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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0488.048 2008-2010 11s io6 Kamehameha Avenue C' Hawaii Island Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone: (8o8) 935-7178 Z Fax: (8o8) 961-4435 + C Chamber of Commerce E-mail: admin@hicc.biz dAM~FROi ~01fy1Rco wtow.fiicc.biz November 2, 2009 Hawaii County Council 2009-10 Board 25 Aupuni St. Hilo HI 96720 President Mary Begier Dear County Councilpersons, President-Elect Mike Gleason I am Mary Begier; I am currently privileged to serve as President of the Hawaii Vice President Island Chamber of Commerce. I am speaking for our over 700 individual Jon Miyata members and 325 businesses. It is with grave concern that I come before you Treasurer this evening. One of the reasons and for some the only reason they join our Vaughn Cook organization and other trade organizations like the chamber is to stand together with a stronger voice than they are able to do as an individual or single Past President Barbara A. Hastings company. Directors Howard Ainslev In more than one hearing in these chambers over the past couple of years I have Kurt Corbin witnessed or had reported to me the questioning of how our organization is Charles Ensey organized. I'm one of those junkies that watch your meetings and hearings on Charles Erskine public television. Council persons have questioned the validity of some one Stan Fortuna, Jr. like me as President or chair of an appropriate subject matter committee Judith Fox-Goldstein coming before you to speak for the entire body. I ask you tonight to please think before you speak in that vein. Please consider what democracy is Stewart Hussey Randy Kurohara founded upon. It is very important for us to agree to disagree and know that that is democracy at work. It is unrealistic and downright unnatural for us to Karina Leasure Marco Mangelsdorf expect to agree on everything all the time. Eugene Nishimura Bill 132 has long ago ceased to be about land use. Current zoning laws are Spencer Oliver more than sufficient to control the use of this land now and after the sale. It has Robert Charles Porter turned into a power struggle. One clear struggle is between some of the Marcia Sakai councilpersons and the mayor. That is natural. There should be a double check Glenn Santos between legislative and executive branches. But quality legislation enables the Margaret Shiba executive branch to execute the direction of legislation not serve to hamper the Alice Sledge executive from being an executive. The struggle between neighbors is one that Mele Art TanSpencer is extremely unhealthy for an island community especially an island Aiguc hi community that is experiencing soft economic times. We need each other more Ron Terry than ever right now. I believe that some members of this council conduct Steve Ueda themselves in such a fashion as to exacerbate the differences between neighbors to serve their own opportunities for publicity. Shame on you and shame on us for tolerating it. Comm. ~ 00 Ref. To, Ref. Date ~~y D 2 Z~1S io6 Kamehameha Avenue Hawaii Island Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone: (8o8) 935-7178 Z Fax: (8o8) 961-4435 x - b Chamber of Commerce Fit E-mail: admin@hicc.biz pit www.hicc.bia I have talked to hundreds of people about testifying here on this subject. I didn't care where I thought they might stand on Bill 132 itself. I just wanted to turn out as many regular citizens as possible. I was not very successful. They were afraid to come here for fear of how they would be treated, for fear of how much time it would take, for fear of retaliation, no matter what their opinion. I believe that each and every one of you ran for office for the right reasons. I believe that you all deeply love and care for all the people, not just your individual districts of this island. Please return to that place of aloha. Please stop berating the average citizen volunteer who comes before you trying to do their part to make this a better place to live. They are not receiving monetary compensation. Only the compensation that in their own way they have tried to contribute to a better community. I mean no disrespect in my comments only ask for awareness. Thank you for this opportunity to share the thoughts of many, many members of Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce. Sincerely, Mary Begier, President 2009-2010