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minutes 12-04-99Page 10 of 39
<br />contact with people, and for them to do that, to see the overview of the whole planning of the County, and with the other six,
<br />it’s within the district, and I feel that three at-large would be a broader view of everything of the County.
<br />RAY: Gary, you have anything?
<br />YOSHIYAMA: No.
<br />RAY: Marni.
<br />HERKES: The reason Roland brought this to us is that there have been people who have been dissatisfied with single
<br />member because they didn’t have a global vision, so I think we need to look at the fact, while everybody says, well, we voted
<br />for single member, well, we did, but we didn’t pass it by a great number, and there are people who are dissatisfied with the
<br />single member districts, so I think that’s why he brought it.
<br />RAY: Other comments?
<br />HIGASHI: Waiting for your comments. Did you have something to say?
<br />RAY: I, personally, like the single member districts. I like the simplicity of it. I like the idea of a smaller common
<br />denominator in terms of the district you serve, especially with the dynamic of the County being the only form of government
<br />here, and not having townships or other entities below that. It really makes you beholden and you’re, sort of, the Mayor of
<br />Waimea, Waikaloa, and Kohala, as well, and I think you’re much better able to serve a smaller area versus a larger area.
<br />Another dynamic, and Bill Graham spoke to this, is this is a relatively new change, and it’s still playing out. The dynamics
<br />are just playing out, and it’s still playing out in people’s minds, so I think that’s going to be a big part of the negative reaction
<br />against this, is that it really hasn’t had enough time to play out in people’s minds. On the simplicity of it, I just like things
<br />simpler versus more complex. It’s already people can’t figure out who’s elected from the County versus the State, and they
<br />don’t really care. Actually, they just want an answer. They just want it fixed. But to create a different class of Council people
<br />where you have, well, who’s the two year guy, who’s the four year guy, and this and that, I just think that’s not necessarily a
<br />good way to go. Would it work fine? Sure. It’s a perfectly routine model that works well, and I think there are good points to
<br />it as well as the negatives, but I feel most strongly that it’s going to be very negatively received, especially in West Hawaii,
<br />and you know I’m biased. I think I’m a fair minded person, and so I worked for the island as a whole, but I did feel like I
<br />represented West Hawaii more than East Hawaii, and it’s always been an uphill battle and a struggle to get equity in terms of
<br />West Hawaii’s interests, and I think that this is going to be very poorly received, I know, in West Hawaii, and I don’t know
<br />on the rest of the island. So we can take this out if that’s the will, but I’d be pretty apprehensive about it. I think people are
<br />going to react pretty negatively, and I think, basically, it’s going to be portrayed as a power grab on East Hawaii, and you
<br />know, that’s not really supported by the way the population’s going, and I think you could make a case just in the opposite.
<br />And Marni, I mean, come out and vote. West Hawaii could make it easier to dominate and control the island, if you really get
<br />it together. So, I don’t think that’s supported necessarily, in the reality, by facts, but I think that’s going to be the perception.
<br />So that’s another reason I don’t favor this. I think it would taint our overall slate of recommendations, but I’m sure we’ll get a
<br />lot of reaction on this. Anyway, I don’t support it, but - Sue.
<br />IRVINE: I was going to ask you if you had any thoughts on the three persons from each Senate district, or making two-
<br />person districts if we didn’t go along with that.
<br />RAY: No, I think this is, sort of, the acceptable model, and this is the way it works most places. It’s my understanding that
<br />you have a mix like this, and it’s perfectly routine. It doesn’t bother me personally, as far as how County government would
<br />work for me. I’m more worried in terms of what the public reaction is going to be to this.
<br />Roland.
<br />BESS: I just have a question, John. With your experience, do you feel that Council members at-large provide for a broader
<br />view of the needs of the island, and tend not to be as provincial?
<br />RAY: Yes, I think generally that’s true, but my experience on the Council is I think everybody, on larger issues, were pretty
<br />well focused on the island as a whole. Where Council members are really focused on their district, are more specific issues to
<br />their district, or certainly to CIP, getting funds for their district. But, yes, they would, sure, they’d be more beholden, and I
<br />think John makes a good point; the next important thing is to get re-elected again, so you’re definitely answering directly to a
<br />larger constituency, but I didn’t see that as, certainly, effecting majority votes, as a real critical dynamic. The single member
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