Weekly Address
Governor Felix P. Camacho
January 12, 2005
My fellow people of Guam … Hafa Adai!
As we begin the new year, I am extremely excited by the opportunities
that lie ahead. There is a renewed spirit of cooperation between our Administration,
the new 28th Guam Legislature and the newly inaugurated mayors. This Republican-led
Legislature stands strongly on the philosophy of working together …
and I look forward to coming together with a rejuvenated spirit of unity.
We must embrace the opportunity to set the tone to establish an open
dialogue for the next two years. We must work as a team, with a renewed
vigor to improve the lives of our people, to create opportunities for
success and prosperity … to fulfill our commitment to improve the
healthcare, education and safety needs of our citizens.
Last week, our Administration met with the leadership of the new Legislature,
and I am encouraged as we come together to set a common agenda. Government
agencies will also be meeting with their respective oversight chairs to
discuss the goals, challenges and plans to improve services. Open communication
between the two branches is so crucial as we lay out our agenda. The dialogue
will be especially important as we approach the FY2006 budget process,
another opportunity to work together to set priorities and make the best
use of the government’s limited resources.
Sen. Robert Klitzkie set a prime example of cooperation by introducing
the Government Priorities Act of 2005, which provides the flexibility
needed to move forward with government reorganization. In line with our
efforts to reorganize, this legislation allows our government to address
its fundamental role: to improve the delivery of services to our people.
My hope is that the rest of the Legislature is in support of Senator Klitzkie’s
efforts and ours to bring government to a manageable level that enables
us to make better use of our resources without compromising essential
services to our people.
As public servants, we are Guam’s stewards, and we can do no less
than to work in unity to move our island in the right direction. Our duty
is not to lay blame for the mistakes of the past, but to fix the course
for the future. With a commitment to working together … our island
can reach its full potential.
As we carry on with the work of improving our critical services, let
us not forget to remember in our prayers the family of Joseph Allen Ashley,
a sailor who died aboard the USS San Francisco submarine, and all those
injured during the recent accident in the waters south of Guam. As an
integral part of the Naval forces that defend our island and our nation,
they are a part of our island community. Our people feel the loss of one
of our nation’s finest, and we keep his family in our hearts.
Thank you, si Yu’us Ma’ase, may God continue to bless you
and your family and our island.
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