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town, it’s not the plantation town. It’s a town that was built upon efforts of many people of diverse races who have come here, and not only people who come from the plantations. In fact, if you recall the plantation history, plantation people couldn’t come to Hilo to shop because their possessions and the wages they were making did not permit them to travel far from where they lived. That’s why the plantations had their own plantation stores in the camps, in their place. So we were kept in a confine area by management. You know, thank God for the union, for the unions that came into the picture, and elevated our standard of living; and therefore we could then afford cars, we could afford some other luxuries. Then at that point we started to travel to Hilo and do a lot of shopping. And I think the plantation communities at that time upheld, you know, upheld Downtown Hilo for a period of time in their hard times. And the fact the plantation mentality, you know, I come from a plantation background. I grew up in a plantation. My father came from the Philippines, my grandfather came from Okinawa. And, you know, all the people that I mingled with came from different areas, different parts of the world; and we made the plantations and we had the plantation mentality. I’m proud that I was brought up with that mentality and the values that I was taught and brought up with; and that’s what makes me the person that I am today. And on top of that, people with plantation mentality have contributed so much to the growth of this State, the State of Hawaii. If you look in their backgrounds, they’re all, most of them or a lot of them came from plantation communities, plantation mentality. That’s what I think contributed to the growth of this state. I just wanted to say that so it’s on record, Mr. Chairman. I’m not angry with you because we all tend to use that phrase “plantation mentality” or whatever. YAMANAKA: Plantation town is taken directly out of the ordinance. DOMINGO: Well, that’s another thing. When that thing comes before me, I’ll make that correction, whatever it means. WOODWARD: All right. Thank you, Commissioner Domingo. Any other questions? Commissioner Au. AU: Thank you, Mr. Yamanaka, for your testimony. I want to ask you about Vision Keepers. You know, it says past and present; and Ms. Eileen O’Hara had mentioned that there was a reorg and -. YAMANAKA: I’m not familiar -. AU: And, well, and you were on it from 2008 to 2009. YAMANAKA: Yes. AU: You know, and I see a bunch of people in this room who are either a past or present member of it. And if there was a reorg, can you just talk about the reorg, like what happened from your opinion? YAMANAKA: Oh, I’m not familiar with the reorganization because I’ve been out since late last year. I think that must have happened after I left so I’m not familiar with it. 12 EXHIBIT C