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ALAMEDA:Thank you. Other questions? Okay, go ahead, state your name and
<br />address, please.
<br />M. SILVA:Howzit. My name is Mike Silva. I was born and raised here in Pahala.
<br />My grandfather, my father, me, my brothers, all worked for this plantation until it closed down.
<br />We all had to travel for work or, you know, to maintain our livelihood here. We fail, we refuse
<br />to move from this place because, you know, how beautiful it is and how things are here. The
<br />community is all tight, everybody know each other.
<br />Im a, Im for this project. I mean everybody get farming going on, ranching, whatever they
<br />doing. Its not a full time subsidy for us because we all get jobs and all that, but it helps maintain
<br />our livelihood, helps put our kids through college and other thing like that, give our kids an
<br />opportunity to come home to something and make something of their lives and, you know, give
<br />them an extra bonus for do things with something if we have this land. This is the last chance we
<br />havetobuyland,uslocalshere.Allthelandisbeingsold,soldtobigmoneyinbigquantities.
<br />They didnt give us the opportunity to buy the land that were leasing and all that. One time it
<br />was talked about but it wasnt done. So this is the last piece of land that we have that we can
<br />afford. We really, really need these for our families, for ourselves.
<br />So I hope you guys can really realize that, hey, if you shut us down now, you shutting us down
<br />for the rest of our lives, youre shutting down our children, you know. Its something that has to
<br />be considered.
<br />For people that have money, they dont realize how hard time we have. But this is our last
<br />opportunity. Please consider that for us. Were willing to work hard, we have been working
<br />hard all our lives. We know theres dry times, we know theres wet times. We make the best of
<br />it, but we strive on. And thats how we are here. You know, our kids are the same way. So,
<br />hey, please help us here. We need this. Thats all I have to say.
<br />ALAMEDA:Thank you, Mr. Silva. Real quick, could you state your address.
<br />M. SILVA:Pahala. I was born and raised in Pahala.
<br />ALAMEDA:Okay, all right. Thank you, thank you. All right, were going to be calling
<br />up the next five folks, Jerome Warren, Willie Rice, Sterling Robbins, Ruth Bass and Jeff
<br />Sweeney. I want to swear all you in at this time. Could you please raise your right hand. Do
<br />you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawaii Planning
<br />Commission?
<br />TESTIFIERS:I do.
<br />ALAMEDA:Thank you. This time well start this way. If you could state your name,
<br />figure you can get it out of the way, huh?
<br />SWEENEY:Sure.
<br />ALAMEDA:State your name and address and you can proceed.
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