Auntie Charo's Soapbox

KUAM news reports that it's been noted that govGuam doesn't have an accurate or current list of the vehicles it owns or...leases. The report quotes the czar of dumps, Larry Perez(not their words): ""We have to make decisions within DPW in terms of the priority scheme of everything. Is that better and more important than the Ordot [Dump] closure? Probably not, so it goes down.
"Is it better or more important than safe bridges for our traversing? Probably not. So you see what's happening. I only have so many resources, not just money, even human resources to take care of these things. We wholly agree with the report; we want to get there, but the question is do we have enough resources and finances to mitigate the situation?"
So I'm thinking.....doesn't the dude have a list of things to do...ya know, like, there are 10 cars, 22 buses and 4 garbage trucks.....or something like that....but that would be if he were profit conscious.....you see, vehicles and buses and the like are called 'assets'.....like counting desks, electric typewriters and laptops.(Hmmmmm, wonder how many laptops are left at GWA...remember when a high mucky-mucker thought it was a good idea for a few employees to have use of same 'in the field'?)I digress....I'm thinking the auditor should be savvy enough(although they're highly paid and should be) to realize that the Czar isn't smart enough to have the basics.....a list of things to do and things to have....but....he's savvy enough to be able to blame the lack of having a list on the lack of resources...et the like.
Does he have a list of all the suits against his agency by Uncle Fed? Having or creating a list doesn't take much time or expensive soft ware....a pen and a sheet of paper and his secretary is really all he needs. It's called inventory....surely he knows how to do one.
Who keeps the list of accounts payable? Bet that person knows how to count cars and buses and trucks(working or not)....doesn't have anything to do with priorities or resources.....his people are already getting paid, why can't he just assign one to do the counting....accurately!
These people(the highly paid mucky muckers) are so fast to blame the lack of money whenever they're asked about something.....they think that the answer to this whole mess is to borrow money to 'fix' it. Any amount given to DPW will be wasted as it has been in the past.....their real problem is that they don't know how to do with what they have.
A small family in today's world knows that if it's going to survive a $70 dollar water bill and a $200 power bill and still go to blockbusters on the weekend that it needs to buy a cheaper can of spam and make sandwiches with it...it's called survival. If that same family were sued by the federal government, it would downsize like hell, fix whatever it is they're saying to fix.....the head of household isn't likely to go before a television camera or newspaper reporter and say, 'It's only $10,000. a month' (for not closing the dump....I wonder how much DPW owes Uncle Fed in that suit.....does DPW have a list of what it owes the Feds?
I really like Larry Perez. He's a heck of a nice guy but he needs to get 'real' with the public. He needs to own up to the problems that are happening under his watch. He can't continue to blame the lack of resources for the things that should be done from his agency. Maybe it's time he traded places with George Bamba, ya think?
Wonder how George Bamba would run DPW.....maybe George would create the list then worry about priorities.....
And if you haven't noticed.....the bridges and roads have been in need of a repair for a long time....longer than its been since the purchase and lease of those vehicles.
As they say at govGuam.....let's move forward......to infinity! (sorry Buzz)