HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0463.004 2008-2010
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Testimony of Del Pranke October, 7, 200Q9 CC T ?
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I urge the members of this Council not to vote to convene an ective,session as
planned on today's agenda (communication 552) and to remove Resolution 218-09 f,Afl
concerning reorganization of the Council. Here's why. Five members of this Council
willfully violated the law. What they did was no accident, no misunderstanding. They
made secret agreements to take over and run this Council. They made agreements which
have not even yet seen the light of day.
Now you folks are all involved in a conflict of interest when you accept advice
from the Corporation Counsel. He works for the executive branch of county government.
The concept of separation of powers is a cornerstone of American and Hawaii State
Government, and it is violated every time you accept his counsel. You cannot know if the
executive branch is manipulating you, through his advice. Remember the Corporation
Counsel advises each board and commission in the county. They are'some of the tools
with which the Mayor carries out his agenda. You can't tell if the advice YOU receive
isn't influenced by advice given to other county entities. Also, if Corporation Counsel
gives you such good and timely advice, how did this whole Sunshine Law debacle
happen? Some of you could be facing $1000.0.0 fine and up to a year in jail, based, I
presume, on what you learned or didn't learn from the Corporation Counsel.
And Judge Ibarra has left you in an untenable position. You did not unring the
bell by reversing your previous action, and now re-reversing. Because those secret
agreements are still hidden away from public scrutiny. And they still underlie any action
to approve this item. Any vote to reorganize this Council along the lines secretly agreed
upon means the same law will be violated again, only this time you will all be guilty of Comm. No. q0-4
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