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public, rather than if they don't fully understand an issue, they vote positively for it on the
<br />ballot at election time. I think they figure you folks have done a good job, and you folks
<br />have already checked it out, and it's got to be a really good initiative if it's put on there. That
<br />gets a little bit scary, like I said, I don't think there needs to be so many changes.
<br />On Communication 81, I just wanted to say, on this one from Deputy Corporation Counsel
<br />Bill Brilhante, change the name of department of research and development to department of
<br />economic development. This is another one of these things that is very small and just seems
<br />to muddy the water and takes away from the importance of the more pressing issues that have
<br />to be dealt with with this Charter Commission. I would suggest that if you are even going to
<br />bother to have a Charter Amendment on that, just change the name to research and economic
<br />development. We're a university town, Hawaii, Hilo, let's emphasize research. Let's
<br />emphasize that good scientific research leads to good economic development. The Mayor
<br />has his green team looking at these same principals right now, so we cannot take two steps
<br />forward and one step back. Let's keep promoting the image that we are supposed to be a
<br />college and research town and community.
<br />On the Legislative Auditor, I don't agree with setting a percentage of the budget on this. I
<br />think it's very important for the Legislative Auditor's office to come forward and tell the
<br />community what they are planning on doing; go through the normal budget process that
<br />every other department has to. Now, we have so many remedies built into the system. For
<br />instance, if the Legislative Auditor's office puts out a report that is critical of a certain
<br />department, and a couple of council members that are routinely very supportive of that
<br />department seek to cut the funding the next time out, we have got our remedies for that. It's
<br />built into the system, I really don't think it's necessary to put a set percentage amount of the
<br />budget on that. I would hope that you don't do that. My main reason for speaking against
<br />that is so that it does encourage, not only the Legislative Auditor's department, but all of our
<br />county departments to come forward publically; let us know where they are planning to go,
<br />what they need to correct, procedures they may already have. But, with the Auditor's office,
<br />there are certain audits that are required, that are mandatory, so that stuff has got to be
<br />funded. It's going to be very obvious if someone is really trying to overtly use their political
<br />power to influence the power of the Legislative Auditor's office.
<br />The 2% Land Fund; I have one problem with this. I guess I'm in support of it being put into
<br />the Charter. My one real problem comes on the last page of this CA -15, that I got off the
<br />internet. Under Section (c) it says, "The council shall, by resolution, select the land or lands to
<br />be preserved and require the Director of Finance to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of
<br />these lands in the order of the prioritized list developed by the commission." Now, I just can see
<br />that if you have a crafty council, it looks like they are allowed to delete items, as long as they still
<br />go by the order. So, they could delete items one through five, as long as they still go six, seven,
<br />eight, nine, and ten. That might be problematic. My bigger problem is, are we trying the hands
<br />of the finance of our county administration to go after these lands? You might have someone
<br />come forward -- -The decision to sell land changes through time. So, even while the commission
<br />does their job of looking at the parameters of who is ready to sell, what is available, what is out
<br />there, what should be our first number one choice; it's not always going to always work out
<br />where you can get number one, number two or number three. You might get an excellent offer
<br />from a real community- minded owner on item number eight. On the Big Island you are talking
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