Letter to the Editor: Accountability must follow emergency funding

 By Telo Taitague

After being invited by Guam Homeland Security Advisor Esther Aguigui to visit Guam Homeland Security, I want to share a simple message with our community: securing funding is only the first step. What matters just as much is making sure it works the way it is supposed to for the people of Guam.

Telo Taitague

In anticipation of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the 38^th Guam Legislature approved emergency funding to support response and recovery efforts. That funding is important, but it does not mean much if it does not reach our villages quickly and effectively. Recovery does not happen in offices. It happens in our communities, through our mayors and the people working on the ground every day.

During my visit, I focused on how these resources are being distributed and whether our mayors have what they need to help residents. I also looked at procurement processes to make sure they are responsive while still following the rules. These may seem like internal government issues, but they directly affect how quickly help reaches our people.

One of my biggest concerns continues to be federal reimbursements from Typhoon Mawar. When reimbursements are delayed, it affects the government’s ability to manage its budget and prepare for future emergencies.

We cannot control every part of the federal process, but we can take responsibility for what is within our control. We need to take a hard look at our own systems and identify where delays may be happening on our end.

If there are ways to move things faster, then we should act on them. That is why I introduced an amendment to make the Rainy Day Fund available for storm recovery, so Guam can maintain fiscal stability and continue operating effectively while awaiting reimbursement. We have to be prepared to manage our finances responsibly, even when reimbursements do not come back on our timeline.

I also raised concerns about a recent power outage at the Office of Technology and the risk of flooding at that facility. This is a critical agency that supports government operations, and the situation could have been much worse. I worked with the General Services Agency to help ensure a timely generator replacement because we cannot afford disruptions in essential IT systems.

My biggest takeaway from this visit was the amount of work being done every day by those leading our response and recovery efforts. I want to thank everyone at Guam Homeland Security, our first responders, and all those involved in recovery efforts. They gave their all to help Guam recover. That effort deserves not only recognition, but our full support. My responsibility is to make sure the systems behind them are working just as hard and to fix them when they are not.

As we move forward, we must be honest about what worked and what did not. After-action reports will be critical in identifying gaps and making improvements. If there are lessons to be learned, then we need to act on them.

Our goal should be simple: respond faster, recover stronger, and be better prepared for the next storm.

Sen. Telo T. Taitague

Chairwoman, Committee on Economic Investment, Military Buildup, Regional Relations, Technology, Regulatory Affairs, Justice, Elections, and Retirement