Recent comments

We will regret these events that take away our lands and sea's. Return Rose Atoll to the People of American Samoa--- the Rightful owners.

Paulo

Paulo...

I believe your dictionary is outdated. Let me start off with answering one of your comments: "A private for profit enterprise was taken over by the government. Be it Togiola or anyone else. You just set up a precedent for the government to do the same"...did you know in the Federal Government of the United States...there exists "5 CFR 316.701" titled "Public or private enterprise taken over by Government!" Now don't have a heart attack from shock, there's more!...

In the American Samoa Constitution Article 5 Section 4, it states, "In view of the changing conditions in American Samoa, the Governor shall appoint a new Constitutional Committee five years after the effective date of this Constitution to prepare amendments or a revised draft constitution to be submitted to the Governor who shall call a constitutional convention to consider the same." Let's break this down for you: 1) The Governor has ALL the power to appoint a new committee...NOT AFOA. 2) We've waaaaay exceeded the 5 years requirement 3) The committee is only to put together a revised draft to be submitted to the GOVERNOR...not the VOTERS as stated towards the later parts of this same section!...AFOA does not control the format and what goes on the ballots, that power is strictly up to the Governor and the Chief Election Officer! He is only limited to making SUGGESTIONS!

Regarding economics - I suppose you are an expert in this? If so...why are you not sharing your expertise with our government so we can do something right now about it? There are so many people that were displaced after the shut down/minimizing of the canneries...and we are in dire need of a solution to keep up with our ASPA bills! Since you know it all, please entertain us with suggestions that we can do RIGHT NOW or in the very NEAR FUTURE! using the LIMITED RESOURCES we have to boost our economy! and if you say tourism, that's great! but how soon do you see us REALLY establishing our tourism? how long will we have sufficient infrastructure for it and where will you build ALL the hotels needed and attractive necessities tourists need to PICK our islands over Samoa, Fiji, etc.? How about the HUGE ocean around us? Have you even considered why NOAA is so interested and have expanded operations in American Samoa?...here's a hint: it's not Tradewinds hotel or the Taro!

Are you STILL ranting on about Carlos? WHY? HAVE you taken advantage of the challenge proposed to you and everyone in American Samoa earlier to go to the shipyard and get the ACTUAL FACTS? Wow, no wonder why you and Jr are both in the same boat! I suppose in both of your cases, Einstein was right when saying, "when we (PAULO & JR) all think alike, no one thinks very much!" For your own good...humanity will be better off if you work towards achieving an open mind rather than relying on your own false misconceptions!

Here is a suggestion: Rather than defaming and complaining on what others are DILIGENTLY working on to improve our society, use that time to expand your mind on how you can POSITIVELY contribute! Better yet...Talk about your candidate, expand on his views and bring out the positive and how he can contribute to our island nation!

Be held hostage to the Arabs for lifetimes or seek the other alternative.

Paulo

The read date on the bill is: Prev. 1/13/12; Current 2/02/12; with a bill date at 9/21/12; due 2/17/12. Pathetic.

Thanks a lot. I just want our Government to face the problem of statelessness we have in the United States. Our Government never fixed the gap in our immigration law to protect stateless people neither we signed UN 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, and new cases rising up every single day, hence, we advocate about stateless persons human rights violation in foreign country and do absolutely nothing to fix the statelessness issue in our own soil.

When you are aware of the needs, you develop a sense of responsible governance that must be implemented sooner than later.

You must learn to reject as many of your fears of the next election cycle, question? Was the con con necessary while the territory was under duress? Who was in charge of implementing that con con? Afoa and Togiola. It tells of a leadership that is drag interested rather than progressive about the territories future.

What politician ever questioned the expenditures of the Heritage debt? Not one is the answer.

What politician ever vocally questioned ASPA's unnecessary rate hikes? Not one.

What politician questioned the neccesity of the setting up a Shipping Authority based on sweeping an ongoing business in place to be replaced by a group of local business men with government authority? Not one. Does anyone know what just happened or NOT. A private for profit enterprise was taken over by the government. Be it Togiola or anyone else. You just set up a precedent for the government to do the same. Who's next? Starkist? Nope, you're next.

Afoa for me is a Politician that is polished and polite. Not what we need at the moment. Nice man, but not effective for the time needed to clean up some of his son in laws baggage.

You will need an ass kicker that understands how to express politeness, but hatred when it comes to waste, fraud and corruption. One third of the Togiola budget of 2008-2011 was based on fraud and waste. The Fono is culpable for no one stood up for the people of American Samoa.

No one cares more for it's people than the ones that is affected. J.r has always been right from his arguments. Unless you pull an Economic Plan that reviews and expands current policy, you will not manage the future correctly. YOU want to put people to work, than policies is the correct format. No policies, no future. Get a policy correct and you have a base to start from. Review the future please. Is fisheries the future? This is the Afoa central economic plan. Is this what the territory will be based upon? We just went to a shocked pull out of Chicken of the Sea. 2500 people lost jobs. Is it the correct road to reload on a future based on companies leaving again? ask Afoa.Is it smart to continue on this same road. Is your bias of fisheries the best policy for american Samoa? I say no, I know better, because what little history and no progress we have had with Togiola we know it is impossible to go down this route again.

Paulo

You are talking about every four years, and I believe that times, priorities, and needs do change. But you must look at the credentials, look at the records, look at the integrity and honesty that was lacking in past administrations, and also this administration, and the genuine love for his people and his country; if you can do this without bias or tunnel vision, then you will know that Afoa is the most qualified candidate to be governor. He has no hidden agendas, no back door or under the table dealings, and everything is up front transparent, and in the open. All he ever wants is the very best for his beloved people, and it breaks his heart to see them continually suffer.

