Open Letter Sent To Vice-President Biden (via post on White House website)

Dear Vice-President,

A while ago I wrote an email to the President about our out-of-control gun violence.  While I agree with removing military style weapons from our streets, it does not eliminate the root cause.  We must address also the lack of opportunities for our future generation.  We need to create a system that gives every young person a path to success, enhancing his or her self-esteem.  We need not only opportunities for higher learning, but also apprenticeships, of all kinds, for those who are not academically inclined.  Our industries must cooperate in such an effort, to make it work.

We must provide job opportunities to all that finished their education, either academic or vocational.

Young people do not kill others when they are proud of themselves and their accomplishments.  To that end, we must also enact a federal requirement that requires all schools to establish a program aimed at eliminating the bullying, of any kind, of fellow students.  Young people have become crueler than ever; video games and movies have corrupted the minds and souls of them; we have to reverse this horrible trend.  When I was young, many years ago, I never heard of a child being driven to suicide.  What has become of us?

A number of years ago, I had written a letter to then Secretary of Labor Reich, addressing the gang violence.  Nothing ever came of it, matters just got worse.

I am ready to help!  I am a product of the German apprenticeship program, and I know how it works.  My background can be found at FrankMaier.homestead.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-j-maier-70637a32

I am an ASQ certified Quality Engineer, as well as a SME certified Manufacturing Engineer.  I represented Canada at the first NATO conference on Quality Assurance, held in 1973 at Munich Germany.
I am a US citizen.  I want to help you in any way I can, to make our nation a safer, and a happier place, where people, once more, feel good about themselves, and each other.

Regards,
Frank
monfranz@msn.com

Make Sure Our Voice Is Heard

It is now public knowledge that both Mayor Kenoi and candidate Kim are in favour of the environmentally harmful Gasification process, to deal with solid waste, according to their recent debate statements.  It is therefore extremely important that we give our support to Sonny Shimaoka, who is against this course of action; he will oppose Gasification of our trash.

The answer to handling our trash is not Gasification, but solid waste sorting and recycling, and turning green waste into compost and mulch.  Some years ago, then mayor Kim built a 9 million dollars trash sorting station (so far a white Elephant), in the Hilo area, which stands idle for years already; let them use it finally for the purpose intended.

Please use the social media at your disposal, and communicate with all you know; we need a voice that opposes polluting our air and waters, for the sake of making big money, by building another white Elephant, which will be a financial disaster in the end.  HELCO is already proposing a rate hike to help finance this disastrous project, which will in the end cost a lot more than the current $500 million estimated.  Again they will then hike the rate to make up for their shortfall.

Support your community by supporting Sonny Shimaoka!

Thanks

Wakeup America!

Our politicians consider our Social Security payments as an entitlement, making it sound as if it were a gift from the Government, which they can reduce or eliminate at will.  Nothing could be further from reality.  Our social security payments are the contractual repayments, by installments, of money we have advanced, interest free, over many years, in fact a working lifetime, to the Government.  The Government has borrowed from this fund, repeatedly, interest free, over many decades, and has never repaid this debt.  The Government’s debt to this fund is well over two trillion dollars.

Why this great urgency to plan unilateral changes now?  The Government has already spent all of the surplus Old Age and Security Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance ( DI) taxes collected, and has evidently no intention to repay this debt.  If the Government were to meet their legal obligation of repayment of their debt, the fund could meet its obligation until about 2042.  And, if corporations were not rewarded for exporting the jobs of the American worker, more people would support the OASI and DI funds through their payroll deductions for these funds, and thus these funds would be viable beyond the 75 year horizon.  Moreover, the wages of the American worker have been kept very low over the years, and even reduced in some cases, thus reducing the sum of money collected by the Government, again working against the viability of these funds.

Why is the American worker’s wage compared to workers of other countries, who do not have to live with high living expenses, as we do in the USA, including the highest medical expenses in the world?  The American worker is made to feel guilty for demanding a living wage; why is this so?  These unsociable giant American corporations are not satisfied with raping, and abusing foreign workers in other countries, they are now importing their inhuman practices to the USA, and if the American worker refuses to step back to the middle ages, they employ their Government patsies, whom they have bought before, to bring the American worker to his or her knees.  Already State Governments are eliminating the rights of workers, in accordance with the wishes of their masters, the money donors to their political careers.

