For years, the federal government has been reimbursing Guam with Section 30 money in advance of the fiscal year. The administration would like to remind Sen. San Nicolas of this because he stated in a recent press release that he would like us to receive Section 30 money “through the course of the year instead of the end of the year.”
As a matter of fact, the current arrangement has been in place for years. The administration has been taking advantage of this mechanism to manage cash flow and fund government operations without missing a beat — or a payday. And without asking the federal government to step in and “help us”.
Sen. San Nicolas, please do not treat the people of Guam the way you treat your legislative colleagues or the legislative budget; we’ve seen what that can lead to.
The Governor had this to say regarding Sen. San Nicolas’ imprecise assumptions:
“Ray and I, and our team, are fighting to get tax refunds to the people within days. We are challenging a procedure that hinders our ability to pay tax refunds. On the other hand, Senator San Nicolas introduced Resolution 76-34, which would delay the payment of tax refunds, as well as vendor payments and other obligations,” Governor Calvo remarked.
“But this is what happens when you get caught up in the murky depths of politics — you lose sight of the needs of the people we serve.”