According to Samoa News recent polls, the gubernatorial team that best exemplifies fiscal responsibility for the territory would be the Afoa/Le’i team at 25% percent. I wonder if the folks at Samoa News did some background check on Afoa’s last 2 failed election attempts for the highest office in the land. Because if they did, they would find that there is an inconsistent contradiction in every fiscal platform that Afoa has ever introduced to the public with a different running mate. An argument can be made that there will be economic fluctuations between each gubernatorial term. And I could see that as having some relevance. But what fascinates me is that these contradictions in his platforms are what defines an individuals thinking in how they will operate the government, if elected. If that is the scenario, then how is the people to place their faith in a person that cannot make up their mind on what exactly he wants for the territory? We must not be so toiled in the “promises” from a candidate that has lost 2 times as a Lt. Governor candidate and 2 times as a Governor candidate, to be so mesmerized by his skilled rhetoric of economic recovery that we’ve missed the core point that this man has no real economic or fiscal platform for the territory. Lest we forget, the Constitutional Convention held a few years ago, was the most disastrous and embarrassing attempt by the “powers to be” to shove a ring fold of amendments down the throats of the common folks since the days of the Navy, just to see it totally defeated by the grassroots at any time in the history of our young democracy. Not one single amendment survived the onslaught by it’s citizens. If I remember correctly, it was Afoa Moega Lutu, who was counsel to these powers to be that brought on this demise. If, as an attorney, he could not give appropriate counsel to the members of the C.C., what counsel of wisdom are we to expect from this man, if he was to be elected Governor? Does American Samoa really want someone that has shown no form of leadership, but, with disastrous past deeds to be his only credentials of leadership? Let us be wise in November and avoid another disastrous U-turn. By the way, in past elections, Samoa News has had the Afoa team very high in their “supposedly” public related polls on important issues. This latest poll is no different, because it does not capture the true pulse of the voting public. Nice attempt by Samoa News to sensationalize the obvious.

JR Faaola

I live in Houston and have this to say about the Mikhail Sebastian case:

I don't get this. A guy that lived here(in the U.S.) for 16 years, can't come back? Really? Yet we have illegals that cross the Texas border everyday. Many of which go on to commit crimes like: Killing Police Officers, Drunk Driving -that often kills innocent men, women and children, Rape and child molestation. And other things like drugs, prostitution, extortion and kidnapping.

We see these crimes on a regular basis in the Houston area. And we won't let this guy come back and finish living the American Dream? As a country: "We suck!"

You are in our thoughts and prayers Mikhail. I am one of many that did not know of you before this. Hold on...it will get better. People are fighting for you.

So what if he plays poker games at $50 buy ins. Just because he does it does not mean he can't turn this corrupted government around. Do not judge him by what he is doing now. You don't know if he can give this island the future, and government they deserve to have, and your family a better future. Maybe you play poker at $50 buy ins too, and here you are asking if he does.

Falanai Jr - you must've had to reach down to your last nerve to maintain your sanity. I could almost feel the bumps, the potholes, the dust, from reading your post. I was visiting this passed summer and I swear -- it made me question our leaders and the many ASG people who have the power to change things for the better.

I know these people travel to Hawaii and off to the mainland. They can surely see what is pleasant to drive, what is pleasant to the eye, images of a well planned and developed structure. I wonder what they tell themselves when they return home from their trips. Right from the Get-Go -- that arrival airport terminal. Seriously? It is very unwelcoming. The aura of arriving in that place. The scent of sweat and odor. The chaos of trying to get to the immigration que, to the cart desk, then if you're lucky try to push yourself through to get to the carousel and another challenge to get to the que to customs.

Then you leave the so-called terminal and you are surprised by the low lit streets, the inhalation of dust, and then there comes the turbulences. OMG! No wonder why its 20 MPH.

I didnt get to drive pass Leone. But i went as far as Onenoa. None of those roads are any better than the roads in town area.

I dont want to get into the other details of what i saw. But words i would describe what i see along the road (excluding the visible damages of the tsunami) would be: UGLY, DIRTY, UNHEALTHY, DISGUSTING. Trash of all kinds are everywhere -- including business' trash bins overflowing. For example, i saw a toilet bowl right outside one of the businesses in Nuuuli that is placed no more than 4 feet from the edge of the road. Pampers in the ditches by the road, cans and paper products -- everywhere you turn you see these things.

These reflect the state of health of our people. This include the rich and poor all together in this chaos. So many are overweight and don't care about their health so they treat the environment and their surrounding the same. I hate to say it but -- it is the truth. Too much talk about the 'Samoan Pride' and yet it is all hot air and dont live to keep Samoa healthy and clean. Why? Because they themselves dont live in a clean and healthy way. If you're proud of something you treasure it... you don't trash it. And it looks like our roads aint a priority. Leaders just look forward to their next boarding pass and get ride a smooth freeway for a couple of weeks and then simply go back and do nothing.

With so many years Afoa has ran for government, no one really looked into his achievements in life that can make our government better. We saw the different things the other candidates have done to our government and yet people still go for corruption and not the right thing. I personally think that Afoa & Le'i can really make a big change to our government. He has experienced all sort of things that can prove us that he can do it.
Take a minute and read his experience and his platforms, he has every potential to lead us to a corruption free government.