We, the people, were given no choice, we are taxed, by force, to pay into these funds specifically, and now they want to reduce our contractual entitlement, and change the contract unilaterally.  Unlike Canada, who do provide Old Age Security payments to their citizens, without having taxed them expressly for it, we, here in the USA, bought our benefit payments with our tax dollars, specifically for that purpose.  Now if the Canadian Government, for example, wished to change the Old Age Security formula, it would be understandable, because it really is a kind of a gift from their Government.  Canada has a separate coordinated pension system, to which workers contribute with payroll deductions, and nobody messes with that, and neither must the US Government mess with our paid for OASI, and DI benefits.  In fact, September 2011 the President proposed to cut Medicare by nearly 250 billion dollars, an attack on the most vulnerable, the aged, who supported the country all their lives.

How long will it be before we all realize that we are abused by our Government and their benefactors?  Other nations took forty years or so to understand that they, the people, were had; how much longer do we need to get the message? Wakeup America!  Most of us think, if we go and participate in elections every so often, we did our duty.  Wrong!  All we did is legitimize the frauds in office, at any level, to abuse us some more.  Let us look at the recent bailouts of the financial institutions.  The Government took our tax money (money from the victims) to bail out the crooks on Wall Street and anywhere else from where they operate.  They did not bail out any of the homeowners, who made an honest mistake to buy a home they could not afford, simple because they were told, by the financial industry, that they could.  Nobody went to jail, while the ordinary citizen lost his job, his home, including his or her self-esteem.  The masses were blamed for their engineered economic disaster, which helped to transfer the assets of ordinary people to the crooks in the financial industry.

The homeowners affected, for the most part, are still in trouble, and have lost everything, simply because they were not too big to fail.  The financial crooks are all doing well again, and pay themselves large salaries, and super large bonuses.  Our Government has, in essence, rewarded these criminals with our tax money.  As stated earlier nobody went to jail, because of this massive fraud.  All of a sudden they feel that our retired citizens have it too good, and can well afford to have their contractual benefits slashed.  After all, we have the world’s best Government money can buy, and did these crooks buy our Government, and stole our democracy in the process.  To rescue and protect our democracy we must do more than just vote these characters into office, we must keep them honest, by watching every move they make, and set them straight, when the veer off course.

We are renown, around the world, as a people, who are dumb, fat, and happy.  Well, we are not dumb, we may be a little overweight and we sure as hell should not be happy.  What are we to do?  For one, let your representative know that if he or she votes for taking away our right to receive our money back in retirement, they may as well resign now, because we will recall them, and surely not vote for them again.

"No taxation without representation" was the cry during the years between 1750 and 1760, and spawned ultimately the American Revolution.  Well, we are at this stage again; we are taxed without representation.  Our Government has sold out to special interest groups, who send their agents (read Lobbyists) to Washington to buy favors from our representatives sitting in Congress, Senate and the White House.  If you are in doubt about that, just look at those who got bailed out recently, it was not people like you and me, that is for sure.

We can use the Social Media to educate our friends and neighbors, and to email or call our representatives, and let them know that we are mad, and we will not tolerate abuse anymore.
It’s OK to use these media for all the fun things we seem to enjoy, however, these tools are giving us also the power of serious communications.   Our national elections are just around the corner, now is the time to turn the tables and put pressure on those who wish to represent us, while filling their pockets.  Let them know where you stand.  Once they are back again in the saddle, they can do a lot of more damage, by eliminating, or cutting down our legal rights.  Do not let them do this to us, and our children!  Use the Social Media (and email) to give a wakeup call to your relatives, friends, neighbors, and your representatives.

Facts on the Social Security Fund:  (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/index.html) - A SUMMARY OF THE 2011 ANNUAL REPORTS
Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees

From Wikipedia: - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_Trust_Fund
“The trust funds run surpluses in that the amount paid in by current workers is more than the amount paid out to current beneficiaries. These surpluses are given to the U.S. Treasury (and thus become part of the general federal budget) in exchange for special U.S. government securities, which are deposited into the trust funds. If the trust funds begin running deficits, meaning more in benefits are paid out than contributions paid in, the Social Security Administration is empowered to redeem the securities and use those funds to cover the deficit.”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation.

Entitlement - right granted by law or contract (especially a right to benefits); "entitlements make up the major part of the federal budget"  (thefreedictinary.com)

Entitled - qualified for by right according to law; "we are all entitled to equal protection under the law"

Extremely Concerned Again

Since my written questions on the following (submitted, at the Aug. 4th candidate meeting), never saw the light of day, in open forum, I appreciate you reading my opinion here.
Margaret Wille, candidate for Councilperson, district 9, in her article in the KMN of July 28, 2012, stated, "I will work to dispose of our solid waste in ways that turn this waste stream into a revenue-generating asset."  I called her the morning of July 30, 2012, to inquire how she would accomplish that; here is what I learned. This candidate wants to consider 'Waste Gasification', etc., despite the fact that she is well aware that our community was 100% against such a project.  At the time of our struggle against 'Waste Gasification', I invited her to join our cause; she never did. Not joining our community then is clear now; she considers this harmful process as a possible option to serve her money-generating goal.

