HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0047.017 2020-2022 of respect, and your need to outright REJECT proposed Bill 217. This is not an emergency.gency. This problem has existed
for decades. 'There IS time to protect the )AIalpio Valley CORRECTLY, for the residents and farmers, and all others
who love the valley, WITHOUT rushing an ill conceived, illegal action that is ILLEGAL and that WILL NOT
accomplish the goals. I believe that there IS a better, legal, comprehensive, and inclusive way to accomplish the
worthy goals and lam willing to assist in that process.
J must caution you, and state once again, and I urge you to attend to these concerns, as Bill 217 is a-ainst the laws
rMich MUST govern your actions. Further, this bill will NOT stand up in court, but it WILL cost the taxpayers
money to attempt to defend this illegal bill and action in that court. As a taxpayer, as a homeowner, as a resident
of Ilonokaa,I will be amongst the many who ",ill Ci,-ht this Bill on ethical, moral, spiritual, and le,-al grounds i
necessary.
1,11iially, please consider the following carefully:
Restricting flatiyah residents foot traffic into Witipio Valley violates the Highways act of 1892, HRS section 264-1,
and 11R5"section 7.1 which appears to date back to 1859. All roads are free to all. Even i1you sold it to a different
landowner the right of way is a ri,-ht ofthe people:
§74 The people shall also have a right to drinking water, and running water, and the right of way. The springs of
water, running-, water, and roads shall be free to all, on all lands granted in fee simple-,
§264-1 (e) All county public highways and trails once established shall continue until vacated, closed, abandoned, or
discontinued by a resolution of the legislative body of the county wherein the county highway or trail lies. All state
trails once established shall continue until lawfully disposed of pursuant to the requirements of chapter 171.
The proposed amendment in Bill 217 (amended) to allow Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioners to access the
valley on 1oo (as pedestrians) but NOT others, is obviously discriminatory and illegal. Further, it puts on FULL
DISPLAY the giant gaping hole in the argument that safety might be increased by eliminating pedestrians when in
actuality, 217 would ALLOW pedestrians of one ethnicity while PREVENTING another ethnicity to continue to walk
into the valley. Ku Kahakalau and The Corporation Council erred in telling Val Poindexter that this would be "legal"
clearly it is NOT legal in either our county, state or federal laws - PERIOD.
Legislation is NOT to protects the rights of one group over another or to restrict public access to solve a crime
problem. The roads are for all residents of Hawaii.
You cannot extinguish Hawaii residents' rights to walk into the valley and across the valley onward along the Ala
Kahakal trail or along the roads in the valley if they are public roads. There are many hiking clubs and other nature
enthusiasts who hike across the valley to valleys beyond to camp and enjoy the quietude of nature.
People have been walking in and out of the Valley on this trail/road for well over a millennium. Now, in 2020 to say,
No, if you're going into the Valley you've got to drive, is blindly arrogant. It is counter-intuitive and counter
productive.
ffthis proposal is part of'a larger package to solve the problem of excessive access to the Valley, then we MUST
see that whole package at the beginning, and not start with QNL Y the most counter-intuitive element at the
beginning (and only that part).
The 'big bill'in FINAL form needs to be addressed from the beginning, not starting out with the 'hikers'. I am one
of many who understand that there are special issues about Waipio. I understand that if there is anyplace to be 'set
aside' regenerate Hawaiian Culture, it should be Walpio. But THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO THAT!!
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The promise of figuring out the vehicular traffic in the future is simply not OK. We have got to figure it out all
together.
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The least intrusive visitors are the people walking down and to the beach. Why would you be making a law to
prohibit that, but it's still OK to drive down and gain access into the entire (back of the) valley?
It is only sensible to go back to the drawing board, be more inclusive of other valley users' input, and expand the
scope to cover whatever needs to be included instead of trying to follow up g
again and again to et it right. Most
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important is to figure out a way to improve the safety of the road for vehicular and pedestrian use asap while
maintaining access to pedestrians and eliminating vehicular traffic til the road is repaired. That makes a lot more sense
than the opposite (except for residents of the valley, of course).
