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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0160.001 2010-2012 Page 1 of 1 Murashige, Laura , . l ; , / a P !Cou Nc From: Anita and Floyd Norris [fanorris @hawaiiantel.net] Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 11:49 AM To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us; jarmstrong @hawaiitribune- herald.com Subject: Testimony for 04 -06 -11 Council Meeting Attachments: 04-4 06 11 County Council Testimony.docx Attached is testimony from a passionate property owner against continued worker furloughs. Anita Norrs Comm. No. /40. / Ref. To: hwse t3 Comae..'/ ef. Dote APR 6 2011 4/5/2011 To Hawaii County Council Testimony for Council Meeting Apr 6, 2001 on Res 57 -11 and 58 -11 My name is Anita Norris. I have been a resident in Hawaii since 1964, all 47 years here in Hilo. I am here to testify against resolutions 57 -11 and 58 -11; both introduced by Chairman Yagong and waived by the Finance Committee. Please do not continue employee furloughs; do not negotiate with the other Mayors and our Governor to allow us to have the flexibility to implement wage cuts. I have asked County Clerk staff if I am allowed to ask questions. Yes, I am. It is possible that answers to my questions may come during your discussions. I will begin my testimony by asking questions: Did our Council members take a 10% pay cut in FY 2010 -2011? If so, will it continue in FY 2011- 2012? I use 10% because $10 out of every $100 is scarier than saying $9.23 out of $100. Are Council salaries paid by our property taxes? How many employees does the County of Hawaii have currently? How many funded positions are currently unfilled? How many county employees earn Tess than the median individual income for Hawaii County? How many employee positions are non - supervisory? Are administrative, management and supervisory -level staff impacted by their nearly 10% pay cut? How many of our current population of185,709 pay property taxes? I am here to testify on behalf of ALL Hawaii County employees who have been furloughed for over 9 months now. I have not been asked to do so. I was so stunned by Monday's, HTH article that I have been motivated to do something I have never done before. I am testifying against Res 57 -11 and 58 -11 introduced by Chairman Dominic Yagong and waived by the Finance Committee. I was so pleased by our Mayor's goal of ending employee furloughs and was sure it would pass our Council's review and approval or change of our FY 2011 -2012 budget because Mr. Yagong was quoted many times by the HTH last year saying he was against employee furloughs. I am no economist, but it is my sincere belief that some of our current budget woes are a direct result of employee furloughs. I don't think we have felt the economic impact from the March 10 earthquake in Japan much yet. As property owners, my husband, Floyd, and I pay part of your salaries, and every other county employee's salary. Because we own rental property, we have taken a 5.3% income cut. That has made me think of the many landlords who are been financially hurt by the nine months - -and counting, of furloughs. We are feeling the ripples of this economic tsunami. I picture it in the same way as the photos show how tsunamis roll out from earthquake sites. We Hilo residents are well informed on tsunami effects, but I haven't seen any graphic descriptions of the effects on our economy caused by furloughs. Anita Norris Testimony to the Hawai'I County Council on April 6, 2011 Page 1 To Hawaii County Council Testimony for Council Meeting Apr 6, 2001 on Res 57 -11 and 58 -11 I know that most people live to the extent of their income. There usually is no 10% cushion. People are juggling and juggling more now —every one of us in the State is juggling because of employee furloughs. In my mind, I can hear an employee, particularly one who has children, saying 'Who gets paid this month? How long before my landlord evicts me? How soon will HELCO cut off my electricity? Will Hawaiian Telcom turn my phone off? But my cell phone I5 an essential expense. I have to keep my cable because I can't afford other entertainment. As a child I was able to participate in school trips to Honolulu, take swimming lessons at the YWCA, go to proms, and go on dates. I want my children to have all that I had and more than I did. I had more than my parents had. Now I have to use my credit cards to feed and clothe my family and the interest and late charges are huge!! And now our County Council Chairman, the one has been saying all the things I wanted to hear as a taxpayer for years, who speaks for all of us in Hawaii County is asking that I endure AND struggle another year beyond June 30 Why us? Why not those fat cats who own all of that property and drive those fancy cars ?' Nobody has actually said any of those things to me and certainly not in this mainland -kind haole talk; my vivid imagination has supplied those words. I want to tell you what my analytical mind says. I preface by saying that this is my opinion only. I am no economist. I am just one who has done accounting for over forty years. Some of those years included signing financial reports to the County of Hawaii. From my perspective, cutting a number of positions, as painful as that will be on the individual, (I've been there, done that) will harm our community less than putting the burden on 16% of our County population. Why is only 16% taking of the biggest hit for the rest of us? I do feel strongly. As I said, my husband and I are homeowners and rental property owners. In 2001 and 2002, Rory Flynn made sure that as Sex Assault Program county grant applicants our 501(c)3 non - profit understood what our property taxes pay for. I have reread our real property tax general information to ensure the accuracy of my memory. You all know as well as I do. I feel just as intensely that our Police and Fire Department personnel should not be asked to give us 5% of their wages. By taking their job, they have told us they are willing to give us their lives. We are safe because of them. In my opinion they don't need to pay any more to keep us safe. I am asking, no actually I am pleading. Please do not continue employee furloughs; do not negotiate with the other Mayors and our Governor to allow us to have the flexibility to implement wage cuts. I sincerely believe you will take my passionate testimony into your discussions over these serious issues. I hope you will filter this information and set aside politics and self- interest to keep us economically strong. If Mayor Kenoi now agrees with then Councilmember Yagong HTH quoted Anita Norris Testimony to the Hawai'I County Council on April 6, 2011 Page 2 To Hawaii County Council Testimony for Council Meeting Apr 6, 2001 on Res 57 -11 and 58 -11 opinion on furloughs, please do not pass 57 -11 and 58 -11. Please allow that part of Mayor Kenoi's budget request remain intact. Thank you so much. We are fortunate to live in the United States of America with the freedom to express our views. Anita Norris Testimony to the Hawai'I County Council on April 6, 2011 Page 3