Her confessed desire is to make money for the county.  She writes, "I will focus on ways to increase the revenue streams available to our County."  She also states, "I have been involved in many County issues over the past six years: working closely with the current Councilperson Pete Hoffman, studying the issues….” This candidate, like Pete Hoffman, is on the wrong side of this issue.  My records show, Pete Hoffman was not on the side of the community.  This candidate painted herself as an understudy to Pete Hoffman, not a good thing considering the foregoing. This candidate also portrays herself as an insider, which she clearly is.  The last thing we need is another insider.  Strangely, this candidate is not talking about liberating existing funds through bureaucratic waste reduction; she may seek income through harmful trash processing, etc.

This candidate pledges to resolve “…multi-dimensional issues such as how to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Hawaii physicians.”  The medical industry is already bankrupting many of our families, and, to an extent, our country (http://www.businesspundit.com/us-healthcare-vs-the-rest-of-the-world/).  Our medical costs are one of the highest in the world, yet estimates show that 200,000 Americans die, every year, because of medical errors (http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/opinion/gupta-medical-mistakes/index.html?iref=allsearch).  Do we need to give them more money to speed up our economic death, as well?  I think not.  To champion this cause, for this special interest group, only adds to our already high tax burden.

From her writing, it is obvious; this candidate is not for our community.  No mention, in her article, of making our lives more safe and enjoyable; it is all about raising money for the County, apparently without consideration of the environment.  This candidate never stated what the County should do with all the money she wants to raise.

The full-page ad in the KMN, page 20, “Paid for by Friends to Elect Margaret Wille”, should raise a flag, who are these friends?  Let us consider a person, who is truly for all the people, and not on the side of bureaucrats, or perhaps beholden to special interest groups.  Let us elect an ‘Outsider’ to represent truly our interests, and not that of the existing establishment.  If you care about a save and healthy environment, in which to live, and raise your children without the threat of another harmful process proposal, and have no urge to increase County revenues, then you must elect another more suitable candidate.  Let us not repeat history!  Mahalo,

Frank J. Maier
http://against.homestead.com
http://frankjm-socialconcerns.blogspot.com/

OPEN LETTER TO PETER HO - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Hawaii

The following was emailed to Peter Ho on February 7, 2012, and was published in the Kohala Mountain News February 25, 2012.  To-date no response was received.

"Dear Mr. Ho,

I worked in the fifties for major Canadian national banks; I know how crucial a local bank is to a community, and that is why I read the letter of January 27, 2012, announcing the closing of the Kohala branch, with sadness.  Surely you appreciate, a bank is more than a business; it is also a community support system.  This is especially true with our local seniors, many of whom are either unable or afraid to use online banking services, for various reasons.  Trying to educate them in using online services will not work; for most elderly, learning is no longer easy or even possible.  What about those people who have no computer to begin with?  I fear it includes the majority of our seniors.

Reading about you, I found the following, “Peter Ho puts helping people high on desires - Honolulu Advertiser (Mar 21, 2010)”.  Mr. Ho, this is your God given chance to live up to your desires, and to demonstrate that your service priorities are still in the right place.  Closing the Kohala branch would be contrary to helping people, in my opinion.  I know that Bank of Hawaii has an excellent financial record; I refuse to believe that your bank would abandon our seniors/community, who contributed so much to make your bank successful for 90 years.  Closing this historic branch would appear ungrateful, and totally devoid of the ‘Aloha Spirit.

Our business community will also suffer; which business owners have the time to travel to Waimea, to accomplish their basic banking needs?  Yes, we are in an economic slowdown, but as sure as, the sun will rise tomorrow, so will the business climate in our community.  Signs of increased tourist trade are everywhere. A community without at least one local full-service bank is doomed to stagnate.  This plan to close our local bank appears very shortsighted, and ignores the potential of our community; it throws in the towel in defeat. The closing of this branch signals to us that your bank has given up on our community. This is not the bank I know, and learned to respect in the aftermath of our national banking disaster.

I appreciate that there are compelling short-term business reasons why your bank came to this decision.  However, when looking at the long-term, this decision will prove to be wrong, not only in the business sense, but also in the human sense.  Taking away a community banking support from a struggling community, trying to rebuild itself appears to be an apathetic and calculated action.  There are ways to make this work for the benefit of the bank and the community.  For example, this branch does not require three bank clerks, excluding the Manager, and yet this is what I saw January 30, 2012, while making my deposit.  We, I am sure, are willing to wait a little longer in-line to get service, if that, and other cost savings, like opening three days a week only, help to keep this branch open.

