Guam News Factor - December 14, 2009

High Hospital Salaries In Question At Guam Memorial
Are high hospital salaries partly to blame for supply shortages at Guam Memorial? Do the hospitals highest paid staffers really have the tools they need to do all the work they were hired for? Perhaps its time to review whether staff pay reflects the services GMH is capable ofand use excess pay to catch up on overdue drug bills.

Japan Prime Minister Turns Down Okinawa-Guam Transfer Deal
Japan Prime Minister Hatoyama rejects a US deal to speed the Okinawa-Guam transfer. Concessions on environmental protections at US bases in Okinawa and removing military drills from the prefecture just arent enough. Coalition-government partners still want a Marine Corps air base out of Okinawa. And that could hold up Guams buildup.

Watchdogs Warn Central Bankers Against Guam Remittance Scheme
The Philippine Central Banks stated projections on big remittances from Guams future buildup could be aiding illegal recruiters. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports watchdogs are warning the national bank that syndicates use the misleading info to entice jobless Filipinos with empty promises of high wages.

Will Student Aid Shortfall Hurt Guam?
The federal governments need-based Pell Grant fund for college students: short 18 billion dollars. Enrollment spikes fueled by a demand for qualifications in a job-starved economy and new lax regs on qualifications may be causes. The Factor still awaiting word on how this might affect University of Guam students.