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But then, on the other hand, I am not crazy enough to believe that all of you folks were in on
<br />a fix. It would have taken one simple question from any commissioner, had you folks
<br />decided to know where all the council members live and that, to say, wait a minute, are we
<br />sure we are not realigning this for some un -holy purpose. Now, again, it looks suspicious
<br />when you read the press, but honestly, I like politicians to be political, and if I were in a
<br />district, a council member, and I liked the way I was representing that district, and then it
<br />comes to a redistricting time, and I'm saying, "Hey, I want to still be eligible to run for this
<br />district. I think I'm doing better work than anybody ever has in this district." Then, I think
<br />our system is actually set up to allow that, and I believe it was up to all the council members
<br />to decide, personally, whether they wanted to be engaged on that level, to make sure they
<br />didn't get cut out or not. And I think that is exactly what our different council members did
<br />do. They made their own personal judgment call on that, regardless of how it may or may
<br />not look in the future, or now, as this is deliberated.
<br />However, this is why we have a separate Redistricting Commission; is to eliminate the
<br />possibility of something being unfairly drawn on an improper basis. So, you know, I am not
<br />ignorant, and I'm just saying that it looks as if something funny went down. But the truth of
<br />the matter is, I would be fighting like crazy to stay in my district, and represent the people
<br />that I think all council members, if you listen to them when they discuss issues, tend to feel
<br />are their people, their district. So, I just urge caution, be careful where the language gets to
<br />accusations of actual violations; be real careful about the language in the laws and the ethics
<br />rules in everything you are discussing here. I like politicians that mix it up and scrap, and I
<br />like a good involved journalism too, and media that investigates and digs it up. So I would
<br />say, everybody, hang loose; I think you did a great job. I think there are not any real
<br />problems with the maps as is. We have other issues that are more pressing, but thanks for
<br />your time.
<br />CHR. SIRACUSA: Thank you. Our next testifier, commenting on the same
<br />communication is Moanikeala Akaka, representing Aloha Aina. Moani.
<br />MOANIKEALA AKAKA
<br />(At this time Moanikeala Akaka came forward to address members of the Commission.)
<br />MS. AKAKA: Aloha. My name is Moanikeala Akaka, and like others, I am here because
<br />of what I read about in the newspaper. And I don't think that it was your fault, or that you
<br />have done anything; you yourself, as a body, has done anything intentionally illegal.
<br />However, it appears to me as though Fresh Onishi is attempting to gerrymander himself into
<br />a fresh district by getting his friends to pressure this body to change the district. I think,
<br />myself, as well as others, feel that way. I don't think that you intentionally may have caused
<br />any problems. However, I think that you were bullied by Fresh's cohorts. As he says, "I
<br />wrote to my friends..." And I think that they helped pressure you into changing the district.
<br />So I think that you should just leave the district the way it was, and that way there will be no
<br />question. However, I think that the voters should look questionably at Fresh, and his tactics
<br />and his motives, trying to eliminate any kind of competition from him from his fellow
<br />colleagues. Again, I appreciate the work that you have been doing, and I think you should
<br />just change your position, and change it back to the previous redistricting. Mahalo.
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