Keeping this branch open, for the sake of the community, is priceless marketing for your bank.  When prospective customers, learn about this, they will be confident to bring their business to your bank.  I implore you to exercise your executive power and veto this planned closure of our branch.

Respectfully,

Frank J. Maier"

Kohala Scenic Byway Meeting Notice

Please attend if you can; be educated, and make your wishes known.  Evaluate the impact, if any, on our community.

Taken from http://gokohala.com/calendar.html, as a public service.

"August 10 - 5:30pm

Kohala Scenic Byway Public Informational Meeting will be held at the Kohala Elementary and High School Cafeteria.  In its first phase, Akoni Pule Highway has completed the task of being named Hawaii Scenic Byway Ke Ala ‘O Kohala – The Way of Kohala. The Highways Division recently approved the nomination prepared by the local committee.  If accepted and approved, the proposed byway will run along Akoni Pule Highway, which will keep its name, from Honokoa Gulch near Kawaihae to Pololu Valley. Kohala’s multi-layered history will be the focus of the driving experience.  Using the suggestions from the public meeting, the committee will write up the application for state designation of the byway which will include plans for a long-term local byways committee and a management plan to enhance the values chosen by Kohala people.  All are welcome to attend to share ideas for decisions yet to be made.  Sponsor for the Ke Ala ‘O Kohala byways project is the North Kohala Community Resource Center.  For more information about the public meeting or the byways committee contact Scott Bedingfield at 896-9001 or Judy Rogers at 430-5689."

It Is Official

Bennett Dorrance has confirmed to me in writing, in an email dated July 5th, 2011, that "The lower Iole land is off the table as far as a location for the zero waste station, ..."  Bennett a good member of our community has shown great sensitivity to the voice of his community, and I for one appreciate this very much.  As a result of this, there will be no Zero Waste Park near and upwind from Ainakea homes.


I am 100% convinced I speak for all of you when I say, "Bennett thank you very much for your concern for the health and safety of  our community, we are indeed very grateful".


In addition, I wish to thank the many residents who had the courage to stand by their conviction.  Last but not least many thanks to the 'AGAINST' working group members.

Is No News always Good News?

Aloha All,

It has been quite a while since my last post, perhaps some of you were wondering if I had gone on my last journey. As attractive as that would be to some, it is not the case.  My reason for the extended silence was purely the lack of good news that you all deserve.  A number of  you actually contacted me, wondering why the Blog was silent for so long, and what the latest status on the issue is, urging me to break my silence.

In consideration of the foregoing request, and to bring you all up-to-date, I decided to write this particular blog minus the positive feedback, I was expecting.

March 29th 2011, I had close to an hour meeting with Mayor Billy Kenoi, who agreed to look into the matter, and thanked me for bringing this community/citizen concern to his attention.  He subsequently promised, by email, to study the additional pertinent materials I submitted to him following our meeting.  So far I have not received any further communication from the Mayor’s office.  I am not giving up, surely the Mayor is a busy man, and will, when able, address our concerns in a positive way.  He seemed very sincere, and concerned during our meeting.

Further to my published letter to the Editor of the Kohala Mountain News, regarding WasteStream’s non-compliance with the Sunshine law, and per the Editor's published suggestion, I requested February 28th 2011 a ruling from the Office Information Practices (OIP), who is responsible for enforcing the Sunshine law of Hawaii.  They in turn requested from the County’s Allen Salavea , in their letter, dated March 2, 2011, that he provide them with a detailed explanation, including any relevant legal citations, setting forth his position on this matter and any other information he deemed relevant to this inquiry. He was requested that he provide this response to OIP in ten business days from receipt of this letter, i.e. by March 14, 2011.  Despite follow-up letters by the OIP, the County has failed to comply, judging from copies of OIP letters I received.

I had no intention to go that far, and I communicated this to North Kohala News prior to the publication of my letter, but their public suggestion that I get an official ruling from the OIP, left me no other choice.  A request for a ruling includes an accusation by definition, therefore I did not wish to do that.

In a letter dated April 8th 2011, the EPA informed me that they will continue to encourage the County to engage in meaningful participation with all residents on this waste processing facility issue.

Just What North Kohala Needs

Aloha,

Here is what I have been told, I did not verify the reports myself.  However, one picture is worth a thousand words, and two pictures are worth ......?  You figure it out.  Please see photos below.

Apparently, some business from Hilo is processing these scrap cars on Surety property, down near the old lighthouse.  I am told, the scrap metal is to be shipped off-shore.  Add to this a waste treatment plant, then we are really cooking.

No doubt, our tourists will be very happy to see that even Hawaii is out to destroy its pristine country side.   We even place them high up on cables, to give them a better view of our mess.  Make no mistake, tourists talk to each other, and talk story with their friends and relatives at home.  This could affect some local businesses, in time.

