HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0021.002 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fundFrom: Doug Perrine <perrine@hawaii.rr.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 9, 2018 4:02 PM
To: Charter Commission
Subject: testimony regarding proposal CA -7 on Dec. 14, 2018 agenda (to amend provisions regarding PONC
fund in secs 10-15 & 10-6 of County Charter)
Please respond acknowledging receipt of testimony. Mahalo.
Dear Charter Commission Members:
These are my comments regarding the proposal CA -7 to reduce the County's annual contribution to the PONC
(open space) fund from the 2% level which has been twice affirmed by the voters by a substantial margin to a nominal
level of 0.5%, which is effectively 0% due to the provision that it may be suspended whenever the Director of Finance
determines that it is "necessary to prevent a reduction in the level of public services." First, please note that Mayor Kim
and his successor/ predecessor Mayor Kenoi both argued that the contribution to the PONC fund resulted in a reduction
of public services during each and every year of their administrations, even though Mayor Kim ended up with a surplus
at the end of his first term. Therefore, the intent of this proposal is actually to eliminate the PONC fund completely.
Mayor Kim has argued that if the County's contribution to the PONC fund was reduced or eliminated, he could
use the money to hire more police officers and fire & safety responders. These arguments are entirely specious, as the
County has never been able to fill the funded positions for police and fire personnel. The problem is a lack of qualified
recruits, and not the availability of funds. The County administration is a hungry beast that can never be satiated
regardless of the amount of tax dollars provided to it. Mayor Kenoi was able to balance the budget during the great
recession when property tax revenues were greatly reduced. By the time Mayor Kim started his first term, not only had
the property tax rate been raised significantly on "investment properties," but property evaluations had skyrocketed, so
that County revenues were soaring. Yet Mayor Kim insisted he still couldn't fund the County government. Next year the
County will have additional revenues from the increased GE tax, and yet Mayor Kim insists that he still will not have
enough. Money from the State and Federal governments for emergency expenditures has been coming in faster than
the County can spend it. Another news item stated that many County departments were unable to spend their entire
budget allocations because the eruption interfered with their normal operations. The Herald -Tribune further reported
that, based on the additional revenues anticipated from the GET, the County Council approved a budget for 2018-2019
that was $6 million more than the budget proposed by Mayor Kim, and sets a historic high for County of Hawaii budgets.
So $6 million more than what he said he needs is not enough for Mayor Kim to run the County without stealing from the
inheritance of our keiki?
Mayor Kenoi also said we couldn't afford open space and natural beauty because he needed every penny to run
the bureaucratic machinery. He actually (illegally) suspended contributions to the PONC fund for a couple of years. What
were these terribly urgent things that he needed so badly that we had to preclude any attempt to preserve the
incredible natural beauty that we have on our island? Among the charges that Mayor Kenoi paid with our tax dollars
were, according to news reports: over $100,000 on travel and hotel charges, including stays at the Four Seasons in San
Francisco; $2,100 at a sushi bar in Waikoloa; $900 and $400 tabs at hostess bars in Honolulu; a $1200 surfboard; and a
$900 bicycle. A few years later, I don't feel that the citizens of Hawaii County are getting any value from that fancy
surfboard. In contrast, the areas of natural beauty and historic significance that we have purchased with PONC funds will
be there for us, and our descendants, to enjoy forever.
I consider this proposition to be not only an assault on the natural beauty of our very special island, but also an
assault on the principles of democracy. Voter initiatives are meaningless if the measures enacted have to be
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Comm. No. 21.2
continuously defended by citizens who lack the funding and manpower of the commercial interests that oppose them.
Imagine the uproar that would take place in the UK if the prime minister told the voters that voting for Brexit was
actually a mistake, so they would have another chance to make the right decision.... and then after they voted for it
again told them that they still hadn't voted the right way, so they would have to go to the polls a third time in order to
correct their two previous mis-guided votes. That's perhaps a poor example, since Brexit was approved by a small
margin, while the 2% PONC fund was approved by large margins in both votes.
Please cease and desist in your efforts to gut, reduce, and eliminate the PONC fund. It is we, the citizens, who
have the right to determine how our tax dollars are spent, and we have already twice chosen to use 2% of them to
preserve lands for public enjoyment.
Sincerely,
Doug Perrine
Doug Perrine, photojournalist
76-223 Haoa St.
Kailua-Kona HI 96740 U.S.A.
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