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Absentee Ballot for Military Active Duty in Local Elections

A lot has been written and published on Faleomavaega's bill that would allow all military active duty service members to register through their respective command post in order to vote absentee for the American Samoa gubernatorial and House of Representative races, so we'll defer the discussions and the deliberations of the issue to our respective Congressman and local political leaders. Most of our local politicians that deliberated over the current law as well as the issue at hand were either military retirees or have served in the military. We are confident that the final resolution will be a win-win situation for American Samoa as well as military active duty service members.

This letter is directed to our military active duty service members, especially those that are interested in local elections and the operation of the American Samoa Government (ASG). The right to register through your command post using the system in place by the military and vote absentee for local elections will give us the opportunity and responsibility to be actively involved with ASG. The current number of active duty service members in the military will make our vote a very influential voice in local elections. Therefore, this is the prime time to re-visit the issue of home of record (HOR). Claiming American Samoa as your HOR will re-direct your taxes to be paid to ASG, otherwise your vote and your taxes should go to the state of your choice. The taxes paid to ASG can be viewed as your tautua to the people of American Samoa to help with its operations in order to perpetuate our Samoan culture and language for future generations.

Let us do our part to help ourselves help American Samoa with this noble cause by promoting the idea that if you are going to participate in local elections then you must claim American Samoa as your HOR. Furthermore, you should make an effort to cast your vote in every election and stay on top of local issues and trends that are important to American Samoa. As the late President Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country."

If nothing else, look at your taxes as your contribution to preserve your cultural birthrights. We will leave you with this quote commonly used by our Congressman coined by the late Senate President, Paramount Chief Letuli Toloa, "go to Samoa, breathe the dust and walk the pebbles and you will understand your people."

You are the very best that Samoa has sent to the military, so let us collaborate to ensure that everybody is informed of this cause and our responsibility to our people. We are willing to support such an effort from Ft Bragg, North Carolina. Our contact information is listed below.

Respectfully,

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Tuileama Nua
44th Medical Command
Tuinua@hotmail.com
910-364-2722

Major Tauapai Laupola
United States Army Special Operations Command
Tauapai@aol.com
910-574-6171

Palota mai Fafo a le Militeri i Palotaga i Lotoifale

E tele tusitusiga ma tala ua lomia e uiga i le pili a le Tofa Faleomavaega ina ia mafai ai e i latou o tautua i le militeri i aso uma ona resitara i totonu o pou ta�itasi a le militeri e gafa ma faiga palotaga ina ia mafai ai e i latou on palota mai fafo mo palotaga a Amerika Samoa mo le Kovana ma le Maota-o-Sui. O lea o le a ma le afea lea mataupu ae o le a ta'atia atu e lalafo ai le tofa ma le faautaga a le tatou sui aoao i Uosigitone ma le mamalu o ta'ita'i o le tatou malo. O le to'atele o i latou sa iloiloina le tulafono o iai nei faatasi ai ma le mataupu o feagai nei ma i tatou; e ritaea mai le militeri pe sa tautua fo'i i vaega'au a le Malo. O lea ua iai le ma faatuatuaga i le tofa mamao ma le faautaga loloto a ta'ita'i o le tatou malo o le a mafai ai ona maua se faai�uga manuia o lenei mataupu aua le Atunu�u ae maise alo o Samoa o lo�o tatua i le militeri.

O lenei taumafaiga e faasaga tonu ia i latou uma o lo'o tautua nei i le militeri (active duty) o lo'o saafi e fia auai i palotaga a Amerika Samoa. O lou aia e te resitara ai mo palotaga a Amerika Samoa e faaoga ai le ofisa e gafa ma palota a le militeri ma e palota ai mai fafo mo lona Kovana ma le Maota o Sui, e a�afia ai ma le matafaioi e tatau ai ona e silafia ia fuafuaga uma a le Malo o Amerika Samoa ma le vaega o Palotaga. Ua faitau afe le aofaiga o tatou o tautua i vaega'au a le malo. A palota uma lenei to'atele, o le a avea i tatou ma se vaega malosi tele ma e mafai ona suia ai faai'uga o palotaga. O lea la, ua tatau ai ona toe asia ai le mataupu o (home of record) o le sitete po'o le teritori e te soifua mai ai. Aua o le sitete po'o le teritori fo'i lea e totogi ai au lafoga. Afai o e tusia Amerika Samoa o le teritori na e soifua mai ai, o Amerika Samoa fo'i e totogi ai au lafoga, ae a leai e tatau ona fai lau palota ma totogi au lafoga i le sitete ua e filifilia. O lau lafoga ia Amerika Samoa o lau tautua lava lea i lona faigamalo e faatupe ai fuafuaga a le malo ina ia faamautu ai pea ia lau aganu�u ma lau gagana Samoa aua tupulaga lalovaoa mo le lumanai.

O lea la e tatau ona fai so tatou sao ina ia silafia uma ai e i latou o e sapasapaia lenei taumafaiga ma fia auai i palotaga mo le lotoifale ina ia tusia Amerika Samoa o le nu�u na e soifua mai ai, faia lau palota i palotaga uma ma ia e silafia ia mataupu e taua i le faigamalo a Amerika Samoa. Pei ona saunoa mai le Peresitene o Keneti, "aua e te fesili po'o le a se sao e fai e lou malo mo oe-ae fesili poo le a sou sao e fai mo lou malo." Ae a leai, avea lau lafoga ma lau tautua ile militeri e fai ma ou sao i le puipuia o measina a Samoa. E ma te faamanatu atu le lu�itau a le Afioga ia Letuli Toloa, Peresitene o le Senate, i le Tofa a Faleomavega, "alu i Samoa e te manavaina le pefu ma savali le ma'ama�a ona e iloa lea o le finagalo o Amerika Samoa."

