HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0787.006 2010-2012 BRITTANY SMART � ' '' Fax:� Phone: (808) 961-8263
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Councilmember •i;,
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Hawai`i County Council re+
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Hawai`i County Council
County of Hawai`i
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
DATE: September 14, 2012 `
TO: Dominic Yagong, Chair
And Members of the Hawai`i County Council
FROM: '&-20- Brittany Smart, Councilmember
SUBJECT: Proposed Amendments to Resolution No. 280-12, Urging Adequate Funding of the
Hawai`i Campaign Spending Commission and a Statewide Comprehensive Public Funding
System
Please find attached proposed amendments to Resolution No. 280-12. The proposed amendments
are illustrated via Ramseyer format (material to be deleted is bracketed and stricken, material to be
added is underscored) with respect to the contents of Resolution No. 280-12, as follows:
1. A new Whereas clause after the sixth Whereas clause is inserted to read:
"WHEREAS,the current formula that determines which Hawai`i County districts
receive their respective amounts for the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding
pilot program requires multiple election cycles to show adequate results, and therefore does not
adequately address the need to equalize the large discrepancies in disbursement amounts between
districts; and"
2. The new eighth Whereas clause is amended to read:
"WHEREAS, the Campaign Spending Commission is tasked with running the public
funding program, yet their primary revenue source was taken away in 2008, and as a result they
are spending more than they are bringing in; [now, therefore] and"
3. A new Whereas clause following the eighth Whereas clause is inserted to read:
"WHEREAS, the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program is
set to expire in 2014; now, therefore,"
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Ref. Dote b 17.F 1 8 2012
Serving the Interests of the People of Our Island
Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
4. A new BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED clause after the second BE IT RESOLVED clause is
inserted to read:
"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the County of Hawai`i
recommends to extend the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program
through the election year 2020."
5. A new BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED clause after the new third BE IT RESOLVED clause is
inserted to read:
"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the County of Hawai`i
recommends that the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program awards
equal qualifying funds to all qualified participants in the various districts."
Attached is a draft copy of Resolution No. 280-12, with these amendments incorporated.
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RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE TO
ADEQUATELY FUND BOTH THE HAWAII CAMPAIGN SPENDING
COMMISSION AND A STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC
FUNDING SYSTEM FOR ELECTIONS.
WHEREAS, a democratic government derives its power from the consent of its citizens;
and
WHEREAS, corporate and other special interest donations account for the vast majority
of campaign donations, both locally and nationally; and
WHEREAS, comprehensive public funding options give candidates a possible
alternative to private campaign funding; and
WHEREAS, it is in the public's interest that our elected officials concentrate on solving
our state's problems and not be distracted by the need to raise huge sums of money for their
campaigns, nor have to worry about antagonizing those who have donated generously to their
campaigns; and
WHEREAS,the current campaign finance system fails to discourage candidates from
accepting large campaign contributions from private interests that may be directly affected by
governmental actions and from enacting laws favoring those contributors' interest to the
detriment of the interest of citizens who are not large contributors; and
WHEREAS, taxpayers pay for the campaign contributions of corporations and large
industries in the form of mismanagement of public resources, subsidies and tax exemptions for
corporations and industries, and unfair tax laws; and
WHEREAS,the current formula that determines which Hawai`i County districts receive
their respective amounts for the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding pilot
program requires multiple election cycles to show adequate results, and therefore does not
adequately address the need to equalize the large discrepancies in disbursement amounts between
districts; and
WHEREAS, the Campaign Spending Commission is tasked with running the public
funding program, yet their primary revenue source was taken away in 2008, and as a result they
are spending more than they are bringing in; and
WHEREAS,the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program is set
to expire in 2014; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the
State Legislature take immediate action to adequately fund the Hawai`i Campaign Spending
Commission and a statewide comprehensive public funding program upon convening for the
2013 legislative session.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the County of Hawai`i supports
legislative efforts to expand comprehensive public funding throughout the state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the County of Hawai`i recommends
to extend the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program through the
election year 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the County of Hawai`i recommends
that the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program awards equal
qualifying funds to all qualified participants in the various districts.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall forward a copy of this
resolution to the Honorable Senator Clayton Hee, Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and
Government Operations; the Honorable Senator David Y. Ige, Chair of the Committee on Ways
and Means; the Honorable Senator Shan Tsutsui, President of the Senate; the Honorable
Representative Calvin K. Y. Say, Speaker of the House; the Honorable Representative Gilbert
Keith-Agaran, Chair of the Committee on Judiciary; the Honorable Representative Marcus R.
Oshiro, Chair of the Committee on Finance; and the Honorable Governor Neil Abercrombie.
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