Recent comments

I was an alien myself but my ancestors were from Manu'a and American Samoa and they were LMS missionaries in PNG and later retired to Samoa afterwards. I went through the proper process of earning my current status.

I wish to make it clear again that I have no problem with our people receiving citizenship status from home but I question the true intention and motive behind the bill. I also worry about what comes after the bill is passed.

Just look at Hawaii and see how many nationalities live there and call it home? Look at the cost of living there. If you are a Samoan and you live in Hawaii or just passing through you will know of people who call themselves Hawaiians and yet they don't have an ounce of Hawaiian blood in them and they are the ones that will give you a hard time at the airport, push you out of work, stab you in the back and fight against you and the native Hawaiians etc.

I'm afraid if we pass this bill, it will make us a port of entry or a stepping stone to the US and we will be flooded with other nationalities trying to go to the mainland or ever kick us out like the Hawaiians and give our people a hard time at the airport when they return.

The word "alien" does not refer to just our brothers and sisters from Samoa (who have chosen to do business with NZ and China). I support this bill if it will help our people from neighboring Samoa but it worries me it will open the door to anyone who is called and alien.

There are thousands and thousands of people from American Samoa (US Nationals) who reside in the United States and only very few apply for a change of status because they don't see the need when they enjoy all the benefits in their current status except for voting but I assume they can still vote locally.

Again my point is I want our people to get citizenship but I think the true intention of the author of the bill is not the people of American Samoa but others. A great bill for American Samoa and hopefully our neighboring brothers and sisters but it will open other unwanted consequences.

I have no insightful information that gave me this idea or speculation but just as a former media person and a former follower of the Congressman, I came to believe that he is more concern at times about the region and other people than our people. It's just my opinion.

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes". They are doing their best, but it's hard without any kind of support from upper management (American Samoa Government) that is so corrupted. Please, do us all a favor and stop being so judgmental. Look deep into where the problem starts.

God Bless.......

Do you have any solutions since it seems you've done various studies on health care in Am. Samoa for so many years? A lot of people like to shoot off their opinions, but no one seems to have solid solutions to our problems.

Referring to Dr. I'atala's comments about the morgue, when is that morgue ever empty? When the cooler has 2 or 3 empty boxes, that's a slow day for them. Do you all remember around this time last year there were about 30 deaths? It made headline news and then slowly forgotten. So what makes that so different from now? Oh yes, they had money to waste last year.

I'm all for increasing the fees accordingly if it means that the services are going to improve. How else are we going to upgrade the services and the people that deliver it. But my question to LBJ is, what's being done about the collections of many overdue bills?

The Dr.'s, nurses, and support staff are victims of mismanagement of the higher authorities who should be advocating to ensure that there is enough money to pay the staff, purchase supplies & equipment & to pay bills.

Maybe the board should be a non-paid board. These people are getting paid to do a service that should be offered on a volunteer basis. That's the only reason they like sitting up there. Getting paid for nothing.

I also believe that everyone knows that this is campaign season and the different camps are going to use this to help their platforms, and we all know who's camp you're in. So would it make a difference if this crisis was to arise on a non-campaign year?

Here's another saying for you, "A tofu lava le tagata ma saga ia ma'a e togi, e mama ai se galuega." Do your part to help your community by coming up with some realistic solutions and give the glory to God for your work, but don't do it to gain glory for yourself and votes for your front runners.

God bless you all. Always a faithful healthcare worker.

Hey here's the perfect solution. Have Faoa be the Acting Director at LBJ too. Before we know it, a designee will be appointed and yes LBJ will become an even bigger mess too.

Very funny. Even if they were of middle eastern descent, that doesn't mean they are affiliated with the Al Qaeda (yes, Al Qaeda, not Al Quida you ignorant imbecile).

I think this is a good bill if it is for nationals on island and those living abroad, because as one mentioned earlier it's almost a $1000.00 to pay in order to become a citizen... But my thought on immigrants that have been living here more than 20+ yrs. is that status and citizenship is not from us but from the US and besides I don't agree with Eni on that bill. The maintaining of how American Samoa should govern its people and land should be from Am. Samoan people only!!!Now that I believe...

I don't see any problem at all with Eni's proposed legislation. What's wrong with allowing US nationals living in American Samoa this option? I don't know of any employer in American Samoa (other than ASG of course if you're friends with management) who will allow an employed person to go on paid leave for at least 3 months to achieve naturalization off-island.

For once, please do not smear a good effort being put forth. If you're worried someone may be able to vote locally as a result of this bill, one doesn't need to become a US citizen to vote here; being a US national is good enough.

So please tell us what you really mean by the congressman's "true intentions" because I fail to see it other than what's stated in the legislation.

Let me guess. Hmmmm.
The reason why he wants it from the retirement fund is because the initially proposed 3million from the Workman's compensation fund has been discreetly used up already on illegal shenanigans.
Which is why the 3 members of the house wanted the money to be in the form of a loan, and when that did not happen, "He" who shall not be named stepped in and vetoed it on the spot knowing what will happen if the 3mil requested was to go through and the money wasn't there.
So to avoid that, a plan was devised to reach into the cookie jar and just use it as if he owned it without consulting the public and Fono first.
So after you signed the 3mil for the hospital today and have them negate the hike fee rate as of tomorrow, and cancel the furloughs, when will the hospital see the money?
Why not continue with the hiked fee rate and furlough until we see the money? You think you got this covered 'a 'ea? Nothing stays buried forever!
(My speculations)

Are you SERIOUS! You kept this information from the public for a very long time, to include escapees, drug dealings, cell phone use, drug or pot smoking and the internet access. If word had not leaked out, YOU wouldn't have come forth to make the apology on behalf of DPS. You should resign and take all of those glorified out of shape non English speaking, uniformed wanna be security badge holders along with you!
Just who are you trying to kid with this lame excuse? There is nothing that goes on there that yo wouldn't know about unless you are THAT stupid. You let your gate keepers deal day in and out with the cell occupiers and now you are back on the radar. What a damn shame! Let's test your gatekeepers for drugs. What say you?

American Samoans should be U.S. citizens...period. We are the only terriroty in which the people are assigned this non-citizen national status. Why stop here? As the Congressman points out himself, we "owe permanent allegiance to the United States."
So why should we not challenge our right to be citizens of the country we owe allegiance to? We really should not be subjected to the same application process for citizenship that other foreign immigrants go through. It does not make sense. A U.S. National status is an archaic marginalizing of American Samoans that really should be looked at and challenged.

Okay. Point taken. So what exactly is Eni's "secret" agenda? It sounds like you must have some insights into this agenda that others would like to hear? American Samoan's have become such pessimistic and depressing people; blaming everyone for their problems and not doing anything like "voting the right people in" to solve their problems. At the end, they always vote the family member in, even if the family member is incompetent and corrupt. Should we do a mirror mirror check?

NO! They SHOULD be tested in English and History. THE DOE does not make sure US Nationals in AS know the US Constitution partly because our politicians dont know it either.