Welcome to the Office of the Governor of Guam

April 29, 2008

Governor Felix P. Camacho today signed Bill No. 269 into law, authorizing the financing of equipment and funding off-site infrastructure to prepare new schools for the upcoming school year.

"I thank Speaker Won Pat and the Legislature for passing my bill to fund the infrastructure and equipment the new schools need," Governor Camacho said.  "We will work quickly to ensure these new schools are equipped and ready to open for students."

Bill No. 269, now Public Law 29-69, authorizes financing for the off-site infrastructure for Liguan and Adacao Elementary schools and Okkodo High School and for the collateral equipment needed for those schools.  When Governor Camacho first committed the use of Compact Impact assistance grants to finance a municipal leaseback agreement to build new schools, the Guam Public School System was supposed to identify the funding for equipment.  The Legislature, however, removed GPSS' funding request for this equipment due to budgetary constraints.

Governor Camacho then committed more Compact Impact funding to finance the equipment and off-site infrastructure.  Legislative authorization to implement this financing was required.

Capitol District Fund; COLA; Forensic Crime Lab

The bill was signed into law with legislative riders relating to the creation of the Capitol District Fund; the guarantee of the payment of GTA's note to the bank so that COLA class recipients can receive payments from the note; and the appropriation of the $324,000 paid to the Judiciary by Greenberg Traurig to the Guam Police Department for the purchase of lab equipment for the Forensic Crime Lab.

April 26, 2008

(Koror, Palau) Governor Felix P. Camacho has signed the Joint Communique of the Ninth Micronesian Chief Executives Summit.  Governor Camacho signed the Communique at the center with:

• Palau President Tommy Remengesau, Jr.
• Federated States of Micronesia President Emanuel Mori
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Governor Benigno Fitial
• Kosrae Governor Robert Weilbacher
• Yap Governor Sebastian Anefal
• Republic of the Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs Tony de Brum
• Pohnpei Minister of Finance Thomas Pablo
  

The Communique formalizes an agreement, which advances the regional exploration of renewable energy, workforce development, environmental sustainability, tourism and transportation.

"Micronesia is coming together to address the high cost of electricity, provide the best careers to our people, sustain our natural resources and pave the way for economic prosperity," Governor Camacho said.  "United, we can make a significant difference in all of our islands and provide every community in Micronesia a higher standard of living."

The agreements forged were historic.  The Micronesian Chief Executives Summit started as a group of four member states in 2004, agreeing to address issues of regional and mutual concern.  This ninth summit has grown to eight members and produced regional cooperatives on issues ranging from energy production to workforce development.

Key agreements established in the Joint Communique call for:

• The development of the Micronesian Center for A Sustainable Future;
• The finalization of the Micronesia Conservation Trust to carry out the mandates of the Micronesia Challenge (the conservation of at least 30 percent of near-shore marine and 20 percent of terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020);
• The development and implementation of a regional sustainable energy policy, which will address the rising cost of electricity and progressively reduce the reliance on fossil fuels;
• The initiation of a regional feasibility study and assessment on different renewable energy sources including wind mapping, ocean energy and solid waste energy;
• The approval of the Statement of Commitment to Combat Invasive Species for presentation at the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Bonn, Germany next month (all leaders signed the statement);
• The evaluation of the cost effectiveness of creating and maintaining a regional tertiary health care center in Guam;
• The exploration of alternate arrangements of shipping transport to promote the export of Micronesian agricultural and aquaculture products;
• A dialogue with the government of Guam and the Port Authority of Guam to lower or waive the transshipment fee being charged against Micronesian-bound cargo;
• The approval of the charter for the Regional Workforce Development Council, which will align workforce development with vocational education and other training programs throughout the region and leverage regional resources;
• The approval of a three-year Regional Awareness Campaign to promote all the islands of Micronesia to tourists as "Magnificent Micronesia," using available resources and media; and
• The U.S. to permit the Freely Associated States to join the National Exchange Carriers Association to bring greater access to telecommunications to Micronesians.

April 25, 2008 

First Lady Joann Camacho earlier this month visited to the San Diego Coalition for the Homeless in San Diego, California.  The First Lady made the stop as part of her visit to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials on the nation's homeless situation. 

She joined the San Diego Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director, Sandy Maynes to distribute donated goods to the community's homeless people.  The First Lady arrived in San Diego on April 7.  The Coalition distributes food, clothing and other items to more than 300 homeless people three times a week.  Bread, pastries, frozen food, clothing, diapers and other items are solicited from local businesses in the community.

April 25, 2008

Guam has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the National Governors Association – Center for Best Practices to support early childhood learning.

Governor Felix P. Camacho said the grant will support Guam with the formation of a new early childhood advisory council or the implementation of an existing one. The grant also will assist in meeting the provisions of the Improving the Head Start Act of 2007, which requires governors to create or designate a collaborative body to coordinate resources and build greater coherence among federal and state early childhood programs and services.

The selection committee said Guam's proposal most clearly met the expectations and criteria by which all proposals were measured.  The selection committee also considered Guam's plan thoughtful and convincing for pursuing the goals and activities of the early childhood advisory council and established clear indicators to measure the success of a comprehensive early childhood agenda for at-risk children ages birth to five years.

Governor Camacho signed an executive order to establish the Guam Early Learning Council on April 9.

"We are excited to establish the Early Learning Council to support agencies and organizations both private and public that serve young children," Governor Camacho said.

The Guam Early Learning Council members will be made up of public and private child serving agencies including non-profit organizations, private child care providers, pediatricians and family practitioners, educators and other professionals.  The council will make recommendations to improve the quality and delivery of health care and education services for Guam's children ages birth to five years.

The National Governor's Association – Center for Best Practices develops innovative solutions to today's most pressing public policy challenges and is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation's governors.