AS WE approach the next biennial Guam goat-rope, otherwise known as the legislative elections, there’s little to note that might make this one different from the last one and the ones before that. There will be some new contestants in the ring duking it out with the usual crop of career drones, but we’ve so far seen nothing that might make the charade a bit more interesting.

Not so in the congressional delegate race, also to be decided this year. We’ll have Madeleine Bordallo, an old war-horse who has long enjoyed the perks and trappings of life inside the beltway and wants to keep it that way. She may be savvy enough to hang on for another term, though she’s made unfortunate miss-steps that may have caused her popularity to flag a bit among some Guamanians, especially those affected when she rejected the generous compromise war reparations offer from Sens. McCain and Levin. Her stated reason for that was because “not all Guamanians would benefit.” She was simply playing off prospective votes from those who actually deserved the money against votes from far more numerous heirs and descendants – a political strategy that may have backfired to some degree.

It’s rumored that Carl Gutierrez, perhaps tiring of toying with frivolous 10-year-old lawsuits, might make a run at the delegate seat. He could pose a serious threat to Madeleine in the primaries, and even if unsuccessful could dilute and polarize the electorate to the point where Republican Frank Blas Jr. could become a viable opponent to Madeleine.

Frank’s candidacy is the real reason why I write about this today on behalf of all Guam’s retired and active duty military members. Among the many planks in Frank’s platform, apparently all aimed somehow or other at the federal government, is his demand that Compact immigrants have full access to Guam’s military treatment facilities (MTF) for urgent and emergency care.

We’ll have to assume that Frank – never having served his country in that way – is woefully ignorant of how U.S. military medical treatment facilities worldwide are operated and staffed. He must not know that those facilities are funded and manned to support the active duty forces – and only that. Access for others, including retirees like me, is strictly on a space-available basis. In stateside locations, with the possible exception of Hawaii, my family and I don’t have access to military medical facilities at all except for pharmacy and certain counseling services such as Tricare.

Can you imagine the impact his hare-brained scheme could have on the limited services Guam retirees now enjoy, not to mention how it would affect medical service for all our active duty, National Guard, Coast Guard members and families – many of whom will also one day be retirees?

I suggest you take a trip to the GMH emergency room some evening. Observe who’s there waiting to be seen and how many appear to really be in need of urgent or emergency care. Now imagine shifting all that to our already-understaffed military medical facilities.

What’s next, Frank: channel Compact immigrants to the VA Clinic as well?

I think you can see where this could lead. Perhaps you’re all now better prepared to make the right decision at the voting booth in November.