2007-07-11 Board of Ethics Minutes Regular Session

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Lloyd- Roberts: Excuse me if I am a little nervous, this is not my forte. My name is Laurie Lloyd- Roberts, and when I moved to this island I moved here for many reasons, and Emily —and the way Emily is, is probably one of the biggest reasons. I've had my heart really opened by her. I'm not what you would call one religious person. I don't believe in God, but having worked on Emily's campaign we would pule, before and after. At no time —being as one of the accusations is that Ms. Hale was saying she was being forced to pule in the office —do I believe, even during the campaign, was anyone ever forced. If anyone wanted to step out of line and not participate, would Emily ever say anything? Of course Emily wouldn't do that. I just feel it is an accusation that has no— especially knowing Ms. Hale and what a strong personality she is— nobody can make her do anything. Chair: Thank you for coming. Thank you. Lum: I have a question. Excuse me. Ms. Lloyd - Roberts- Lloyd- Roberts: —Yes. Lum: In the pule situation, is that happening in the office, or is that- Lloyd- Roberts: —I'm talking in regards to the campaign, when we worked on the campaign, and I guess my testimony is that also knowing Barbara Hale and how strong a personality she is, that —and the type of person that Ms. Nae`ole is —that she would never force Ms. Hale to pule in the office. That if Ms. Hale chose not to do so, that she could walk away and do whatever it is she would need to do and that Ms. Nae`ole would do what she needs to do, which is part of her culture, and we need to understand that, too. So I mean pule is not about we— sometimes as white people think about praying —there is part of it that is cultural, about blessing something before it begins. Lum: Thank you. Chair: Thank you. Antoinette Wilson. Wilson: Aloha. I am just here to —I am a person from Puna. That is the area she represents, and I'd like to say that my dealings with her — issues —I'm not here from Hawaii Community College, but I am here for myself —but dealt with her on issues from our campus and from our area of Puna. And when I have dealt with her, I felt she was very knowledgeable and her heart has been there. I have seen her before she was a Councilwoman, that she helped out a lot of the down - and -out people and the minorities, that she advocated very strongly. So I feel that she is woman of big aloha, and big heart and advocacy, and I don't —I feel in my na`au —that these charges just don't sit right. That, you know, I don't think she's the type of person that a character would do these kinds of things. So that's all I 7