I'LL bet you thought I was referring to that controversial and embattled "Chamorro Only" plebiscite. Admit it. Gotcha! This isn’t about that at all. It’s about another very important issue in Guam: financial self-determination.

Several years ago, then-Sen. Mark Forbes introduced a bill that purportedly empowered voters to exert some measure of control over where and how our money is spent. It also provided for voter control over the extent of public debt to a large degree. The measure was duly signed into law, and many of us were encouraged.

It didn’t take long to come to the realization that the new law was nothing more than an election year vote-pandering measure; there was obviously never any intent to enforce it. Not familiar with it? Not surprising, as it’s never been applied and is acknowledged only fleetingly whenever the governor and the Legislature decide to burden us with more onerous debt, or impose new fees and taxes.

This is the law as now encoded in 3GCA 17311 and 17312:

§17311. Referendum on Tax Increases Required.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no increase in real property tax, liquid fuel tax, business privilege tax or any locally enacted and administered tax on Guam shall go into effect without the approval of the voters of Guam in a referendum held during a General Election. The manner in which a proposed tax increase shall be placed in referendum before the voters of Guam pursuant to this Section shall be as follows:

1. I Liheslaturan Guahan [The Guam Legislature] must pass, in bill form, a proposed tax increase, the effective date to be thirty (30) days after ratification by the voters of Guam in a referendum, such ratification to be certified by the Guam Election Commission. The bill must detail the amount and nature of the proposed increase and the purpose to which such proposed increase shall be applied.

§17312. Voter Approval Required on General Obligation Bonds and Certain Fees. The provisions of §17311 of this Article and Chapter shall apply in the case of any general obligation bond of the government of Guam in excess of Twenty-five Million Dollars ($25,000,000), as well as in the case of the creation of any new fee for service proposed to be established in such cases where the fee is for a service already provided by the government of Guam prior to the establishment of the new fee, and where such service was previously funded through other revenues.

Perhaps you’re now wondering how they’re able to fence us out of the approval process so easily. I’m sure you’re aware that we have never, ever been consulted in advance of those huge bond-borrowing initiatives or tax and fee hikes. It’s quite simple, actually. In each and every case they simply insert the following, or a variation on it, in the enabling legislation:

“Approval of Voters Not Required. The issuance of bonds pursuant to this Section shall not be subject to the approval of the voters of Guam."

See how easily they relegate us to the status of mere observers? When is the last time you had an opportunity to vote on any of these things? It’s obvious they don’t trust us. Knowing that, it naturally follows that we’d be foolish to trust them. That’s why I urge every voter to insist on financial self-determination. We can achieve it by sending a clear message at election time to the incumbent leeches who make us all ride in the back of the bus, while they fritter away our money and nuzzle the GovGuam feeding trough. Keep this in mind and REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER.