HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0455.005 2004-2006 Original Message
From: IRVINER002CrDhawaii.rccom ~ i~ ~ ~ E~~~i f~
To: Leslie Kondo
Cc: LWVHI ;Les Ihara. Jr. ;Stirling Morita ;Chris Loos ;Chris Convbeare ; Bevertv Keever
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 3:39 PM
Subject: My testimony at Hawaii County Council 10/18/05
Dear Les,
I am writing to assure you that I did not speak for you or anyone other than the League of Women Voters at a Hawaii
County Council meeting this am.
This morning our Hawaii County Council had on their agenda "Presentation of Findings and Recommendations of
Council Task Force Evaluating Council Committees." Last night at 9 pm it was confirmed to me that at 2:30 yesterday
attemoon, this'Yask force" was recommending a complete reorganization of the Council this am. I attended the meeting
and testified for the League that, as an organization that encourages "informed and active participation if citizens in
government," we would like to see "sunshine" as required under HRS ch. 92 on the Council's actions and that setting up a
"task force" was one way mentioned in our meeting yesterday to "skirt' (Webster Collegiate Dictionary, "skirt'to run along
the edge of) state sunshine laws. Council Attorney Lincoln Ashida took umbrage at my comments, called you, and then
took the stand to say that the Council actions were legal according to his conversations with OIP. He also seemed
concerned that I had not mentioned everyone at the meeting. I did say that the meeting was with you and that I was
present by phone. I will list the others present as I will get this message to our Council members as well:
League of Women Voters of Hawaii -Jean Aoki, Sue Irvine
Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists- Stirling Morita, pres ,Night Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Right to Know Committee -Beverly Ann Keever, chair.
Senator LES IHARA, JR
Chris Conybeare
les Kondo OIP
Although I wrote my testimony during 15 minutes of council preliminaries so I have only hand written hard copy, I want
to assure all that I was using the word skirt carefully and was not saying anything about the legality of what they were
doing. I was absolutely not speaking for anyone other than the League. I am not a lawyer, but I do know what League
stands for. Whether the Council was acting legally or not, in speaking for League, I said they were "running along the
edge of our State sunshine law. I also mentioned that skirting sunshine leads to problems which, as we all know, have
ended in court on two other islands.
Mr. Ashida promises to send OIP a copy of my testimony, so I am sure it will show that I was speaking only for the
League and not as a lawyer.
Thank you for your hard work at OIP and for sharing that work with those of us at the meeting yesterday.
Sincerely
Susan Irvine, President
League of Women Voters of Hawaii
irviner002na hawaii.rr.com ~ ~
808 935 8080 or 808 895 3421 Comm. No. ~
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