HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0789.002 1998-2000
V.I.S.I.O.N. "I".
Vital Initiatlvea to Secure and
instruct oar Natural Identity
489 Ocean View Or, Hilo, HI 96720
July 25, 2000 tel/fax: 808/934-7942 or 800/736-3922
TO: County Council members
Dear County Council members:
We at Vision "1", a community organization that organizes several large public
events a year, including the annual Bob Marley Day festival-an event which for seven
years now has drawn over 2,000 attendees-would like to strongly urge you to approve Bills
264 and 265.
Both of these bills are long overdue, especially in Hawaii County, because voters here
are enormously fed-up with all the conflict of interest which has stigmatized this area as being
especially corrupt.
Both of these bills, Bill 264, which requires Council members to exclude themselves from
voting on issues which have been influenced by a donation of $100 or more, and Bill 265,
which disallows public servants to participate in County business that is influenced by their
personal business connections, are crucial pieces of legislation, especially since they align
themselves with the County Charter Code of Ethics and the Hawaii Penal Code. Indeed, the
Hawaii Penal Code states quite clearly that it is a Class C felony when a public servant:
(quoted from Hawaii Penal Code section 710-1040. Bribery):
"Solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept, directly or indirectly, any pecuniary benefit
with the intent that his vote, opinion, judgement, exercise of discretion, or other action as
a public servant will thereby be influenced."
Quite clear indeed, and it will be quite clear to the voters in your district that a vote
against these bills (or a deferral) stigmatizes that candidate as opposed to long overdue reform,
and is thereby revealed as being openly corrupt. Also, the $100 figure in Bill 264 is quite
essential, because it aligns itself with State Campaign Spending Commission guidelines for
donations reportage, and anything more than $100 is allowing far too much leeway for the
monetary influence that the Hawaii Penal Code Bribery felony law makes quite clear in its
intent and definition of "influence."
Thank you for your attention and potential honesty in passing these essential Bills.
Yours in trgth ands vice,
Jesse Anson Dawn
Founder: VISION "I" (Vital Initiatives to Secure and Instruct Our Natural Identity)
Comm. No, 79 Q~ Z
fo: n/ fC
Ref. Date JUL 2 5 2000