If you have better facts, please email me, or, better still, post your comment right here..

Is New Moon Veering Off Its Charted Course?

Aloha,

It is time to increase our attention and knowledge of those things that may impact our quality of life in a very negative way, unless we make certain that involved parties and entities live up to their published tenet, and remain honorable.  To help us understand, and allow us to separate fact from fiction, let us examine the following.

All quotes, shown below, are from New Moon's web pages at http://www.newmoonfoundation.org, as of 2/20/11, unless otherwise stated.

"New Moon Foundation was co-founded in 1999 by Bennett Dorrance, Jr. and Thuy Nguyen Fujimoto. Where the foundation is today is the result of a friendship that has been mutually enriching, productive and lasting because it is based on shared values and aspirations. We are:

• inspired by the learning and practice of Engaged Buddhism.

• passionate about practicing Right Relationship and building New Moon Foundation as a values-based organization.

• committed to the responsible stewardship of New Moon Foundation’s lands as a living part of the Foundation with healing qualities for the benefit of all."  Emphasis added to this bullet.
  

Wikipedia explains,  "Engaged Buddhism refers to Buddhists who are seeking ways to apply the insights from meditation practice and dharma teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice. Finding its roots in Vietnam through the Zen Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, Engaged Buddhism has grown in popularity in the West"

The teaching, apparently, includes avoiding or correcting injustice, and not inflicting it.  Moreover, what healing quality can be ascribed to an upwind waste processing facility, 700 yards or less from homes?

New Moon's mission and ideology is shown below.

"Core Ideology and Purpose

MISSION

New Moon Foundation is a values-based organization and our mission is to provide educational & science-based programs, scholarships and grants that encourage and support the practice of our core values G.R.A.C.E.

CORE VALUES G.R.A.C.E.

• Gratitude – A deep appreciation of life in all forms, valuing both its gifts and lessons. This is the foundation for finding joy in our human condition.

• Respect - The practice of awareness and openness to others, new ideas and different perspectives. Respect is the basis for peace and understanding.

• Accountability - Taking responsibility for our actions, thoughts and emotions. Acknowledging our choices and their consequences empowers us to choose again.

• Courage - The discipline to be authentic, honest and act with integrity. Courage allows us to grow and realize our true potential and dreams.

• Engagement – The intention to wholeheartedly contribute our gifts and skills in a way that benefits our communities and natural environments. This is a natural outcome and test of a values-based life.
  

We deeply believe that if we individually make a sincere effort to practice the above core values and support each other in this practice, we all will become happier with our lives, enjoy a more caring and peaceful world and leave a more sustainable environment to our children.

We also believe that there is an urgent need to cultivate wholesome values in our world and especially in our children as it appears that, in general, our current social and work environments, family and school systems are not doing an adequate job at this, leading to practices and approaches that are detrimental to our environment and disempowering to many of us."  Emphasis added.

These are lofty goals, nobody could argue with, however, offering their "Sweet Water/Iole" land for the construction of a waste processing plant, 700 yards or less upwind from Ainakea homes, appears to violate their tenet of GRACE, in a major way.  For one it would be detrimental to the environment and will dis-empower an entire community.  In addition, in face of the resident's rejection, it appears disrespectful to the entire community affected, to persist with this project.  Where is the respect mentioned in New Moon's first tenet, "Respect"?

New Moon's website shows that,

"New Moon Foundation recently underwent a thoughtful process to name its land holdings. Now known as "Sweet Water", the land encompasses the majority of the 'Iole Ahupua'a' including the Bond Estate and Former Kohala Girls' School, as well as areas outside the ahupua'a. NMF felt it right to honor the land with a name that paid homage to the water that runs beneath the lands and the gentle rains that come with the tradewinds to nourish all beings and vegetation"

"Sweet Water lands are available for hiking, camping and other outdoor educational activities of youth, adult, and corporate groups"

If New Moon really honors the 'Aina'  (land) and truly pays homage to the waters that run beneath the land, why would it offer this very land for the construction of a waste treatment facility near homes, against the wishes of the local community?  Such a processing plant could surely, in time, contaminate the very waters they aim to pay homage to.  One could well imagine, how enjoyable it would be to hike in an area loaded with the stench of trash, and the associated noise pollution of a waste processing plant.  It would, possibly, even provide an opportunity to carry out an animal nature study, by observing rats at play.  Does it  get any better than that?

Their web-site also shows,

"In 2009, the New Moon Foundation created Sweet Water LLC dba Iole as a separate legal entity dedicated to the responsible and sustainable stewardship of our lands and buildings"

"We aim at fulfilling our mission while achieving long term financial sustainability. ..."

