Auntie Charo's Soapbox

I've cut and pasted parts of Ken's story for your perusal.......read it on KUAM's webpage.......it's more interesting when you read the two senators that seem to be dancing around the facts however......one can't make up one's mind at which actually gave the funds to the lady who didn't do anything the whole time she pretended to be working for the people........send in the clowns......."Former senator Fernandez finds work in 28th Legislature
by Ken Wetmore, KUAM News Thursday, February 24, 2005

Wouldn't it be nice if you were having a hard time finding a job to be able to tell an employer 'If you hire me, I'll give you the money for my salary, plus some extra'? And wouldn't it be even better if the money wasn't even yours? You can decide if that's what one senator from the 27th Guam Legislature did with your money.

$11,903.02 - that's how much money former senator Carmen Fernandez had left in her office budget at the end of her term in the 27th Legislature. And that's how much money Fernandez, who did not run for reelection, transferred to her fellow Democrat colleague, Senator Frank Aguon, Jr. on December 31. As KUAM News has reported in the past, when senators are not reelected they can transfer their leftover funds to another senator. Typically, nothing is put in writing and there is only a gentleman's agreement on how the money is to be spent. Usually, the money is spent to employ staffers of the outgoing senator. On Wednesday, Senator Aguon told KUAM News he wasn't even aware of the transfer from former senator Fernandez until a week or two after it was made He stated, "I did have an opportunity to speak with Senator Fernandez shortly thereafter and there was a request that if in fact these funds were necessary in the future, and if I had not expended it, if I can assist her
in some way, some shape or form, yeah." When asked to clarify precisely what kind of assistance, Aguon said, "Well, in this case, I think it was more in transitional assistance if, in fact, she was not able to acquire gainful employment between the timeframe of January 1 and obviously the first thirty days she may revert back to requesting assistance from my office." Put simply, Fernandez, according to Senator Aguon, was asking for a job after transferring her money to him. And according to the senator, she didnt stop there. "She did request that if, in fact, she was able to acquire employment from another senator, because I had informed her at that time that any employment out of my office was certainly out of the question, only because I've already reached my peak in terms of the personnel that I need,"he recalled. "But I did inform her that if in fact she was able to acquire employment elsewhere I may be able to assist from that perspective." Senator Aguon did say the elsewhere in question was from another islandlawmaker.

When asked that if Fernandez could get employment from another senator, would he transfer the money over to them, Senator Aguon replied, Then I will certainly consider the possibility of extending that financial,those finances to that senator, yes."On January 13 Democrat senator Rory Respicio filed papers in the Legislature s Personnel Office, hiring Fernandez. While the paperwork was filed onJanuary 13, Fernandez's employment with Senator Respicio is listed as beginning on January 3 and expiring on January 31. She held the title of policy advisor, and was paid $1,000 a week. According to the Legislature's Accounting Department, the former senator was paid $5,000 for her employment from January 3 through January 31. So did Senator Aguon transfer Fernandez's near-$12,000 of lapsed funds to Senator Respicio? According to documents at the Legislature, yesterday Senator Aguon transferred $15,000 to Senator Respicio. Yet both senators claim the transfer is unrelated to Fernandez's employment with Respicio;both say the money was to help keep on another of Senator Respicio's staffers, Bill Phillips.

Senator Respicio vehemently denies he had any arrangement with Fernandez,saying, "I don't appreciate that kind of dispersion because I would not be aparty to something like that if, I did not, you do not see the transfer fromSenator Respicio's office outgoing to hire Senator Fernandez," thesecond-term policymaker said sternly. "So, you know, like, I needed to remind the community that there, there are a group of people who could see Senator Fernandez doing no right, so whatever she's done they're going to have these kind of allegations and, did I know that when I decided to become involved with her in the last thirty days, I did but I take my chance and I see value in her."Senator Respicio says it was he who approached Fernandez with the offer of temporary employment, because the two had worked on initiatives, such as the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, right-to-work issues, and raising the minimum wage. Senator Respicio says he felt Fernandez could aid his office in continuing these efforts"

Great story Ken, just goes to show you that you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.....some people sleep all the time.....some wake up....read Ken's story on KUAM's webpage.....In a perfect world....the funds will be repaid.....but then, I'm a dreamer......even in awake times!