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minutes 03-25-00Page 11 of 34
<br />And then finally, Cost-of-Government Commission. This is something we got out of the Maui County Charter. This would be
<br />an appointed Commission. It would be tied to the nine districts, which would be appointed every couple of years to meet for a
<br />period of time and make suggestions to the County Administration on how to promote economy, efficiency, and improve
<br />service in the County. It would be a lay Commission, advisory only, but it would be just a citizens’ input in regard to the
<br />efficiency and cost of government. So that’s what this would create.
<br />So, that’s the nineteen proposed amendments at this time. Just a couple of things. Like I’ve said, this is very much in
<br />discussion. The number of amendments seems like an awful lot, so we may eliminate a few that are less important just to
<br />have less on the ballot to deal with. We will try to keep, as much as possible, the amendments distinct and separate, so we’ll
<br />be voting, as much as possible, on single issues and not tying things together. There are a few exceptions to that, like in
<br />regard to the impeachment, we’ll probably have those two coupled together in one amendment.
<br />Let’s take a five minute break. Yes, Brenda.
<br />FORD: I have a question for Chris, if I may, on the maladministration. I realize it has no legal definition. Do you have any
<br />non-legal definition for that word?
<br />YUEN: No.
<br />FORD: Is it not in the dictionary?
<br />YUEN: Well, I think maladministration would encompass poor administration which would encompass things like not being
<br />very efficient in the use of resources, allowing too much overtime in a department. And those would come under
<br />maladministration but I can’t see them as being proper grounds for an impeachment.
<br />FORD: All right. No, I was thinking more of the Mayor’s statement, he wanted to resign a few months before the end of his
<br />term so he could run again. To me, maladministration might possibly fall under that issue. You know, he’s trying to
<br />circumvent the will of the Charter and the will of the people. You don’t think so.
<br />YUEN: I can’t see making a statement like that being considered maladministration, no.
<br />RAY: Let’s take a five minute break. The mens rooms are on this side, the ladies on the other. So we’ll just take a five minute
<br />stand up break and then we’ll entertain public testimony. If you haven’t signed up and want to testify, there are forms on the
<br />table behind me.
<br />RECESSED The Chairman called a recess at 10:15 a.m.
<br />RECONVENED The meeting reconvened at 10:19 a.m.
<br />PUBLIC TESTIMONY
<br />RAY: If everybody could take their seats, we’re going to start with the public testimony and Peter Martin is going to be the
<br />first person to testify. And we really want to make sure to get this recorded so make sure you’re not only at a mike, but that
<br />you identify yourself and also speak up so that everybody else in the audience can share what it is you’re saying. So, Peter.
<br />P. MARTIN: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I represent Citizens for Equitable and Responsible Government. We
<br />started this a few months ago here in Kailua, and we’re hopeful to get more and more folks around the island involved. We’re
<br />a non-partisan organization and we’ve looked very, very carefully at your suggestions here; some of which are very, very
<br />good; some of which make us very nervous. I think, since the Charter is basically a Constitution, or the Body Politic, that we
<br />ought to follow the idea of physicians. And that is, first, do no harm. We’re very concerned about the idea of going back now
<br />to at-large. We finally have a system which is representing, however imperfectly representing, every community on this
<br />island. Now, we have an island that’s the size of Connecticut, and yet we have a preponderance of population in one place.
<br />Now, we already have enough problems getting attention to the smaller communities from the County government without
<br />making it worse. If we have at-large, we’re going to end up with three more people from the Hilo area, and a lot of folks are
<br />going to be left out even more. So, we’re adamantly opposed to this, adamantly. And we are going to make a point of
<br />continuing to be adamantly opposed to it. I should tell you, and no offense intended here at all, because a lot of the work
<br />you’ve done is very, very good, but we feel so strongly about this that if it is left in here, we will do our best to convince
<br />people to vote against all measures for change. So this is very, very important to us. Non-partisan elections will be all right
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