On December 3, 2015, Senator Robson Romolow emailed to me his official response to my blog about his sponsorship of a congressional resolution to terminate the Compact of Free Association (COFA) treaty with the United States. In his written response which he also posted on his Facebook page, Senator … [Read more...]
Senator Romolow wants to end the Compact. Why?
I was disheartened to read the recent FSM Congressional resolution dated November 19, 2015, C.R. No. 19-155, calling for a termination of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States no later than the year 2018. My sadness turned to embarrassment when I noticed that my own … [Read more...]
Chuuk Congressmen Call for Compact Termination
On November 19, 2015, two members of the Chuuk delegation to the FSM Congress, Senators Romolow and Fasy Nethon along with Senator Figir from Yap co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution 19-155 (Download Now) requesting the FSM President to terminate the Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the … [Read more...]
Help Support Island Soldier: Micronesians Fighting in US Military
I invite all my friends, colleagues, and family near and far to support Island Soldier, a film documentary project that was recently launched on Kickstarter. Directed by my friend Nathan Fitch, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Kosrae, Island Soldier is "a feature-length documentary that tells the … [Read more...]
Chuukese AmeriCorps Members Seek Answers to Disqualification
Hats off to two strong Chuukese youth, Grace Billimon and Erusa Perkin, for questioning their recent disqualification from the Guam-based AmeriCorps program due to their COFA citizenship. This is an unfortunate problem as now the program will now lose valuable Chuukese-speaking volunteers who can … [Read more...]
Governor Seeks Budget for CPSC from Lame Duck Legislature
In a March 6th proclamation, Governor Johnson Elimo has called for a Special Session of the outgoing 12th Chuuk State Legislature convening on Monday, March 16, 2015. Among the agenda "matters requiring legislative action as soon as practicable" include a bill to amend the State's budget for this … [Read more...]
Kich Chuuk – Voter Registration 2017
"You cannot control the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sail to reach your destination." The recent mid-term elections in Hawaii was an eye-opener in much needed overhaul of our national and state voter registration process for citizens living overseas. Far too many Chuukese … [Read more...]
Who voted Yes / No for secession at Chuuk State Legislature?
This is the complete tally of the votes by members of the Chuuk State Legislature on the question of Chuuk secession based on the official journal as provided by Florence Stanley from the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives. These votes were cast based on the Final Report by the Chuuk … [Read more...]
Chuuk Governor’s Executive Order on Secession Vote
On February 23, 2015, Chuuk State Governor Johnson Elimo signed an Executive Order to postpone the vote on the Chuuk secession question. The good news: On March 3, 2015, Chuukese voters will not have to vote on whether Chuuk should secede from the FSM or not. The bad news: The Chuuk secession … [Read more...]
Chuuk DOE is Hiring
The Chuuk Department of Education (CDOE) is recruiting for two positions at the central office. Per CDOE's stated policy, a potential applicant needs to be a "qualified and motivated FSM citizen who works well under pressure and is willing to take personal leadership for his/her professional … [Read more...]