Recently our County Council Chair J Yoshimoto failed "leadership 101" when he and others on the Council refused to pass  proposed legislation that would have banned the use of check-out plastic bags on this island.  Many of us saw this legislation as an opportunity to impose upon ourselves a higher level of respect for the aina --  a united "together we can" effort. Others, unfortunately who do not see themselves  "connected to the land", responded to this legislation simplistically in the old school view of "them" telling independent "us" what to do. 

Now legislation to limit the use of plastic bags is moving through the state legislature: SB 2559 SD2. The bill was approved by the Senate and tomorrow 3/9 goes before the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee. SEE Status report SB2559SD2 HD1 HERE.  Read more about this legislation in today's Honolulu Advertiser HERE.
 

On a windy day last weekend, plastic bags were flying out of the Waimea dump across cattle pasture and towards the ocean.

There are problems with the unions in Hawaii – such as excessive banking of vacation and sick days paid off in a big lump sum at retirement, lack of flexibility in job definitions, “bumping” of better qualified folks to accommodate less qualified employees, and so it appears the HSTA has a fear of Charter schools, and therefore unfortunately has opposed new Charter Schools. But by gosh none of those issues lead to the insidious failure of our state education system masterminded by Governor Lingle.  To be sure Governor Lingle has not rallied to address the above union issues.  No instead her narrow focus has been on how to cut out government workers, including teaching days, the “furlough or fire” government employees approach. Simply put, Governor Lingle has been willing to sacrifice the future of our state and its most precious resource -- its children and their education to pursue her anti-union agenda.  She will be long gone – looking for some classy position in some Republican administration far from Hawaii – while the wake of her anti-union sentiment continues to take its toll here.

 It was not the state government unions that blocked early and constructive discussions about union contract concessions. This was solely at the insistence of the Governor.

After listening to the Deputy Director of Planning Department explain a few things -- such as that:

-- it will be the Planning Department staff (not the Action Committee) that determines whether development is consistent with the relevant CDP;
-- it is not for the Action Committee to review and comment on any proposed development--unless the Planning Director requests that of the Committee;
-- the Sunshine law prevents the Committee members from talking among themselves and generally prevents them from speaking in any public forum [At a previous meeting Deputy Corporation Counsel explained that in this way that would not have a disportionate impact on whatever board they were speaking before. However, in my opinion,  this reasoning has nothing to do with Sunshine Law policies and everything to do with deterring freedom of expression.];
--it is up to the Planning Commission to decide whether to heed the CDP --even when the CDP provision contains the word "shall".

Then members of the Committee and the Waimea public chimed in -- making clear they were not accepting this subordinate role to the Planning Department -- at least not rolling over in the aisles like a bunch of marshmallows.

Members of the Action Committee  introduced by WCA chair Sherm Warner:

Waimea Planning and Design Review Committee Meeting 3/3/10

Re:  Approval of Parker School’s Use Permit Application Without Inclusion of the "Community Agreement". Numerous expressions of anger towards the County and its disregard for the Community Agreement that had been negotiated by myself and Carl Sturges, Parker School’s headmaster. Carl was present and said he understood the concern was with the County but assured the group he, as headmaster of Parker School, would honor the Community Agreement -which would impose additional conditions in the Use Permit to increase the school enrollment on its Kapiolani Street campus. Carl plans to write a letter to the Waimea Community Association stating that the school will abide by the Community agreement -- even if not required by the County to do so. He said he had spoken on behalf of the School at the Planning Commission meeting and Parker School accepted the Community Agreement. Everyone present appreciated this moral commitment from Carl, but believed the County was remiss in not including this Agreement in the Use Permit Amendment -- as a legal commitment. [Instead, on the advise of Corporation Counsel, the Planning Commission said it could not include the additional conditions agreed to by Carl Sturges because this was a "third party" contract.  Hah!]

There was consensus among those present that what the County did was wrong and with two exceptions, there was agreement that the only way to make the county accountable was to take some legal action. The group generally agreed that otherwise this type of response from the County, including its disregard for the CDPs was likely to continue.

During the past month, I attended the Community Development Plan Action Committee meetings in North Kohala, Puna, and South Kohala. Based on my observations, the objective of the puppeteers of this Administration is to minimize the power of these “voices of the community” committees. [Photo of Puna CDP Action Committee meeting]

Is there anything in your heart you are daily grateful for (outside of appreciating family and friends)?   For me there is just one single achievement without question I think about every day and am grateful for each and every day. Clearly it is that Obama was elected to be and is our President (and no matter I am a McCain family member).  Yes I regret Obama wasn't more aggressive from day one, and often wish he had better advisors, or were more outspoken about the Bush minefield he inherited. But really guys  -- who else among us could possibly have pulled the County away from a financial catastrophe, regained good will around the world, and promoted a vision of decency and fair play? NO one.

Unfortunately the swamp of BUSH-CHENEY-ROVE political quagmires continues to erode his progress -- the politically stacked Supreme Court,  all of the embeded Bush cronies in the Administration, not to mention all of the "bought" legislators in Congress, and the almost complete elitest control of mainstream media, has rendered any progress a formidable and uncertain task. But consider what hell of continued terror we would be part of, had he not won.

Clearly in the 2010 election, without relentless support for "good guys" who care about more than what is best for their own elite special interests, we will watch in horror as those who have been systematically coalescing power for the "choosen few"  are elected to enough legislative seats to destroy the possibility of any future Obama achievements.  The reason this will occur: complacency  on our part.

Think about it. We need to support Obama and his allies WITH A VENGEANCE.

If you don't understand why this is so important watch this video.

The following is a guest column by Councilman Pete Hoffmann:

At times the political manuvering of those in power are challenged in their effort to maintain the status quo.

At the November 20th Planning Commission hearing concerning the Parker School's proposed use permit amendment, there was substantial community opposition. Parker School was seeking a massive increase in enrollment along with the construction of a new middle school, a new gymnasium, and relocation of the Parker School Trust Adult Ed program to its campus on Pukalani Road campus.  The problem was this location is at the heart of Waimea's traffic congestion. Pukalani Road and its connector roads are generally single lane and in a residential neighborhood frequented by pedestrians and joggers. Although a new gym ordinarily would require a rezoning permit, the Planning Department claimed that would not be necessary since the gym was simply an accessory use to a permitted school use -- in this agricultural zone. At that November 20th meeting,  the Planning Commission backed off from rubber stamping the permit application, and sent Parker School away to come to a consensus with the community. 

TAT Legislation HB2598: House Finance Committee votes against usurping the Counties' TAT funds... and instead votes to cap the amount distributed to the Counties at current levels for the next 5 years... This is good news for the Counties... but there is still a lot of room for action by the Senate to snatch these funds from the Counties. See report in the Star Bulliten concerning this and other tax measures considered last night (the 23rd) by the House Finance Committee HERE:

This evening Senator Takamine and Representative Nakashima did a "talk story" in Honakaa concerning the status of major legislation. These guys are good and you should be proud of their abilities and dedication.