HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0070.009 1998-2000 January 15 1999
Statement to the Hawaii Cowry Council Regarding County Y2K Planning and
Preparation.
Merek Edward Mura ' RECEIVED "
P.O. Box 1 156 frme.. - 7 y B y
Kapaau, Hi. 96755 Date__ ____ /1,
P County Council /P NSveDC
The County of Hawaii furthermost and most southerly of U.S. Counties, by its
geographical isolation faces unique and serious social and medical dangers in the
event of the tailure of the supply train of just in time inventories. Food, fuel, and
medical supplies delivered by sea and air pose one of the weakest links in the modern
American distribution systems. Recent natural devastation by Hurricane Eniki of Kauai
County point to the absolute dependence of the. Hawaiian people on shipment of relief
supplies of fuel, food, hardware, and medicine from the Mainland.
This dependence on modern modes of resupply and one -sided State and Local
emphasis on tourism and agribusiness, while creating jobs in the short term, fails
to consider or plan for possible disruption of life sustaining supplies. Displaced
monocrop workers forced to commute to jobs far from their homes and their
dependence on fuel delivered "just in time" to carry them to their jobs in hotel
service industries is just one example of the resupply problem.
Another inherent danger facing Hawaiians remain the centralization of the political
infrastructure in large, urban clusters. This geographical distance between Government
and the Governed and the lack of home rule also sets the stage for the inability of rural
communities to deal with disasters in a timely and pnident fashion.
Looming 1999 and 2000 computer matters with its possible short and long term
interruptions of the supply chain set the stage for unprecedented hardship to the
citizens of Hawaii. imagine for a moment the consequences of a sudden failure
of transportation to deliver fuel food or medicines to the Island of Hawaii, suddenly
empty hotels, no fuel at the gas pump, people denied their daily injections of Insulin or
life giving medicines, stores empty after three days of panic buying, failure of Helco
to deliver electrical power to its customers, failure of the Hawaiian telephone system,
hospitals loss of critical modern health maintenance equipment, and interrupting of
the local banking systems to supply currency or cash pay checks.
If this scenario isn't serious enough, multiply the consequences by imaging that
the Mainland is undergoing the same failures at the same time, along with the rest
of the World and you begin to understand the potential seriousness of the Y2K
computer problem. We have 200 to 350 days to plan and implement responses to this
potential disaster.
Actions the County Council Can Consider in Planning for the Effects of Y2K
I. Immediate release of Hantakua farmland to the public, waiving 1999 lease
fees and streamlining applications and removing bureaucratic barriers to immediate
occupation and planting. 70. D
Comm. No.
File No. PIN
Ref. To: Presented HSe e C
Ref. Date JAN 1 5 199'�rJ
O
2. Publicize the need for individuals to prepare and plant garden sites this spring.
3. Emergency meetings of all County medical and safety personnel.
4. An immediate, in depth survey of all County well and surface water supplies
and strategic placement of pumping equipment and necessary fuel to continue on
time water service.
5 Purchase and placement of bulk food supplies, i.e. wheat, rice, corn, beans, and
oil while transportation is available and running.
6_ Immediate creation of a bulk seed bank with hybrid and non - hybrid seed stocks,
and adequate fertilizer supplies.
7. Recommend bulk fuel providers have six months of fuel and L.P. gas supplies on
hand (with rationing these supplies could be extended for 18 months).
8. Release of FLMA emergency funds to local planning groups.
9. Station military communication equipment and high frequency radios throughout
rural and urban townships.
10. Immediate hiring of auxiliary police personnel on a temporary basis to extend
and deliver emergency police protection to prevent civil unrest. Personnel could
come from the Veteran population and commercial security services.
11. Stockpiling of essential medical supplies.
12. Diversion of County road repair crews to water and electrical tasks.
13. Tax relief to large land owners who open their holding for temporary large
scale community common gardens.
The emergencv facing Hawaii requires informing the Public of individual
preparation instructions (health and s f'ety) and ensuring potentially needed long ierni
supplies are available and on hand. The private sector commercial outlets could be
advised to stockpile larger inventories and be given tax breaks to quickly implement
and store needed goods.
These are just a few ideas that could prevent chaos in the next 12 months, if acted
on. 1 have faith that the Council will see the merit in preparing for and prudently
marshall its resources for the task ahead.
Over the past three months 1 have sent information packets to the mayor,
police chief, Mr. Kim, and the Office of the Governor and have yet to even
receive acknowledgment . Such lack of response to looming potential problems
has caused many sleepless nights and forced me into full time local organizing
with many of my neighbors in N. Kohala to awake the population to and help
create the Kohala Sustainability Movement.