax refunds but is concerned about the cost of borrowing so much money on the bond market. He also believes that the people who showed up to the public hearing room with signs were orchestrated by the administration.”Well it just speaks to the propaganda the continued propaganda and the administrations insistence that they are gonna get this bond and they want to get the bond the bond at all costs,” said Respicio. The senator believes that the signs were propaganda because the public hearing room was mostly filled with members of the administration. “If you look at the individuals that showed up today those are governor’s office people and those are cabinet members and maybe when the governor talks about laying ten percent of the workforce maybe he should talk to them because if they have time to come here today and not at their various job sites then maybe the governor’s office and those departments and agencies are overstaffed,” said Respicio.
With a packed public hearing room behind them the Republicans made a push to call for a vote on the governor’s bond bill. Senator Frank Blas Jr. made the motion to call for the vote. “All those on the motion are there any objections? All those who support the motion to rise with the amendments in tact with the recommendation that please signify by raising your hand..motion fails,” said Senator Tina Muna Barnes as she chaired the proceedings from the Committee of the Whole.
With the failure of this motion the legislature went back to discussing section two of the governor’s bond bill much to the dismay of Republicans and those who were watching from the public hearing room.
Lawmakers recessed this afternoon until tomorrow. They spent much of the afternoon in their respective caucuses.
