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to give us jobs? Because if it does save us money, where does that money go? Now large
<br />superstores say that, you know, they’ll take care of the local district that they will be in, they’ll
<br />take care of the environment that they’ll be in, and they’ll take care of the people. But when you
<br />take a look at it as I’ve seen in other superstores, and the one that we have here is Wal-Mart, it’s
<br />that a lot of the entry level jobs are for locals. But when you graduate to the higher levels in that
<br />job capacity, they’re not. And so how much of that will be benefit our children?
<br />The third reason, taking a look at superstores, is that when we see superstores, we’re going to see
<br />nothing else. And I think that takes away from where we are able to make choices. Choices are
<br />gone for us with superstores for that. And superstores, you know, if we had a million and a half
<br />people as Honolulu does, it makes lots and tremendous money. Yeah, but why does Costco sit in
<br />Kona instead of Hilo? Cause I consider that a superstore too. Okay, so when you define here
<br />exceeding 90,000 gross square feet, you know, that’s quite a large store if we want to do that.
<br />The other thing I wanted to address is I did not know that there was a 5a that they would be
<br />attaching where you, I know that the Planning Department had come up with let’s pick a zone
<br />then for superstores for that. And I am concerned about that portion because, one, this particular
<br />amendment here bans superstores while your 5a creates, creates a situation where they can have
<br />superstores. And that’s where it concerns me. Because I live on Hawaiian Home lands, and
<br />believe it or not I’m building a house after 25 years after I have gotten a handed-down lease from
<br />my grandmother, only now building. So, you know, you can see the time span that it takes to
<br />work with Hawaiian Home in order to get someone on there to live. When you take a look at
<br />how much property or how much land, I kind of visualize selling land, but we do it all the time
<br />and it’s just the way of American life for there. But I can see the caring of land which I’ve been
<br />brought up to do. When you take a look at that, then lands that are specifically going or is stated
<br />in other laws to rehabilitate an indigenous people, where there’s a cloud that we have verses who
<br />has jurisdiction over whom or where’s the governance -. You know, we talk about County
<br />planning, we talk about Hawaiian Home’s jurisdiction. And yet even though if you say no
<br />superstores you’re going to do it in new zoning, Hawaiian Home can just say, well, we’re going
<br />to build there anyway. So how much jurisdiction does the County have? And if they do then I
<br />as a Hawaiian Homesteader would like the Planning Commission to come in favor with us and
<br />say no superstores on Hawaiian Home lands. Thank you.
<br />GRAHAM: Thank you, Ms. Leong. Any comments, questions from the
<br />Commissioners? All right, I’ll take the next three testifiers.Thank you for yours. I have James
<br />Kim, Terry Crowley and John Yates, III, if you folks would come forward. Could you all raise
<br />your right hand, please. And do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Planning
<br />Commission today on this matter?
<br />TESTIFIERS: Yes. I do.
<br />GRAHAM: Thank you. Keep in mind, again, we’re looking at the two agenda items.
<br />Item 5 was initiated by the Council which would effectively ban superstores and Item 5a was
<br />initiated by the Planning Director which would give the opportunity for the Council to create a
<br />district where they could be allowed if the Council so chose. So you might just be clear in those
<br />regards with your testimony. Mr. James Kim, if you would go first, and I’ll ask you to give your
<br />name and address, and then go ahead with your testimony.
<br /> EXHIBIT D 9
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