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<br /> If all of the County of Hawaii's income and budget were allocated exclusively to West
<br /> Hawaii, (the Districts of North Kona, South Kona, North Kohala, South Kohala and Ka'u), and to
<br /> equally fast growing and infrastructure starved Puna, for the next twenty years - not a cent for Hilo
<br /> for the next twenty years - the infrastructure problems of West Hawaii and Puna would still not be
<br /> solved. It would not be enough money. In other words, its not spending money on the Hilo side
<br /> that's causing infrastructure problems for West Hawaii. It's decades of poor planning, inadequate
<br /> control, lack of foresight, inadequate developer contributions, and neglect of infrastructure that has
<br /> created the present mess.
<br /> The solution now is not an angry call for another layer of government in the form of a West
<br /> Hawaii county or municipality. This is particularly so when that can't be done, except by a State
<br /> constitutional amendment, which requires the support of most Oahu legislators and most of the
<br /> State's voters. They aren't interested in West Hawaii and have problems of their own. Even the
<br /> support of our own Island's East Hawaii legislators and voters cannot be relied upon.
<br /> We need a competent (i.e. adequately paid) government willing to make hard decisions and
<br /> withstand the pressure of the few in favor of promoting the best interests of the many. One big
<br /> thing that could and should be done on the County level now would be to establish a West Hawaii
<br /> Planning Commission, separate from the present countywide Planning Commission, many of
<br /> whose members just don't get it.
<br /> Another big thing would be to produce good West Hawaii candidates for the countywide
<br /> Mayor's office, and then to get out the vote for them. There arc too many complainers and not
<br /> enough voters. West Hawaii and Puna have enough full time residents eligible to register and vote
<br /> to control who is elected Mayor. But not enough of them register and vote, neither to protest nor to
<br /> support. It is also necessary for West Hawaii residents to apply for and get appointed to County
<br /> and State Boards and Commissions. This means you getting involved.
<br /> East Hawaii consistently has more voters registered and has more voters voting in the
<br /> primary and general elections than West Hawaii, even though West Hawaii has the numbers to
<br /> control the county-wide elections if that eligible population would just register to vote, produce
<br /> good candidates, campaign for them, and vote. East Hawaii also serves up their share of State and
<br /> County Board and Commission members. If you don't vote, don't complain. If you don't
<br /> volunteer to serve on County and State boards and commissions, don't complain.
<br /> Let's catch up on infrastructure, and have a productive moratorium as part of that process.
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<br /> Add up the cost of all the infrastructures West Hawaii and Puna needs that the County
<br /> could supply: water, police, fire protection, County roads, recreational facilities and public access,
<br /> adequate planning and building processing, inspection, and enforcement, and the like. It will be a
<br /> huge tab. Then have the County issue bonds to pay for it all, with the costs of repaying the bonds to
<br /> be a countywide tax obligation, paid for by all of the County's taxpayers, throughout the Island.
<br /> West Hawaiians could get what they need to address and deal with the gross infrastructive
<br /> shortages. East Hawaii would get renewed vigor in the West Hawaii economic engine, which drives
<br /> the whole County forward. And the local economy gets a huge long-term boost in development of
<br /> and investment in infrastructure.
<br /> Needed from the State is prompt investment in State roads (like Queen Kaahumanu
<br /> Highway), schools, University of Hawaii's West Hawaii campus, courts, jail and State office
<br /> facilities, Kona and Kohala hospital facilities, paid for with a commitment to use money generated
<br /> from West Hawaii spent here, such as the hotel room tax (TAT), traffic fines, excise and income
<br /> taxes, and the like. And again the local economy gets a huge boost from public expenditures in
<br /> infrastructure by the State.
<br /> To get this kind of attention from the State will require strong, persistent State office holders
<br /> from West Hawaii who show up, work hard, and can work with the majority of the State's
<br /> legislators, combined with strong and vocal West Hawaiians on State boards and commissions. Not
<br /> all of West Hawaii's current State legislators fit that description.
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