Letter to the Editor: Your vote is your power; it’s the strongest power of all

When we talk about how our government works, everything goes back to the Organic Act of 1950. That law didn’t just set up our government; it locked in the whole system we’re still living under today.

Three branches, three lanes and clear limits on what each one is supposed to do. Whether we like it or not, that’s the rulebook we’ve got, and it still controls how things run on Guam.

Those three branches are simple: executive, legislative and judicial. Three parts. Three lanes. And the Organic Act tells each lane exactly what it can and can’t do.

Sitting on top of the food chain is the governor with tremendous power—more than most people realize. The governor runs the agencies, sets the budget, appoints directors, takes charge during emergencies and can even activate the National Guard. One person can mobilize troops, secure the island and respond to crises.

Here’s the part people forget: the legislature cannot direct or control agency operations; that’s the governor’s job. So when agencies stall, when things fall apart, when nothing moves, that responsibility sits squarely in the executive lane.

And because the governor controls the agencies, the budget priorities and the emergency response, the governor is also responsible for a healthy or failing economy, as well as the health and safety of the island.

When the governor moves, the whole island feels it. When the governor doesn’t move, the whole island feels that too.

The legislature has its own lane, and when you strip away all that noise, it really comes down to three things:

• Make the laws

• Control the money

• Provide oversight

• 
  

That’s it—three responsibilities, and those three responsibilities carry real weight. They can call an emergency session when people are suffering economically due to global pressures, whether it’s lowering the BPT or providing relief funds. Of course, any bill they pass still must go to the governor to become law.

Then we have oversight. When oversight is weak and budgets don’t get checked, the fallout doesn’t land on agencies or officials—it lands on us. If agencies stall, if procurement drags, if problems sit for months or years, it’s not “government” that pays the price—it’s the people.

Here’s the simple truth: oversight without enforcement or consequences isn’t oversight at all; it’s just another meeting.

Then you’ve got the judicial branch, the quiet referee in the back. Their job is clear: make sure the law is legal. They don’t chase politics. They don’t take sides. They ensure that the rules we pass are consistent with the Constitution and the Organic Act.

Then there’s the attorney general of Guam, elected by the people—the other big power on this island. The AG is the one who can keep the government honest. If something looks off, if a contract smells funny, if a law isn’t being followed, if someone in power tries to cut corners, the AG can step in and say, “Whoa there, Kemo Sabe.”

If needed, the AG can take it to the judicial branch for action. Let’s not forget, prosecuting criminals. That’s real power. That’s real accountability. That’s the safety valve that protects the people.

So when you look at the whole picture, Guam is shaped by four forces:

• A governor with broad executive power.

• A legislature with three core duties

• A judicial branch that keeps the law legal

• An attorney general who can hold everyone accountable

But here's the part that we often forget: none of these works without you.

You’re the only person in Guam who decides who sits in those seats. Your vote is

You’re the only person in Guam who decides who sits in those seats. Your vote is the one thing no governor, no senator, no agency, and no political party can control. You decide who leads, who gets checked, and what direction our island takes. You decide whether we keep repeating the same mistakes—or whether we finally put the right people in the right seats.

Joseph B.D. Arriola

Dededo

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