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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0568.003 2020-2022 / C-1 Comm Sent: Tuesday,January 04, 2022 7:46 AM COUMCLERK To: Council TestimonyCOUM OF WAI, Subject: FW:Testimony on Comm. 568, 569RECEMD I� Time llvdm�— ate JAN i i i From: Pat Kahawaiolaa Sent:Tuesday,January 4, 2022 4:07 AM To: Fisher,Olinda L<olinda.l.fisher@hawaii.gov>;Gomes,Tyler I <tyler.i.gomes@hawaii.gov>; Rodenhurst, Ikaika <Ikaika.Rode nhurst@hawaiicounty.gov>; Kahana Albinio<Peter.K.Al bi nio.J r@ hawaii.gov>; Lee Loy,Sue <Sue.LeeLoy@hawaiicounty.gov>; Roth, Mitch D<MitchD.Roth@hawaiicounty.gov>;Araceley, Relley <Rel ley.Arace ley@ hawaiicounty.gov>;William J.Aila<williamJ.ailajr@hawaii.gov> Cc: Hokulani Johnasen <Hokulani.Johnasen@mail.house.gov>;Johnasen,Cyrus<Cyrus.Johnasen@hawaiicounty.gov>; Lee Loy, Hanale<Hanale.LeeLoy@mail.house.gov>; Mona Ubedei<kcasecretary1924@gmail.com>; Kanae-Kane,Sherise <Sherise.Kanae-Ka ne@hawaiicounty.gov>;Wendy Waipa<awilipond @yahoo.com>; luana@merriemonarchfestival.org Subject:Testimony on Comm. 568,569 i Aloha all honorable members of the Hawaii County Council, I am Patrick L. Kahawaiolaa,a native Hawaiian as defined pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920(HHCA, 1920, 42,42 stat. 108,67th Congress) amended July 9, 1921 and currently the President of the Keaukaha Community Association, the oldest Hawaiian Homestead on this Island which was settled on December 16, 1924 as Kuhio Settlement,with 61 native Hawaiians being awarded a lease to Occupy a Tract of Trust Land for 99 years... So as you can see our ainahoopulapula (homesteadlands) is among the 203,000 acres more or less of trust lands set aside by the 67th Congress"...to better the conditions of the native Hawaiians as defined..." of which approximately 167,000 acres are situated on this island Moku O Keawe(Hawaii Island)... and clearly the record will show that shortly after being settled,the Territorial Government began to Encroach upon these trust lands for the uses of the General Public... WITHOUT the CONSENT OF CONGRESS...and these actions continues today and has never been rectified to the satisfaction of the beneficiaries of the Act the residents of Keaukaha. The actions I speak about today are those still pending in two departments here before you today, who will try to explain to this honorably body on their updates, solutions and possible remedies to issues some raised by our community of Keaukaha that in our perception of the events taking place continues to be condescending and even smacks in my opinion of systemic or institutional racism against the native Hawaiians in general but in particular from our community of Keaukaha by all Federal, State and County governments and if you allow me some latitude to explain our displeasure... The Hilo Airport encroachment by first the Territory to build the airport,then the Military during the War,then shortly after becoming a State, the encroachment through Governor's Executive Orders(EO) continued to the contrary of the Constitution Article X11 sec. 4 Hawaii Admissions Act with No Consent from the U.S. Congress to use lands having the status of Hawaiian Comm.No 1 Ref.To° TZr Ref.Do Homes lands for the General Public...however that encroachment in about 1964 DISPLACED our Community whereby about 50%were RELOCATED to now where we called that place Panaewa Hawaiian Home Lands, in Waiakea,the Airport and it's Noise STILL affects those living around the Airport fence line by"hindering the abilities to secure government low interest loans", about 188 lots out of the approximately 470 homes there now,the proximity of Fuel Depots, Natural Gas Co. , Hawaii County Sewer Pumping Station,the one eighth of a mile treated Sewer Outfall in the middle of our Keaukaha Beach Park(Puhi Bay)where we still try to maintain our traditional and customary gathering rights according to Hawaii State Constitution,and this DEBACLE called the Kalanianaole Ave IMPROVEMENT PROJECT... I For almost four(4)years we along with the rest of Hilo residents and visitors who would need to use this roadway to reach at least five (5) Hawaii County's P&R beach parks...however they leave the area or may not want to even drive down there whereby for We are going home we are going to work, taking our children to school, to the doctors, we are going to do our grocery shopping and Heaven helps and a accident at the Hilo Harbor occurs, that thoughts scares me. Not being a contractor but having many who are skilled living in our community,we have a basic understanding on what it takes to pave a road a mile long, because we just saw the Department of Public Works do two streets Kilauea &Kinoole Ave AFTER the work began on Kalanianaole and have it COMPLETED, where we still languish with Detours, Potholes,Traffic and even more complicated during this Covid-19 pandemic... COMMUNICATIONS... WAS LACKING TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITY...IT GOT BETTER BUT... SECOND... Mass Transit department and it's new Director whereby HE CANCELLED THE HELE ON BUS FROM DRIVING INTO OUR COMMUNITY from Kalanianaole(right turn onto Baker Ave,which bears left onto Krauss Ave then a left turn on to Andrews Ave back towards Kalanianaole to continue it way to the end of the road and a U-Turn @ Lehia Park to head back out of i Keaukaha... and if I was to understand his reasonings he gave to us was"...low ridership and an IMPACT to his schedules...".... Ridership is DOWN because of Covid ... No Communications... and impact to his schedules ...what about the traffic from the troubled roadway that COULD BE THE REASON FOR IMPACT NOT THE 4-5 native Hawaiians kupuna that may or may not use or need to use the Hele On to go shopping, Doctor's Appointment,Teenagers needed to go to Middle or High school... On observation Keaukaha was SUMMARILY CUT FROM SERVICE... did other communities with Low Ridership suffer loss of Service??? Mahalo for allowing me to set into the Record and provide some Historical background on the abuses and excuses we have had from several department within County Government.. 1 can be reached if more information is necessary to understand our PERCEPTIONS... GOING FORWARD..(808)937-8217 May the Great Ones Bless you for who you are... 'Owau Patrick. L. Kahawaiolaa Sent from Gmail Mobile Keaukaha Smiles'Owau me ka ha'a ha'a (I humbly remain) Patrick L. Kahawaiolaa 2