|
minutes 10-13-99Page 7 of 31
<br />although in talking with the firefighters, and some police officers, they believe that the model that is
<br />used in the City and County of Honolulu is working so well. It’s such an improvement over the way
<br />things used to be, especially with respect to the Fire Commission, that they would heartily endorse that,
<br />and I think you heard some comments from members of the Council, as well as the Corporation
<br />Counsel.
<br />HERKES: We did.
<br />TYLER: The issue that I have with all of this is one of the fiscal constraints under which the County
<br />operates, and I was ready to propose a Fire Commission. Mr. Chung and I talked about it a number of
<br />times. He says, well, go for it because there certainly seemed some desire on the part of the Fire
<br />personnel, but looking at the budget, it seemed to me that the best way to do that was to take the Police
<br />Commission budget and divide it in half, and I didn’t think that I would get five votes to be able to do
<br />that, and I wouldn’t make any friends with the Police Commission.
<br />HERKES: No.
<br />TYLER: If you go to a County Manager system, you’d probably save the County two or three million
<br />dollars a year and that would more than pay for a Fire Commission. So, how’s that for an answer?
<br />HERKES: Thank you.
<br />RAY: Sue.
<br />IRVINE: You did mention this document we had from Keola Childs, which is critical of us going to a
<br />County Manager form of government, and he’s quite strong in saying that trying to get a paid manager
<br />to move into our County, which is full of political preferences and a medieval land use environment,
<br />that’s a quote, end quote, that we’re kind of a big physical and political problem that would be too big
<br />for an appointed person, possibly from away, to solve. Do you have any comment on that? Also, in some
<br />of that literature that may have come from you, there is mention that you need a ‘cohesive’ political
<br />entity to make this a successful form of government.
<br />TYLER: Yes. Thank you for asking the question. I would like to comment. Mr. Childs did send me his
<br />first draft of that by e-mail and I did remember his comments with respect to that. Begin by saying we
<br />certainly
<br />can’t go backwards and change what is or what has been, but I think we have, as we come into the new
<br />millennium and a new century, the unique opportunity to really improve accountability, and in terms of
<br />how we, as elected officials as well as appointed and hired, function with the public. And I think the
<br />days of partisan politics and deal making, while it exists in some areas, is actually becoming a thing of
<br />the past because of things like the internet, websites, ability for people to travel to meetings, and become
<br />informed, and perhaps some more vocal people, like myself and others, who bring things to mind,
<br />whether you agree with them or not. It stimulates attention. Personally, I don’t think it’s a valid reason
<br />for not trying to do the right thing, and I happen to think it is the right thing, however, as I said earlier, I
<br />have a great deal of respect for Mr. Childs, and I think that he probably reflects a feeling that, perhaps
<br />some of you have, here on the Commission, certainly members of the community, but there’s really no
<br />time like tomorrow, and the future, and you, I think, have the opportunity to at least put it out there to
<br />the people to consider. With respect to the cohesiveness, let me just say that, as someone who is part of a
<br />family that has followed the Council for decades, and someone who has personally followed the
<br />Council, actually for more than two decades, long before being a part of it, it is my opinion, at this time,
<br />file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 10-13-99.html7/1/2011
<br />
<br />
|