HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.496 2024-2026From: Ben Emery
Sent: Monday, September 1, 2025 11:10 AM w o �
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To: Council Testimony c
Subject: Resolution 234-25 �?
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I, Ben Emery, offer my strong support of Resolution 234-26, which urges the state to ensure.-[6
health and safety of Hawai'i Island residents by requesting that the military cease all bomt»mg and
desecration activities at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), reject land swaps and lease renewals
without strict stipulations, and conduct a full Ka Pa'akai Analysis of the area.
The Department of Defense in the United States budget for fiscal year 2025 is $1.95 trillion, with a
"T", with $820 billion, with a "B" specifically allocated for the military budget. This doesn't even begin
to touch backdoor financing when talking about Defense Spending.
All US Military leases in Hawai'i should be void, and back pay should be applied for the military forces
controlling so much land in an archipelago that has limited land while poisoning our ocean family
members. With this back pay being applied, a Universal Basic Income of $2,000 per month per
permanent resident, helping to live in an artificially gentrified region of the world due to limited land,
$1 leases, and perpetual selling of the culture and land of Hawai'i.
In honor of Haunani Kay Trask's metaphor for Hawai'i as a prostitute. Hawai'i, she is like a beautiful
woman, fragile, but you cannot have her unless you pay. The state of Hawai'i and influential
businesspeople have become her pimp and primary customers. The more you pay, the more you can
get, the more time you can have with her. You can pay as:
- Tourist
- Multinational Corporation
- Developer
Aw, then we have the US Military and $1 leases for control of 30,000 acres, ignoring any
responsibility towards respecting our beloved, Hawai'i, and the culture of the people that had been
cultivated for more than a thousand years.
In May 2025, the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) did not accept PTA's Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), citing incomplete archaeological inventory, insufficient endangered
species data and analyses, as well as an inadequate Cultural Impact Assessment, which is used to address Ka
Pa'aka'i factors. Bombing and training activities have affected land areas, the Saddle Region aquifer system,
and cultural sites over the past 60 years. The resolution reflects ongoing community concerns that military
activity may impact public health, cultural resources, and the environment.
This resolution is about establishing limits, demanding accountability, and ensuring oversight
and respect by urging the cessation of unwarranted bombing and live -fire training and the
cleanup of PTA as required by their lease.
Approving Resolution 234-25 shows that Hawai'i County supports its residents who have voiced
concerns over PTA's impacts. It also indicates the County will require engagement, cleanup 'n
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commitments, and legal compliance before accepting military decisions that affect land, culture, and
health.
Resolution 234-25 requests that the state take steps to protect the health and safety of Hawaii Island residents
by forcing the military to discontinue bombing and related activities at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), reject
land swaps and lease renewals unless strict conditions are met, and perform a comprehensive Ka Pa`akai
Analysis of the area.
Aloha,
Ben Emery
Hauilo, HI
Green Party of Hawai'i