ZERO TOLERANCE SOUGHT

Random drug testing for government of Guam workers who hold critical jobs
is required, but some agency heads or department directors have had the
discretion not to order such tests right away because of budget constraints.

Gov. Felix Camacho's administration acknowledged such a problem exists, and
is about to stop agency -- or department-level financial difficulties from
getting in the way of drug tests.

The governor is taking the discretion away from agency and department
officials by consolidating directly within the Department of Administration
the funding approval and payment for drug testing, said Lou Perez, the
department's director, by phone yesterday. Perez explained the plan when
asked to elaborate on a press release from the governor's office.

The move is in line with the Camacho administration's "zero-tolerance"
anti-drug policy which the governor is expected to discuss today at the
"Mandatory Drug Testing Symposium: Do we Pass? Do we Fail?"

The anti-drug symposium, which will also involve the judiciary and the Guam
Chamber of Commerce, starts at 8 a.m. at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa and
will go on through this afternoon.

"I am excited by the collaborative efforts among the executive branch, the
unified judiciary, federal officials and local and off-island professionals
in putting together a united front against drug use in our schools and work
place," the governor said in a press release.

"As governor, but more importantly as a parent, we cannot sit idly by as
narcotics threaten to destroy the lives of our younger generations," he added.

Perez said random drug testing is conducted on GovGuam workers who hold
critical positions, such as school bus drivers and employees who operate
the cranes at the seaport. Employees who raise suspicion and those who are
hired to work for GovGuam also go through drug testing, she said.

Drug testing for all GovGuam new hires is being done, Perez said.

But there have been instances in which random drug tests were not done on
current employees because an agency or department director would say they
don't have the budget, Perez.

By amending an executive order on drug testing, Perez said, the governor
would take the drug-test payment process from agency and department officials.

She said it costs under $100,000 a year to pay for GovGuam drug tests.