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' SEPTEMBER 16, 1989 HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION 25 AUPUNI ST HILO HAWAII 96720 DEAR CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION/ MY INTEREST IN AMENDING THE CHARTER RELATES TO ARTICLE 11 PERTAINING TO INITIATIVE & REFERENDUM. HAVING BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE AS A PETITIONER' S COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE SAVE HAPUNA INITIATIVE PETITION (SHIP) I BRING MY EXPERIENCE TO BEAR IN MAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS APPLY TO ALL. INITIATIVES OR REFERENDUMS WHETHER FOR LAND USE OR ANY OTHER ISSUE. BASIC TO ALL RECOMMONDATIONS REGARDING ARTICLE 11 IS THE STEADFAST BELIEF THAT INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM ARE BASIC VOTING RIGHTS OF CITIZENS IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY AND THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO LIMIT OR ELIMINATE THESE RIGHTS VIOLATES DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST. I URGE THIS COMMISSION NOT TO DO ANYTHING THAT WILL IN ANY WAY LIMIT THIS PRECIOUS VOTING RIGHT. WHILE SOME MAY BELIEVE THAT ELIMINATING LAND USE INITIATIVE IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS, IT IS NOT/ BECAUSE THE PRESENCE OF THE RIGHT TO LAND USE INITIATIVE/ IN THE LONG RUN/ PRODUCES THE HIGHEST DUALITY DEVELOPMENT. ANY ATTEMPT TO GUT LAND USE INITIATIVE IS A DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HAWAII 'S PEOPLE AND THIS COMMISSION SHOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO LIMIT THIS PRECIOUS VOTING RIGHT. I HAVE 7 CHARTER AMENDMENTS PERTAINING TO ARTICLE 11 . THE LAST ONE THE "PLAIN BALLOT LANGUAGE AMENDMENT" IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE REGARDINGI&R AND IF THE COMMISSION DOES NOTHING ELSE WITH AMENDING ARTICLE 11 , IT SHOULD PLACE THIS ONE ON THE BALLOT AS IT SERVES ALL VOTERS WHETHER "FOR" OR "AGAINST" A BALLOT ISSUE. 1 . SEXIST LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT THE CHARTER SHOULD BE CHANGED. SEC. 11 3(C) SUBMISSION REGUIREMENTS 2 CHANGE THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED SIGNERS FROM 15% WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN TO 10% OR AT MOST 12%. 15% IS HIGH COMPARED TO MOST OTHER ...JURISDICTIONS AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. 3. DEFINE "DUALIFIED SIGNERS" AS ONE WHO IS ON RECORD AS A REGISTERED VOTER AT THE TIME THE SIGNATURES ARE VERIFIED BY THE COUNTY CLERK. PRESENTLY THE TERM "QUALIFIEDVOTER" HAS BEEN INTERPRETED AS ONE WHO IS REGISTERED TO VOTE AS OF THE DAY THE PETITION IS SIGNED.. THIS WILL QUALIFY MORE SIGNATURES ON ANY PETITION AND GET MORE PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE. EXHIBIT D 613 (19 pages)