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Letters and Editorial Policies
Letters and Editorial Policies
Wow...this is so not fair..now im going to go for fetu this year. Wow, this is Fagaalu's first time having 2 boats involve for this years flag day, and all they can say is they can't race? wooooow, after all them years some boats got 2 to 3 boats and they can still race...woooow. Wow...Fetu, as it mentioned in this article... Tago iai le itumalo ole Maoputasi. Goooooooo fetu. Good luck on the race..keep your heads up big faamalo to two captains.
Wow...this is so not fair...well now im going to go for fetu ole afiafi...too many politics. No matter what I know fetu spirit is all about having fun with other boat crews but not as a competition. Goooooooooooooooooooooo Fetu.
Pau a le mea vaai le fetu gae la emo luga le vasa..hahaha.. Maguia faaga kama Legei kausaga..let's go fetu
i would like to give a big faamalosi to te matasaua fautasi crew...just dnt let up, stick to god he will be with you all through out the race...i repp that fautasi.....
I must agree with Ken and the businesses opposition. I will speak on my family's experience.
We work 10 to 12 hours a day to put food on the table and pay for our family's daily needs and health care. Moving to the states is an eye opener to the fact that health care is expensive and receiving good/decent not the best, is even more costly.
Getting health insurance is the only way for us to afford to see decent healthcare service and provider; although my husband and his mom were medicare eligible they still needed supplemental insurance to help cover other costs. I was lucky to get a good one with minimal premium payment mainly because I do not have any preexisting medical condition as for my son it was difficult and had to pay a slightly higher premium because of a preexisting condition. However, not all services are 100% covered. So some still came out of pocket.
Bottom line is we are currently receiving good and affordable medical services and furthermore, the fact that we are responsible for paying health services have changed our perspective towards health. We have adopted a more healthier lifestyle and committed ourselves to staying fit and healthy.
My husband's primary care physician have now discontinued 40% of his medication. He no longer needs it and my son is symptom free. This was all due to changing and modifying our health habits ( and this cost us little or nothing).
My point is even though we struggled at first but we are grateful that it forced us to recognize the significance of adapting a healthy lifestyle and accountability for our health. We did not really see this when we lived in Am. Samoa because it was so easy to just go see the doctor and get medicine. (free healthcare, no worries about health insurance payments, minimal flat fee to any service provided understanding residual cost is absorbed by the hospital). There was no real commitment at the time.
Although I speak only for our family but imagine how many people with the same mentality that we had living there.
Well,looking at the continuous rise of end stage renal disease patients requiring dialysis, Type II diabetes, Hypertension due to non compliance to healthcare needs and medical advice, to name a few chronic noncommunicable diseases affecting our community, I can only guess.
Is this what our government want to invest in? Should we continue to burden our business community whom in return will burden the rest of our community furthermore if they are taxed again? Are we really helping by continuing the status quo or should we change our perspective and adapt a different approach in getting our medically challenged population more involved with their care?
Shouldn't we begin by giving them the responsibility and accountability and in return demand for quality care if they pay for it?(as Mr. Lafaele had written in his past editorials in regards to an affordable health insurance policy in place).
Shouldn't this help our people as well as our hospital financially in addition to the existing government and federal subsidies?
Perhaps our government may want to focus on some assistance for the low income population (of course with conditions set) with health insurance fees if needed?
Diseases have no boundaries. It affects everyone. I can only hope that we realize that it all comes down to our choices. We can choose the path of poor health habits and suffer the consequences because believe me even if you can afford it the best hospitals cannot help you, you will suffer and may end up dying; or you can choose to take control of your health and make better and healthier choices to minimize your risks.
That's the bottom line.
Seriously? It's the government's responsibility to clean up the main roads? Let me ask you this...is it only the government employees throwing the trash on the main roads?
How about you try this on for size...Isn't each individual responsible to pick up after themselves? Yes, I can understand that the government can help out by cleaning parts of the main road, but where do we draw the line? Do you want the government to come clean up your front yard too?
