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MR. TRULSON: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Moss, I have <br /> been taking a look at a list of the number of people who <br /> have spoken in favor of at-large and we do have six people <br /> from West Hawaii who did so. I don ' t know how many people <br /> in all they represent but there were six. <br /> MR. MOSS: You mean at the public hearing <br /> that night? <br /> MR. TRULSON: At the public hearing in Kona <br /> and around, not specifically in Kona. . . . <br /> MR. MOSS: I guess you have done your homework <br /> a little better than I did. Do you happen to know how many <br /> of those were private people and how many were government? <br /> MR. TRULSON: I have their names but I don 't <br /> know that. There are more than six individuals that spoke <br /> in favor of at-large. . . <br /> MR. MOSS: If I may say one last word before <br /> we go. I really want to impress on you that besides the fact <br /> that we think it is the fair way to do it that the present <br /> plan really is, no question of it, it is a political disaster <br /> for our side of the island. It is just going to be one last <br /> straw in the relations between East and West Hawaii, really. <br /> I just think that we have to point that out to you very, very <br /> clearly. <br /> MR. TRULSON: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Moss, is it <br /> possible that in ten years the present proposal would favor <br /> Kona. . . <br /> MR. MOSS: It is possible. I wouldn ' t really <br /> think it probable within the next ten years, until the next <br /> charter revision. Really, to me, that isn ' t the point. <br /> Because it says that if you have just a little bit of a <br /> majority, you will have tremendous control of the council. <br /> That is what the at-large thing does. It means automatic <br /> control. I wonder whether the people in Puna, or the people <br /> in Hamakua really like to give South Hilo, the City of Hilo, <br /> itself, an automatic majority of the county council. I wonder <br /> how they feel. I don 't have the finger on the pulse of those <br /> areas but it has struck me as maybe they don ' t like to be <br /> ruled strictly by the city any more than we do. <br /> MR. SENSANO: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Moss,: could <br /> you explain for us what you mean by political balance? You <br /> mentioned that you are interested in having political balance. <br /> Now, what do you mean? Could you explain what political <br /> balance means? <br /> MR. MOSS: Did I hear that the question is <br /> to explain my thoughts on the political balance? Well, you <br /> have two members elected from the City of Hilo by 30 ,000 <br /> people. You have two at-large people elected from,basically <br /> dominated by that same area. Right there you have one small <br /> area that has four votes out of seven on the county council. <br /> They can control the county council , right there. So, as I say, <br /> -9- <br />