Bill 271 is extremely ill-conceived. To tackle the problem of protecting Waipio Valley by restricting pedestriantraffic
and NOT vehicular traffic is its a non-solution. Motorized traffic are the worst of enders of uncontrolled access into
both the private and the most sensitive areas of the Ktipio Valley.
Sincerely- and obviously quite passionately,
David Hunt, Honokaa
And — as promised above:
1 . Copies from the video stream from the evening meeting of the Walpio Residents and farmers on the night of 12/16
with exact comments from myself and from Val Poindexter, Val's comments were false. NOT truthful. IE public lies:
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DIVPd dames HuMt
easy to say." We are looking at ALL rP7>rdles of
tr anjsportatlon intra the'Waipio" l u'r,•this bill speaks
to ONLY P E STR1>NS, As a Ha,mummer and
resident, of I•llonOcoa, I tora,l clleeply ilnnultedi try tbis
hi!6l.
C3wki Jamae,r-lu M
And: It thu,proposal is Fart of a Varg,r,t t ckaq;p to
o,l've the problE'm, of ex'"°ejaratl e aoceFw,s to tt`ri;
alley, Urke,a,we need rct see that wh olle paic kag e,at
thaw and not starR witty thr,e nbost
elornent at the beginning;.,
DavW,Jarme Hunt
,r A fenv O'iJn, s Irtea-d tra be said in defense of walking
iintr the valley, e,;trirctir''ig Hawaii residents fagot
tr ffic;'i into " aipio Valley,violates thje Highways,act
of 1892, l-1:13S section ?,64,.u1anrrl [HR'S ectian 71
-,jic i appears to elate hark to 1859.All roads are
free to -all. Even if youl sold it tai a different
landvarnrir the right of way is a ri~3rht of the Py-'ol'o=
a>
David.Jam es Ft,tmut
r,
To al,lovi touri-As in rental fGrG;lp, to pass ICli,ri, by -
and drive into)the Waiplo while YOU make it illegal!
,or rne, a haafi'7'aer'rvd'ner resident, to'Walik into the
valley to coaa rororaa w th my famaily-IS AN INSULT -
a'vh+f do a^oul iiot understaa)d, care, or spe ak to this;?
V aleric Souz,i r raked
�r
David James Hjuot
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DavW.;lames Hunt
David James HUM
Val—?c;aia you respond tri this-.,
G.a
D�rWd j aorres Hunt`
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David J anrn><s Hunt
f go often to visit my r llaki`irr*~. spirits m lw hose,
,ashe,s were rel rise"Into the ricer and Caceari) I
there.,..? Are you going to tell me that I can NOT
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continue.this spiritual practice, I arnn irr my later I
sixties arad ousmt of respect.Abr both the valley (& it'8 I
history- regardless of who leases and
cuxyTimercialyfanns there naw), AND respect for the
sprits of rrny fram ly I ALWAYSWALK into,the valljey
and 1 leave no tracna- ari4 it i;a NEITHER JUST nor
ti,ruulr FLIGHT to,stop my practice- especially to
favor ruon-re sident uorncrmer-c[al farm lussi:is,
r ruurrra r`cd )
tour OperOtOrg,,Or ttruri8t$ in th,bir
extaea ive rental Jeejp`...!!1
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I ,Itav: i� rr'af�,r rFn;rr,'�
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k` David,fames Hunt
Nice try, VaL I ars a homeowner,rosi rent w)d 1100
NOT T have,a 4WC). So this bilIII ag witteanWILL
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ea;r.,,111,VdRu r`G7,ru,.e
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Valerie Souza— rtpliad
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trcs
D;wid James Hunt,
. Fva'dybe Valcan lry Speakrialtj horevstllyr to Iny
trr_rer r
�- T e rr'iore it listen to Va] tf°ie raiirare frsuflted fi feel,
Da Ad,Jameg Hurst
Ya,i_hr bill ut--�kes RESIDENTS ON FOOT i0egal.
