ONE popular definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Makes sense to me. Ever reminisce about how great things used to be and compare them with how screwed up they are now? How’s your memory for things political, like campaign promises and predictions from 20 years ago, or 30? If you’re having trouble with that don’t be too concerned, because you’re in company with most of the Guam electorate.

Should someone ask you questions about who promised what, and when, it’s actually quite simple to respond with a high degree of accuracy. You need only recite today’s news and pretend you’re recalling, say, the Gutierrez ’94 campaign or the Camacho campaign of 2002. There’ll probably be no one to dispute what you say.

Rewind to 1994 and read what gubernatorial candidate Gutierrez had to say. His first priority was – you guessed it – education. What candidate for any public office would dare suggest otherwise? His platform read: “We are committed to a children-first philosophy. All efforts of the school system and the community must be directed towards the students. We will fully support the elected school board, and work with them to ensure a first-rate school system. In the allocation of government resources, education will be funded first.” Didn’t he have some problems with that elected school board?

He predicted 3 million visitors a year and promised a Territorial Aquarium, a convention/performing arts center, a Guam Museum and a Guam Art Gallery. Continuing with the second and third pillars of every political campaign, he also touched upon public safety, promising a police sub-station (Sagan) in every village with responsive police patrols, and that GMH would be a clean, effectively managed and caring institution. Could he have meant “politically clean?” Maybe that’s why he fired the GMH board of trustees and appointed himself in their stead. You may recall where that led. Remember Percocet?

He promised to build an adequate sewer system and “immediately address the sewage seepage and overflow problems at the Agana Boat Basin and other areas” (raw sewage still empties near shore and poisons the sea), and that the Government of Guam Retirement Fund would remain fully funded and viable (unfunded liability is now at $1.5 billion). Here’s a good one: “Payment of outstanding debts to vendors will be a priority of our administration.”

All of the above is interesting but the following is, by far, my favorite quote: “We will ensure that the debate on government finances is responsible, and prevent government directors and officials from engaging in politically motivated and publicity driven advocacy. Government employees, classified and unclassified, will be evaluated based solely on skill, competence, and commitment to serving the people of Guam. We will not engage in political retribution. We will enforce, not circumvent, the merit system, and expect only the highest standards of conduct on the part of government employees and officers.”

Consider how many of his cabinet members and close associates ended up under indictment and/or in jail for corruption. That was of course nearly 20 years ago. You might not recall all or any of it, but you can see how things don’t really change much in the Guam political arena. Same lies, different faces (or not). We voters are supposed to somehow figure out where the political truth lies. Maybe a TV show along those lines would catch on – something like “Guam’s Biggest Liar.” Pay close attention over the next five months and you may be able to pick a winner. Five or six experienced and persuasive liars are already on board and well out in front of the rest of the pack. Be especially wary of those who promise you something for nothing on top of all the somethings you already get for nothing. Remember in November, and stay tuned for more campaign promises from yesteryear.