Sales tax set for Oct. 1 matai
The 2 percent sales tax that was to take effect Oct. 1 is a dead letter after a bi-partisan 11 to 4 Monday vote by the Guam legislature. The margin of the vote also guarantees that Governor Eddie Baza Calvo will be overridden if he attempts a veto. An effort to extend the 5 percent business privilege tax, beyond Sept. 30 failed.
The Adelup media shop rolled out a brace of thunderous news releases, declaring this "a dark day for the people of Guam," attributing the action to the "inexperience of freshmen senators combined with the personal motives of senators running for higher office to include Senators Mike San Nicolas (congressional candidate), Frank Aguon (gubernatorial candidate), and Dennis Rodriguez (gubernatorial candidate)."
Legislators fired back: Senator Regine Biscoe Lee: "I feel bad for the Calvo-Tenorio Administration. They've become over-privileged, under-informed, and grossly out of touch. They just don't get it. Everyday families are struggling, and they won't accept higher taxes from a government that wastes their money and misuses their trust. I may be a freshman but i know this: their time is up.”
Voting for the repeal were Democratic Sens. Tom Ada, Frank Aguon Jr., Dennis Rodriguez Jr., Telena Nelson, Regine Biscoe Lee, Joe S. San Agustin, Therese Terlaje and the bill’s author, Michael San Nicolas. Republican Sens. James Espaldon, Mary Torres and Fernando Esteves also voted for the repeal.
Opposing the repeal were Cruz, and three Republicans: Sens. Will Castro, Louise Muna and Tommy Morrison.