Calvo: jobs must go to locals
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:13
Variety News Staff
(CALVO-TENORIO CAMPAIGN) -- Careers for our people was the topic of discussion among more than 500 people, who came to see to see gubernatoirla hopeful Sen. Eddie Calvo and his running mate Ray Tenorio at their latest meeting in Barrigada.
“You can count on us to be there and listen to your issues and concerns,” Calvo said. “Every time we speak directly with people, we hear about the struggles and frustrations families have. This drives us to help in any way we can.”
The conversation focused on the team’s vision for a successful and sustained economic future. Both men stress the coming military buildup is only a narrow part of the opportunity the island has to build a new, bright economy.
“Our people have shown their hard work and dedication time and time again, and that’s why they deserve the jobs of the future,” Calvo said.
“Our leaders have an opportunity to make that happen. If we seize this opportunity, we will not just have good times in the next few years, but Guam will have good times when your children are adults, and better times when your children’s children grow up.”
“There are a lot of people really struggling. We have neighbors that work two jobs just to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads,” Tenorio said. “We want to give the best to our people – the best jobs, the best education, and the best healthcare, because that’s what you deserve, and that’s what you’ll get. This team is about the island we love and the future we want our children to be a part of.”
Showing posts with label Calvo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Calvo. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Bill seeks tax credit to revitalize schools
Bill seeks tax credit to revitalize schools
Tuesday, 29 December 2009 04:11
by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff
FINANCIAL contributors who choose to take part in the maintenance, repair, upgrade, or construction of a local public school facility would benefit from proposed tax credits if a bill introduced by Sen. Eddie Calvo is passed into law.
Bill 302 notes that many public schools on island are in poor shape due to the lack of vital operations and maintenance.
The bill seeks to present the tax credit benefit as leverage to initiate needed upgrades to Guam Department of Education schools so that they may be “restored to a usable and safe condition in order to ensure that students are provided with a venue to hold their classes, athletic competitions among public and private schools, science fairs, school plays, and dances, among other curricular and extracurricular activities.”
The bill discusses the revenues that would be generated next year as a result of the military buildup, and notes that “that a portion of the projected growth in the government of Guam revenues from the buildup is set to begin in 2010 should be invested in the education of our children.”
Under the bill, individuals, sole proprietorship or partnerships would be authorized tax credits against gross receipts taxes in exchange for their contributions to the improvements of public school facilities.
The tax credit would be equivalent to 75 percent of “the actual cost of the contribution to the project plus the cost of transportation, if any, from the point of origin to its destination.” Unused credits may be carried on to subsequent tax periods.
The proposed processes would be developed by the Guam Economic Development Authority.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009 04:11
by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff
FINANCIAL contributors who choose to take part in the maintenance, repair, upgrade, or construction of a local public school facility would benefit from proposed tax credits if a bill introduced by Sen. Eddie Calvo is passed into law.
Bill 302 notes that many public schools on island are in poor shape due to the lack of vital operations and maintenance.
The bill seeks to present the tax credit benefit as leverage to initiate needed upgrades to Guam Department of Education schools so that they may be “restored to a usable and safe condition in order to ensure that students are provided with a venue to hold their classes, athletic competitions among public and private schools, science fairs, school plays, and dances, among other curricular and extracurricular activities.”
The bill discusses the revenues that would be generated next year as a result of the military buildup, and notes that “that a portion of the projected growth in the government of Guam revenues from the buildup is set to begin in 2010 should be invested in the education of our children.”
Under the bill, individuals, sole proprietorship or partnerships would be authorized tax credits against gross receipts taxes in exchange for their contributions to the improvements of public school facilities.
The tax credit would be equivalent to 75 percent of “the actual cost of the contribution to the project plus the cost of transportation, if any, from the point of origin to its destination.” Unused credits may be carried on to subsequent tax periods.
The proposed processes would be developed by the Guam Economic Development Authority.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Rahall Backs Guam Self-Determination
Rahall backs Guam self-rule
Thursday, 13 August 2009 01:01 by Jude Lizama
Marianas Variety News Staff .
CONGRESSMAN Nick Rahall of West Virginia said yesterday he would support the choice of the island community “to decide and unite among yourselves as to what you want” in reference to Guam’s political status.
“Certainly, we’re not going to address the issue if we see division and different sides fighting each other on the issue,” Rahall said. “The people at the grassroots level have to get it together first. That’s what democracy is all about.”
