HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0193.050 2008-2010
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Murashige, Laura
From: Marya Mann [marya@loomoflove.com]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 9:01 AM 2009 ~PtQ
To: dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us; donishi@co.hawaii.hi.us; enaeole@co.hawaii.hi.us; 6 pfi 1
jyosh'imoto@co.hawaii.hi.us, cohmayor@co.hawaii.hi.us; counciltestimony@po hawaii.hi.us;,..
genri'ques@co.hawaii.hi.us; bford@co.hawaii.hi.us; kgreenwell@co.havvo I,u r ~ I_`-:f-lid
phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us; dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us; rcrawford@co.hawail.hi us'
Subject: HAWAII ISLAND LEGACY LANDS- Please Vote NO on Bill 49
Aloha and Mahalo for your public service!
The aina is too important to betray for short-term interests. Raiding the 2% fund to pay other
bills is not in the community economic or ecological interest. The majority of people voted for
this land conservation effort and it's imperative that you honor citizen intent.
Tourists come to the Big Island because of our spectacular scenery, the Aloha spirit, and the
authentic blend of land and water that makes Hawaii unique. Please vote NO on Bill 49 so we
can continue preserving our natural environment.
Big Blessings, and Thank you!
Marya Mann
Marya Mann, Ph.D.
Author - Creativity Consultant - Speaker
marya@loomoflove.com - #808-345-0050
www.maryamann.com - www.PSYCH-K.com
Live With Aloha
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"After we have mastered the wind, the waves, the tides, and gravity,
we shall harness the energies of love.
Then for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Comm. No. r q 3 . 50
Ref. To:Presect- L
Ref. Date APR 0~ q 2_
4/6/2009
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From: shannon rudolph [mailto:shannonkona@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 9:47 AM
Subject: YOU MUST BE THERE IN PERSON OR SAY GOOD BYE TO HAWAII ISLAND LEGACY LANDS- Finance
Committee Tuesday, April 7th, 11am
PLEASE COME ON TUES. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(If you're off island please email; addresses below)
PLEASE forward to PEOPLE who CARE about SAVING the LAND for FUTURE generations
VOTE NO! ON BILL 49 (WHICH PUTS OFF FUNDING FOR 2% OPEN SPACE FUND)
IN COUNCILMEMBER GUY ENRIQUES' POLL
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cGNFa3V5NVkyTGdEYXg2eGN UMGZpY0E6MA..
DON'T STOP NOW! We MUST STOP Bill 49 in the COMMITTEE.
On April 7th at 11:00 a.m. Bill 49, which postpones the deposits to the 2% for the Land fund for 2 years,
will be heard by the Finance Committee in HILO at the Ben Franklin Building upstairs in the Council
Room.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
• Testify for 3 minutes in Hilo at the Ben Franklin building on the 2nd floor OR in Waimea and Kona
at the Council offices.
• Email or phone council members. See contact info at the end of the email.
TALKING POINTS:
1. This is a bigger issue than "taking" this money to meet the budget for 2 years. An Initiative Petition
with almost 10,000 signatures and a 57% vote of the people set this money aside. This is the power of
direct democracy. The people had to introduce this legislation themselves because the council and
mayor were non-responsive. It has never been part of the budget; it is NOT the Mayor or council's
money to take.
2. "Taking" this money is a betrayal of the democratic process of initiative petition, betrayal of voter's
trust and a slap in the face to people who collected signatures and voted for the 2% to save Hawaii
island's great places.
3. At the very least, the Council should show respect for the people and take the issue to a public
meeting where they can hear from the people.
4. People voted for this measure because they want to save Hawaii Island's best places from
development for future generations. People do NOT want our island to be developed like Oahu and
Maui.
5. Ask your elected officials to take a longer view than just balancing the budget this year. Open space,
beach access, important agricultural lands and cultural sites are important to our quality of life. Open
lands do not require expensive government services.
6. We can create an eco-tourism industry by using the 2% funds to add land to our parks for camping
and hiking trails and beach access.
4/6/2009
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7. Work on our parks can provide jobs for out of work construction workers. President Roosevelt
created the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression to put people back to work.
8. There is $8.8 million in the fund. Why has the county NOT been pursuing lands that are for sale:
Puapua'a on Ali'i drive near Casa de Emdeko, Kaiholena and Pao'o in North Kohala?
9. The great gift of the 2% fund is to be able to attract matching funds. We depend on the Legacy Land
funds to buy land on Hawaii Island for public recreation and education, access to beaches and
mountains, preservation of cultural sites, protect natural resources, watersheds and preserve forests,
beaches, coastal areas and agricultural lands. Legacy Land funds have been used to purchase Honu'apo
and we still hope that we can complete the purchase of Kawa Bay. Several parcels in North Kohala
have applied for these funds.
10. NOW is the time to buy- the Kona Board of Realtors says the land prices have fallen by 30%.
11. Mayor Kenoi said that we don't have the money to develop these park properties. That's true, but at
least we can save the land from development and develop them later, when we have impact fees or other
funds.
