By Jacob Nakamura
Senator Joe S. San Agustin continues to stonewall the referral of Senator Telena Nelson’s bill that would ban the game rooms of which Senator San Agustin is a frequent customer.
Senator San Agustin also used to work at Revenue and Taxation with responsibility for licensing the gambling machines that have led to the destruction of so many lives and families on Guam.
Nelson introduced bill 226-34 “AN ACT TO REPEAL PUBLIC LAW 35-10 AND TO AMEND § 5205 OF CHAPTER 5 AND § 22202 OF CHAPTER 22, BOTH OF TITLE 11, AND § 64.62 AND 64.62.1 OF CHAPTER 64, TITLE 9, ALL OF GUAM CODE ANNOTATED, RELATIVE TO PROHIBITING GAMING ACTIVITIES NOT AUTHORIZED BY § 5205 (a) and (b), OF GUAM CODE ANNOTATED” on October 28, 2019. Senator San Agustin has yet to refer her bill to a committee for a public hearing to be scheduled.
Yet nearly ever single one of Senator San Agustin’s bills introduced after Nelson’s bill has been referred out to a committee. Without a committee referral, the legislation will “die” in San Agustin’s hands and will never be heard publicly or be voted on. Senator Joe S. San Agustin is holding Bill 226 hostage.
This, despite a fiscal note published by the Bureau of Budget Management Research that states that passage of the proposed bill will only have a “nominal reduction in general fund revenues.”
Senator San Agustin – although not reflected in his campaign finance reports – has received campaign donations from game room owner Gil Shinohara and his wife Port Deputy General Manager Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara. Shinohara is seen in numerous photos at Senator San Agustin’s high dollar campaign fundraiser events. He has repeatedly refused to answer on his stance on this measure and potential conflicts.
We encourage everyone to reach out to Senator Joe S. San Agustin and tell him to refer Bill 226-34 to the appropriate committee so a public hearing can be held. Your message could be as simple as “Senator Joe S. San Agustin, I want Bill 226 have a public hearing! Stop protecting the Blood Money!”
Senator Joe S. San Agustin can be reached by contacting:
Ran Care Bldg., CBU 203 761 S. Marine Corps Drive Tamuning, Guam 96931 Phone.: (671) 989-5445
Cell: 687-5552 e-mail: senatorjoessanagustin@gmail.com
In case you would like to contact someone on his staff, here is his most recent staffing pattern and how much he pays his staff:
Joseph A. Q. Mesngon Chief Policy Analyst $45,351.75
Former Congressman Robert Anacletus Underwood (P/T; 30 Hrs.) $ 6,997.25
Rosemarie T. Mesa Office Manager $43,189.22
Joanne B. Quinene Policy Research Analyst $36,837.06
Hope Delos Reyes Legislative Administrative Assistant $33,773.22
Peter John T. Johnson Policy Research Analyst $35,375.60
Catherine B. Leon Guerrero Policy Research Analyst $37,875.66
Vincent J.M. Benavente Community Relations Liasion $29,860.22
Krystal A. Agustin (P/T; 40Hrs) Communications Specialist $16,420.04
San Augustin has been outed for the scum that he truly is...respect, trust, and honesty has all but dissipated because of his actions. This is one voting family and friends who will not support his re-election as a senator. What a shame...but then again, he is apparently immune to any feeling of it so long as his pockets are filled with blood money!💀
Birds of a feather flock together.
I've called his office twice within the last week and all they could tell me was B.S. "they're doing research" I'm going to keep calling