Guam has three options to choose from—statehood, free association or independence. However, the self-determination plebiscite has been suspended indefinitely due to the Guam Elections Commission’s inability to meet the required percentage of voters to fill the Native Inhabitants Registry.
Rahall made known his position on Guam’s quest for self-rule in response to Sen. Eddie B. Calvo’s question during the Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Hyatt Regency Guam yesterday.
“When we choose our political status, would you be in favor of that choice and fight for this cause?” Calvo asked Rahall, to which the congressman replied, “Yes, we would.”
Rahall added that the community is “going to have to get out and work among themselves.”
As chairman of the powerful U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Rahall oversees federal insular areas including Guam. The island’s political status is the longest standing local political issue ever faced.
Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo noted efforts by her office to identify and fund an educational program for a plebiscite emphasizing her commitment to see the island community hold a plebiscite and achieve self-determination once and for all.
“It’s really up to the people,” she said. “Whatever you decide, I’ll carry the water.”
Unique
Rahall added that Congress recognizes the uniqueness of what is being asked of the island, which he stated is a “big factor in your favor.” But that regardless of such factors, he said, the island community still needs to “work together.”
“It’s not us from Washington imposing our will down upon the people, but the people expressing from the grassroots level up to us what they want to see,” Rahall said. “Not only with political status, but that affects the military buildup, as well.”
He advised the local community to not “sit back and expect the federal government to shower dollars down upon every problem that comes up.”
Rahall determined that because of prevailing budgetary conditions, island leaders should seek private help and private-public partnerships with the recognition that there are less federal dollars available for a plebiscite.
Voice of the people
“Many of our people feel their voice won’t count even if we choose a political status in a plebiscite. We should take every opportunity to secure commitments from U.S. leaders that they will respect and stand by the self-determination of the people of Guam,” said Calvo. “Guam is important to U.S. interests, now more than ever. This is the time to expect action from the U.S. government on an issue that has languished for far too long.”
Thursday, 13 August 2009 01:01 by Jude Lizama
Marianas Variety News Staff .
CONGRESSMAN Nick Rahall of West Virginia said yesterday he would support the choice of the island community “to decide and unite among yourselves as to what you want” in reference to Guam’s political status.
“Certainly, we’re not going to address the issue if we see division and different sides fighting each other on the issue,” Rahall said. “The people at the grassroots level have to get it together first. That’s what democracy is all about.”
Guam has three options to choose from—statehood, free association or independence. However, the self-determination plebiscite has been suspended indefinitely due to the Guam Elections Commission’s inability to meet the required percentage of voters to fill the Native Inhabitants Registry.
Rahall made known his position on Guam’s quest for self-rule in response to Sen. Eddie B. Calvo’s question during the Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Hyatt Regency Guam yesterday.
“When we choose our political status, would you be in favor of that choice and fight for this cause?” Calvo asked Rahall, to which the congressman replied, “Yes, we would.”
Rahall added that the community is “going to have to get out and work among themselves.”
As chairman of the powerful U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Rahall oversees federal insular areas including Guam. The island’s political status is the longest standing local political issue ever faced.
Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo noted efforts by her office to identify and fund an educational program for a plebiscite emphasizing her commitment to see the island community hold a plebiscite and achieve self-determination once and for all.
“It’s really up to the people,” she said. “Whatever you decide, I’ll carry the water.”
Unique
Rahall added that Congress recognizes the uniqueness of what is being asked of the island, which he stated is a “big factor in your favor.” But that regardless of such factors, he said, the island community still needs to “work together.”
“It’s not us from Washington imposing our will down upon the people, but the people expressing from the grassroots level up to us what they want to see,” Rahall said. “Not only with political status, but that affects the military buildup, as well.”
He advised the local community to not “sit back and expect the federal government to shower dollars down upon every problem that comes up.”
Rahall determined that because of prevailing budgetary conditions, island leaders should seek private help and private-public partnerships with the recognition that there are less federal dollars available for a plebiscite.
Voice of the people
“Many of our people feel their voice won’t count even if we choose a political status in a plebiscite. We should take every opportunity to secure commitments from U.S. leaders that they will respect and stand by the self-determination of the people of Guam,” said Calvo. “Guam is important to U.S. interests, now more than ever. This is the time to expect action from the U.S. government on an issue that has languished for far too long.”
Monday, August 10, 2009
$65 Million in New Revenue for Guam
$65M in new revenue: Bill aims to spend $540M in fiscal 2010
By Brett Kelman • Pacific Daily News • August 11, 2009
Buildup construction and federal economic stimulus funding could generate up to $65 million in new revenue for the government of Guam next fiscal year, Office of Finance and Budget Director Chris Budasi told senators yesterday.
