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release...a year before this issue comes up and allege there's a <br />conflict of interest. Relationships in Hawai'i goes on for years. <br />Okay, I mean decades. I looked at this and I questioned. If a <br />union member got elected to the Council and they voted on a <br />project that the union would benefit for. Is that Council member in <br />conflict? Because they were a former union member or a retired <br />union member. And the union's gonna benefit. I doubt it. I doubt <br />if you going stretch the interpretation of transparency and conflict. <br />And the question is how far are you gonna stretch? Or how far are <br />you gonna say that there is a conflict after a person leaves. Also <br />with part time Council member...especially if you get elected <br />attorneys on that Council. The amount of interaction they have <br />with the community is immense. Therefore, at what point do you <br />say, the conflict exists or the conflict doesn't. I agree with the <br />previous testifier, that you need maybe to come up with some <br />clearer rules that has maybe timelines in it. And transparency <br />issues. I don't envy this situation because I don't think Ms. <br />Kierkiewicz had did any violation of the public trust. And really <br />there should be an interpretation of what is the public trust. What <br />does the public expect from elected part time officials or what <br />should they expect? I mean I can tell you that...Hilo...especially <br />in Puna has changed dramatically in the last ten, fifteen years on <br />how people respond to each other. And how they believe a <br />relationship is an existence or is not. Or is there a conspiracy <br />within government to do A or B or C. I'm native Hawaiian. Okay. <br />If anybody can testify about how people get overrun by <br />government is native Hawaiians. Okay. So I ask you to come up <br />with some clear guidelines for part time elected officials because <br />that is a very difficult situation to sit in when you're an elected <br />official and you're also have occupations or relationships. I even <br />read about you know sitting on boards of the chamber of <br />commerce. I mean are we gonna extend this kind of situation to <br />where...oh my son or daughter played with his son or daughter on <br />the same team and we had a fundraiser therefore he's my friend or <br />she's my friend so I should disclose he's my friend because his <br />company has actioned before the committee. I mean how far are <br />you going to extend it? That's my question. I think the <br />clarification you need to do is not enviable because what you <br />decide on what a relationship is and how that interacts with the <br />policy...is gonna...possibly change a lot. I personally do not mind <br />a Council member introducing legislation that they had an interest <br />in...in a regards to their worked on and a new people on. Because <br />the idea is to get it in front of the Council and have public <br />discussion. Get it in front of the public and have public discussion. <br />Disclosing that I may or may not have a conflict. Yeah, you <br />should do that. But at what point do you eliminate the timeline to <br />10 <br />