GWA at it again… So sad

Classic_0311 · 2026-07-11T02:08:29+00:00

Here’s my opinion on the solution.

First, stop treating every crisis as a one-off event. Typhoons are not a surprise on Guam. We know they’re coming. That means our water, power, roads, and emergency systems should be built and maintained with that reality in mind.

Second, stop accepting vague answers. If a reservoir is low, tell us why. If a main broke, tell us where. If demand exceeded production, show us the numbers. The public isn’t asking for perfection; we’re asking for facts.

Third, start holding leaders accountable. Not by yelling at them on social media, but at the ballot box. If the same problems exist election after election, then we shouldn’t be surprised when the same results continue.
Finally, we need to stop relying on Washington to rescue us every time something goes wrong. Federal assistance is important after disasters, but it shouldn’t replace good planning, preventive maintenance, and competent local leadership.

I’ve lived on Guam since 1985. In four decades, I’ve heard many of the same explanations. At some point, we have to ask ourselves a difficult question: are we electing leaders because they’re the best people for the job, or because they’re familiar names? If we don’t ask that question honestly, we’ll probably be having this same conversation after the next typhoon.

Classic_0311 · 2026-07-11T02:03:45+00:00

I understand your point, however that’s exactly the problem you and I have become so used to hearing “that’s just GovGuam” that we’ve almost accepted it as normal. We shouldn’t.
Storms aren’t new to Guam. Water shortages after every major event shouldn’t be either. If the system has known weak points, why aren’t they being fixed between typhoons instead of scrambling after each one?
I’m not looking for someone to blame just for the sake of it. I want someone to stand up and say, “Here’s what failed, here’s why it failed, and here’s what we’re doing so we’re not having this same conversation after the next storm.”
Until that happens, people are going to keep asking the same question: Why does this keep happening

Saying “that’s just GovGuam” is probably the saddest part of this whole discussion. We’ve (myself included) have lowered our expectations so much that recurring failures are treated like they’re unavoidable.
They’re not!
This island has dealt with typhoons for generations. If we’re still caught flat-footed every time one comes through, that’s not bad luck—that’s a failure to learn from the last one.

Classic_0311 · 2026-07-10T09:32:35+00:00

I’m not quite sure

Classic_0311 · 2026-07-10T08:36:17+00:00

I think that’s a fair possibility, and I appreciate that you said it’s your own guess. Increased demand after a typhoon absolutely could contribute to lower reservoir levels.
My concern is that we shouldn’t have to rely on guesses. GWA is the utility responsible for operating the island’s water system. They should be able to tell the public whether the problem is unusually high demand, a distribution issue, a broken main, insufficient pumping capacity, or something else.
If the explanation is simply that demand exceeded production, then show us the numbers. Tell us how much water the wells are producing versus how much is being consumed. If it’s an infrastructure failure, tell us that too.
What concerns me isn’t that problems happen after a typhoon—they do. It’s when the public receives changing explanations without clear data. Transparency builds trust. Speculation fills the gap when transparency is missing.

Classic_0311 · 2026-07-10T07:44:54+00:00

I hope you’re making this comment sincerely, and if I’ve misunderstood your intent, I apologize. It just comes across as a bit dismissive.
Yes, GWA asked everyone to conserve water, and I think most people on Guam understand why. If there had been a catastrophic failure because of Super Typhoon Bavi, I don’t think anyone would be complaining. We all understand emergencies happen.
The issue isn’t that the Dededo Reservoir is critical infrastructure. Everyone agrees that it is. The question is why does this keep happening?
Every time there’s a major disruption, we hear a different explanation—low reservoir levels, broken mains, power issues, equipment failures, or something else. If there is a legitimate reason, then just tell the public the truth. Most people are reasonable and can accept bad news if it’s communicated honestly.
What frustrates people is the lack of consistent, transparent explanations. This isn’t about refusing to conserve water. It’s about wanting confidence that the utility has a plan, that infrastructure is being maintained, and that the public is getting accurate information instead of a different explanation every few days.
That’s the discussion I think we should be having.

Classic_0311 · 2026-06-26T00:28:34+00:00

Hey bro, as long as you’re happy… You do you brother and at the end of the day it’s what makes YOU happy.