Of that possible $65 million, a "conservative" budget proposal being reviewed by lawmakers would result in spending only $30 million, Budasi added.
The spillover will be used to shrink GovGuam's deficit, he said.
For every new dollar injected into Guam next fiscal year, GovGuam expects to make a dime, Budasi said.
Senators met to begin discussions about how much money GovGuam expects to receive and spend next year. The revised budget bill would spend about $540 million of
General Fund money to run the government and $101 million to pay tax refunds.
The General Fund spending allocated in this year's budget was about $20 million less than the proposed fiscal 2010 budget bill.
Budasi, who helped propose the budget bill with Democratic Sen. Ben Pangelinan's finance committee, said new revenue streams will be created by the coming military buildup and President Obama's plan to invigorate the economy by pouring money into local governments.
The coming military buildup will bring about 8,000 Marines, their 9,000 dependents and as many as 10,000 skilled laborers to Guam over the next few years. An unprecedented level of construction is needed to ready the island for its new residents -- and whoever does that construction must pay taxes.
Budasi cited the new Naval Hospital, which will be rebuilt over the next few years so it can accommodate Guam's growing military population, as an example of a project that would generate revenue for GovGuam.
"It's a $450 million project that we believe is going to be broken up over the next four fiscal years. Some of the activity is going to hit in this fiscal year then in subsequent years," he said. "We cut that $450 million number up, and we apply our adjustment to it for how much of that money we think is going to stay in the economy. ... And then that is the number that we believe is activity that will generate additional tax revenue."
Budasi said another source of new revenue are federal economic stimulus dollars Guam will receive shortly. Gov. Felix Camacho submitted an application last week for more than $108 million in economic stimulus projects.
Most of that money must be spent in the next few years, and a lot of the funding will be spent on repairs or construction at local schools or public projects. Whoever does that work must pay taxes too, generating revenue, Budasi said.
Revenues questioned
Republican Sen. Eddie Calvo, a former chairman of the legislative committee on finance, questioned the estimated revenue increases in the bill.
Calvo has announced he is running for governor in 2010 and, if he wins, he could inherit the budget the Legislature debated yesterday.
Calvo questioned if Pangelinan's revenue estimate was too high or based on unverified numbers. Pangelinan said the revenue estimates were based on the government's actual cash collection.
Republican Sen. Ray Tenorio, who's running with Calvo, worried Pangelinan's committee hadn't considered that GovGuam may have less money this year than planned. According to an estimate from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, GovGuam will generate about $9 million less this fiscal year than had been projected.
Pangelinan said his committee had already factored that into the fiscal 2010 numbers.
Both Calvo and Tenorio asked Pangelinan to call some of Guam's government finance experts to review and validate the revenue projections presented by Budasi. Democratic Sen. Rory Respicio objected to the experts being called.
Respicio said he felt that every time the senators called those experts to review a proposed budget, revenues "magically" matched whatever GovGuam needed to spend. Instead, Respicio felt the Legislature should move ahead with the revenues presented by Budasi.
Tenorio said it was "unfathomable" that any senator would object to financial experts being called to review a budget proposal. Tenorio and Respicio left the floor to argue about the issue.
Those experts didn't take the floor yesterday, but may be brought in today. Session resumes at 9 a.m.
Tourism
Tourism, which is traditionally one of Guam's largest revenue sources, isn't expected to change much next fiscal year, according to Budasi's budget proposal presentation.
Budasi said the number of tourists next year will hopefully hold steady, but each tourist is expected to spend a little less while they are here, based on Guam Visitors Bureau estimates from June.
"We ran the numbers out and it looks like about a $7 million decrease to the economy," he said.
A GVB report released last week showed a 37 percent drop in tourist arrivals in June, partially because of a rocky economy and fears about the H1N1 influenza pandemic, but GVB General Manager Gerry Perez said the worst was probably over.
Perez said Budasi's estimate for the Legislature was a "fair representation" of what Guam's tourism numbers for next year may be, and because the future is never certain, it helps to be a little conservative.
"Based on everything we know, we expect there to be a slight improvement for the next fiscal year," he said. "Now keep in mind that any catastrophic thing could happen as well. We never expected H1N1."
Education
The proposed budget discussed by senators yesterday would appropriate less money to the Department of Education than last fiscal year, and far less than school system leaders requested.
