"Voting and Taxes"

Dear Editor,

So let me get this straight. The Senate wants to deny voting rights to people who pay federal taxes, military members, yet exempt themselves from paying federal taxes, the FICA withholding of their office allowances? The Yiddish have a word for this: chutzpah.

It appears that one of the reasons Chief Election Officer Soliai and the Senate gave for wanting to deny soldiers the right to register from off-island is because not enough of the soldiers exercise their right to vote. I don't remember the section of the Constitution that says that a person's right to vote can be denied if he doesn't exercise it. This is ridiculous.

It's no one's business whether someone voted or not. It is a RIGHT afforded to everyone. By that logic, the election office should go through the election rolls and purge every voter that didn't vote in the last two elections. See how ridiculous that sounds. And it's also kind of hard to vote if you're in a war zone, which many of our soldiers are in. By the time the ballots get there, it's almost November because they're sent to the home units and then to Iraq.

And when Senate President Lolo states that there are no available statistics as to the number of Samoan soldiers that put American Samoa down as their home of record, that is bogus. They know exactly the number of soldiers that have American Samoa as their home of record. About 8 or 10 years ago, a delegation from American Samoa visited my army post to plead with the soldiers to put down American Samoa as their home of record. It was led by Fofo Sunia and Tifi Ale, then the Treasurer.

They said our homeland needs our financial support and one way of providing tautua for our people was to make sure our tax dollars went home.

And now they're telling me that you need my tax dollars, but don't need my vote. I feel cheated. My kids go to school in Texas. I drive on the highways of Texas and use all of the resources of the state of Texas. Yet I don't pay a dime in state taxes to Texas because all of my state tax money goes to American Samoa. Because of the words of Fofo and Ale, "Alolofa I le atunu'u ma nai aiga o lo'o I Samoa." Fofo and Tifi, please help us convince the Senate and House to give us the right to register from off-island. You asked us for help for our island, now we are asking you to help our cause.

And on a final note, there are millions of dollars that service members send home in the form of remittances. Every Samoan soldier I know has an allotment set up for their parents or family back home. Many of the people sitting in the Fale Fono get those checks every month from their kids. The funny thing is we never hear from them until something happens to the allotment or there is a fa'alavelave, then they remember us.

And yet they now are looking at ways to deny us the right to vote. To expect a soldier to pay $2000 to buy a round trip ticket to come home just to register to vote is not right. It's easy for the faipule and senators to say because they don't pay for any travel.

They have their travel allowances and per diems. Ask Lolo when was the last time he actually paid for a trip off-island. I bet it was before he got into the Senate. Maybe they've forgotten how expensive it is.

The audacity of these people, the same people who are resisting paying federal taxes, to ask soldiers to spend money to come home to register, when Puerto Ricans, Guamanians and others can register from their posts.

You ask us to put our lives on the lines to defend, pay taxes to American Samoa, send allotments home, yet deny us the right to vote. What do we get out of this? What service does the government of American Samoa provide for me and my children to justify the sending of my tax dollars back home? Perhaps it's time for every soldier to pull their tax dollars from ASG. Maybe then you will remember your Toa o Samoa.

Ma le ava e tatau ai,

Ailani Galeai
U.S. Army

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8/17/07
Letter to the Editor

"American Samoa students need NOT apply"

Dear Editor:

I just read about our Delegate's bill in Congress to provide ONE MILLION DOLLARS scholarships for Pacific island students. Wow, that's a lot of kupe!

Here's my trivia question: Which students need not apply because they're not eligible? You guessed it! Our own American Samoan students are excluded from Eni's Scholarship Program! What's wrong with this picture? I for one feel there is something terribly awry, sad and unfair when we send a Delegate to Congress over and over who seems interested only in getting scholarships and other benefits for everyone except his own constituents.

Very respectfully,

A voting constituent & parent

Send comments to admin@manuatele.net

Reprinted from Samoa News
August 15, 2007
"Faleomavaega's Colbert Interview"

Dear Editor,

I read Faleomavaega's press release about appearing on the Stephen Colbert Report show. You don't have to wait two weeks to see it down here. If you have a computer and are on-line, go to http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/index.jhtml and you can see Colbert's interview, if you can stand the embarrassment.

Frankly, I don't see why Eni would brag about it. If he wants to make a fool out of himself personally, sitting there without a coat in his trademark bolo tie, that's fine by me but when he allows his office to be demeaned and the territory to be ridiculed, he steps over the line.

That's why the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus told freshmen members to avoid doing this show.

Read about it here:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=22223
I guess he didn't give the same advice to senior members because he didn't think they needed it. With all these members of Congress avoiding the Colbert show, no wonder he got on.

Faleomavaega owes us an apology for holding American Samoa up to scorn.