Let's take responsibility for ourselves & especially teaching our youth. When I was growing up, my parents gathered all the kids in our family & many of the village kids to walk the side of the road and pick up garbage. Back then there was not nearly as much trash on the roadside compared to these last few years that I've visited Samoa. We took pride in how clean our lands and village roads were.
If your children see you throw trash out of your vehicle, guess what...they'll follow your example. And vice versa, if they see that you are taking an active role in keeping Samoa clean...chances are, they'll follow your example.
Bottom line, it's our responsiblity to clean up after ourselves. Stop put making that someone else's job.
Perhaps the government should impose heavy sanctions on vendors who sell cigarettes without a stamp.
Are we there yet?
O le mea mo'i lava, e kiga loko o kagaka oga o lae magaku fa'apea....ole a ave uma e Fagaalu kupe ole kauku'uga! LOL... Because even if the second Fetu ole afiafi comes in last, they'll STILL get $$$.
That's exactly why those people are against them racing in the final race. It's so sad!
E sa'o ai lava le kala: "koe oki a kakou i a kakou"!!
Why are you putting down a boat from YOUR OWN neck of the woods. E lelei pe aga kou fa'apea mai, e le mafai ga kauku'u se va'a mai Upolu! But an American Samoa's own boat????
WTH! is wrong with you people??!!
why the fetu o le afiafi II not racing April 14th? what's the main reason, and bad motives of not racing it,,?
I remembered Satani few years ago,,,one week before flag day,,,but they were still on the race? is it becos of good administration of the time?
who's this guy tusi suiaunoa? my own opinion,,late entry is not the reason,,,Nanai just said it,,during the committee meeting no entry fee,,no race,,fetu already paid entry fee...do you have personal feeling toward fetu? i humbly encouraged you,,to be fair n square....God bless you and the family, bless the samoan affairs
manuia fautasi race
Utaifeau Bill Kalasa threatened to pull out all of the Fautasi from his County of Ma'oputasi, from the race if Fagaalu 2 will not participate. Come on Bill are you kidding me? Since when, did you have the authority to banned my village Fautasi from the race?
Gets your facts straight before you even say anything foolish like that. Ia manuia le tu'uga Fautasi. Ia manuia fo'i le aso fanau a Tutuila ma Manu'a.
I am a mother of Samoan children and however I am not Samoan. I have been to Samoa and have never heard of children or shall I say teenagers ACTING with such disrespect!
I for one when I hear the word Samoan I think respectful and humble people. I guess there are those rotten few who do take on the states attitude from watching videos and MTV.. I think it has to do a lot with the parents who are raising them, because what they see at home has a lot to do with how they behave outside of there parents care.
I truly believe you as a store owner should not give in to foolishness and those children should understand that, that is how you make a living for yourself and if you have a family to providing them with a store in a village with kids who do not appreciate you or you as a business owner.
SERIOUSLY think you should hire someone if you really feel threaten by those kids actions until it subsides.
Best of luck to you and your business...
The Fautasi ommittee’s got alot of excuses about this subject!!! Both of the Fetu ole Afiafi got their entry fee in, and about the faga'alu's crew getting familiarize themselves with the race course and other fautasi, buch of B.S! They row this fautasi in 2010 flag day..The Committee's Job is to handle and prepare the race, don't worry about the Conditioning of all the Fautasi Crews that racing this year!..That's their Business!....you dont have right & authority to say who can race, as long as each Fautasi Crew put their entry fee in...too much politics!!!!! Ia Manuia le FA'AGA TAMA I LE TAI to all the Crews! Be safe!!!!
Big faamalo to all the Fautasi's for your hard training in preparation for the Fautasi Race. But, Bill Kalasa? Who in the Blue Moon are you to say that you " If Fetu-ole-Afiafi dont participate, you would pull the Aeto and all of the Maoputasi Fautasi's out of the Race?
Sole, e iai mea e oo iai lou leo, e iai foi mea e matua leai ai a sau fe'au! Being the "UTAIFE'AU" does not give you the right to even say such a thing. E i loa mai i lou faamatalaga lena, e lava le Uta ma le Tofa, ae maise ai le leai o sou Tofa-Mamao.
