HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0755.012 2016-2018Murashige, Laura
From: Catherine Ishida <catherineishida@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2018 10:33 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: ICIA Testimony on County Budget Bill 110
Attachments: bi11110_testimony_icia.pdf, ATT00001.htm
Dear Mr. Maeda and others of the County of Hawaii Office of the County Clerk,
Please find attached testimony on Bill 110 that is on the agenda for the Special Meeting of the Committee on
Finance on April 17th, 2018.
With gratitude,
Catherine Ishida
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LOMM-Unifles In Action
Re: Bill 110
April 16� 2018
Mayor Harry Kim
Members of the Hawai-'! County Council
Respected friends:
We greet you as representatives of faith communities living, working, and worshiping in East Hawail:
Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Baha"I, Unitarian Universalists. Members of our faith communities
teach in our schools., staff the counters of our shops, build our homes, and grow our food. We are
deeply concerned for the welfare of our neighbors, and so we unite through Interfaith Communities in
Action.
We are deeply concerned at the reduction in funding for homeless families and individuals contained in
the current budget proposal before the Council.
in the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2016-17, the County allocated $276,375.00 to programs that provide
shelter and sustenance to homeless people. in the last budget, FY 2017-18, the funding dropped by 61%
to $106,125. In the proposal before you for FY 2018-19, the funding declines to S65A37.50. That is less
than one quarter of what it had been two years ago.
Less than one quarter —and we are told that addressing the needs of the homeless is a priority for this
administration. The numbers say otherwise.
Friends, these funding levels represent real suffering. There will be cuts in services. There will be fewer
available beds. There will be more people camping in the woods or sheltering from the rain in doorways.
The proposals of Mayor Caldwell in, Honolulu, relying on police to move people from one place to
another, serve only to perpetuate the problem and deepen the suffering. People homeless because of
an illness or loss of a job will face the additional burden of prosecution and a criminal record. They will
have fewer opportunities for employment.
And because people homeless as children tend to be homeless when they have children as well, it will
perpetuate a cycle of suffering.
The Buddha declared compassion to be the chief virtue of human life. The ancient Hebrew Scriptures
required provision for the poor, Jesus, who lived as homeless during his ministry, called love for
neighbor a commandment second only to love for God.
On this island of Hawai,*i, in this land of aloha, we urge you to restore funding for agencies serving the
homeless, and to increase it so that we have some opportunity to interrupt the cycle and find safe
shelter for all our island's residents as soon as may be.
We offer our prayers for you and your families, and that you may find the wisdom you need to choose
well as you serve.
Sincerely yours,
A?
Rev. Catherirke Ishida
President, ICIA
Unitarian Universalists of Puna
ICIA Steering Committee:
Rev. Eric Anderson
Vice President., ICIA
Pastor, Church of the Holy Cross
• Rev. Paul Normann, Secretary, ICIA (Amida Hawari)
• Bob Smith, Treasurer, ICIA (Church of the Holy Cross)
• Bob Gunderson, Officer, ICIA (Community of Christ)
• Jane lida, Officer, (Hilo Honpa Hongwanji)
• LaVerne Tolmle, Officer., (Hilo United Methodist Church)
• Dr. Shawon Rahman, Officer (Islamic Center of Hawai'i)
http://interfaithhawaii.org