HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOMM. 57.3 from S. Dursin re Final PlanTestimony to 2011 Redistricting Commission
December 16, 2011
Re: last minute adjustment to redistricting map
From: Susan Dursin, testifying for self
Chairperson Siracusa and Members of the Redistricting Commission, Good Afternoon,
Speaking as a person who has attended almost all of the redistricting meetings from the first, I
was very encouraged to see the work you did. I felt that members of the commission were
highly committed to creating an equitable plan that met the letter of the law. That was not
easy, given population changes over the past ten years. Your work was transparent, with timely
meeting notices and verbatim minutes. Working under severe time restrictions, you met often.
You did your homework, came up with preferred plans for your districts, listened to public
input, and finally, compromised when necessary. Your collegiality and hard work seemed to be
a model for how government process should work.
With the final redrawing of the District 2 and 3 line, you stumbled badly. While it's impossible
for the public to know what motivated Hilo commission members, the questions cannot be
ignored. Why would the commission make a change after the deadline for public input? How
much attention was given the obviously orchestrated letters? Why, if they had similar wording
and indecipherable signatures (according to Chairperson Siracusa) were they not enough of a
red flag to avoid making the requested change at the last minute?
As Chairperson Siracusa points out, the decision is cast in lava and anyone trying to go to court
would probably not win. However, the damage to public perception has been done. While the
commission itself may not have conspired to gerrymander, the public perceives that, at best,
they were naive enough to have been taken advantage of. We can only hope that Councilman
Yoshimoto is not affected; it's apparent he had nothing to do with Dennis Onishi's maneuvers.
Above all, the appearance of impropriety is a sad outcome of an otherwise admirable process.
At a time when public confidence in government is at an abysmal low, the last thing we would
hope for is this finale.
COMM. 57.3