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MR. SMITH: Oh, thank you. I'm just a "Punatick," don't worry. Anyway, the point is; <br />you folks have done a very, very good job, and basically you see the public out here kind of <br />wondering about this situation because of a perception of impropriety. It's unfortunate that <br />we have had a history of impropriety in our local government. You guys have shown great <br />integrity, as far as I'm concerned. Of course, Mr. Onishi is a character, and I don't know, I <br />would say if the boundaries were good with Mr. Onishi and Mr. Yoshimoto in the same <br />district; they are good. I don't see, I don't hear or see of any problem with the numbers <br />either way. <br />The only real problem that I have with the current plan is the dingle dangle there if Kea`au <br />Town being sucked into District 3. Beyond that, I find that a little odd, but then again, I <br />think the plan in general is excellent. I'm sorry that you folks on the Commission feel put <br />out about this. This is nothing against you at all. I'm glad that you called this meeting <br />because it is here to clear the issue up. I mean, I don't think that the last line drawn is illegal <br />either, but if Fresh had not been stupid, in my opinion, we wouldn't even have this <br />suggested too, that if the line before was good enough, then just re -draw it there and you <br />have eliminated your problem. Again, this has been a long process for you, and I have seen <br />other processes that have been very contentious and caused a lot of heartburn. But again, <br />thank you all, and put the line back the way it was; mahalo. <br />CHR. SIRACUSA: Thank you, Gregory. Do we have any more testifiers in Pahoa? <br />MS. LIVELY: We do, Madam Chair. The last testifier that signed up at this time is <br />Richard Bidleman. He is speaking on Communications 58 and 59, and representing himself. <br />RICHARD BIDLEMAN <br />(At this time Richard Bidleman came forward from Pahoa to address members of the Commission.) <br />MR. BIDLEMAN: Good afternoon. I am only sorry I'm not there today. As you all know, <br />I have had the opportunity to attend most of these meetings. I am going to give my <br />testimony here. Karen has a copy of it. I would like to correct that testimony. I have a <br />word on the second page of the testimony. If you look at the third line from the bottom, it <br />says special interest to, and I meant to say special interest go; the word "to" needs to be <br />changed to "go." I'm sure Karen will note that. I, along with several others, from the <br />Friends of Puna's Future, and interested Puna residents, have followed this redistricting <br />process from the beginning, which has encompassed many months for us citizens' as well. <br />Under the new ground rules, the public could submit plans for consideration. Friends of <br />Puna's Future, as well as other residents of the County, submitted several redistricting plans. <br />I think we can say, in most cases, there was significant public participation. And some of <br />those suggestions were incorporated into the Final Plan. <br />One of the themes that played successfully at most of the community meetings, was not to <br />divide communities. Pahoa Town was split right down the middle. It is now in two <br />districts. It did not have to be that way. The committee could have placed Pahoa Town in <br />one district; but to do so would have required including part of Kea`au Town in one of two <br />Puna districts. It was expressed time and again, that Puna, historically, consisted of three <br />12 <br />