This says, it is now a for profit enterprise, which is , evidently, already raising its threatening head, and, apparently, all these noble goals, and respect for the 'Aina', no longer seem to matter, as long as "financial sustainability" is achieved.

Written communication with key-personnel of the New Moon Foundation, aimed at resolving this matter in favor of the community at large, since mid November, 2010 proved fruitless.  Last communications were filled with reservations, and unreasonable unattainable conditions.  One could ask, where is the respect,  their second stated tenet describes?  It is reasonable to perceive that their refusal to remove their land offer without reservations and convoluted conditions, as a clear confirmation that New Moon/Sweet Water/Iole is unwilling to remove the "Sweet Water/Iole" land from WasteStream's list for a waste treatment facility.  Given the tragic contrast between their words and their planned actions, it should not really come as a surprise.  One hears stories about corporations, which enter small communities in sheep's clothing, i.e. as a non-profit foundation.  They usually do a few things well, all aimed at gaining the respect and trust of the community.  Then, a while later they undergo a metamorphosis and become for profit enterprises, and the gloves come off.  I do not suggest for one minute that this applies to the New Moon foundation, however, I do not know for certain.

Writings received, from New Moon, show that, apparently,  this land was only offered to be of service to the community.  Well, it should be clear to New Moon/Sweet Water/Iole, the community has rejected this land for the purpose given, so why is it still being offered?  The interest groups involved, including New Moon/Sweet Water/Iole, act as if only they know what is best for the community.  Apart from totally dis-empowering the entire community, they treat our local residents in a condescending manner.  Between what was learned at the February 19th CDP meeting (see prior blog), and from New Moon's lack of a positive response to a plea to have this site scrapped, in light of the overwhelming rejection by the residents, the picture becomes clear.  It is full steam ahead baby.  OK, New Moon Foundation/Sweet Water LLC/Iole, NK_CDP and WasteStream prove the contrary, scrap this site selection, and make our day.

Let us assume, a worse case scenario, no other suitable site is ultimately available.  Is the urge, by these interested parties, to build this waste treatment facility, 700 yards or less from Ainakea homes, more paramount than the quality of life, safety, and well-being of an entire community?   What could be that strong incentive, justifying ignoring the wishes of the community?  In can't be community spirit, the residents don't want it upwind near their homes.  Surely, the end of the world is not at hand, should this project be delayed until more suitable land does become available.  If push comes to shove, the existing facility can be upgraded with the tax dollars saved, by not buying Sweet Water/Iole land, and not building a costly new paved road to a new expensive facility.

WasteStream Acts Against Own Recommendation

Aloha,

During the 2nd Infrastructure Focus Group meeting of the NK_CDP, the following reasonable criteria were offered, "as seen by WasteStream ..." (see quotes below), and yet today, WasteStream is refusing to remove their inappropriate site selection, which not only violates their own initial set of criteria, but dis-empowers entire communities, and destroys the quality of life for the residents affected.

Ref. NOTES ON INFRASTRUCTURE FOCUS GROUP MEETING OF 11/14/07

"The compilation of the criteria for a Class 1 Neighborhood Recycle Center:

General Location Requirements (as seen by Wastestream, our local project working on this issue)

Convenient and safe for all customers in District (at least as convenient as current location)

A location near highway to facilitate truck transport of rubbish to land fill (better than current location)

Not located next to or near current large residential areas (limit negative community reactions)

At least 20 acres of usable land (not in gulches, near stream beds, or other difficult terrain)

Land reasonably available to County (private land might require owner's agreement to sell or lease long-term)."  Emphasis added.

Reference:
 North Kohala CDP
MEMORANDUM NO. 3
To: Project Team
From: Harmonee Williams
Date: November 15, 2007
NOTES ON INFRASTRUCTURE FOCUS GROUP MEETING OF 11/14/07"

Instead of limiting negative community reactions, as initially suggested by WasteStream, they actually invited these reactions by the residents affected, by their unwise selection of a site 700 yards or less from Ainakea homes.  And, even after massive opposition to this proposed waste treatment facility location, by the communities, WasteStream still refuses to scrap this site for this project.  What differentiates WasteStream and their supporters from dictators, who ignore the will of the people?  Nothing.

Over 400 Residents Have Registered In Opposition, So Far

Aloha,

The good effort by our active petition team resulted in this good showing.  If you have printed the Petition Form, and collected signatures, please email them to me, as soon as possible, so I can update our records.  It must be noted, all signatures were freely given by the registered residents, who were all outraged by this whole affair.  So far, we have encountered only one resident, to my knowledge, who was in favor of this project, and he was, apparently, seen hanging around with the WasteStream folks.

Thank you!