The department, formerly the Guam Public School System, almost always gets the largest chunk of GovGuam's budget, but rarely gets as much funding as requested.
If passed as is, the budget bill would appropriate about $183 million to the department. A budget request approved by the Guam Education Policy Board in March asks for $263 million.
Last year, the school system requested $263 million, but received $189 million. Guam Education Policy Board Chairman Joe San Agustin has said repeatedly that the lack of full funding is responsible for many of the school system's shortcomings.
By Brett Kelman • Pacific Daily News • August 11, 2009
Buildup construction and federal economic stimulus funding could generate up to $65 million in new revenue for the government of Guam next fiscal year, Office of Finance and Budget Director Chris Budasi told senators yesterday.
Of that possible $65 million, a "conservative" budget proposal being reviewed by lawmakers would result in spending only $30 million, Budasi added.
The spillover will be used to shrink GovGuam's deficit, he said.
For every new dollar injected into Guam next fiscal year, GovGuam expects to make a dime, Budasi said.
Senators met to begin discussions about how much money GovGuam expects to receive and spend next year. The revised budget bill would spend about $540 million of
General Fund money to run the government and $101 million to pay tax refunds.
The General Fund spending allocated in this year's budget was about $20 million less than the proposed fiscal 2010 budget bill.
Budasi, who helped propose the budget bill with Democratic Sen. Ben Pangelinan's finance committee, said new revenue streams will be created by the coming military buildup and President Obama's plan to invigorate the economy by pouring money into local governments.
The coming military buildup will bring about 8,000 Marines, their 9,000 dependents and as many as 10,000 skilled laborers to Guam over the next few years. An unprecedented level of construction is needed to ready the island for its new residents -- and whoever does that construction must pay taxes.
Budasi cited the new Naval Hospital, which will be rebuilt over the next few years so it can accommodate Guam's growing military population, as an example of a project that would generate revenue for GovGuam.
"It's a $450 million project that we believe is going to be broken up over the next four fiscal years. Some of the activity is going to hit in this fiscal year then in subsequent years," he said. "We cut that $450 million number up, and we apply our adjustment to it for how much of that money we think is going to stay in the economy. ... And then that is the number that we believe is activity that will generate additional tax revenue."
Budasi said another source of new revenue are federal economic stimulus dollars Guam will receive shortly. Gov. Felix Camacho submitted an application last week for more than $108 million in economic stimulus projects.
Most of that money must be spent in the next few years, and a lot of the funding will be spent on repairs or construction at local schools or public projects. Whoever does that work must pay taxes too, generating revenue, Budasi said.
Revenues questioned
Republican Sen. Eddie Calvo, a former chairman of the legislative committee on finance, questioned the estimated revenue increases in the bill.
Calvo has announced he is running for governor in 2010 and, if he wins, he could inherit the budget the Legislature debated yesterday.
Calvo questioned if Pangelinan's revenue estimate was too high or based on unverified numbers. Pangelinan said the revenue estimates were based on the government's actual cash collection.
Republican Sen. Ray Tenorio, who's running with Calvo, worried Pangelinan's committee hadn't considered that GovGuam may have less money this year than planned. According to an estimate from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research, GovGuam will generate about $9 million less this fiscal year than had been projected.
Pangelinan said his committee had already factored that into the fiscal 2010 numbers.
Both Calvo and Tenorio asked Pangelinan to call some of Guam's government finance experts to review and validate the revenue projections presented by Budasi. Democratic Sen. Rory Respicio objected to the experts being called.
Respicio said he felt that every time the senators called those experts to review a proposed budget, revenues "magically" matched whatever GovGuam needed to spend. Instead, Respicio felt the Legislature should move ahead with the revenues presented by Budasi.
Tenorio said it was "unfathomable" that any senator would object to financial experts being called to review a budget proposal. Tenorio and Respicio left the floor to argue about the issue.
Those experts didn't take the floor yesterday, but may be brought in today. Session resumes at 9 a.m.
Tourism
Tourism, which is traditionally one of Guam's largest revenue sources, isn't expected to change much next fiscal year, according to Budasi's budget proposal presentation.
Budasi said the number of tourists next year will hopefully hold steady, but each tourist is expected to spend a little less while they are here, based on Guam Visitors Bureau estimates from June.
"We ran the numbers out and it looks like about a $7 million decrease to the economy," he said.
A GVB report released last week showed a 37 percent drop in tourist arrivals in June, partially because of a rocky economy and fears about the H1N1 influenza pandemic, but GVB General Manager Gerry Perez said the worst was probably over.