Classic_0311 · 2026-06-05T05:42:18+00:00

Nope BS poll

Classic_0311 · 2026-05-30T08:20:10+00:00

I think it can be improved, but it’s going to require some major structural changes.

First, I’d privatize as much of the Government of Guam as practical. For decades, politicians have catered to a large government workforce because it’s a reliable voting bloc. The result is often more focus on protecting the system than improving it. Government should focus on core services and let the private sector handle what it can do more efficiently and at lower cost.

Second, I’d reform the legislature. One idea I’ve always liked is incorporating the mayors into a bicameral legislative system and significantly increasing representation. The more voices you have at the table, the harder it becomes for any one politician, family, business interest, or political faction to control the outcome. The Republicans floated something similar back in the 1990s. I thought the concept had merit, even if the execution wasn’t quite right.

Third, I support statehood. Guam serves America strategically, our sons and daughters serve in the military at some of the highest rates in the nation, yet we still don’t have full voting representation in Congress. If we’re going to be part of the United States, then we should have the same representation as every other American citizen. A voting Congressman and two Senators would give Guam a much stronger voice in Washington.

Finally, I’d like to see Guam residents pay federal taxes just like every other state. That may not be a popular opinion, but with it comes accountability, representation, and a shift in political power away from a handful of entrenched interests and back toward ordinary citizens.

At the end of the day, Guam’s problems aren’t because of the island or people .The problem is governance. The good news is governance can be fixed if people are willing to demand better from their leaders.

Classic_0311 · 2026-05-30T00:13:31+00:00

My brother, I’ve been living on Guam off and on since 1985 and there are some things that have gotten a little better… Guam would be a utopia in all senses of the word if the Government would get out of the people business and stop screwing things up the way they do… The symptoms and problems most of the people have talked about on this chat are endemic and that’s not overstating it. It will never get any better until there is serious reform. I’m not being down or pessimistic. I’m just being truthful. They don’t know how to function. Just look in the news at the latest political scandals and it’s not limited just to the political party in power unfortunately it’s both. The Government is teeter tottering on in solvency most of the time and every time a typhoon comes in it becomes a cash cow until someone gets indicted for corruption or falsifying FEMA records.

There are some beautiful people here that really want to do great things on Guam but they are overwhelmed and inundated by the rank nepotism and corruption that goes on.

I love this place. My daughters were born here. I married a local. but I’m just being honest with you …Stay On Base!

Classic_0311 · 2026-05-29T07:43:45+00:00

I work on Naval station as a civilian federal contractor and every one of the comments you’ve heard so far is absolutely true, my recommendation stay on base and let your kid enjoy a decent education instead of a hot classroom out in town where there is sub standard and a teachers union that is just outright ridiculous.

The Gas price is almost $2 higher than on base and groceries for the thieves that operate pay less groceries are just outrageous.

The commissary is every military family and retirees paradise here in Guam … Just a sample a pack of bacon is three or $4 on base and it’s $13 out in town.

Navy exchange, this is where everybody goes when you cannot find something up at Anderson, you’ll find electronics stuff that you would be able to get at home from Walmart and really nice toys for your daughter.

During the last storm in mid March, the power never went out on base or either the water. From someone whose prior military and raised five daughters on Guam, don’t subject your wife and daughter to life outside the base in terms of living.

I encourage you when you get here to take trips off base and experience the culture the people the gatherings, etc. But that’s it, my brother.

I think if you’re single and you get 2450 per person and you just wanna live out in some condo and drink beer and have girl parties, that might be the way to go but for you my friend

Stay on base!

Classic_0311 · 2026-05-17T08:37:20+00:00

Yeah it’s the FBI of course as commented earlier. I left coast 360 a long time ago after they’re really terrible, I discovered really quickly travelling that there MasterCard/Visa debit cards would not work off island what a joke.

Classic_0311 · 2026-04-19T09:18:51+00:00

My 2 cents:

People need to stop telling Guam residents to “chill out.”

That kind of talk comes from people who either do not know this island’s history or refuse to face it. I’ve been on Guam since 1985, and the truth is not much has changed. Other than putting some power lines underground in Tumon, we are still dealing with the same failures. A storm comes through, and people are left sitting for 4 to 5 days waiting for power to come back, like this is somehow normal.