If you had wisdom, you'd agree with the Committee Chairman in stopping the late entrance of the Fetu-ole-Afiafi into the race for (1) for Safety reasons (2) They came in Late (3) It isn't Fair!!!
So, which of the three (3 )would you base your argument on? Faamolemole, ole mea mautinoa lava, e le'i faatonuina oe ele Afioga i le Maoputasi ete alo e faaali lou faavalevalea, ae sa faatonuina oe ete savalivali e faalogologo ile fonotaga.
Manuia le aso
Anoalo
Man! Why hold a 2nd Race for the "Championship"?
What makes this Fautasi from Western Samoa special? They don't do the same to our Fautasi's when invited.
Why not extend the race from "TIP OF THE AIRPORT" instead from Le au fa'alava, have every single Fautasi race all together. Now that's an AWESOME race, it will show which crew has the best CONDITIONING for this year's Flag Day 2012.
Much Respect to all the Fautasi's racing this year — Manuia le FA'AGA TAMA I LE TAI.
Read closer----its not about Fagasa. So taking it personal is your problem. It's about the whole idea that yet we are screaming for jobs and a lot of hopelessness surrounds us, if it takes your eyes to enjoy an afternoon of BOAT spleeining. Then make some choices. Boat or a Job, Boat or a Job.
Would I spend an entire budget to build a boat--- and they are boats honey, nothing else but boats. Or would I have done the most articulately decent thing and take the same money and employ say, one, two, three, four, five so on and grow something from the smallest village as you say, with enterprising conviction, that you believe--- English, Spanish--- its not about the correctness of English that counts, its about what you're trying to articulate to a reader.
Don't take it personal. Some folks like me will not sugarcoat what I see, We are incapable of lying to your face and doing the opposite behind your back. WE only want what's good for our people, and it means confront always in my book.
You see a fault, lets attack it until we correct it.
Draw something from this:
Look around, and see that our people are dying. Politicians are nervous as hell, they are just not telling you. Go back to your village, rolodex everyone that lived and left your village. Make calls and get something going for the betterment of all. Nobody is going to deliver funds unless you're interested in your own survival. You're going to bankrupt a village and burden an entire village over a race? That's the point dear. Same as Manu'a, Nu'uuli, Pago Pago or any other village that has the least resources and yet can afford a 50,000- 70,000 boat? Go figure.
Take the same money grow organic and sell to a market that is demanding these products. Don't cry foul and low budgets in government and all we see are boats that cost an entire village years to raise funds for and that excitement lasts but a moment.
Peace with you.
Years of road hazards will surely get the ire of our Bishop. As long as he does not pay for it, it is really the respected attitude to not ask to many questions that gets me. Bingo for the congregation and visits to the mechanics for the rest.
[Editor's Note: The whole area, not just in front of the Mormon Church, is a swimming pool when it rains. The question becomes one of responsibility. Who should pay to make the the drainage system work — the one that is overwhelmed every time it rains? Churches? Landowners? House owners? 'Rock' wall builders? Government? ra]
Yes safety is priority…100% ... but why attacking the Fetu o le Afiafi… this is not the first time it happened… and when it happened, there was no opinion to it... In respect to my dearly brother — Satani has done this as well as others.
So my point is to love & respect each & every village tautiga, not so much the prize (money).
It is better for kids to occupy themselves n participate in flag day activities than drinking and smoking. Appreciate the committee reminder of the last fautasi race. Thank God the Nuuuli crew was safe from capsizing and Mr. Ioane who helped.
But the Fetu o le Afiafi II, matou te le o atu e faaleaga le tuuga fautasi ua fitaituga i ai le Faatui, fetalaiga ia Nanani ia ma le tautiga o n'ai nuu, iona tapenaga...ia maua se viiga o le Atua, ae fealofani ai nofo aumaga i nuu taitasi. E le mua uma ni va'a. Fetu o le Afiafi na o atu lava e faafiafia ma faamanaia le tuuga, ne'i mua ia ona ua pau lava.
Manuia lou fu'a Amerika Samoa
malo le finau i mea lelei
Big faamalo & tauata'i to all village fautasi for this year faigameaoletai 2012 for their great support of every year Flag celebration.
