CHC 1979-05-22 PH - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MR. CADINHA: Mr. Riveira, how do you propose that this office help the people on welfare to become more responsible citizens? MR. RIVEIRA: I would like to see a program they have, federal programs , made available to upgrade and training programs put - olit for the needy. We, in the community, the farmers need to become better farmers . A training program to uplift and retrain farmers to become better citizens , better farmers and to earn more money. The money stays in the community and who benefits? The taxpayers. We who are continuing to pay our taxes, as you know, have no:skind of help as far as our costs of operating the farm. Not2only land taxes but our fertilizer and our supplies are a tremendous amount of money. We have to buy everything. We don ' t have anything free so what I am proposing is that from the county level and state agencies to really reach out with pragrams using federal funds to uplift lots of people. They have a tremendous amount .0.1. minorities , disadvantaged minorities throughout, not only in Kona, but this big island of ours or throughout the state. I know it is a problem, because I work in the community. I have seen many, many people who are really, really poor. A lot of programs, federal programs, that should be helping directing- to this area of the needy are not given priorities ;for those people. They_ are the lost people and then they call them bums. You know, we.,'have a tremendous amount of people who live in cars and on the beaches right here in Kona .because they cannot afford the housing. That is one of the problems that we have to face in our community. I was raised upin Kona. Igrew upin Kona. I have lived here from the ' 30 ' s . In 1926 I was here. I remember the ' 30 ' s. I remember the depression and we are heading _that way again unless some- thing is done. Unless more help is given to the small farmer because we can continue and become self-sufficient. Everybody in the state benefits because :` verybody eats. So we need more help. .immediate help in that area. MR. CADINHA: And you think this should be done through an Affirmative Action program? MR. RIVEIRA: That' s right. A lot of programs can be made available through that. I know that right now the county is receiving community grant money and we applied for our reservoir pro, ect and we are still waiting. So you can see that money is available and it should be made available to the small farmers. • CHAIRMAN SAKATA: Thank you very much, Mr. Riveira. Next we will hear from •Shirley Mesher. MS. MESHER: My to e is Shirley Mesher and I am representing myself but speaking- out of many years of concern and work with various community groups. I will be speaking to some of the things that have already been raised and I will try to be as direct and brief as possible. -30-