HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0349.861 2006-2008 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: Debbie Wong Yuen [dwong~ruen@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 9:57 PM i'iI 2~ ii;~) f j~ i;
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To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Testimony for July 25th Council meeting
Attachments: Testimony for July 25 County Council meeting.doc "
Aloha:
Attached is a copy of my testimony that I would like submitted for the July 25th County Council
meeting, in reference to Resolution 169-07. I faxed the same three pages eazlier today, but knowing
how fax machines often has problems during trasmitting, I wanted to also email the same testimony to
make sure it was received.
Please advise if this email with attachment was received and submitted.
Mahalo,
Debra Wong Yuen
Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool.
~ 4.8G
Ref. Toha~, Couhe~
Ref. Dote JUL 2 'r~ZOd1--
7/24/2007
July 23, 2007
TO: Members of the Hawaii County Council
RE: Testimony against Resolution 169-07
Aloha Honorable County Council members:
I have not been able to attend the June 19`h, July 9"' and the upcoming meeting on July
25"'due to staff shortage at work. It is in noway because I have given up hope for the
people of Ka'u.
I was in shock when my husband called me shortly after the July 9`h meeting to inform
me that the vote was to pass Res. 169-07. It is so hard to understand how this self-
centered, ill-conceived Resolution could pass even after many critical facts were
presented:
1) Mayor Harry Kim stated that the County has no money for this kind of
Purchase,
2) the SM5 developers are not willing to sell,
3) Harry Yada, property manager with the Finance Dept. reported he didn't know
if the $3.6 million in the2% Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources
Preservation Fund, would get the County past the Kawaa purchase,
4) Punalu'u is actually #4 on the list of land to preserve: Kawaa, Waipio Valley,
Puhio Bay then Punalu'u.
My heart is aching for the real people, the long-time-grassroots families of Ka'u, the
young adults and the keiki that long to stay rooted in their homeland, close to their
Ohana, but are forced to leave because of the lack of jobs and future for them in Ka'u.
My heart has been aching since July 10`h, then it was publicly announced that Res. 169-
07 passed, and when young families, youths, and even long time residents came to me
saying, "what's going to happen to us now", "we'll never have jobs now in Ka'u", "the
future of Ka'u is now ruined"; all hope for a better future for the people of Ka'u was lost
with the passing of that Resolution.
As a devoted Christian, I've learned the meaning to "love my neighbor as we love
ourselves". Are you showing love for your neighbors with the passing of this Resolution,
knowing that this Resolution will ruin and hurt the future of your neighbors...the people
of Ka'u for generations to come, by stopping the one chance for bringing prosperity
back to the district of Ka'u?
I can't sleep at night just thinking and praying for the suffering our people will continue
to go through. I think of and see in my mind the man, possibly in his 40's, who rides his
moped back and forth from Pahala to Waikoloa, to work at one of the resorts there, just
to bring home a paycheck to feed his family. I think of the hours he spends riding,
unprotected, on the side of the highway, and the dangers he faces from drivers and the
elements of Mother Nature.
I think of the many men and women who take the Hele-on bus, leaving 3:30 am from
Pahala to North Kona...to work at resorts there, and come back home in the late
evenings on the same bus, just earn a living for their families.
I think of the many, many residents of Ka'u that spend hours on the road daily, driving to
Kona to work, to bring a paycheck home to their families, and still struggle financially
because of their gas expense of $4-500 a month for gas, on top of constant oil, filter and
tire changes, or having to pay out of their pockets, repairs that could have been covered
under their vehicle warranty, that should have lasted for 3 years but expired in less that
one year because of the high mileage they click on.
I pray for the safety of these many hard working people who have witnessed many car
accidents, who have come very close to being in one, or even suffered the physical and
financial pain and suffering from being in on.
Willa 150 acres park help and save the people of Ka'u? Willa 150 acre park make
Ka'u economically sustainable once again? Willa 150 acre park help the economy of
the Hawaii County?
I commend Mr. Yagong for taking it upon himself to send out the survey to the Ka'u
district. Unfortunately, due to problems with the postal services, many, many residents
did not get the survey...any of who would have voted against Res. 169-07. Many did
not realize the mailer was the survey, so tossed it out before opening it, and we now of
a man who picked up those surveys from the post office rubbish cans, entering votes on
those discarded surveys for Res. 169-07, a possible result of the high vote from the
Naalehu community in favor of the Resolution. With all the flaws...l'm positive the vote
would have been in favor for the development and not Res. 169-07.
The one family that owns property at Punalu'u, continues to mock, intimidate and
threaten the people that have been humbly coming to the Council meetings to speak up
for the people of Ka'u that are in favor of the development.
Before the July 9~h hearing, a very humble, long-time resident of Ka'u, was threatened to
his face, then changed his wording and said he just "put a curse" on him, telling this
man that what he is doing (testifying), is hurting his family. A police report was filed of
the incident.
Years ago, my husband was punched in the face, and sustained a broken nose, while
doing his job as a County Park caretaker at Punalu'u Beach Park, by that same person
that threatens and curses people, only because he thinks he "owns" all of Punalu'u.
If Punalu'u is going to be turned into a 150 acre park, I am very positive that this same
kind of unjust behavior will continue because that same family will "take over" and claim
Punalu'u is theirs, and not for the people of Ka'u. Don't let their beautiful, colortul visual
display cloud your minds and hearts.
Please diligently listen to God's Word and obey Him. Will you be able to sleep in peace
knowing you have not helped your neighbor as God commands us? Ka'u is a hurting,
dying community. Help bring life back by voting against Resolution 169-07 at the final
reading.
Aloha Ke Akua,
Debra A. Wong Yuen,
PO Box 29, Pahala, HI 96777
Ph/fax: 928-8039
Email: dwong_yuen@yahoo.com