The loss of the canneries was not the fault of ASG under the Togiola administration. Neither was it the fault of Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin (who, by the way has been calling for diversification in the economy for a long time).
Despite the fact I defend our leaders and their responsibility concerning the canneries, its not to be confused with the fact that I believe firmly Governor Togiola has wasted two full terms as Governor (plus a partial term, filling in for the late Governor Tauese Sunia) and two other terms as Lt Governor— in all of that time, he has done nothing at all towards improving the diversity of the economy as a whole of American Samoa. Our current Governor has held one of the top two Government executive seats for well over a decade. He has been paid close to one million dollars directly from the Government payroll. Not including expenses for everything he does and monies he made that isn’t public knowledge. Did our Governor do a million dollars worth of stuff while in office? We cant get back the wasted time. But I think Togiola owes American Samoa a refund.
Yet, having said that, I believe just as firmly that no one could have stopped the canneries from leaving, anymore than anyone could have stopped the Sept 2009 Tsunami from hitting our island.
The loss of one cannery, and the impending loss of the second boils down to this: It was a globally competitive business matter that was out of the control of our leaders. Blaming them would not only be wrong but a waste of time and energy better spent towards solutions.
The canneries are a labor intensive business with Global resources to draw from. American Samoa has not been competitive with labor in the region for decades. More specifically, American Samoa has never been competitive with labor in the tuna industry as a whole. IE: China,
Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Samoa and the Philippines to name just a few are way below the American Samoa hourly wages and have always been so since the days it started to matter.
The advantages SAMPAC and Starkist had in the past were:
1) Duty free import to the US (advantage removed by NAFTA and other trade agreements ) ,
2) Special preference towards US military contracts which were very lucrative... Something that could end as quickly as they began, making long term production plans difficult for canneries in American Samoa.
3) The location close to the fishing grounds (more difficult now with permits, regulations and costs to comply with regulations. American Samoa waters started restricting to limited permits only a few years ago. If you didn’t get one then, your pretty much out of luck no matter how long you have lived here.
Im a US citizen and 14 year resident of American Samoa and can't get a long line permit to fish a commercially viable vessel in American Samoa waters). Even though I used to long line here in my own Alia when I first arrived. Now its regulated and I can't even buy a license because they are not available. So if I want to fish long
line, I have to go far away. Then come all the way back with
my fish frozen in the hold. Distance equals cost and lost profits.. And of coarse the higher risks the further away you go.
Too many regulations just make it very very difficult for us to fish locally.
The US Coast Guard has no problem stopping a US owned vessel at sea and escorting it into port for violations that would be laughed at by most other countries. The cost of this is enormous to the stopped vessel in terms of fuel and lost prime fishing time. Foreign vessels don’t have
the same regulations and financial pressures on them. We just do it to ourselves.
As an extra note on the US Coast Guard:
I am a very big supporter as we all should be. In no way do I hold them responsible for adding any problems to our economic situation. They don’t make laws. They simply enforce them. Don’t blame the cops on the street for giving you a ticket. Blame the law makers who passed the regulations if you don’t agree with them or yourself for not being in compliance. Our economic plight is driven by regulations. Not the enforcement. I just want to make my position clear on that.
4) Strong support from the US ( which initially was just to help American Samoa get on its feet, but we never took advantage, or did anything to help ourselves.) The US never intended to financially hold up Starkist so American Samoans would have jobs. It was a kick start till we got on our feet to help our selves. Which we never got
around to doing because no one forced us to do it. We are a welfare state. We don’t do for ourselves. We ask someone else to do it for us and to pay for everything.
The Director of Interior is so afraid of being accused of cultural insensitivity he just turns a blind eye and lets things slide. No drama on his watch! Just let the money go. But who is paying for the Interiors cowardly and ineffective approach to American Samoa’s self
sufficiency? We all are now! Our leaders act like spoiled kids who were never told no by there parents. Violating law, stealing and when caught red handed hide behind their title or culture as an excuse. Interior keeps cutting the checks.
Our recent administration at the top Executive level has participated in supporting human trafficking with the Daewoosa garment factory disguised as an effort to grow industry in our economy. . Hundreds of imported Vietnamese slaves approved by the ASG Governor. Those were not Samoans
holding these sweatshop jobs...those were imported Vietnamese slaves. So what was the Governor trying to accomplish there? Don’t be afraid to say it! He was using his position of power to make money for himself.
It had nothing to do with helping American Samoa’s economy. How could it possibly be seen any other way. What is worse is we re-elected him!
How do these things happen in American Samoa?
I will tell you how. We re-elect the same people to lead us.
We know they cheat, lie and steal and then they give you a plate of food a few days before the election and you re-elect them again. (we sell our children's future for a plate off food every few years. How stupid is that???)
We don’t vote who we believe is best. We vote for who we are told to vote for by our chiefs, matai and church leaders or whom ever gives us a plate of food before the election. Each and every one of them are promised something by criminals running for office to
get them the votes. The solution? It's easy.. Just care enough about American Samoa to vote your own way. And watch the criminals lose power. Watch your children have a chance to succeed. Watch how things automatically improve when the elected Government isn’t the same people we voted for last time. Some people may be offended by what I just said. There is only one reason they would be offended. Because they are part of the group I just talked about.
My grandfather told me something before he died— he said that elected officials are like diapers. You have to change them often because they become full of crap and start to stink. The lesson? Vote new people into office. Because we know 100% what the old ones are full of.
Do not fear your Government. Take charge of them.
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