Brief Chat
The congressional race
By Johanna Salinas
The Covid-19 pandemic has magnified
the weaknesses of Guam’s
political status, according to
congressional candidates Dr. Robert
Underwood and Sen. Wil Castro, who
have hit the campaign trail, promising a
stronger representation for the island in
the nation’s capital.
Like other U.S. territories,
Guam can only elect one
non-voting representative to
the U.S. House of Representatives,
where the incumbent
delegate, Michael San Nico-
las, has been at the center
of controversy. He is being
investigated for allegedly
receiving excessive campaign
funds and for allegedly having
an inappropriate relationship
with a staffer.
Following are excerpts from the
Pacific Island Times interviews with
Underwood and Castro. (San Nicolas
was contacted for this story, but did not
meet the deadline to reply.)
Michael San Nicolas
Dr. Robert Underwood:
‘Unified voice’
Sen. Wil Castro:
‘New direction’
“Guam needs
representation in
Washington D.C.
that we can communicate
with
and that we can
be proud of,” Dr.
Robert Underwood
said. “We
also need the
powerful base
of traditional values combined with
forward thinking in order to deal with
the 21st century challenges coming out
of the current pandemic.”
Underwood said this is a crucial time
to ensure that Guam’s voice is clear and
represents a unified Guam.
When he retired as president of
the University of Guam, Underwood
said he was not interested in returning
to politics. However, he said, the
Covid-19 crisis has highlighted Guam’s
handicap as a territory.
“The pandemic has challenged our
economy and our health care system
in dramatic ways. In dealing with the
changes to come and the opportunities
ahead, we need a strong unified voice
in Washington D.C. which represents
our best hopes and our best values,” he
said.
Underwood, who served as Guam’s
delegate to Congress from 1993 to
2003, believes that his decades of experience
in politics is vital in his journey
back to Congress.
“My previous service in Washington
D.C. as Guam’s delegate helped me develop
a keen understanding on how to
work with others in a difficult environment,”
he said.
“I was able to resolve long standing
land issues, pave the way for recognition
of our World War II generation
and war claims and build the National
Guard Readiness Center even as the
opposite party held a majority in the
House of Representatives,” he said.
Underwood wants to use the knowledge
he gained as UOG president to
promote Guam values and better the
community. “Public service, and not
just public office, has been the cornerstone
of my life. I was inspired during
my time at the University of Guam
to understand that enduring values
and social progress are connected by
community leadership and educational
advancement,” he said.
In the current pandemic crisis, Underwood
said, Guam needs leadership
Sen. Wil Castro
said he would
bring a different
leadership
style and policy
direction if he
gets elected to
Congress.
“The pandemic
has adversely effected
the economy in more ways than
one. This situation only compounds
Guam’s status and disposition in terms
of economic development,” said the
Harvard graduate.
The Covid-19 pandemic, Castro
said, “amplified the kind of things we
deal with on a day-to-day basis. An
example, issues relative to immigration,
labor, transportation—whether
it’s cargo of goods or human transport
or a transport of intellectual properties
between the islands through humans
when we go place to place—there are
federal policies that govern that and in
my opinion that could be less restrictive.”
Castro said his policy direction
would be consistent with what the people
of Guam want.
government that are more local. There
are a lot of federal issues that local senators
can’t affect. I believe the number
one issue in this community is economic
development right now,” he said.
Castro said the island needs a more
sustainable economy instead of relying
heavily on tourism. “When they shut
down inbound flights from Asian markets,
it has crippled the tourism sector
of this economy. When you do that
people are laid off and cannot come
back to work and then they cannot feed
their family,” the senator said.
The people of Guam will deal with financial
difficulties in the next six to 16
months, Castro said. “That’s going to
be my number one issue: economic development
as it relates to the people of
Guam. Look past the federal subsidies
of public unemployment. Look past the
stimulus packages that are going in to
keep this government afloat and other
governments throughout the U.S.”
He said Guam leaders need to have
better conversations about building the
island’s economy amid its limitations.
“In terms of releasing some of the
more restrictive, or if you want to use
the term loosely, oppressive policy,
how many flights come to Guam, what
“There are a lot of issues that are
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