Hafa Adai!
Governor Calvo was interviewed by PNC News about his promise to veto the irresponsible and empty promise-filled budget passed yesterday by the Legislative majority. You can view the interview by clicking HERE.
The Governor repeated his concerns that the budget as passed is bad for taxpayers, government workers, and retirees.
“I’m not going to lie to the public. I’m not going to lie to the taxpayers. I’m not going to lie to the GovGuam workers by making these false empty promises that have been made in the past. A lot of those promises that have been made in the past have put us in the difficult financial position we had to extricate ourselves from. I’m not here to play games with the senator; he has to come back with a responsible budget,” Governor Calvo said in his interview with PNC News Director Kevin Kerrigan. “I will be vetoing the bill, and we will be sending out a fiscally prudent budget that will count for the key areas as funding levels to provide critical services. At the same time, we will look at a implementation of the Hay study, but at a level that is affordable and won’t get us in the red — the same with the COLA.”
Administration officials will review the flawed budget to explain each and every unworkable provision in the bill. These include:
Hay study salary increases without real funding
- Restoration of retirees’ COLA without real funding
- Funding decreases to critical public health and safety agencies
- A promise to fund raises in the Judiciary with an unworkable and irresponsible funding source; and
- A promise to fund merit bonuses to DOE with an unworkable and irresponsible funding source