Valeriie,S ruxi,Poi,ncfexteir
f E e Siff exempts re�siidprits. Please ask
Ctaur7c::NIIr77ert ber Kiin,iball f=ear a er py,
All
fes,. it,
' David,.'Jarnes,Hunt
N(-IT ON FOOT, 'tiXr.A�I-
i. t�l�„
David James Hunt
v D avu d Japm s Perrot
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Dacrid,game s Hunt
r
Ii ant awaiting soar e an vvers.:...,
t avu d Jan7es Hunt
6u i,7 a PUBLIC rr„&dl, rogardless of who or what of
.anis I;�Rdr,�MAILU built for IVA.L,
As si udh it falls under HRS 264-1 and sectien 7.11
DaWdJanws Hunt
t fldr "rhe 'bili Ibill,in final 8ortri r-aeeds o,be
addres-sed frm irn Chaff be irur`,Jing, not st°arfing out
AAtl n the 1'iiker
V:
I David Jarrow Hunt
I disagree, Jiltri.Vehicle,, are vhe safety eon errnfl
David Jan!6s Hunt
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ARE YOU SERIOUS... ?Have you read your,furan
kaili?
Valerie Souza Poin(dexter
Gravid .fames Hurit please ort infarvedl on
Me rvxemptiodes. I worked with Ku Kah akal uu
to PUG the exemptions in avid it was,approved
by our Corporation Counsel.
And:
2. My original 11/4!2020 Email letter to the council testifying against Bill 217:
From: David Hunt
Sent: Wednesday, November 4, 2020
To: County Council <counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov>
Subject: (Correction) Bill 217 Testimony.
On Nov 4, 2020, David Hunt
David Hunt, Honokaa
RE Bill 217 proposed by Val Pointdexter.
My family has VERY strong feelings on this matter.
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You Mt)S'I' vote down Bill 217.
VAI, IS OtJTOFL1NE!!
13111217 is an ill conceived, untimely, and shocking INSULT.
For MANY reasons - You MUST NOT SHUT LOCALS OUT of the Waipio!
Should tour operators be able to drive a dozen tourists at a time into the valley for cath -all day, 7 days a week - while
locals in Kukulhaele and Honokaa are forbidden from walkomg into the valley?
I go often to visit my relatives' spirits - (whose ashes were released into the river and ocean) there...?Are you going
to tell me that I can NOT continue this spiritual practice.
There are very FEW clear parameters here and MUCH to learn and consider in this "can of worms.,," that Val is
opening.
If Valley "residents" are concerned- then I must ask:
My 1'rictid and neighbor owns a piece of land in the valley that has been in his family for hundreds of years. But he
does not "live" physically in the valley. Can you stop him from walking into the valley with me?
Another non-native neighbor(originally from CA) leases land to commercially farm in the valley - but is not a
resident (nor native Hawaiian). Does that person have more say on who can walk into the valley than I do?
II'you and valley renters, lessees, "residents" etc., want to increase safety and decrease disruptive and destructive use
of the road, the valley, of the beach - you need to focus on tourists in rental vehicles - and possibly upon tour
operations.
I am M my later sixties and out of respect for both the valley (& it's history - regardless of who leases and
commercial-farms there now) AND rqWect for the spirits of my family I ALWAYS WALK into the valley and
I leave no trace
cc- - and it is NEITHER JUST nor your RIGHT to stop my practice - especially to favor non resident
commercial farm lessees, commercial tour operators, or tourists in their expensive rental Jeeps...!!!
Throw this bill in the toilet and flush it for the insult that it is!!!
David Hunt, Honokaa, Hawaii
13111217- AMENDS CHAPTER 24, ARTICLE 10, DIVISION 4, SECTION 24- 278 OF THE HAWAII COUNTY
CODI-1,' 1983 ( 2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO PEDESTRIANS Amends Section 24-278,
Schedule 26
Roads Closed To Pedestrian Traffic), Subsection ( a), Hamakna, by adding aportion of Waipi' c, Valley Road
running from the Warpi' o Valley lookout to a point near its entry upon the valley floor. Reference: Comm. 1130 Intr.
by: Ms. Poindexter
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