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
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