When A Match Is Put To The Water It Starts A Fire! - By Denise Nekrash

Funny how serendipity can happen...I just had two customers from Montreal in.
They commented on how much they love Hawi and how beautiful it is. One of the ladies said "and hopefully it will stay this way'". I then replied funny you should say that because we all hope so too. And then I went on to tell her in a "nut shell" that a gasification plant is trying to be pushed through against the will of the community. She offered to write a petition from Montreal and post it on her site as well as www.care2.com ( I think that is the site) that is world wide for environmental protection. Her name is Lina and her website is www.activert.org She is planning to make a documentary on the endangered Monk Seals here in Hawaii.
She absolutely loves Hawaii and eco-friendly companies. She promised that she would get on this, she is here until March 13. She also mentioned that the government pushed through for a gasification plant in Montreal and the people have told them that they will not be re-elected. When  a match  is put to the water it starts a fire! Now the government is saying it is a bad idea, and they are keeping the existing one but will not build anymore. She would be an excellent person for you to speak with Frank. I can give you her phone number if you like.

_______________________________ End _______________________

Comment by Frank JM:

Gasification? Yes, let us not forget, Bob Martin was quoted, November 11, 2010 by West Hawaii Today, as having said," If gasification ever happens in North Kohala, it will be somewhere else"  It does not matter where in North Kohala, it is harmful anywhere on the Island, not just near Ainakea.

Kohala Mountain News Spin or ...?

Aloha,
In an article, entitled "Site Selection for Zero Waste Park Update", published February 26th 2011, the following fly in the ointment (spin or ...?) was detected.  This article states the following, among other things.

"The new task force has an objective of finding an alternative  to the site located near 'Ainakea, but will support that site if no other workable location is found."  Emphasis added.

Peter Klika, who is the only new member of this "new task force", stated in his blog of February 21st 2011,

"I am confidant there are other more suitable sites and will never support  the old proposed site which is too close to Ainakea and unsuitable for many other reasons."  Emphasis added.

Whom should we believe?  I put my trust in Peter, he has, in fact, a lot to lose should this waste facility show up at his very backyard.  I think the statement in the Kohala Mountain News article, quoted above, is a veiled preparation for us, to live with the fact that the current site selected is reality, and nothing will change that, in their opinion.

The Editor, who did make an attempt to verify the opinion expressed in my letter, published in the same issue, failed, apparently, to do so in this case.  The fact that no author is shown for this article, it appears, the Editor is entirely responsible for it.  WasteStream's king pin is also the business manager of the Kohala Mountain News.  Could this perhaps explain the spin detected again and again?

As an aside, this article also claims that this "new task force", which is really the old WasteStream task force with Peter Klika added, is not part of WasteStream Kohala.  This spin, appears to be designed to make us believe WasteStream is no longer subject to the Sunshine law.  Whoever is searching and deciding, for the County, which site should be used for the Zero Waste Park, is subject to the Sunshine law.  It's that simple.

Report From Peter Klika, Esq.

Aloha,
Sorry for the delay. I've been preparing for a mountain expedition to Nepal. I leave Tuesday and have been a bit crazed with last minute details. There will be an article in the next Kohala Mountain News  about the committee's work to date. The short version is that about six potential new sites are being considered all of which are west of Hawi Hill Road. In addition, expanding the existing facility is still an option but may not be the best site for way in the future as the community grows. The old proposed site near Ainakea remains off the table but a very remote possibility if there are no other suitable sites. I am confidant there are other more suitable sites and will never support  the old proposed site which is too close to Ainakea and unsuitable for many other reasons. I will return in mid-May and it is unlikely I will be able to add any additional information until then as I will have no way to communicate from Cho-Oyu basecamp. Aloha. Peter .

From Which Corner Of The Mouth Should He Speak, Asked The Man?

Aloha,

Due to my car's battery problem (needed charging), I arrived approximately at 11:45 a.m. at the February 19th meeting of the 'NK_CDP ‘Annual Community Meeting’.  My Battery’s timing was perfect, within two minutes of my arrival, the chairman of the CDP, Bob Martin, explained to the audience that the selected site for the waste facility is, for now, on hold, due to the rejection by the community, and they are trying to revisit this subject by looking for an alternative site someplace else.  He figured this very difficult task should be complete by June of this year.  He complained about shooting of the messenger is going on, and plenty of not in my backyard, etc.

