HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0383.039 2018-2020 R C,
COMM. V 3
From: skotamimi(cbamail,com
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony against the Hawaii County Council Resolution 233-191 gk
Date: Tuesday,July 23,2019 9:50:07 AM L °9 ` UL n;4 U:
Aloha Honorable Hawaii County Council Members,I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your
tireless efforts to better our island home. I am writing to view my opposition to the Resolution 233-19 in reference
to the moratorium on construction of the TMT telescope. I believe that TMT has done everything required of them
by law to allow them to proceed with construction. They've abided to all the rules of the game,and now that they
have successfully defended all their challenges and obtained all the approvals that we asked them to get,we are
telling them that they still cannot proceed with their project. It is unfair to put anyone through this. The protesters
have every right to protest,but what we are portraying in this resolution is a double standard,one group needs to
abide by the law yet another group does not.
I understand that this is a very emotional issue,it tears my heart to see our friends,our family,and our acquaintances
so hurt by this,however,it is our responsibility to uphold the law.
We wake up in our community every morning knowing that in many of our communities on the windward side of
our island,almost 80%of the population lives below the national poverty level. With this,comes all the social ills
associated with poverty,domestic abuse,substance abuse,crime,broken households,etc. We see police officers
getting shot,gun fights in our neighborhoods,shoot outs in public parking lots,drug dealing,homelessness,suicide,
people high on meth committing crimes against our people,the list is almost endless. A lot of this stems from the
lack of choices available on our Island of Hawaii. Our community needs more and better choices,our kids need
more and better choices. By stopping or making this process more difficult,we send a message that we are not
friendly towards economic development. This will have a direct impact on future projects,thus limiting our choices
and increasing our slide into poverty.
Most of us can remember back into the 1960's and 1970's and remember what a robust economic and political
engine windward Hawaii was,can we truly say we are in a better place today than we were in the 1960's&70's?
What happened? Do we want to continue this slide?Where will this slide end—rich gated communities and welfare
communities,everyone else will leave because of a lack of choices and opportunities. Is that where we want to end
up?
I ask you to please hold steadfast to the laws of our land and the rules that were set up for the people by the people
and please vote against Resolution 233-19 in reference to the moratorium on construction of the TMT telescope. -
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Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Shannon Tarnimi
Hilo Hawaii
oLA
Comm. No.
Ref. To: P Wo
Ref. Dote JUL Z 3 2U19