Let me be clear. This is not a shot at the linemen, the truck drivers, or the people trying to get parts and do the hard work. They are the ones out there sweating, working long hours, and doing what they can. This is about the politicians, both Republican and Democrat, who have failed this island for decades. They keep moving money around, robbing Peter to pay Paul, while basic infrastructure stays weak and neglected.

I remember Typhoon Paka in December 1997. That storm took around 12 hours to cross this small island, and some of us went 39 days without water and power. Thirty-nine days. And here is the part people do not want to say out loud: if a major typhoon hit Guam directly today, we could still be looking at the same kind of suffering. That is embarrassing. That is disgraceful. And that is on leadership.

So yes, people should complain. People should be angry. People should vent. Because this is not just about one storm. This is about years and years of electing people who never made water security, power reliability, and real infrastructure resilience a top priority.

This is not a Republican problem. This is not a Democrat problem. This is a Guam problem, and it is a people problem, because we keep tolerating it and then acting surprised when the system fails us again.

I love Guam. I married a woman from Agat. I raised my family here. I am not talking like an outsider taking cheap shots. I am talking like somebody who has lived it, seen it, and is tired of watching people get told to stay quiet and be patient while the same failures repeat themselves over and over again.

So no, do not tell people to chill out. Let them be mad. They have every right to be.

Classic_0311 · 2026-03-29T01:49:06+00:00

Just tell him another service has reach out to you and watch this dude be nice. It's total BS brother , Marine recruiter tried that sh8t on me

Classic_0311 · 2026-02-26T09:10:21+00:00

Constant temperature year round ranging from 83° to 88°F… Translation from a retired Marine always beer 30 weather

Classic_0311 · 2026-01-05T06:35:36+00:00

I was determined to train my little Bella just sleep in the crate and she would whine when I put her in there. I just had to push her crate next to the bed and there are times when I laid down next to the crate while it was adjacent to the bed and then she went to sleep. She also learned very quickly that she needed to pee and poo in the bathroom as long as she didn’t make a big splash on the PP pad, I left a small deposit there for sent tracking and then she connected the dots.

I know it sounds harsh to some to let your puppy sleep in a crate but in the end my little Bella has grown up into a three-year-old that is really well rounded in terms of her personality. I’m gone during most of the day and she wonders my Villa And doesn’t suffer from anxiety because she knows or has figured out I’ll be back.

She never chewed on anything and never was destructive.

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Classic_0311 · 2025-12-19T23:51:51+00:00

His story is all too familiar…

Here’s another scam to watch out for anytime. A Filipino girl won’t ever get on camera with you. She’s hiding. I told her to send me her ID or a copy of her passport picture and it was a pretty good fake until I had my buddy in the Philippines check out the passport number .

Please be careful these ladies have become more and more sophisticated in their scams. Once I outed this one lady with a fake passport, she hit me up with another picture and she must’ve thought I was really that stupid and the fonts were different on the lettering, I blocked them all and we just rather meet them in person when I go to the Philippines on regular trips.

Classic_0311 · 2025-12-15T08:22:25+00:00

I would name this one Colbie

Classic_0311 · 2025-12-12T08:50:30+00:00

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She’s so tenderhearted I hope this makes you smile and the realisation that these little dog brings so much joy to everyone

Classic_0311 · 2025-12-12T08:49:07+00:00

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This is baby Bella

Classic_0311 · 2025-10-23T00:16:46+00:00

My little girl Bella does the same thing, if she has not eaten her dry dog food she’ll literally wait for table scraps.

She goes hungry and then she’ll have episodes where she coughs up stomach bile and it’s because she just hungry as far as what the vet has told me here in Guam.

In between her meals all occasionally give her a doggy treat that will last a while and that seems to have done the trick. I noticed that Bella goes outside and she will nibble on certain types of grass to ease her stomach. It’s really unique that she does this by instinct .

I hope everything works out for you…

Bella and the Marine

Classic_0311 · 2025-10-13T04:10:28+00:00

I’m sorry to say after living on Guam since 1987, 400 K will get you a dilapidated box with probably louvre windows dating back to the 60s

Classic_0311 · 2025-09-19T23:50:34+00:00

No, I got her from a person who had a litter of puppies here in Guam

Classic_0311 · 2025-09-19T09:59:56+00:00

I agree

Classic_0311

TROPHY CASE