Mayors oppose anti-gambling bill – Pacific Daily News

Shawn Raymundo , sraymundo@guampdn.com Published 5:13 p.m. ChT April 20, 2017 | Updated 20 hours ago

Keep Guam Good spokeswoman Jackie Marati and Sinajana Mayor Robert Hoffman offer contrasting testimony on Sen. Telena Nelson's bill to prohibit gambling activities during the Liberation fair and village fiestas. Shawn Raymundo/PDN

Attorney Joaquin "Jay" Arriola Jr. expresses concern over minors betting on beto-beto or color games at the Liberation carnival during his testimony on a bill that would ban gambling at the Liberation carnival and other fairs or carnivals at the Guam Legislature on Thursday, April 20, 2017.(Photo: Rick Cruz/PDN)

Village mayors on Thursday appeared before lawmakers to defend casino and gambling activitiesat the islands annual Liberation Carnival.

Citing public sentiment against casinos and gambling, freshman Sen. Telena Nelson, D-Dededo, and Speaker Benjamin Cruz, D-Tumon, introduced legislation to outlaw such operations from the Guam Island Fair Liberation Day Carnival.

Nelson said it's elected officials' responsibility to prevent dilemmas such as gambling addiction.

If were part of the community or the agencies that brings this gambling, this addiction towardour people, we cannot say, It is not our problem, Nelson said of Bill 50-34.

If enacted, the bill would repeal the local statute that has allowed the MayorsCouncil of Guam and Liberation Historical Society to manage gambling enterprises during the fair. It also would prohibit mayors from hosting fiesta-related casino events.

The poll,Should casino-style gambling be eliminated at the Liberation Carnival? closes at 5 p.m. April 21, 2017.

Representing the Mayors Council, Sinajana Mayor Robert Hoffman testified against the bill. He said profits raised from the gambling operations make up a substantial amount of the funds needed to host the carnival and other fair-related activities.

Presently, no public funds are used to host the ... events, memorials, parade, carnival, fireworks. And we can safely say, if there is no money, these events will not take place, Hoffman said.

Hoffman said the cost to execute Liberation events runsabout $650,000. If the bill passes, he said, the Legislature should amend the law that places the Mayors Council in charge.

Get it away from us, he said.

Liberation gambling, Hoffman added, also has helpednonprofits such as first lady Christine Calvos Riglu Foundation and GovGuam agencies, including the Guam Police Department, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Chamorro Affairs and the Chamorro Village.

Merizo Mayor Ernest Chargualaf also told lawmakers the money the Mayors Council has raised from Liberation gambling has allowed the individual mayors to put the money to good use village events and activities for manamko and children.

Gambling opponent Jackie Marati, representing Keep Guam Good, said the issue isnt about the Liberation fair or all the good things mayors do.

Detailing Guams history of companies and organizations that tried to get casinoson island, Marati noted that voters consistently said no to ballot initiatives between 2004 and 2012. Yet gambling operations have continued during fairs and fiestas.

The issue, Marati said, boils down to a lack of respect for the peoples choice and disrespect for their will.

John Dungca also testifiedin favor of the bill. The Sinajana resident said opposition to gambling on Guam has been growing.

This is a generational problem that isnt going to go away. But you can also see that its growing. The people who oppose gambling is growing through the generations, he said We are just carrying what our parents started before us.

In prepared written testimony, Dungca explained why he has opposed casino initiatives.

I did not believe the money the government would have received from casino gambling would offset the problems and social ills that follow the gambling industry, he wrote.

Hoffman was critical of the testimony that compared casino initiatives to the gaming operations at the carnival.

The initiatives, Hoffman said, should not be used as a standard or baseline, 'cause each proposal was different and involved slot machines none of which are used and found in the carnival or fiesta gaming, no matter where it takes place.

READ MORE:

Sinajana mayor: Fiesta gaming events are not casinos

Bill could prohibit fiesta casinos at fairgrounds

Mayors oppose casino bill

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Mayors oppose anti-gambling bill - Pacific Daily News