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1. T <br /> Testimony to the Hawaii County Council On the Appointment of Mr. Takeya to <br /> the Water Commission, Presented by Robert Ritter, March 19,1997 <br /> <br /> Aloha, <br /> Robert Gottlieb wrote in his book, A Life of lts Own, The Politics and Power of <br /> Water, 'Water policy touches our lives in an enormous number of ways. It affects <br /> <br /> the water we drink and the food we eat. It is central to irrigation and urban <br /> growth. It addresses water quality and toxicity associated with increasing kinds of <br /> industrial hazards.....lt establishes in legal, political, and economic terms what to <br /> some is sacred but to others is nothing more than a commodity to buy or sell, <br /> <br /> transfer or lease. Control over water has ukimatety become tantamount to ~ <br /> controlling the destiny of the land and the people who settle on the land." <br /> Because water is so important, I believe the committee should be faithful to ~ <br /> <br /> ArticleXlll, Section13-3 of the Hawaii County Charter which states, "No <br /> appointing authority shall appoint any person to any office or position which is m <br /> exempt from the civil service laws until satisfied by proper investigation that the ~ o <br /> . <br /> person to be appointed is fully qualfied by experience and abilities to perform the <br /> duties of that office ° And, although the qualifications for this position are not <br /> spelled out in detail in the Charter, it makes it clear that someone without ` <br /> experience or ability should not be appointed. <br /> I would like to see the Council ask these questions. Mr. Takeya experienced or <br /> educated in the history, management and politics of water? Does he have any <br /> experience dealing with water issues? Does he have a working understanding of <br /> hydrology, the properties and chemistry of water, the complexity of aquifers and <br /> <br /> the disaster potential inherent in abusing them? Would he recognize and does <br /> he realize the consequences of poor water policies? <br /> The brief statement in the agenda for today states that Mr. Takeya has been a: <br /> land broker for the past 25 years. In that time has he had, or does he currently <br /> have relationships with developers or others that might present a conflict of <br /> interest when the time comes to make decisions for the good of the public and/or <br /> for the good of the environment? Will anyone unfairly profR from his appointment <br /> or his voting? Is he willing to excuse himself from voting if and when any such <br /> conflict of interest arises? <br /> The answers to these questions that go to Mr. Takeya's experience and ability. <br /> should be the deciding factors in his appointment, not partisan politics. Our <br /> county, our citizens, our land, and our environment cannot afford mistakes that <br /> wind up costing us dearly in the long run. Our county government cannot afford <br /> the perception, real or imagined, that it is not adhering strictly to the County <br /> Charter. <br /> Mahalo <br /> B1ie l~o.~..._~~~~~y~.lk!-l <br /> Presenrad- <br /> Lief. ~o._. <br /> Itet. Thite_MAR <br /> 1~ 9 <br /> <br />