Perez said Budasi's estimate for the Legislature was a "fair representation" of what Guam's tourism numbers for next year may be, and because the future is never certain, it helps to be a little conservative.
"Based on everything we know, we expect there to be a slight improvement for the next fiscal year," he said. "Now keep in mind that any catastrophic thing could happen as well. We never expected H1N1."
Education
The proposed budget discussed by senators yesterday would appropriate less money to the Department of Education than last fiscal year, and far less than school system leaders requested.
The department, formerly the Guam Public School System, almost always gets the largest chunk of GovGuam's budget, but rarely gets as much funding as requested.
If passed as is, the budget bill would appropriate about $183 million to the department. A budget request approved by the Guam Education Policy Board in March asks for $263 million.
Last year, the school system requested $263 million, but received $189 million. Guam Education Policy Board Chairman Joe San Agustin has said repeatedly that the lack of full funding is responsible for many of the school system's shortcomings.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Guam Medical Community Talks About Bringing Talent Back Home
Guam's medical community talks about bringing talent back home
By Janjeera Hail
Published Jul 23, 2009
KUAM News
Local doctors and island leaders are concerned over about the state of healthcare in the territory and are coming together to find solutions. This morning, local doctors and medical professionals hosted a very special meeting - a discussion with medical professionals from Guam on how the island can stop the brain drain and bring local talent home.
Joining the conference via telephone were off-island physicians and medical students who discussed their perspective on why doctors from Guam choose to stay in the States after receiving training. Local physician Dr. Patrick Santos said, "The cost of medical education is astronomical - it's just too much and you owe money because you have student loan, and of course, there's bureaucracy on Guam. He added, "if you sub-specialize, Guam may not have that clientele patients, or Guam may not have that facility. So there's a lot of factors involved."
With the impending military buildup, Guam will require a greater number of medical professionals to serve a growing population. And that also means a greater number of opportunities. Now, more than ever, medical students from Guam have the opportunity to return home to a strong economic environment even while the rest of the nation struggles.
Medical student Christian Eusebio told KUAM News, "There's first-year residents in the States I've talked to; they want to come back so if we can continue to have this communication and improve the healthcare on Guam, that'd be great," he said.
In the meantime, Senator Eddie Calvo says that there are steps that policymakers and the local community can take towards enticing medical professionals to share their talents on Guam. "They mentioned certain laws that were enacted in the past that need to be worked on, so that's where we can move on there are also some of these areas in the administrative level and administration of certain things such as the Pro-Tech Scholarship, those things don't need to be worked on legislatively, but we have to look at the process and try to improve on it," he said.
Although the island will continue to face hurdles in drawing home medical professionals, today's forum illustrates the island's commitment to bringing our doctors home.
By Janjeera Hail
Published Jul 23, 2009
KUAM News
Local doctors and island leaders are concerned over about the state of healthcare in the territory and are coming together to find solutions. This morning, local doctors and medical professionals hosted a very special meeting - a discussion with medical professionals from Guam on how the island can stop the brain drain and bring local talent home.
Joining the conference via telephone were off-island physicians and medical students who discussed their perspective on why doctors from Guam choose to stay in the States after receiving training. Local physician Dr. Patrick Santos said, "The cost of medical education is astronomical - it's just too much and you owe money because you have student loan, and of course, there's bureaucracy on Guam. He added, "if you sub-specialize, Guam may not have that clientele patients, or Guam may not have that facility. So there's a lot of factors involved."
With the impending military buildup, Guam will require a greater number of medical professionals to serve a growing population. And that also means a greater number of opportunities. Now, more than ever, medical students from Guam have the opportunity to return home to a strong economic environment even while the rest of the nation struggles.
Medical student Christian Eusebio told KUAM News, "There's first-year residents in the States I've talked to; they want to come back so if we can continue to have this communication and improve the healthcare on Guam, that'd be great," he said.
In the meantime, Senator Eddie Calvo says that there are steps that policymakers and the local community can take towards enticing medical professionals to share their talents on Guam. "They mentioned certain laws that were enacted in the past that need to be worked on, so that's where we can move on there are also some of these areas in the administrative level and administration of certain things such as the Pro-Tech Scholarship, those things don't need to be worked on legislatively, but we have to look at the process and try to improve on it," he said.
Although the island will continue to face hurdles in drawing home medical professionals, today's forum illustrates the island's commitment to bringing our doctors home.
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