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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0177.114 1998-2000 Why is HIPAL important? ' RECENED _ County CounciV° ' It is important because it gives our kids critical, all important self-esteem. It is important because it keeps kids occupied with good group goal-oriented activities, which builds chazacter and tenacity, and a sense of family. It is important because it enables hundreds of coaches and parents, role models for our youth, to spend thousands upon thousands of volunteer hours with kids, some who are at- risk, and divert this youthful force into producing good citizens. It is important because through HIPAL our kids work with and get to know real neighborhood policemen directly through this program. A policeman becomes a fiiend and an ally, instead of someone to be feazed. It is important because it enables kids to become proficient with skills that can often lead to scholarships for higher education. It is important because it teaches our kids self-discipline and the value of hard work. It is important because it enables policemen to narrow down the list of possible suspects in criminal investigations, because the kids who are practicing a sport, aren't out there to commit the crimes. It is important because through organized sports, kids are taught the value of teamwork. It is important because most coaches require that those who practice and play with their teams, require passing grades as a prerequisite for playing with the team. Coaches often ask to see the grade reports of team members, and congratulate kids on their schoolwork and good grades. Coaches motivate players to become good students. It is important because it saves the county government and residents millions of dollars per yeaz because crimes haven't been committed by those 6000 kids in these HIPAL sports programs. Police investigations cost money. Criminal procedures and incarcerations cost a great deal of money. Kids in sports razely commit crimes. Kids with nothing to do , no good role models, and time on their hands, often find themselves tempted by drugs and crime. It is important because the real possibility exists....check the WII'I' Mazch 7, 1999 story...where some kid will kill a resident who surprises them in the act of a burglary. These programs will again, and probably have already prevented needless deaths. I ~ ~ , I 1 Comm. No. File No. 3 U Ref. To: Resented cov.+u~ ~.N, Ref. Date 3 ' / 8 - 9 9 o,. ,iea ~i .~e tia,a,.. ld~~/ It is important because it enables kids to learn to listen and take direction from responsible adults (their coaches) for the general good and goals of the team. It is important because kids who aze playing sports, don't do drugs, and aze around other kids and adults who don't do drugs. It is important because the future of our children is the most important priority of a responsible adult. Please be responsible adults and do whatever you have to to fund HIPAL and Daze. Richard Harrison Napoopoo x~ac,-z..~ 2rcNOnQ ,aa~~.~N Petition to The lviayor anti t,ounctl Urging the l;ontinued I+'unding of HIPAL {Hawaii Police Activities League} We the undersigned, believe that the HIPAL Youth Atheletic Program, which reaches over 6000 youths each year [2500 of which are "at risk"] to be one of the most important crime deterrent and confidence building youth programs ever created and underwritten by Hawaii County. HIPAL is preventative medicine for our youth. A HII'AL basketbau season alone, with a few officers arranging gym space and referees, creates the opportunity for a small army of unpaid coaches and parents to spend over five hours a week with thousands of the youth of our community for months, creating, through the simple magic of sports, sportsmanship and self- esteem, kids who are far less likely to become school dropouts, drug users or drug dealers, and far more likely to become caring responsible citizens of this county. We urge both the Mayor and the Council, not only to continue to fund the HIPAL program, but to endeavor to fnd ways to ~pand t rogue to include other 'at risk' youth. NAME 3l~ g/~~ ADDRESS t PHONE _ N? / /V ~ ~LL~fIS~.__- J % j`c N /?O(?~ ~S Tt' S w.JN _ _______________________________________________________T!__ UG? i ----Y. ----------e~Ql~/i1_7_---- '~--~flDl2,~ivt_J---~`~- i~'-N d _Tcf 2c~' S - ia61s~ _ ,r iSow - - - - - When complete, please fax to 323-2572, or mail c/o Hamson, Box 1241, Kealakekua, 96750. Thanks!!- '~L,c NpnL h~A„r,~<saw C~''~3 11 ~ i ~ i The Bond Issue, and HIPAL and DARE: In 1978, the county refinanced $ 37 Million in various debts into one bond with a payment of about $ 3 Million annually. The requirements were to create a 'sinking fund' so that payments were guazanteed on the $37 million bond. That 'sinking fund' currently is invested and yields $ 700,000 annually. Interest rates have lowered lately, and the proposed refinancing of the remaining unpaid $ 20 Million left in the bond is a good strategy to save interest. It also happily appears that the 'sinking fund' will be no longer necessary, so it may be possible to use that money to make up a County budget shortfall that now exists. I say 'may because it has not been actually determined by the County if federal regulations regarding municipal bonds allow for the moving of the 'sinking fund' into the genera] fund. This is a matter that needs some close attention by all officials. Some have azgued that the County would lose the $700,000 in yearly interest from the 'sinking fund', but this is a moot point since the savings that the County will realize because of the proposed refinancing seem to be greater than the interest we currently receive on the 'sinking fund'. The issue here, in the minds of most of Hawaii Co., residents, is the issue of funding HIPAL and DARE, two wonderful programs that keep kids off of drugs and help them to become responsible members of this island's community by giving them self-esteem and pride in themselves and their teams. It is true, we have less money in the budget this coming year than in previous years, and it is true that programs must be trimmed and cut to bring forth a balanced budget. But the Mayor's proposal to order the Police Department to cut $ 23 Million from next yeaz's Department budget, holds a sword to the neck of these two very important programs -HIPAL and DARE -because the 'charter' as it were, of the Police Department, is to provide 'safety related' services (things like patrol and vice etc.) above all else. HIPAL and DARE are not officially designated as 'safety related', so what the Mayor asks in the way he asked it, requires the Police department to cut the HIPAL and DARE to comply with the Mayor's request. Then we are told that the only way to get HIPAL and DARE funded, is to back this refinancing scheme of the Mayor's. I think this is both ridiculous, and unnecessary. HIPAL and DARE cost only about $213,000. It is completely within the power of both the Mayor and the Council to place a guarantee to the residents of Hawaii Co. that these programs will be funded, because they aze two of the most important and highly efficient programs we have on this Island, that insure that kids become responsible citizens. I feel that the Mayor really understands the value of these two programs, but is willing to jeopardize the HIPAL and DARE in order to get the balance ofthe freed up 'sinking fund' 5.7 Million) into the general fund. And the Council is unwilling to endorse the placing of the rest of the sinking fund (the $ 5.7 Million) into the general fund without guarantees of how it will be used. HIPAL and Dare have become political footballs, at the expense of the futures of our children. This is unacceptable. I challenge the finance committee, the entire Council, and the Mayor together to assess the tremendous impact that the quality HIPAL and DARE have on our youth and the future of this island, and through their personal understanding, guarantee that the funding be made available and that HIPAL and DARE will be retained, no matter what, for the sake of our youth. Richard Harrison Napoopoo hipal-3.wps