COMM. 51.20 from J Sanborn re Political reality

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November 10. 2011 County of Hawaii Redistricting Commission 25 Aupuni Street, Council Chambers Hilo, HI 96720 Good Morning Commissioners: My name is J William Sanborn and I have resided in District 9 Waimea since the `80's. I speak personally this morning to share a perspective and personal insight from my past volunteer positions as the immediate past president of the Waimea Community Association, immediate past chair of the Kona - Kohala Chamber of Commerce and as having been a candidate for various County and State offices over the last 10 years where district composition and community participation has always been part of the political reality of our representative government. I extend my aloha to all of you for your tedious volunteer time, efforts, consternation and volume of information that you've had to sift through in these past months. As the past chair of the County Salary Commission when it initially received its charter change with power to decide rather than just recommend, your decision will represent an independent view regardless of how many bus loads of community members come before you or politicians try to blow in your ear. My faith is in your character and hard work to make the appropriate decisions affecting this island community as it relates to the separate communities, neighborhoods, political realities and personal views within. My main point this morning is to share my perspective of Waimea's representation over the last 10 years as a split community. Prior to the current County boundaries, I resided in Lakeland as part of the "historical" District 9 and relocated into town some 10 years ago so I remained in District 9. However, as a former and distinct member of the Waimea community from Lakeland, the issues, focus and concerns were always Waimea- centric, not Hamakua. As one of the bedroom communities in Waimea, Lakeland area residents tend to serve mostly employment on the West side so such concerns as traffic, elementary schools and safety were again Waimea- centric. Geographically, Honokaa and Waikoloa are some 20 miles from Waimea at either end of our town's physical boundaries, with mostly nothing in- between but goats, turkeys and cattle. So although those communities may economically depend upon Waimea for services as the nearest neighborhood commercial location, in addressing such things as crime, Coqui frogs, development progress, traffic and emergencies, they are definitely in a different and distinct focus. Dissappointly, I can only recall one time early in the last 8 years where the Council representative charged with serving a portion of Waimea from District 1, participated in a Waimea Community meeting or even sent a representative to one. On the other hand, the current District 9 Council representative made a point of attending and responding to most invitations extended. Quite a contrast that both defeats the argument that a community benefits from having two representatives advocating for their district when split and that the step -child neighborhoods being served by a separate representative will get full, if any individual attention to concerns more aligned with another district. I mean no disrespect to either Council representatives personally but it has been the reality of focus and representation these past 10 years. To add to this perspective on representation in a split community, may I point out that most, if not all, of the testimony, and passion from both district's current COMM. 51.20