12. There are 10 more properties approved by the Hawaii County Council for acquisition. Land prices
have fallen approximately 30%, according to the Kona Board of Realtors. NOW is the time to save land
from development before it is gone forever.
13. The budget deficit is projected at $31.5 million.
14. There are 439 funded but not filled jobs padding the budget, if these jobs are cut from the budget
the county could cut the deficit by$14 to $17 million.
15. The county can sell tax liens on properties that have delinquent taxes.
16. Stop taking home county cars.
17. Each county worker could take one day off per month- saving the county approximately $4 to $6
million.
At the last Finance Committee meeting 32 of us showed up to testify. If you attended before
PLEASE attend and bring a friend. Mahalo for your heartfelt testimony. I watched Mayor Kenoi
on Monday, March 30th give the opening budget address to the council and target the 2% funds.
Here is my analysis of the council on Bill 49:
1. Pete Hoffmann said he is looking for other "bill payers". He was solidly behind the 2% in 2006; we
hope he sees the wisdom to stay the course and vote against Bill 49 because there are significant lands
cultural sites for sale now in North Kohala.
2. Dominic Yagong is tirelessly looking for ways to cut the budget. He is using this opportunity to
implement cost saving measures. Waipio Look out was the first property purchased by the 2% funds
and he wants to save the 3,000+ acres of the Hamakua sugar lands. We hope he stays the course in
support of the 2% fund. The Hamakua lands should be used for affordable farming and housing.
3. Guy Enriques wants to hear from the "silent majority" and is polling approximately 1,000 people
around the island. He asked me to supply questions, which I started to do, but when I asked him to see
the entire questionnaire, with questions from the Mayor he said, "No." He voted for it and now says
times are different. Guy wants to take the 2%.
4. Emily Naole is always so sincere about listening to the mana'o of the people and we hope that she
will remember all the hard work we did to get signatures and that 57% of people voted for this measure.
She respects the power of the people. She is the committee chair for Human services committee and has
been hearing the non-profits pleas for assistance. From listening to budget hearings, she said that she
would choose to take the 2% funds instead of hurting poor people. Frankly, I agree with her, but it is
not a black and white issue. The issue is not about having the 2% Land Fund money OR funding the
non-profits. I know she will be able to find other ways to balance the budget and not take the 2% or cut
too much from the charities that need our help more than ever.
4/6/2009
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5. Kelly Greenwell respects the power of the people and the right of direct democracy of the initiative
petition drive. We hope he will continue to honor that 57% of the voters voted to support the 2% set
aside for the land fund, even though he did not vote for it. He mentioned there were other ways to save
land but one of the reason citizens started the 2% for the Land Fund campaign was to have a dedicated
funding source to attract matching funds. They were frustrated at the County's lack of commitment to
land conservation.
6. J Yoshimoto said he voted for the 2%, but he said he will suspend the fund.
7. Donald Ikeda has been trying to take the 2% money for park maintenance. He will vote against the
fund.
8. Fresh Onishi has polled the unions and they say, "take" the fund, presumably because they are
afraid of layoffs or furloughs. To his credit, he was seeking a compromise by suggesting that the fund be
suspended for one year and not two.
9. We have one member solidly in favor- Brenda Ford. Please appreciate her steadfast efforts. She is
a champion of the 2% for the Land fund and the will and efforts of the people's initiative and the
mandate of 57% of the vote on the 2% issue.
10. We can only hope that ALL of the council members are diligently seeking other ways to cut the
budget. It will be interesting to see who has done the research and has some new ideas from the new
council members. Dominic Yagong said this is the toughest budget he has seen during the 10 years he
has been on the council.
District 1 Dominic Yagong 961-8264
District 2 Donald Ikeda 961-8225
District 3 J Yoshimoto 961-8225
District 4 Dennis "Fresh" Onishi 961-8396
District 5 Emily Naole 965-2712
District 6 Guy Enriques 961-8912
District 7 Brenda Ford 326-5684
District 8 Kelly Greenwell 327-3642
District 9 Pete Hoffmann 887-2043
<dikedaj@co.hawaii.hi.us>, <donishi@co.hawaii.hi.us>, <enaeolegco.hawaii.hi.us>,
<joshimoto co.hawaii.hi.us>, <cohmayor@a co.hawaii.hi.us>, <counciltestimony_a co.hawaii.hi.us>.
<>enri ues co.hawaii.hi.us>, <bford a co.hawaii.hi.us>. <kgreenwell(:a co.hawaii.hi.us>.
<phoffmanna co.hawaii.hi.us>, <dyagong&o.hawaii.hi.us>, <ncrawfordaco.hawaii.hi.us>
Mahalo for caring about the citizen's right to direct democracy and saving Hawai'i Island's
great places for future generations.
Please call with questions and comments-
Debbie Hecht, Campaign Coordinator for 2% for the Land Fund
Want to be removed from this list? Please Email me.
Debbie Hecht
P.O. Box 4148
Kaihia-Kona, H] 96745
4/6/2009
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(808) 989-3222
4/6/2009