Text Fwd: We Are Guahan Questions Buildup Estimate

Attorney Leevin Camacho, We Are Guahan member, yesterday disputed Governor Eddie Calvo’s claim that $15 billion is coming to Guam from the military buildup. Photo by Matt Weiss

___________________________________________________________

* Texts fwd from Martha Duenas on Jan. 28, 2011

Marianas Variety
$15 Billion Disputed
We Are Guahan Questions Buildup Estimate
Jennifer Naylor Gesick
Friday, 28 January 2011

Attorney Leevin Camacho, We Are Guahan member, yesterday disputed Governor Eddie Calvo’s claim that $15 billion is coming to Guam from the military buildup and that the entire buildup may stop because of the disagreement over Pagat.

Camacho made this statement when he addressed members of the Rotary Club of Guam yesterday.

Camacho said he does not know where the $15 billion figure is coming from, because according to documents the Department of Defense has released, the Government of Guam is only set to receive $1.78 billion to be spread out over 10 years, and even that figure has been overstated.

“No one has looked at how much the buildup is going to cost GovGuam,” he said. “In terms of net, the $1.78 billion is an overstatement, it’s generous, and it does not take into account any increasing costs,” said Camacho.

Camacho also stated that according to University of Guam professor and economist Dr. Claret M. Ruane, the $1.78 billion figure from the Department of Defense’s Environmental Impact Statement may be overestimated by 18 to 41 percent because information from Hawaii was used to prepare the figures.

Camacho asked: “If the Governor thinks the money coming for projects inside the fence will go to Guam, of the projects that were awarded how many were given to Guam companies?”

Camacho said We Are Guahan is concerned mostly about the ancient village of Pagat being turned into a series of firing ranges.

But the group is also worried about public education, housing, traffic and health care being negatively affected by the relocation of 8,400 U.S. Marines and their over 9,000 dependants from Okinawa to Guam.

“Are the benefits greater than the cost? I’m not sure,” he said.

Camacho also told Rotary Club of Guam members that Governor Calvo’s statements that the buildup may stop because of the dispute over Pagat “are untrue.”

There are over 160 projects identified in the Programmatic Agreement, said Camacho. The Programmatic Agreement is an agreement that governs the handling of projects related to the buildup with respect to cultural and historic sites.

Camacho said that Pagat has taken centerstage, but in reality most of those projects are not disputed. But he said the military has taken an “all or nothing approach to the buildup.”

Pagat is the only ancient Chamorro village with public access, said Camacho. And it is still being used by indigenous healers and for cultural practices like fishing. All other villages are on DoD property and those without base access are usually unable to visit the sites, said Camacho.

He said that the military has disregarded all other options, including splitting up the series of five firing ranges and keeping them on property DoD currently controls, which is 28.5 percent of the island.

Camacho also said that DoD’s recent claims that they will be firing over Pagat and into the water, thus leaving the area open all the time for people to visit the site does not seem logical, and he can’t imagine anyone wanting to go down there while fifty caliber machine guns are going off.

The lawsuit filed over Pagat by the Guam Preservation Trust, We Are Guahan, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Hawaii has a scheduling hearing in the second week of February with a response from the defendants expected by Feb. 14.

___________________________________

See also





Pacific News Center
We Are Guahan Faces Skepticism & Though Questions At Rotary Meeting
Clynt Ridgell
Thursday, 27 January 2011 18:24



Marianas Variety

Ghost Town: Abandoned Construction Project?

Jennifer Naylor Gesick Variety News Staff

Friday, 28 January 2011

[video]

Camacho replied saying, "Unless you care about something for the entire time at no point can you realize how important something is and that's incorrect I think it's awesome it's awesome and incredible that people now are looking at cultures being valuable outside of being strictly monetary. People want to learn about Pagat now. That's unfortunate that it's taken DOD's plans to acquire it and build a grenade launcher and machine gun range over it but that doesn't mean that it's any less valid to argue that DOD should stay within it's footprint and leave Pagat alone."



Marianas Variety

The Silent Sentinels Editorial

Friday, 28 January 2011



Pacific News Center

Okinawan Delegation Tells Speaker Delays in Futenma Move Will Delay Buildup

Clynt Ridgell

Thursday, 27 January 2011 17:04



KUAM News

Okinawan Officials on Fact-Finding Mission

Nick Delgado

January 27, 2011



Kuam News

Calvo: Buildup Goals Must Be Good for Guam

Mindy Aguon

January 26, 2011



KUAM News

GovGuam Awaits Japan's Word on Upgrades

Sabrina Salas Matanane

January 25, 2011



Japan Update

Futenma Move Not Coming Any Time Soon

January 20, 2011



KUAM News

Definition of "Pagat" Unclear

Michele CatahayJanuary 21, 2011



KUAM News

Cruz Pens Letter to DoD

Michele Catahay

January 21, 2011