HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0659.005 2008-2010Murashige, Laura
From: rene siracusa [renesiracusa @hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 4.23 PM
To: County Council
Subject: Bill 189
Attachments: TESTIMONY ON BILL 189 doc
Attached is my testimony on Bill 189. Please copy and distribute to all the councilmembers.
mahalo and aloha,
Rene Siracusa
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1/20/2010
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COMM. � P/PROWL=
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Ref. J.gte JAN 2 2 20101
January 20, 2010
To: Chair and members of Hawai`i County Council
1 have just reviewed the proposed changes to Chapter 7, Article 2, Section 7-
8 of the Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2005 edition, as amended, relating to
Civil Defense, Disaster Control and have the following comments and
concerns:
1. It discriminates against the low- income, including the disabled
and senior citizens, by increasing the rate for water hauling to
their residences by the County to twice what it was before.
Those impacted are the very members of our community who
cannot afford the standard commercial hauling charges. If they
did, they would not have to ask the County to do it. These are
people who are unable to haul water themselves. Are we
prepared to let them do without this vital life requirement? Will
we take the responsibility if someone suffers (or dies) from
dehydration because they cannot afford the fees? How would
we be able to live with ourselves if we show no aloha?
7,
TESTIMONY ON BILL 189
There is no parity: a limit of 55 gallons per day no matter the
size of the household. A single person living alone would be
entitled to 55 gallons. A household of 2 adults and 3 children
would still be entitled to 55 gallons — but that translates to 11
gallons per person. And if this 5- person household cannot
afford a daily trip to fill up, the amount of water per person is
considerably less.
3. Furthermore, we are a rural community, and most people have
dogs (who drink water) and many have livestock (a lactating
cow will drink 10 to 15 gallons per day, a horse 5 to 10, even
ducks are heavy water drinkers). Are we now prepared to
engage in widespread animal abuse and cruelty by not allowing
people sufficient water for all these needs? Rural residents who
live on water catchment will be more impacted than city -
dwellers, most of whom are on County water, and that too
would be an example of unequal treatment before the law if you
pass this bill.
4. Finally, in these times of economic hardship, who will pay the
`water cops' standing guard at every spigot? How can we
possibly tell who is abusing the system and who is sacrificing
for their neighbors? The logistics of making the rules fair and
of enforcement create a costly nightmare.
5. There is the famous saying. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it ". I
believe that this bill for an ordinance falls into that category. It
will create more problems than it will solve. I therefore ask you
to vote it down.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Rand Siraensa
Rene Siracusa
P. O. Box 1520
Pahoa, Hawai`i 96778
965 -2000