2000-05-10 Charter Commission Minutes

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Transcript of Meeting of May 10, 2000Page 14 of 62 SANTANGELO: On item 2, Council to include 3 at-large seats – HIGASHI: Are we going to go from 1 down or just – SANTANGELO: Well, that’s what I just asked. We’re going to delete things so I’m jumping in there. HERKES: He’s making an assumption. SANTANGELO: Yes. RAY: So, you’re going through with your deletions, right? SANTANGELO: I don’t know. Excuse me. I’m in the middle of a motion but I’ll retract that, and I was asking for guidance and I thought the discussion between you and Sue said let’s get rid of the things first. IRVINE: Go for it, John. SANTANGELO: All right. I move that number 2, Council to include 3 at-large seats not be moved forward and placed on the ballot. I would ask for a second for these reasons: I think that this is something I have supported. I’ve seen, in my own heart, a lot of good that this could do. On the other hand, the overwhelming public testimony opposing this, the lack of understanding, or certainly me being understood as well as others, and the fact that we may well not be ready for this just yet. We have moved into nine single member districts and it seems like we just need to get more comfortable with that. And so, based on a lot of the public, and how I’ve been led to feel, I move that we not include it. RAY: Okay, do I have a second? HIGASHI: Second. RAY: Second from Mr. Higashi. All in favor of deleting it raise your right – HERKES: No discussion? RAY: Discussion. Excuse me. HERKES: I think we all should discuss it. I’m going to change my vote also. I I wanted to get this on the draft so that we could hear the discussion, so that we could hear the testimony. I really am in favor of it but there’s no testimony – I got phone calls from all over the island in favor of it, especially from people in West Hawaii, and I certainly feel that if you can spend $70,000 to get elected in a single member district, the reason given that it’s cheaper to have single member districts is probably not a good one. However, there’s no real support from a lot of people who’ve taken the time and trouble to come and testify before us, and the people who are calling me are not necessarily ones that put it in writing. Some of them were elected officials. Some of them were state officials. But most of them were people that I knew in West Hawaii. But I want to change my vote and vote against it. RAY: Other discussion. SANTANGELO: Call for the question. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 05-10-00.html7/1/2011