Effects of Jones Act on Guam consumer prices to be examined by Territory's Independence Task Force in January General Assembly

Independent Guåhan to discuss Jones Act, 

To honor late Anthony L.G.

Independent Guåhan invites the public to its monthly General Assembly on Thursday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the main pavilion of the Chamorro Village in Hagåtña. For this first General Assembly of the year, the focus will be on the Jones Act and how Guam’s economy has been inhibited by this colonial imposition.

Jones Act

The Merchant Marine Act, also known as the Jones Act, passed in 1920. The act is designed to protect U.S. shipbuilding and maintain a vibrant American maritime industry. It requires that trade of goods between U.S. ports, including those in the territories, be conducted on ships built, owned and crewed in the U.S., and by U.S. citizens and permanent residents. 

This act has led to an artificial inflation of prices on goods sold in places such as Guam. Such places are unable to take advantage of being in closer proximity to foreign countries that may have comparable and more affordable services. The educational presentation for this month’s meeting will discuss how this act negatively affects our economy and explores the opportunities for economic growth that Guam could achieve as an independent country.

Leader and advocate

Independent Guåhan will also honor the late Anthony Leon Guerrero, former president of the Bank of Guam, as part of the monthly Maga’taotao Series. Leon Guerrero is best known for his role in helping the Bank of Guam, the bank his father Jesus Leon Guerrero helped found, to become the first Guam-based business to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, Leon Guerrero was a strong Chamorro cultural advocate, helping to found both the Guam Humanities Council and Guampedia. 

He was also highly critical of Guam’s unincorporated political status, and strongly favored increased independence for the island. As he wrote in an essay, "If we are to develop our economy, we will have to do it ourselves. The colonizers not only do not help in economic development, they discourage it, either through direct actions or by setting up systems that makes us dependent on their continuing activities.”

For more information, contact Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua at (671) 988-7106, email independentguahan@gmail.com or visit www.independentguahan.com.