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Transcript of Meeting of May 10, 2000Page 10 of 62
<br />LEITHEAD-TODD: Part of it is Party, but some of the rationale in opposition to non-partisan was
<br />similar to the rationale for our support of single member districts. We think that in a non-partisan
<br />election, by removing labels from people, you’re really removing information about the candidates from
<br />the population, and that most of the Parties go through a process where you have Precinct meetings, you
<br />have a County Convention, you adopt a platform, you take positions on various issues, and so there is a
<br />process before people run as candidates where they receive input from the entire island. And also for
<br />those of us who go to the State Convention, we get input from the entire State regarding their positions
<br />on particular issues. When you run in a non-partisan election, you don’t have any of that, what we
<br />consider grassroots input, so we think that it weakens grassroots participation in the political process.
<br />You know that some of the criticism you have about the current system, we think will be worse in a non-
<br />partisan situation. We think it will favor the candidate who is an incumbent. We think it will favor the
<br />candidate who has the biggest war chest. That’s some of the reason we are also opposed to the single
<br />member district. Those things cut both ways for us as Democrats. If I happen to be the Democrat –
<br />RAY: You mean opposed to the at-large district?
<br />LEITHEAD-TODD: Yes, we are opposed to the at-large. It raises the cost of the elections and it also, I
<br />think, makes it more difficult for grassroots participation.
<br />RAY: Okay. Thank you. Harold Jim and Patrick Kahawaiola’a.
<br />KAHAWAIOLA’A: Good evening. My name is Patrick Kahawaiola’a. I’m a Native Hawaiian and a
<br />resident of Keaukaha. I would like to preface my statement, and maybe show some disappointment, but,
<br />however, with our coming before this Charter Commission, being asked to propose some language for
<br />Charter review a month ago, and not have had the opportunity by the Commission to even receive any
<br />kind of acknowledgment, approval, or disapproval, of our language based on, maybe, some unfounded
<br />fears that we hope maybe could have been cleared up. So let me again thank you for allowing us, as
<br />Native Hawaiians, to come forward and make testimony. It pains me based on the fact I don’t know how
<br />many Native Hawaiians, or somebody sitting here, that have really, within their hearts, the ideas and the
<br />thoughts that what Native Hawaiians go through in their own lands. However, I’m not going to dwell
<br />there because I believe you have responsibilities, and the responsibilities that you, some so aptly gave
<br />testimony to, with different people that I’ve been privy to sit in on in your discussion here with
<br />interacting with other people that gave testimony, was that one, I guess, Commission member mentioned
<br />that they were duly constituted under the laws, and as far as they were concerned, they’re operating here
<br />in a legal fashion. I’m not saying that you’re illegal. I’m saying that you need to consider the facts and
<br />the plights of the Native Hawaiian. When you took this job, some of you swore to uphold the
<br />Constitution of this State. In this State of Hawaii, the Constitution reads right off the bat, it says the
<br />people, the State and its people will uphold the Hawaiian race. I happen to be that Hawaiian race. This
<br />Charter, which is only 36 pages long, makes no provisions for Native Hawaiians. We brought that
<br />language forward for you to consider that would incorporate Native Hawaiians into your Charter. Your
<br />Charter starts off in the Preamble and it says this: ‘We the people of the County of Hawaii’; then you go
<br />to your definition in Article I, Section 1-1 gives the clear definition of who that people are. ‘The people
<br />of the County of Hawaii shall be and continue as the body politic and incorporate by the name County of
<br />Hawaii hereinafter in this charter call County.’ That’s who the people of this County of Hawaii is. I hope
<br />you’re not assuming that I’m part of that body political just because I happen to be here in the County of
<br />Hawaii. I was born and raised here. So I need for you, in the language we’ve proposed, because I come
<br />from the land. I happened to be born and raised on the lands within this county. That’s why we were
<br />here again. In the second section of that Article I, it talks about the geographical limits. ‘The Island of
<br />Hawaii and all islands within the shores thereof and the waters adjacent thereto shall be the County of
<br />Hawaii.’ Again, I come back to ask you, the confusion that this county has perpetrated to the Hawaiian
<br />people is that we once received an Opinion of your counsel here that says we’re all included. This deals
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