US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus visits Guam

Updated August 24, 2009 07:08:27

The US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is currently in Guam, to supervise the latest efforts in Washington's military build-up on the island.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Governor's spokesman Shawn Gumataotao

GUMATAOTAO: Yes, Secretary Mabus is on his first tour of the Pacific as Secretary of the Navy since he was brought into the Obama administration. So Governor Comacho will be meeting with him later this morning to discuss of course the all important Guam military buildup.

COUTTS: How's it going, because there are still fors and againsts, because we've got a former diplomat and US army colonel saying that it is not a good idea and that locals should protest against with every ounce of energy they have got?

GUMATAOTAO: With all due respect to the former diplomat, the people of Guam, over 70% still believe that the Guam buildup is going to be good for all of us, and again Governor Comacho wants to ensure when speaking to Secretary Mabus that the buildup is a mutually beneficial buildup and will ensure that everything is done possible to ensure that that is a reality.

COUTTS: And is this the first visit by a Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, to Guam?

GUMATAOTAO: Yes, again the secretary is here now, we'll be here for a couple of days and will get a chance to tour some of the military installations that are under his privy, as again the naval region Marianas has a joint command, that he basically oversees both the Anderson Air Force Base and the navy base and he'll have a chance to see both facilities on this trip.

COUTTS: His also to discuss the Abercrombie amendment, that's Ray Abercrombie of Hawaii and the impact of that on the buildup and the cost of it?

GUMATAOTAO: Exactly, I think that is much of our attention is on it, much of the trade association, to include the Guam Contract Association and the Guam Chamber of Commerce all are of agreement that this is a bad measure for the people and that yes it will increase the cost of the buildup, but it could also pretty much chase away any opportunity that the buildup will even happen if it goes through also with the president, hopefully that will get the Congress thinking better and a little bit more responsibly regarding that whole entire provision.

COUTTS: Well over the next couple of months, there are going to be some high level budget talks on the buildup?

GUMATAOTAO: That's right, once the secretary leaves, we expect over the next couple of months the economic investment committee which will pretty much answer questions from the government accountability office that high level attention be given to the Guam buildup and the biggest thing with that would be the budget. There is no question, that without a budget and without attention to it, then it will be very difficult to plan accordingly for this buildup.

COUTTS: Now there has also been other accusation from those basically who are opposing it and from the media as I understand it that the information regarding the buildup to the public is the sense that they are not getting enough information, that some in fact is being withheld?

GUMATAOTAO: Yes, and that's even the same for us, is that they have been planning this, it's about big bubbles on the map, but what we've been trying to tell them that we need more information, that we need appropriately planned for the buildup. It's been slow in coming and especially with the draft economic impact statement coming out in the next couple of weeks. It will make it even more difficult for us to get information and how we can plan appropriately as a community. So we will continue to push for them to be a little bit more transparent with that information.

COUTTS: Well, you spend a lot of your time between Washington and in Guam, because you are coordinating it on behalf of the governor. What kind of information are not getting access that you would like?

GUMATAOTAO: I think for us mainly is what exactly is going to be the I guess who will be bedding down and who will be bedding down where? Like I was saying earlier, these big bubbles on the map, but they don't say much to us. They just say okay, we think they are going to be coming. Well it's very hard for a community of 170,000 people to plan appropriately for any kind of arrival of any kind of military forces if we don't have exact details and it does make it difficult for government planners to ensure that the local community is not impacted and to also assist in ensure a successful buildup program.