Signed,

Enraged voter

I agree CSM. I think most of our leaders at are in it for themselves. I've gone home almost every year in the 18 years that I've been in the Army, and it sickens me that after all this time very little has improved, if anything. Maybe you should run for Gov. When you hang up your boots. Or even Congress. You would get my vote. I've deployed to combat four times in my career, and I've figured out that very few people other than our famlies and loved ones care about service members who pay the price for the freedom that everyone else enjoys. Good luck CSM.

Airborne All The Way
SFC Matautia, Fonoti S Jr

August 10, 2007

Absentee Ballot for American Samoa's Local Election

American Samoans in the US Military are Constituents and Taxpayers that should be afforded the opportunity to vote using absentee ballots in our local election.

I once asked a friend whether he would vote for a candidate that is uninformed or apathetic with his needs and even our country. His answer is reminiscent of the Lawmakers who were voted into the Fono, he said "to do so is to stagnate, become irrelevant, even dry, and blown away". Lawmakers telling "Eni changes to election laws are from the Fono" is a welcome statement by the Fono Leadership, acknowledging they have accepted their responsibility and are committed to the people of American Samoa including all of their constituents in the United States Military. Regrettably, I know all to well, these words are hollowed at best and not worth the ink and paper it is printed on.

In March 2000, I wrote to every lawmaker both Senators and Representatives including the Governor and Lieutenant Governor who is currently Governor of American Samoa, urging them to change local election laws to allow service members to vote because we are TAXPAYERS to the American Samoan Government . I personally met with Governor Togiola in his office and other lawmakers in the Fono building on the subject. Unfortunately, I returned to duty sadden by the apathetical lack of concern for American Samoan taxpayers serving our Nations Military around the world. Despite the setback, myself and other service members have actively engaged Congressman Eni Faleomavaega for his support urging the Governor and the Fono to amend or change American Samoa election laws to allow service members to vote through absentee ballots for the local and federal elections. This led to Congressman Faleomavaega sponsoring the plurality law in 2004, a right we proudly exercised in last years election. In August 2006, I sent an email to the current President of the Senate urging him, since there is already a procedure in place to certify that military members are eligible to vote in the federal election, it only makes sense that the local law extend this certification, so that military members may also vote for the local governor, lieutenant governor, and house members via an absentee ballot.

My correspondence went unanswered and today despite Congressman Faleomavaega's attempts, our Fono's leadership was indifferent and unyielding by the argument that we are constituents and taxpayers to American Samoa. Sadly enough, the only lawmaker from American Samoa who is willing to speak for and defend our service members rights is Congressman Eni Faleomavaega.

Today, our Territory has paid a tremendous price with the blood sacrifice of our sons and daughters in this War on Terror to further the cause of freedom. Our Territory has suffered the highest death per capita in this War more then any State or Territory in the Union. The least our Governor and Fono leadership can do is to honor the blood service of our Samoan servicemen and women by adopting a resolution to allow our Troops to vote through absentee ballot, debate it, vote in favor of it, and have the Governor sign it into law.

Unfortunately, Fono members are against this bill and one has publicly stated "it is the Soldier's fault if he/she joins the military without appearing locally to register to vote". Incredible! I have a daughter who is scheduled to deploy next month to Iraq; a nephew and 15 personal dear friends of 32 years of active military service who have died in this War to bequeath the very freedom that gave him the right to say such a reckless, irresponsible, and immature public statement like this.

This may come as a surprise to you but we are actually fighting a War on Terror and service members of other States and Territories in the Union can vote in general elections on Federal, State, and Territory via absentee ballot. I think you owe an apology to every parent of all Samoan Soldiers who were kill in this War and every Service member who are currently serving to protect your freedom for that foolish and careless statement you made.

Additionally, this blatant disregard for our service members right to vote should be a JUST CAUSE for our Governor, Senators, and Representatives to change the present voting law on behalf of their constituents and TAXPAYERS who are unable to speak for themselves in the noble house of Paramount Chiefs, High Chiefs, and Representatives of our Territory, due to current obligations to the greatest military in the world. Great leaders and Giants of our Territory have spoken eloquently to champion resolutions that further the of Rights for our citizens and I have all the confidence that our current leaders will review these issues objectively and do the right thing.

Finally, I vehemently urge and encourage all military members (Active, Reserve, and National Guard) to write and send emails to the Governor, Senators, and Representatives of American Samoa to adopt and vote in favor of a new resolution to change the voting laws to allow us to vote via absentee ballot, or otherwise support the bill that Congressman Eni Faleomavaega is pushing through the US Congress. I fervently ask of your family members to do the same.

Respectfully,

Iuniasolua Tului Savusa
Cell: (49) 0162-271-7462