HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0153.001 2016-2018 P1oLainL
COMP. i3
Murashige, Laura
From: U Bates III <ljb3@ljb3.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 8:47 AM COUNTY CLERK
To: Council Testimony COUNTY OF HAWAII
Subject: Resolution 109-17 RECEIVED
Time 10°Anq By
Date 2.2//7
Aloha kakahiaka Councilmembers!
I apologize for not being with you this morning, but I am at home mending a
persistent cold which I thought would be pau by this morning. I truly
apologize.
But I do hope that you can consider that my testimony will echo the others
who have chosen to submit and/or show up to share their testimony. We all
believe that our County and our State should keep focused on legislative
efforts which allow for full participation by all of our citizens, not just the
ones with resources enough to do so...and to focus on legislation that moves
us beyond the devastation of our natural resources.
This important Sustainable Living Research Site legislation has been
presented three times and has varying levels of success in each legislative
session. Each time we have seen politics being played and the same facile
arguments being made. The main argument from the establishment State
Planning Department is that "the process for special use permitting (SUP)
already exists."
This facile approach to this legislation is not only lazy, it is exclusive. Similar
to what we are seeing today with the Republican's answer to Healthcare is a
method of providing "access" to care, rather than providing actual care. In
the same manner, our Planning Departments provide access to
everyone...that is true...But like affordable healthcare, not everyone can
access this SUP process because of the strict requirements and financial
burdens placed upon the applicant.
"ACCESS" DOES NOT EQUAL PARTICIPATION. Ref. To: (,o
1 Ref. 12.1201:—.
BY simply eliminating this discussion to proceed, based upon an argument
about the existence of "access," allows our State and Counties to continue to
ignore (and often punish with fines) the thousands of people who are
attempting to establish methods of sustainability, which will nobly serve the
same State and Counties, well into the months, years and decades ahead.
If we collectively, as Counties and State, truly believe in diversity, inclusion,
community and malama aina, we must think beyond the rule books which
currently dictate our actions. These archaic systems have created a building
code which is nothing less than catastrophic to our environment, and an
entire process which limits participation for those who choose to live simply
by leaving a lighter "footprint" upon our Earth. Instead, our Elected Leaders
have chosen to ignore our Planet's cries for help and simply stay within the
status quo.
I urge each of you to dismiss the notion that the status quo will somehow
return us to a sustainable balance with nature. It will NOT. It can NOT.
I beg of you to consider, embrace, and celebrate those who seek balance with
our host planet, and seek out conversations and innovations that allow us to
look in a new direction.
We CAN house people effectively and efficiently...
We CAN sustain our energy needs without toxic waste...
We CAN grow local foods to help Hawaii reach its food production goals for
2020...
We can teach other and the World how to do this...
We just need the opportunity to do so.
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I am
l uf
ratefor your work on behalf of our County and I am grateful for
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your support of resolution 109-17.
Mahalo nui loa!
U Bates III
Hawaii Sustainable Community Affiance
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