Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill 204-34 (COR) and Bill 222-34 (COR)

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (May 1, 2018 – Hagåtña)

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill 204-34 (COR):
I commend the students of Simon Sanchez for their persistent efforts over the years to implore the Governor, the legislature and their superintendent to act in their best interest. I stand beside them in demanding that they promptly get a school campus that is safe and conducive to learning. It is also my job to ensure that special, unprecedented procurement policy includes accountability and efficiency that the people of Guam deserve.

Bill 204 does not directly address what got us here in the first place, the failures to follow procurement rules and regulations and the lack of clarity on what GDOE wanted, so that the SSHS project and future projects can move forward protest free. This bill also does not improve centralized procurement to benefit all of the Government of Guam.

Another point of concern is that under Bill 204, the funding previously allocated for the construction of Simon Sanchez and to fund Capital Improvement Projects for many other and older schools is now dedicated to Simon Sanchez alone.

I voted yes on Bill 204. I hope that with this vote of confidence, GDOE will use this expanded procurement power and spending authority in a way that preserves some resources for the improvement of other schools and that future graduating classes of Simon Sanchez will be able to see that.

Statement from Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje on Bill No. 222-34 (COR):
Encroachment has been occurring on this piece of government property without compensation since 1985. While this bill is meant to sell the parcel to the neighboring private business to attempt to address this encroachment, I do not believe the government should be in the business of selling off its land at the desire of private business owners without achieving justice for original landowners who after three generations from the US land takings are landless in their own home.

The amendment I proffered was intended to ensure the property would be surveyed and registered for the benefit of the government of Guam, at cost to the purchaser of the parcel and not the government, but it failed and therefore I could not support the bill.