By Tim Rohr
LOCAL ELECTION
Today, the Guam Pacific Daily News ran a story titled "53% is lowest turnout ever for Guam gubernatorial General Election."
Truth be told, I could have written the story myself well before the election. I can't put my finger on it, but this was the first election I was absolutely unmotivated to go to the polls - and almost didn't. And when I did, I left several boxes unchecked.
The only thing to get excited about was getting rid of the devastating LLG administration, and that was going to happen anyway.
In my view, no one, no gubernatorial team or senatorial candidate, offered anything to get excited about. But apparently, Guam voters like it that way, which is why they vote the same people in over and over - which may not be a bad thing in itself; however, the voting public does little to nothing to hold accountable those they elect after they go to the polls.
So I guess we like it that way.
I will tell you the name of one senator I voted for: Shelly Calvo. And I will tell you why. She actually did something useful.
Shelly introduced Bill 23-38, the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act, which allows "property owners to name a beneficiary who would automatically inherit their home, without going through probate." (KUAM)
As sensible as this bill sounds, the fact that it opens a path for families to avoid costly probate procedures as well as other legal revenue-generating activities such as wills and trusts was probably not popular with those who profit from those costly revenue-generating activities, and it may be the reason Shelly, though re-elected, did not do better in the polls.
And while Doug Moylan lost, he can be credited with backing this bill: "The Office of the Attorney General backed the bill, calling it legally sound and in line with national best practices." (KUAM)
And there's one more thing Shelly did which motivated me to vote for her. On April 30, 2026, Shelly held an oversight hearing of DISID and DVR. Whether or not she held the hearing in response to my published article complaining about the reckless incompetence I experienced at the hands of the agency, I don't know. However, the hearing was held soon after my article, "Navigating the DISID Labyrinth," was published.
Within days of Shelly's hearing, the reckless treatment of my disabled son was rectified. I doubt that would have happened - or happened that quickly - had Shelly not held that hearing and exposed the absolute waste of millions of federal dollars and what was functional GovGuam abuse of Guam's disabled children.
If the new Ada-Calvo administration is serious about anything, it needs to be serious immediately about correcting the leadership of agencies involved in services for the disabled - especially since these agencies receive millions in federal funds.
My son lost three years of his life waiting for DVR to do what it is tasked and paid to do. Three years he can never get back - and damage no one can calculate.
NATIONAL ELECTION
I will say "nothing to see here." And the panic is actually laughable.
Two years ago, when the Republicans swept everything, the story was the same, but instead it was about the Democrats and how they blew it.
One thing I do know, though, is that Trump loves to fight, and he does better when his back is up against a wall. Just read his books.
+++++
PS. One more thing for the Ada-Calvo administration to take immediate action on: Get rid of the Bureau of Women's Affairs, which for 8 years has been solely committed to abort as many Guam babies as possible. I'll be looking to see if the "pro-life" Ada-Calvo team performs as advertised.
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