O outou o lupe faalele sili ia a Samoa o tu'uina mai i le militeri, o lea, tatou galulue faatasi ia silafia uma e alo o le Atunu'u le mataupu o talanoaina nei atoa ai ma so tatou sao mo Amerika Samoa. E ma te sapasapaia mai Ft Bragg, NC se finagalo autasi o alo ma fanau a Samoa o i le militeri e tusa o le mataupu o talanoaina nei e taitai o le tatou malo faatasi ai ma so tatou sao i le faatino ina o lenei taumafaiga. O lo'o tusia i lalo ia ma telefoni ma imeli e saili atu ai so outou finagalo.

Ma le faaaloalo tele,

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Tuileama Nua
44th Medical Command
Tuinua@hotmail.com
910-364-2722

Major Tauapai Laupola
United States Army Special Operations Command
Tauapai@aol.com
910-574-6171

August 10, 2007

Absentee Ballot for American Samoa's Local Election

American Samoans in the US Military are Constituents and Taxpayers that should be afforded the opportunity to vote using absentee ballots in our local election.

I once asked a friend whether he would vote for a candidate that is uninformed or apathetic with his needs and even our country. His answer is reminiscent of the Lawmakers who were voted into the Fono, he said "to do so is to stagnate, become irrelevant, even dry, and blown away". Lawmakers telling "Eni changes to election laws are from the Fono" is a welcome statement by the Fono Leadership, acknowledging they have accepted their responsibility and are committed to the people of American Samoa including all of their constituents in the United States Military. Regrettably, I know all to well, these words are hollowed at best and not worth the ink and paper it is printed on.

In March 2000, I wrote to every lawmaker both Senators and Representatives including the Governor and Lieutenant Governor who is currently Governor of American Samoa, urging them to change local election laws to allow service members to vote because we are TAXPAYERS to the American Samoan Government . I personally met with Governor Togiola in his office and other lawmakers in the Fono building on the subject. Unfortunately, I returned to duty sadden by the apathetical lack of concern for American Samoan taxpayers serving our Nations Military around the world. Despite the setback, myself and other service members have actively engaged Congressman Eni Faleomavaega for his support urging the Governor and the Fono to amend or change American Samoa election laws to allow service members to vote through absentee ballots for the local and federal elections. This led to Congressman Faleomavaega sponsoring the plurality law in 2004, a right we proudly exercised in last years election. In August 2006, I sent an email to the current President of the Senate urging him, since there is already a procedure in place to certify that military members are eligible to vote in the federal election, it only makes sense that the local law extend this certification, so that military members may also vote for the local governor, lieutenant governor, and house members via an absentee ballot.

My correspondence went unanswered and today despite Congressman Faleomavaega's attempts, our Fono's leadership was indifferent and unyielding by the argument that we are constituents and taxpayers to American Samoa. Sadly enough, the only lawmaker from American Samoa who is willing to speak for and defend our service members rights is Congressman Eni Faleomavaega.

Today, our Territory has paid a tremendous price with the blood sacrifice of our sons and daughters in this War on Terror to further the cause of freedom. Our Territory has suffered the highest death per capita in this War more then any State or Territory in the Union. The least our Governor and Fono leadership can do is to honor the blood service of our Samoan servicemen and women by adopting a resolution to allow our Troops to vote through absentee ballot, debate it, vote in favor of it, and have the Governor sign it into law.

Unfortunately, Fono members are against this bill and one has publicly stated "it is the Soldier's fault if he/she joins the military without appearing locally to register to vote". Incredible! I have a daughter who is scheduled to deploy next month to Iraq; a nephew and 15 personal dear friends of 32 years of active military service who have died in this War to bequeath the very freedom that gave him the right to say such a reckless, irresponsible, and immature public statement like this.

This may come as a surprise to you but we are actually fighting a War on Terror and service members of other States and Territories in the Union can vote in general elections on Federal, State, and Territory via absentee ballot. I think you owe an apology to every parent of all Samoan Soldiers who were kill in this War and every Service member who are currently serving to protect your freedom for that foolish and careless statement you made.

Additionally, this blatant disregard for our service members right to vote should be a JUST CAUSE for our Governor, Senators, and Representatives to change the present voting law on behalf of their constituents and TAXPAYERS who are unable to speak for themselves in the noble house of Paramount Chiefs, High Chiefs, and Representatives of our Territory, due to current obligations to the greatest military in the world. Great leaders and Giants of our Territory have spoken eloquently to champion resolutions that further the of Rights for our citizens and I have all the confidence that our current leaders will review these issues objectively and do the right thing.

Finally, I vehemently urge and encourage all military members (Active, Reserve, and National Guard) to write and send emails to the Governor, Senators, and Representatives of American Samoa to adopt and vote in favor of a new resolution to change the voting laws to allow us to vote via absentee ballot, or otherwise support the bill that Congressman Eni Faleomavaega is pushing through the US Congress. I fervently ask of your family members to do the same.

Respectfully,

Iuniasolua Tului Savusa
Cell: (49) 0162-271-7462