Thursday, October 10, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Am Samoa: Coverup on Rep Faleomavaega Health Questions?
By Selected News Articles @ 4:07 PM :: 8056 Views :: Democratic Party, National News, Politicians

Dec 10, 2013: UPDATE: Faleomavaega a "no show" at event; Remarks delivered for him

Coverup on Faleomavaega Health Questions?

From ABCDEF Group November 18, 2013

It has been almost a month now since Delegate Faleomavaega was stricken with some unrevealed ailment after arriving on an evening flight from Honolulu to Pago Pago on October 21 to attend a territorial summit on education organized by his sister, the local government’s director of education.

After a day in LBJ hospital, medical authorities judged that local facilities were not adequate to treat him so he was evacuated by military transport to Hawaii, where he was admitted to Tripler Army Medical Center. But, since the onset of his condition and his evacuation, which were covered in several stories in the local media and one AP wire report that was carried by numerous outlets in the states, there has been a virtual news blackout on the 70-year-old’s condition or even what ails him. Save for two “updates” written from statements handed out by his office, everything else has been a matter of speculation because the delegate is not receiving visitors either.

The most recent story carried in the Saturday, November 16 Samoa News suggests that Faleomavaega’s health situation is a lot more serious than his office has acknowledged and from here it could be construed that the local media is participating in a coverup. Neither Samoa News, the only general circulation daily newspaper, where his sister-in-law is an editor and the territory's representative to the Democratic National Committee, nor the only radio station that carries local news, has gone beyond what they have been told about Eni’s situation. All that Samoa News would say in its story over the weekend is that Faleomavaega is suffering from “an illness that his office has yet to make public,” while KHJ-FM said absolutely nothing at all about the nature of his illness.

The day he was evacuated, Samoa News wrote “Faleomavaega’s Office in Washington D.C. in a statement yesterday morning reiterated that the Congressman, 'is not in a life-threatening situation' but didn’t provide any other details.” Yet in Saturday’s story, his office, while saying the delegate “is expected to make a full and complete recovery (language used in previous statements),” his office director told Talanei (KHJ’s internet line outlet) that “the congressman arrived at Tripler just in time to receive the care he needed. Since being at Tripler,” he continued, “the congressman has made significant progress in his recovery, although there were times when we were unsure of how this would all turn out.” So much for the "not life-threatening" line.

Yet, none of this has been reported to the public and despite intense public interest and rumors, the media has not even speculated. However, where the local media seems to be a bit “shy,” we will not be. Reading between the lines and looking at the language, we believe Faleomavaega has suffered a stroke. In saying he will be “moved” (suggesting it won’t be under his own power) to the Mainland for further “rehab” (a word associated with strokes and other conditions affecting one’s mobility) rather than “recuperation” or “recovery,” it seems reasonable to conclude that he has suffered a stroke, although a massive heart attack is also a distinct possibility, since he had previously had had coronary disease that required bypass surgery.

As the years have progressed in his seemingly endless career, he has looked increasingly frail and there has been much speculation as to whether he is still physically up to the job. Although he is obese, their has been a marked weight loss in recent months but it has not looked like a healthy weight loss. In his most recent campaign for re-election, he even addressed his health issues head on to stave off rumors. Taking to the podium, he admitted that he had had a heart double by-pass, had had an appendectomy, underwent a knee operation, had artificial lenses implanted in both eyes and suffers from high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes. He also admitted he likely was exposed to the chemical agent Dioxin found in Agent Orange while serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in the 1960s. Moreover, observers say the difficulty with which he walks suggests he also suffers from gout.

Despite all of his mounting ailments, he has not slowed the heavy pace of his foreign travels. Despite all the congressional reforms that have cut down outside funding sources for overseas travel and despite now serving in the minority and not having ready access to Foreign Affairs Committee travels funds, he seems constantly to be on the road, particularly to Asia. Whenever Congress is in recess, he is more likely to be found in Bangkok or Seoul than back home so it was ironic that he was stricken on a visit back to American Samoa than some exotic capital abroad. No wonder a 70-year old man constantly fighting jet lag racing through numerous time zones would be a candidate for a stroke.

There are legal safeguards for patient medical information and Samoan culture also honors personal privacy during times of sickness, but the fact remains that he is a public servant and the public has a right to know what medical problems he has and what is prognosis is. Will he be convalescing for weeks, months or longer? Will American Samoa be left to fend for itself with no one representing the territory in Congress until his return? Most states have more than one representative and colleagues can pick up the slack. American Samoa does not have such luxury.

Unless the media does their job, we are left to speculate. The statement from his office says he will be moved either to Utah (where his wife has lived for a number of years) or Washington, DC for rehabilitation. The least we can hope is to know where he will be going because that could provide a clue on his condition. If he were moved to Utah, he is likely he has a more serious condition than his office is letting on because in Utah the members of his LDS church could be expected to circle the wagons and keep the press at bay. That would be much harder to accomplish in Washington, DC, home of the world’s most aggressive media. If he were going to Washington, expect a shorter convalescence and a return to office sooner than later. Stay tuned.

---30---

 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii