Political Quotes

“We need economic relief. We need it now. We need balanced economic relief. We need relief that not only speaks big, but also seeks to ameliorate the real live conditions of human beings for whom this Christmas will be a very dim one indeed. If we go home without addressing their needs and their concerns, then we would be in the position of robbing them of having a decent and hopeful Christmas. Prior to the September 11 attacks, Guam's economy was already struggling as a result of the Asian economic crisis. During 1999 and the year 2000, Guam's unemployment rate was 15.2 and 15.3 percent respectively. For this year, Guam's unemployment rate was already over 15 percent and is anticipated to be near 20 percent by the end of this year. When Members start talking about they have a few hundred or a few thousand workers that have been displaced or unemployed as a result of the September 11 attacks, and even previous to that, I do not think that there is a single community that can match the kinds of trials and tribulations that we face in Guam.”