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• would not want to dilute the representative style of that, but sometimes being a County,
<br />and not being able to create political subdivisions because it's at the permission of the
<br />Legislature right now, we're not able to create more home rule, so how can we balance
<br />this total territorialism that's so small in certain areas compared to how can we, kind of
<br />like, level that out. And I've been giving this an ear myself, to try to reach a balance in
<br />that. So 1 just offer that as information, as my insight to it, and be real open to input
<br />because I think the public's perception is going to be very important to this.
<br />Remember, we only recommend. It is the public that votes on it. But I thank you for
<br />your input.
<br />GRAHAM: I think when I was listening to you, I could catch what you were
<br />saying fine, but l have a hard time pulling from what you said, a real thrust, like these
<br />particular examples you were giving, when you were on the Council. Can you sum up
<br />the thrust of what you were saying with that as to how we might want to change the
<br />Council districts?
<br />SANTANGELO: Rather than being focused on the benefit of the greater population,
<br />which is what this is about. Now I can get into a political thing here, a soap box,
<br />especially on Council. This is not some philosophical megaphone. You're there for
<br />roads. You're there for quality of life on a very basic level, police, fire, park, like that.
<br />So I've found that it was difficult, among some very hard working Council members - I
<br />found it difficult to feel, in fact I did not see, where we were really taking issues that
<br />• were very important to the quality of life that effected the whole island because to get
<br />elected, you were always trying to impress, you were always trying to come back to that
<br />electorate, that small electorate, and I think that that's important, and we're talking
<br />human nature here. But when you look at the broader picture, we're there as nine
<br />members. We were there as nine members for the benefit of this entire community.
<br />That meant South Kona, that got ignored tremendously, and it was important to try to
<br />focus the Mayor's attention over there on some parks and stuff; or outer North Kohala,
<br />where we could get Family Support Services up there, as was being done in Ka'u. And
<br />again, it was in some of these very vulnerable areas, we found very much being
<br />territorial. Again, coming down to impressing your electorate, having something to
<br />show your electorate that you've been busy, because we always get hit with this 'you
<br />never do anything', so it was that kind of thing. So, with a six single member moku,
<br />where it's larger, it's the Kona, it's the Ka'u, it's larger but you're voting only within that
<br />so it's a little larger than a nine member single member district but it is not the island -
<br />wide thing, and then having three at -Targe. Maybe, maybe, there's a balance that can
<br />be created there, and that's the concern.
<br />•
<br />GRAHAM: Okay.
<br />SANTANGELO: Did I make that clear?
<br />GRAHAM: Yes, I'm getting it better. Just a little bit of a response to that to
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