2025-01-14 Cyd Shiroma Testimony

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1/14/2025 Regarding: COH Hawaii General Plan 2045 Dear: Planning Director, Planning Commissioners, and others whom this may concern, Our founding fathers wrote the "Declaration of Independence" to protect "We the People" from over reaching government control. They stated that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,... Therefore, the government are in place to serve the People and Not to rule over them. If the County passes this General Plan and things do not work out, can we go back to how things were? Will the government relinquish its power? No! Government never steps back. This reminds me of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and the taking of the Hawaiian Islands. This would be the 2nd taking. Thus, what I see in this General Plan is nothing more than government control! Control our right to own property, control our water usage, control our freedom to travel, control our pursuit of happiness. When, private partnership (i.e. public/private partnership) owns the water, its usage can be shut off, like in the case of Lahina and in the California wild fires. Firefighters in both Maui and California had no water to fight fires with, the hydrants were dry. Also, why would residents be required to put smart meters on catchment systems? Isn't this an invasion of privacy? Shouldn't I be able to use what ever water I have, as I see fit? All proposed plans, will cost a significant amount of money, possibly costing billions of dollars (which the County doesn't have). Where would the County get these funds from? The only alternative would be for the government to increase our taxes, which will cause most people to decrease in their standards of living. This would slow down our economy. Shops and restaurants would close their doors because there would be less patrons supporting them. This also reminds me of the Honolulu Rail project. Cost billions of dollars and still failing. You give government something to do and it goes to shit. Therefore, I vote No on this General Plan 2045. Government should leave well enough alone! Mahalo Cyd Shiroma