HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0711.107 2008-2010Good Evening,
rt.? KY`■rl--kti`
Thank you for the opportunity to allow us to express our voices of concern on your
current budget plans to eliminate the Hawaii County Band.
My name is Wayne Kamitaki and I have been a resident of the Big Island for almost 40
years. My family owns the Ace Hardware stores and Ben Franklin Crafts, so although I
am speaking as an individual, you could say through my business that I am a constituent
representing each of your districts throughout this Big Island. Since there are a lot of
people wishing to express themselves tonight, I will keep my presentation short and to
the point.
From a businessman's perspective, the current downturn in our economy is a temporary
although difficult "bump" in the road. In a time like this, we wish to be careful in
trimming our overhead expenses without destroying the whole. The Hawaii County
band is and has been the fabric of our community for a long time and hopefully will
continue to serve our community well into the future. However, once you dismantle
this program in the interests of cost savings, the odds of returning to it and building it
back again, when a better economy returns, will almost be impossible. Surely there are
other ways to trim the budget and save expenses, and keep the Hawaii County Band
alive to play another day.
Second, my two sons have been avid musicians, both with the piano. My younger son,
currently a senior, has been a proud member of the Waiakea High School band for the
past four years. Music has always been a part of their lives and something that they
enjoy. I am sure you also must have read or heard that music benefits the mind
academically just as much as it is an enjoyment to listen to. Learning to play music goes
hand in hand with the tendency to academic success. Placing our value in the Hawaii
County Band and their continued performance are strong indicators to our youth that
we value music in our lives and hope that they will strive and learn to play music as part
of their education.
While I share the same concerns as you do in this budget crisis, surely there must be
other ways to trim costs during this temporary crisis. Please do not cut an irreplaceable
resource that may not be able to be re- established in the interest of just meeting a
temporary budget crisis.
Thank you again for your time and the opportunity to be heard.
Conun. No. 1 1(. X
Ref. To: '1 Calke11.i
Ref. Date 11AR 2 2 2010