Richard Ha writes:
Another resident who lives near Puna Geothermal Venture and her testimony against Bills 256 and 257:
My name is Denise Fleming. I stand before you to speak on behalf of my partner Randall Brady and myself. We live about a mile from the PGV boundary in a house we built, own free and clear, and have lived in since 2007.
Mahalo to Chairman Yagong and the Hawaii County Council members who insist on an override for making this hassle necessary, and a sincere mahalo to our fellow taxpayers who made this teleconference to voice our displeasure with the override effort possible.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE OFFICE HOLDERS WHO SUPPORT OVERRIDING THE VETOED BILLS 256 & 257 WATCHING THESE PROCEEDINGS:
If playing election year politics throughout your service in office were halted, Big Island residents could experience measurable improvements in their lives.
There are several obvious measures our elected officials could enact immediately to improve life for ALL Big Island residents. Instead, some council members devote their time, and measure their legislative success, by the number of bills they introduce and pass to create laws and regulations; prohibitions and mandates. This generally results in HIGHER costs and LOWER living standards and expectations, along with poorer services and restricted freedoms every time the Council takes a vote.
Your time in office could be put to better use.
Example #1:
My partner and I built a house off Kapoho Road and moved into it in 2007. It took us nearly 4 frustrating years to get our road named (a requirement) and an official numbered address (also a requirement) …clearly a longstanding and ongoing potential health, safety and security concern for the numerous rural homeowners unaffiliated with homeowner associations and/or subdivisions island wide. Streamlining the lengthy process and clearing out the backlog of assigning house numbers for homes located on unnamed back roads would be a significant service to rural residents.
Example # 2:
Adopting a Big Island-appropriate common sense residential building code for Hawaii County residents, instead of adopting the budget-busting, unaffordable, one-size-fits-all approach from the wizards of smart at Command Central Planning in Washington, D.C. would also be a great improvement.
THIS brings us around to the vetoed Bills 256 & 257. Wisely allocated and carefully monitored, the geothermal asset funds could help to address issues unique to our Lower Puna ohana. This could include, (in ADDITION to relocation and monitoring air quality and health), community improvements, recreational facilities and evacuation sites in the event of fires, floods or other major natural disasters in our rural community.
Presenting residents with POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES, as opposed to designating a proposed 1- mile PGV buffer zone, resulting in downgrading our neighborhoods into a blighted wasteland and destroying property values and living standards WELL BEYOND the buffer zone would be vastly preferable to turning our entire community into a no-man’s-land.
An alternative plan..
OCCUPY THE BUFFER ZONE!
Subsidized electric service, property taxes or other incentives that would encourage residents to choose to remain in the area and mitigate any nuisance involved with living near the geothermal plant would be using the geothermal relocation/community benefits fund for the positive purpose it was originally designed.
The geothermal asset funds are intended to BENEFIT the residents of Lower Puna… not to violate our rights, divide our community and erode our living standards and property values. It is wrong to use the funds for the exclusive advantage of one segment of the community which would result in the destruction of the entire community. It is an example of injustice, a violation of trust and an abuse of power. Shame on those who would would attempt to resurrect Bills 256 & 257. It would be an unwise choice to make for your future career advancement.
It is not pono.
Mahalo for your attention.
Richard you should check out how many comments are one here, you want to talk about a voice
http://www.change.org/petitions/hawaii-county-mayor-hawaii-county-council-protect-the-health-and-safety-of-the-people-from-geothermal-development?utm_campaign=petition_created_email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=guides
I’ve seen it. It’s good to have a larger discussion of the issues. I am mostly concerned about the folks on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder–the ones who will get their lights turned off first as electricity costs rise. Hardly anyone advocate for them. They are hardly seen at the council meetings or community meetings. The Puna district has a population exceeding 45,000. Yet, the folks on both sides of the issue numbering less than a thousand, will make policy for them. The more folks engage the better.
It is true, we/I are some of those at the bottom of the pole, and there are many people who do not go to these meetings because they feel disfranchised and used. It would be great to have as many people on both sides or no side participating in the conversation. But the other part is how many people even care? Kudos to everyone who cares enough to participate, it should be more people who care enough to say something. Others are just hoping that the ones with the voices will speak for those who don’t have a voice, but how can those speak for those who don’t speak it one does not know the true extent of the issues on all side. Education is number one, but it needs to be fact, and not manipulated by lies. Remember when PGV said there is no Arsenic or Lead in fluids in their presentation? That was a bold face lie, with the info to back it up. Lies like this are spreading and feeding peoples carelessness.
Solar and batteries are now cheaper than it is to maintain the grid and update to smart grid, hmmmmm. Cheaper for the bottom of the pole? Or more money for the top of the pole?
It is not as simple as you make it seem. Are you proposing doing away with the grid? Women will need to have their children at home, instead of at hospitals. Sun shines only during the day, lights are needed at night. Storage for all night usage is very expensive. Lots of folks cannot switch to solar.