TODAY I’m changing the Governor’s Weekly Address to the Weekly Citizens’ Address. Every week I’m inviting citizens into my office to talk about anything, and share their thoughts with you and me.

This week, young Christopher Dimalanta, a 7-year-old who goes to Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School ... and 7-year-old Chloe Call from P.C. Lujan Elementary ... are pioneering the Citizens’ Address.

Thoughts from Chloe and Christopher in their interview:

Governor: "What do you like best about your school?"
Christopher: "I like going to the library."

Governor: "What don’t you like about school? Anything ... you know, when you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing that makes you..."
Christopher: "Oh ... what I don’t like is when I’m late for school."

Governor: "Oh man, let me ask you this then, do you take the school bus, or do you get dropped?"
Christopher: "Sometimes I get dropped, but at 6 nobody was there but the bus already came."

Governor: "Oh, I better talk to Joanne Brown, make sure those buses are ready, OK? Now Chloe, your turn, what don’t you like about school?"
Chloe: "Um, doing hard work."

Governor: "Doing hard work? What is hard in school?"
Chloe: "Um, math."

Governor: "Math, that is hard, huh? What are you doing in math now? Are you doing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division? What are you doing now?"
Chloe: "Addition."

Governor: "What needs to be done to make school less boring?"
Christopher: "Nothing boring"
Chloe: "Um, getting ready to go outside and play."

Governor: "So you like the playing thing too, huh? Oh that’s cool. Get a little sunshine ... some Vitamin D. That makes school exciting, don’t you think? Playing in the playground? Oh man, that’s a good answer too. What do you think of the roads? Are they okay?"
Chloe: "Uh, they’re okay."

Governor: "They’re okay? It doesn’t get too bumpy? Not in Barrigada? You know why? Because we just finished the road, the tri-intersection in Barrigada near Crown Bakery. So the road’s much smoother, so it’s OK, huh?
Christopher: "Oh, are you done with the one near, um, at Agaña?"

Governor: "Man, in Agaña, we’re still working on that one. It will take some time, but we’ll finish by the time – what grade are you?"
Christopher: "Second grade."

Governor: "Hopefully by the time you’re 4th grade, hopefully 3rd grade it’s all finished ... but we’re gonna make sure, I’m gonna call Joanne Brown again and make sure we get those roads paved ... we gotta make sure we get those roads paved faster. Oh man, we’re going to be paving a lot of roads, a lot of roads, so it’ll be neater and better by the time you’re finished ... hopefully by the end of this year it’ll be a lot better."
Christopher: "Um, some of the roads are bumpy because my baby sister, she gets a little cranky."

Governor: "Oh man, well, I’m going to make sure we fix up all the roads. We’re still trying. And we’re going to be doing a lot of road projects over the next few years."

It’s important for leaders to listen. If we did all our work without listening, then this really wouldn’t be a government of, for, and by the people. I’m really grateful today that young Chloe and Christopher came to my office to share their thoughts.

I want them, all their classmates, and all public school students to know that we are listening ... that what they say is valued. One of the main components of education reform is to give students a voice in the evaluation process ... to listen to them and their teachers more.

I also want to address Christopher’s thoughts about the roads in our villages. Yes, our roads need a lot of work. And I have a solution. A couple months ago we dedicated a few hundred thousand dollars to fix the road at the Gil Baza subdivision. In a couple days that road will be open. And it was done by the men and women of Public Works.

I’ve talked to Joanne Brown and asked her what it will take for DPW to fix other roads throughout our island ... like the village streets in Agat, or Roy Damian Street, or the busted-up roads in Kaiser and Astumbo Dededo. In every village, we need better roads leading up to our homes. She said if she had just $3 million – at the very least – to buy the trucks, back hoes, and other equipment, her men could do the job.

That $3 million exists. It’s stuck in an account held by the federal receiver for the landfill. It’s excess proceeds that taxpayers have paid. So I’m going to ask the District Court Judge to release those funds so Public Works can start fixing our roads.

Our mayors have been asking for this support. You have been demanding more action. And you heard it straight from Chloe and Christopher here. They want better roads too.

Christopher and Chloe pioneered this Weekly Citizens’ Address ... and I thank them and their parents for allowing them to do this. If you have something to say, please call my Communications Office at 475-9303. Ask for Natalie or Raymond and we can set you up to record this weekly message with me. Or email them at communications[at]guam.gov. I invite you to talk about anything you want. This is your government. Your voice deserves to be heard.