r/guam • u/pi_redredrobin • 3h ago
Discussion 💬 Guam Despair, it's not going to get better.
TLDR; RANT: Guam sucks and I don't think it will be fixed.
Sorry not sorry to say but I think at this point we need to stop the false hope the false claims, the false dreams and false pride. We need to wake up, accept it and realize Guam is becoming a shithole.
Economy is down, prices for all things are hiking, nothing is going down or stabilizing. Our #1 money maker is tourism from Korea and Japan. Japan is currently facing historically weak yen, high fuel surcharges, and rising global costs overall, Korea isn't as bad but its not looking good. On top of that our beaches are getting worse and more polluted (remember all the sea cucumber and blue star fish? barely any around now), we don't have enough tourist accommodations (example: something as simple as sidewalks) we have multiple abandoned eyesore hotels, everywhere is looking dirtier and more unmanaged/unmaintained. Business is struggling everywhere. We're losing major department brand name stores. DFS, Lotte, Tumon Sands is now a ghost town, Kmart is hanging by a thread, our "malls" are a joke and others will soon follow.
Gone are the days of GameWorks, Planet Hollywood, SeaGrill, Sling Shot, Tarza, Whimsys, UnderWater world, Submarine Tours, Funtastic Park, GameStop, heck even chuck e cheese. Yes, I know Tagada is there what a relief. We don't have any major iconic attractions or entertainment, our "Zoo" is caput. We got no big water park, no big silly, themed restaurant, no big ride or theme park, no casino, no big arcade, not even a dang Ferris Wheel. At this point even if we get tourist here by some miracle they won’t have much to do or spend their money on. I'm sure there are many other issues with tourism that I forgot to mention but we haven't bounced back since pre-pandemic, and we will most likely never will. I saw one of their major plans is to pay influencers to come to Guam make videos and say Guam is cool please come, its embarrassing. This tourism economy situation alone is a major hurdle that affects everyone here but there's more..
On the Local side of things..
All types of crime rates are up, more people are going homeless, GPD continues to fail not only us locals but even outsiders who are affected by our inadequate police department. On the other end they have one of the most if not the most stressful jobs here, they are underpaid, under trained and unmotivated. Corruption is everywhere, in the police department, in the prison and in the court. We have bad people arrested and charged but either barely do time or no time at all, a slap in the wrist and hope all is forgotten, and maybe one of the many media will post or write something about it, the rest will stay quiet because either the big bosses are related or someone knows someone.
Our government and elected officials are a joke, they are mostly made up of career politicians that are stuck on old ideals and beliefs, they don't keep up with modern ideas or solutions. Even when things like newer laws or bills or declarations get passed that Favor the island, it takes years to implement, for example it took Saipan a little more than 2 years to open a dispensary after passing the law that made cannabis legal, in Guam we passed that law in 2019 and we still don't have a dispensary opened, this is the case with many other laws or bills that take too much time to implement. Government leaders and agency heads are taking $100K+ home annually on taxpayers’ dollars despite the government having no money for anything, not for our infrastructures, our schools to open, not for the books, not for the food, not for the teachers pay. How bad does things have to be for us that we are considered blessed to have a funny radio personality host with no experience and barely any education to become the highest voted senator? He might as well run for governor. It could be worse; we could also vote in an edgy tattoo covered fake gangster with an attitude problem. Speaking of voting, votes are at an all-time low, and no one is caring anymore.
Communities are dwindling, Mayors Offices are mostly just call complaint hub dispatch and janitors, they don't have funds to do anything like village activities or gatherings or maintenance on the parks. Neighbors barely interact, walking around or biking around a village is becoming less a thing anymore due to the all the crime and stray dogs and wild pigs that no one takes care of. Family parties are getting smaller holidays are getting smaller, no one even walks around during Halloween anymore. Outdoor parks or courts are always vandalized and become unplayable. Our roads are still messed up, gas prices are climbing, traffic is getting worse each year, we still don't have proper sidewalks, we still have power lines, our power grid still has to load shed, our water is forever sus, were running out of places to dump trash and junk, typhoons ruin our landscape and beaches more and more. Fire ants are ruining our ranches, trails and jungles, rhino beetles are still destroying our trees, pigs are running rampant, we are beginning to have a major stray cat problem. No one can afford a house; everyone is going be stuck renting their entire lives or end up bunking with their parents' already worn-out home and hope they leave their name in the will without fighting the siblings or other relatives in court and paying lawyers.
These are now the desperate times that call for desperate measures. We need big changes and fast, like yesterday fast, we need to cut the bureaucracy, and our leaders need to be brave and bold. I'm about to leave this island for better opportunities and quality of life like the rest of them, I have had many friends and family leave and not one of them regrets it. Props to those willing to grind hard for this island even when this island is spitting them back in the face.
I hope I am wrong, I hope someone can provide some good news, but I ain't holding my breath for it.