Congrats to Palaita Tusi Suiaunoa for his new post as a chairman for the 2012 Fautasi race. Just an observation and my personal opinion of every year flagday fautasi race by-law or rules for this main event.
When you appointed a chairman in charge, your head office supposed to support your chairman decision of the matters no matter what. Lay aside the politics and other nonsense but do the right thing. The chairman spoke his reasons why he disagreed with Fagaalu second fautasi last minute entry, safety is the most important issue of anything competion.
Faga'alu 2nd fautasi last minute entrance is not a healthy or good practice to everyone, it cause problems. Especially PagoPago Utaifeau threaten all fautasi from Ma'oputasi districts will not participate if Faga'alu second fautasi don't join the race.
The fautasi committee should have in place an entrance deadline to protect this type of issue but I guess NOT. I believed if Utaifeau decision to pull out then let them do exactly what they need to do but the fautasi race will not stop.
I hope this is a lesson learned for the fautasi committee to re-look the rules or by-laws of the fautasi race so every village or organization to make their decision accordingly prior the entrance & fee deadline.
Faamanuia le alo atu ile faigameaoletai ilenei tausga ole faamanatuina ole Fu'a o Tutuila ma Manu'a.
Fealofani Samoa III (Fagasa Village) o ou mama na, ia tau le taua lelei ma alo atu i ou faiva masani ole tausi ole fealofani i faigameaoletai. Faamanuia le Atua i le kapeteni (Afioga Tupuola) male auva'a. Alofaga mo outou uma lava ae maise le tatou nu'u olo'o nofo tapua'i ele uma. Manuia le tapuaiga Tofiaali'i, le Matua' ma usoali'i, outou le to'afa, faapea le lautinalaulelei. "Go Fealofani Samoa III."
Really ? $2.3 million is going to be collected? Look at the past collections. And you really believe the
economy is going spiral upwards here in Amerika Samoa?
We all would like to see improvements at LBJ.... but $10 million for the referral program to send maybe 10 people off-island vs 50,000 on island that require good and safe health care on island.
Thank you Sanitoa, Soliai, Satele and Amituana'i for asking the hard questions and then voting NO to this bill. I'm surprised they let you sit in the Chamber to vote.
As long as the LBJ is being taken cared for , I don't care where they get the money to support it? But have they considered alcohols does not good to the island?
Why my view is not being accepted? I daily read Samoa News here from the mainland. Wonder if the paper does censorship for non residence?
Editor's note: No censorship because of where you live. We try to edit or not use comments that make rude remarks about other readers, are not on topic, or make remarks that could be libelous. If you don't feel your comment had any of these elements, submit it again.
For once people, please lets get a good and a fair race this time. I don't want to hear a captain(s)complaining after the race that he didn't get a fair start. Pls, lets get it right this time!
I am not sure what your problem is but your comments seemed to have been formed with a lack of intellect and a thesaurus so you refrain from using trite expressions like "duh" and other 4 letter words like "boat" and "jobs" and then have the audacity to mock my village. If unemployment is your angle, then utilize some common sense and produce logical solutions to the problem instead of blaming it all on the unemployment rate of 1 of the smallest villages on the island!!
You mentioned not having P R I D E?? Fagasa has been known to dominate in a variety of other athletic arenas ranging from Rugby to Cricket and in this case...FAUTASI RACES. I highly doubt that our past FAUTASI championships were credited to "fat guys and overweight drinkers" as you claim.
So before you formulate unfounded opinions about my village, at which you are totally entitled to, do it with an ounce of respect and dignity by following a simple piece of advice.... If you don't have anything nice to say, then shut the hell up! Because you have overstepped your boundaries. Even if you say I'm unemployed, take a handout from Uncle Sam and apply for financial aid, then enroll in some courses like ENGLISH and FACTS OF LIFE because there are numerous reasons why Samoa's economy is where it is today, and it is not because Fagasa people refuse to sell bananas at the local market to help employ your dum a$$.
Not so Anonymous....Etelani Tupuola
THANK YOU FALANIKO FOR A BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ARTICLE!!