Are we having fun yet?
"I want to make Guam fun again." Senator Dwayne San Nicolas thought that legalizing the sale of fireworks will improve the way of life. When you think of it, fireworks are fun. They are a symbol of celebration whether its welcoming the New Year or celebrating a life altering event, most of us can remember seeing the skies light up with colors that make the gay flag look straight.
Bill 9-37, now Public Law 37-47, was signed into law in November of 2023. Its been almost a whole year, and I wonder how much fun were having now. Our hospital is still falling apart, the Republican Party wants a majority of members who think party is more important that the law, the villagers of Asan don't know how to spell their village name, and the cost of living climbs faster than MAGA Republicans climbing the walls of the capitol to stop the democratic process from occurring.
It is safe to say that Senator San Nicolas and the rest of our island leaders do not have the mental capacity to understand the underlying causes of the issues that plague us. Take a look: people are having trouble affording a home, we're more afraid of the ceiling falling in at Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH), gas prices continue to rise, and its legal to purchase commercial grade fireworks. The quality of life is dependent on having the services we need.
Lets put GMH under the microscope briefly: the infrastructure is falling apart, paying salaries is becoming more difficult, vendors are at risk of not getting paid at all, the staff don't want to be there, and people go there for simple treatments at risk of leaving with bigger problems. While all this is happening, people are walking in, and walking out without making any payments. But hey at least commercial grade fireworks are legal.
Our island is continuing its downward spiral. Our elected officials are ramping for 2026 with their solutions to fix the problems plaguing our island. Just like the Leon Guerrero administration promised to combat crime, yet we've seen more killings and deaths under their administration, we can look forward to the same non-existing plans from the same people, rebranded, relabelled, and paid for buy us and sold back to us.
I ask again, are we having fun yet?