HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0383.061 2018-2020 Murashige, Laura
From: mary beth laychak <mblaychak@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday,July 24, 2019 3:35 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Resolution 233 Testimony
Attachments: Resolution 233 Testimony.docx
Aloha
Attached is my testimony for consideration against Resolution 233.
Mahaloa,
Mary Beth Laychak
CD
Comm. No. un
Ref. To:
1 Ref. nate J U L 3 1 2019
Aloha,
My name is Mary Beth Laychak, and I oppose County Council Resolution 233-19.
I am the outreach program manager at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, but I write today as a
private citizen and Kamuela resident. As a long time resident of Hawaii, I support the Hawaiian struggle
for self-determination and recognize that in many instances, this is not about astronomy.
Resolution 233-19 does not benefit the Hawaiian community, astronomy supporters, or the Hawai'i
island population as a whole. Resolution 233-19 benefits no one because it is a pause without a plan.
The Thirty Meter Telescope project has been in the planning stages and litigation for the last ten years.
Further,the dispute has been front and center for all Hawaii island residents for the last four years.
During this time,this Council has failed to propose any plan that would lead our community forward
through this dispute.
The proposed sixty-day moratorium again fails to move our community forward. It provides no plan to
aid our Hawaiian community and fails to address astronomy's positive impacts. As currently proposed,
at the end of a sixty-day moratorium,there will be no progress, only further entrenchment into the
ongoing dispute. Accordingly, I cannot support Resolution 233-19 without a real, comprehensive plan
from this Council to resolve the underlying dispute and move all facets of our community forward.
1 encourage this Council to demonstrate true leadership by voting against Resolution 233-19 and
engaging with the entire community to design a path forward.
Thank you,
Mary Beth Laychak
Kamuela