During this season, we celebrate compassion and togetherness. From nature and the work of the current and previous generations, we have built a wealthy society that can provide a good living for all our people. Despite the values we share and the means we have, too many in our community are deprived of a fair …
Author Archives: J.C. Janssen
A Buildup for the Working Class
The military buildup on Guam is a fact of life that cannot be ignored. It has brought jobs, mostly for military contractors, but it has also raised the cost of living for working people. It has benefited the few at the expense of the many. Landlords are doing better than they otherwise might have been, …
Cutting BPT harms working class, benefits only a few big businesses
The Guam Legislature is currently considering a proposal to cut the Business Privilege Tax (BPT) by 1%. Unfortunately, if it passes, the benefits will be concentrated among a few wealthy business owners, while the costs will be borne by the working class. To their credit, proponents of the BPT cut have avoided claiming that the …
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Preserve Guam’s Future
In the recent Pacific Daily News story, “Nearly 800 GovGuam jobs could be impacted in Trump’s proposed 2026 budget,” reporters noted that more than 780 positions within the Government of Guam may be affected by proposed federal spending cuts. The agencies most likely to be impacted include the Department of Public Health and Social Services, …
The cost of living is up, so why aren’t wages?
The cost of living in Guam has surged, but wages have barely budged. Prices, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose 6.4% from the third quarter of 2023 to the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest figures from Guam’s Bureau of Statistics and Plans. What $100 could buy just a year ago …
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Economic Justice and Politics of Empowerment
Recently, disgraced former President Donald J. Trump was convicted of 34 separate felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up campaign finance violations. These crimes and Trump’s conduct over his career in politics and business expose a shameful side of political and economic life. Holding elected office is a position of public trust, but …
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No More Excuses, Raise the Minimum Wage
Recently, the Guam Department of Labor released its quarterly Unemployment Report for June 2023. By conventional analysis, with an unemployment rate of only 4%, Guam’s economy is essentially at full employment. The recent release of Current Employment Reports tell essentially the same story. There is a minor caveat, that somewhat more of the employment than …
Address the needs of Guam’s working families
In the months since typhoon Mawar struck our island, we have seen the outcome of decades of underinvestment in hardened physical capital, the services of our government, and the resiliency of working class families.Typhoon Mawar has damaged and destroyed hundreds of millions in physical capital that our people have built over decades. Following the passage …
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Duenas mocks long-overdue pay raise
Decorum is behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety. Unfortunately, Senator Chris Duenas has chosen to abandon decorum when it comes to how he speaks about just compensation for GovGuam workers. The other day, Chris Duenas called into former Senator Robert Klitzkie’s show “Tall Tales” at The Point. Chris was calling to continue to …
The working people of Guam deserve a raise!
Raised Fist vector icon Recently, Governor Leon Guerrero approved a 22% increase in the General Pay Plan and has since introduced a bill into the Guam Legislature to implement this pay raise in the beginning of April. This pay raise is crucial to ensure that the foremost instrument of the people is able to function …
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GuamMinimumWage.org 