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“PLEASE DO NOT CUT 10 HOURS FROM THOSE MAKING LESS THAN $20,000”

Dear Honorable Governor,

Is it really morally ethical, justified, fair, and honorable to cut the 10 hours from the minimum wage earners?

Governor, Please DO NOT CUT the 10 hours from those workers. I am appealing to you Leaders of American Samoa Government to do your decision with LOVE. Alofa ile Atunu’u. E le a’oaia e Laupua Tamafaiga. I am nobody to tell you what to do, I’m voicing the concerns and frustrations of all my employees who fall under that category that I stated above.

I am writing this letter to humbly ask you and your administrators, to please reconsider the decision that’s been put out in the public about the reduction of 10 hours from all government employees which includes the Low Income Earners who make $15,000 and $10,000 per year starting next week.

Governor with all due respect, I ask you on behalf of numerous government workers who make less than $20,000 a year, this 10 hours reduction in pay is nothing to the high-paid employee but it’s a huge cut to the low income earners who make below $20,000 per year and I truly believe the majority of the government workforce makes minimum wage.

Majority of leaders/ employees who are currently employed by the government are already receiving high salaries, and also are receiving government/military retirement pay, military disability pay, and social security check.

Besides receiving huge government checks and benefits, they also have free government vehicles with free gas, free vehicle maintenance, free telephone, free travel with per diem.

They won’t feel the burden that will be felt greatly by low income earners.

Both high income and low income earners have cultural family commitments like family contributions (fa’alavelaves), church fundraising, and expenses for bus fares, gas to travel back and forth to work, house rental payments, car insurance, gas for their water heater and stoves, pay water, electric, waste utility expenses, food and clothing.

Who will bite the dust? Not the high income earner, but the employees with 3 or more children to feed with the minimum pay check of $200 or $300 per pay period. Even if the employee is single and has no children, he/she has parents and siblings to care for.

We are approaching Easter and the Flag Day Annual Celebration, and I again appeal to you Governor Lolo, please cancel or reduce the monetary Gift Giving Activity to those participating In Group Dance & Songs and Fautasi Race and save the money if our government is really broke.Lets all enjoy the old fashioned time style Flag Day Celebration of dancing, singing, watching and cheering for our favorite fautasi for free.

I also appeal to you Congresswoman Aumua Amata to please introduce a Resolution in Congress for Financial Aid to help territory workers with low income who were affected with the raised USA minimum wage law that should not have applied in the territory of American Samoa. The minimum wage law that was forced upon American Samoa caused the 2 Tuna Canneries; Samoa Packing and Samoa Tuna Processors to close down, which caused a major problem for our people and our economy.

What is the Congress of the United States of America doing for the U.S Territory and its people — the supplier of the most military recruits compared to other territories and states of the United States of America? Congresswoman Amata, please tell your Republican friends in Congress, President Trump and his cabinet that we, the constituents of American Samoa demand abundant Financial Aid to help the people of American Samoa with our current financial crisis.

I know for a fact that our current financial crises was not caused by the low income earners who are severely affected.

I truly believe that in all fairness, the higher paid employees are sucking up most of the government funds, especially those ghosts employees who are getting a fat paycheck but are not performing any duties. I understand that our leaders have to make do with the resources that we have and my suggestion is do your decision making in a fair and righteous way.

I pray that God will bless our leaders with a heart of love for the poor and the less fortunate, and to lead, rule and govern with fairness and honesty.

Please forgive the writer for bringing up this matter and for offending anyone.

Thank you and God Bless.

Signed By: Su’a Lucia Bartley

Logistics Manager- Department of Health

 

Cc:  Congresswoman Aumua Amata       

Cc:  President Donald J. Trump