Adelup officials violate Mini-Hatch Act

FRIDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2011 08:25 BY THERESE HART | VARIETY NEWS STAFF

AN EMAIL sent by Governor Eddie Baza Calvo’s Chief of Staff Franklin Arriola and Special Assistant Jadeen Tuncap on Sept. 14 urging political appointees of the governor and Cabinet members to attend Republican Senator Chris Duenas’ lunch fundraiser and a Guam War Survivors Memorial Foundation fundraiser sponsored by Senator Frank Blas Jr., yesterday, is in violation of the Mini-Hatch Act.

The message was sent by Arriola and Tuncap using their government of Guam email account, and was sent to GovGuam email accounts of Cabinet members and Executive appointees.

The email message read: “Cabinet Members and Senior Staff: Senator (Frank) Blas and Senator (Chris) Duenas were staunch supporters of Governor Calvo’s budget and bond proposals. They were intimately involved and engaged with Governor Calvo throughout this difficult, but hugely successful, endeavor. It is imperative that all of us reciprocate the support, Governor Calvo, Lt. Governor Tenorio and I look forward to seeing all of you at these two fine events. Frank.”
Arriola spoke to Variety and said he was very apologetic and it was a mistake.

“As far as the issue at hand, I wanted to make a comment on that. I’m a good guy. When I did this, it did not dawn on me at all. As I looked and I thought about it, I made a mistake, no question about it. For the public, I apologize. I’m sorry. The people of Guam deserve the truth. I made a mistake and if I offended anyone, I’m sorry.”

Troy Torres, the governor’s director of communications, said: “After looking at the law, it appears this is a Mini-Hatch violation and it’s something that was an honest mistake Frank made. Frank thought that because he was sending this only to political appointees and Cabinet members, that he was following the Mini-Hatch Act.”

Torres added: “He used his personal computer to send this out, he didn’t realize that sending it from his email account that he used was in violation of the Mini-Hatch Act. He is very apologetic for that.”

The law

Under 4 Guam Code Annotated, Chapter 5, prohibited activity, specific activity in which employees are prohibited from participating include, but are not limited to: organizing, selling tickets to, seeking support for or actively participating in a fund-raising activity of a political party, partisan political organization or candidate.

Another section of the law states it is illegal for employees to use government supplies or government facilities for the benefit of any political party, partisan political organization or candidate, and this includes the government of Guam’s email system.

The law further reads that whether a GovGuam employee or not, no person can solicit or receive a contribution or distribute literature for any political purpose in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by any person employed by the Executive, Legislative or Judicial Branches of the government. Soliciting a contribution includes solicitation by letter or circular address to and delivered to an employee in said room or building. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Anyone who believes an employee has violated the Mini-Hatch Act should report the matter to the Civil Service Commission, who will decide whether the alleged violation warrants an investigation.

Guam Always Left Out to Dry

'Year after tired year, Guam has been hung out to dry'
5/2/08
The Marianas Variety

I listened attentively to former President Bill Clinton call some of the island's radio stations yesterday. I admit that it was nice to hear his voice once again, and many of my friends and family appreciated his time and attention. However, I'm struck by the fact that the former president is calling once again for our island's assistance when it is Guam that has needed the help of the Clintons and the federal government for many years.

The people of Guam donated almost $600,000 to the Democratic National Committee during the Clinton Administration and almost $200,000 to the Clinton-Gore Campaign of 1996. Justifiably, there was never any problem taking our money, and I know that my fellow Democrats on Guam never made the Clintons feel embarrassed for asking repeatedly for more. That's politics. I get it.

But what has irritated many of us about the Clinton Administration is their follow through. In early 1997, when there arose a series of questions about money from China that may have made its way into the Clinton re-election campaign, enough individuals in the federal government who were opposed to Guam Commonwealth falsely began to lump us into the China mix, labeling us a foreign country running interference in American politics.

It would have been a relatively simple task for someone inside President Clinton's Administration to take a stand and let our nation know about the sacrifices our island and its sailors, soldiers and Marines continue to make in the name of America's defense, that we're the first line of defense in all of Asia. But this never happened. In fact, after Guam and China were lumped together in the national press, after the Clintons went back to their homes, those who had taken our money would not even take phone calls from Guam representatives.

On Guam, we're realistic about our relationship with the greatest nation on our earth. We understand we are small, but we still believe we are significant. We understand that because we gave money time and time again does not mean we would automatically get something in return, but even a common courtesy of a returned phone was lost by late February 1997, and many of us felt as if we were penalized because we had helped. This is not what we in the islands expect from those we have helped.

On May 3rd, Guam will go the polls to vote for our choice for the Democratic nominee for president. It gave me a warm feeling that President Clinton visited Guam in November 1998, and that he called some of our island's media outlets today. But I don't want warm feelings any longer. I want a true seat at the table. I want hope. I want change. And Sen. Barack Obama, who currently leads in the Democratic Primary with the most popular votes, pledged delegates, money raised and states won, is the only candidate left of the remaining three who I believe could provide a greater voice for our people in Washington D.C.

Barack Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia as the product of a mixed race marriage. His mother worked through a period when they had to resort to food stamps and public assistance, and Obama excelled despite the obstacles. If anyone could ever understand the complex and unique struggles we face on Guam, it is Sen. Barack Obama, the inspirational junior senator from Illinois.

Ryan Flynn
Former Guam resident