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Testimony to 2011 Redistricting Commission <br />December 16, 2011 <br />Re: last minute adjustment to redistricting map <br />From: Susan Dursin, testifying for self <br />Chairperson Siracusa and Members of the Redistricting Commission, Good Afternoon, <br />Speaking as a person who has attended almost all of the redistricting meetings from the first, I <br />was very encouraged to see the work you did. I felt that members of the commission were <br />highly committed to creating an equitable plan that met the letter of the law. That was not <br />easy, given population changes over the past ten years. Your work was transparent, with timely <br />meeting notices and verbatim minutes. Working under severe time restrictions, you met often. <br />You did your homework, came up with preferred plans for your districts, listened to public <br />input, and finally, compromised when necessary. Your collegiality and hard work seemed to be <br />a model for how government process should work. <br />With the final redrawing of the District 2 and 3 line, you stumbled badly. While it's impossible <br />for the public to know what motivated Hilo commission members, the questions cannot be <br />ignored. Why would the commission make a change after the deadline for public input? How <br />much attention was given the obviously orchestrated letters? Why, if they had similar wording <br />and indecipherable signatures (according to Chairperson Siracusa) were they not enough of a <br />red flag to avoid making the requested change at the last minute? <br />As Chairperson Siracusa points out, the decision is cast in lava and anyone trying to go to court <br />would probably not win. However, the damage to public perception has been done. While the <br />commission itself may not have conspired to gerrymander, the public perceives that, at best, <br />they were naive enough to have been taken advantage of. We can only hope that Councilman <br />Yoshimoto is not affected; it's apparent he had nothing to do with Dennis Onishi's maneuvers. <br />Above all, the appearance of impropriety is a sad outcome of an otherwise admirable process. <br />At a time when public confidence in government is at an abysmal low, the last thing we would <br />hope for is this finale. <br />COMM. 57.3 <br />