As a lawyer and a physician, we have publicly and privately sparred over the best way to advance healthcare on this island. Our disagreements have even been documented in the halls of the legislature. However, we agree on one thing. Guam is suffering a shortage of essential professionals, and a portion of this problem is self-inflicted. The government of Guam sidelines the private sector, treating it as inferior.

Legislation to create this exemption has already been introduced. The objection that businesses pocket tax savings rather than passing them to consumers is legitimate for across-the-board cuts — a targeted food exemption is a different instrument, with households and small food businesses as its primary beneficiaries.

Live from Saipan By Zaldy Dandan  Saipan — I’m quite sure that at some point a voter will finally ask himself: Why is it that in every election all candidates promise to make things better, yet once they’re in office they seldom do? Not a single one of them promised to be corrupt, incompetent, or way in over his head, but eventually voters end up complaining about corruption, incompetence and leaders who are way in over their heads. I’ve been reading, writing and thinking abo