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Faleomavaega, Hannemann battle for a place in D. C.
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Posted on Nov 22 2000
Pago Pago (Samoa News/PINA Nius Online) – Gus Hannemann and Faleomavaega Eni don’t agree about much, but they do agree on one thing – the voter turnout in their run-off election will be much lower than it was on November 7.
Governor Tauese Sunia told Samoa News he would be voting on Tuesday (Samoa time), but he declined to say who he would vote for. “I’ll probably cast my vote based on what is good for the governor’s office,” he said, “but I don’t have a strong feeling.”
Aumua Amata Coleman, who finished third in the first round of the election and now drops out, didn’t get a chance to vote before heading back to her staff job at the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to departing, she declined to endorse either candidate.
Faleomavaega told Samoa News that he understands that the Congressional seat is less important to voters because it has less direct impact on the jobs of government workers than the gubernatorial race does. But he said the Washington job should be regarded as an important part of the American Samoa government.
Hannemann told Samoa News that only $70 million of the $200 million local budget comes from local revenues and the rest comes from the Federal treasury. That, he said, explains the importance of the Congressman’s job.
Hannemann’s campaign is based on the idea that it is time to change representation in D.C. after 12 years of Faleomavaega.