Speaking of backyard, most of the individuals, if not all, living near the present waste transfer station, are the very ones, desperately trying to get it out of theirs.  And, as Peter Klika so aptly stated Nov. 10, 2010 at the WasteStream meeting, these folks will gain in their property value, if they can pull it off, while Ainakea property values will drop by 25%, in his opinion, as a retired land attorney.  And, Peter knows what he is talking about. When these folks bought their homes, the transfer station was already there, so they made a conscious decision to move there anyway, whereas, folks in Ainakea had no transfer station near them when they bought their homes.  See the difference?  Very likely, some folks in Ainakea would not have bought property near a waste processing station.  Granted, some folks like the ones pushing for moving the existing station now, would have perhaps bought anyway, and like others, would have gotten the property cheaper because of it.

Bob Martin next invited comments from the audience, and when it was my turn, I asked him, that in light of the overwhelming rejection of the current selected site, near Ainakea, is he now prepared to remove this site permanently from the list?  He said, that he simply shelved this site, but is not prepared to remove it from the list.  I then asked him, if you are unable to find another suitable site, are you prepared to go back to the current site near Ainakea, despite the fact that in a democratic society the will of the majority should prevail?  He gave me a smirk, and said probably not.  I told him that he is now talking out of both corners of his mouth.  He then asked me from which corner of his mouth I want him to talk.  I refrained from answering this silly comment.  How about talking straight for once.  What is going on here borders on mental cruelty.  If they probably would not go back to the original site selected, as stated, why not take it permanently off the list?  Two reasons could explain their position.  One, they have no intention to abandon the current selection, or  they enjoy seeing the community anxious about this issue?  By God, what power we have, they must be thinking.  It will be interesting to see, if they can match the power of the EPA.

When I asked him, what happened to the good plan they had in 2008, he answered, I will tell you in private, but I am not prepared to state it in public.  I just love this kind of reply; it shows the true 'Modus-operandi' of this organization.  Heavens forbid, the public should have this kind of information.  And, this kind of thinking is the reason why Hawaii  enacted the 'Sunshine Law', and our Government put into the books a law, known as the 'Freedom of Information Act'.  Needless to say, I am not interested in hearing this hidden information in confidence, for I would surely share it with the public at large.  How condescending was that, as far as the wider audience was concerned?  What autocratic and arrogant behavior this organization displays, again and again.  Finally, Bob Martin invited me to join them, to which I replied, “I will join you under one condition, that you remove the site near Ainakea, permanently.”  He declined, and one of his followers, shouted, ”thank you very much!

CDP/WasteStream, I invite you to prove me wrong, but my instinct tells me, we will have a dog and pony show until June, and then guess what?  We will be right back to the site near Ainakea homes, it will again be the only suitable site, but only according to some interested parties, who will benefit from the destruction of the quality of life in our community, a community they so very much care for, so they say.  But, actions speak louder than words.  Do we really all look that stupid?  And no, I did not stay for lunch; I came for answers and not lunch.  All this double talk dished out was more than a sane person can stomach.  Of interest to note is also that the CDP was well protected by two able-bodied security officers.  I don't know about them, I felt pretty secure.

 Now is the time to write to the EPA, as suggested in my earlier blog; don't wait till June.

The Environmental Protection Agency Is Taking Notice Of Our Concern

Aloha,

I just recently received a response from the upper management of the EPA, and our "important environmental justice concern" is being forwarded to the Environmental Justice Liaison for Hawaii.  I will stay focused on this avenue, unless either WasteStream or New Moon decide to play by the rules, and respect the overwhelming rejection of their site selection, by the affected community.

The following is a partial quote from EPA's email to me.

"You raise important environmental justice concerns about the proposed facility and community.   I am taking the liberty of sharing your email with our Region 9  Environmental Justice Office.  Debbie Lowe is our Environmental Justice Liaison for Hawaii and can be reached at 415 947-4155.  She is familiar with the Executive Order 12898 and may be able to answer your questions about the order and the crucial community concerns you raise."

It is still not too late to write to the EPA yourself, and add your own voice to this issue.

Please write to Ms. Eileen Sheehan, USEPA REGION 9, at Sheehan.Ei​leen@epamai​l.epa.gov
From feedback , it is obvious only very few of you have done so already.  Come on Guys, this is all our fight, don't just watch what few of us are doing, get in on the action, now.

Some of the interested parties from the other side, have others spread rumors saying, we were told (by so and so...), it will never happen.  All this is designed to lull us into a false sense of security.  Remember, the "Main Players" with whom I have communicated in the past and with one in the recent past, in writing, have thus far refused to come out and say it themselves.  What does this tell us?  You are right, ... they are probably still cooking this mess, waiting to serve it to us, just a little later.

Just a short example of how  the NKCDPAC play their game, their June 10, 2010 meeting minutes clearly reflect the following:

"It is agreed that the public would not be invited to our meetings at this time ... we need to build a firm foundation and get down to business and then decide on when and how to involve the public."

And, this in total violation of Hawaii's Sunshine law (enacted over 10 years ago), which distinctly prohibits these kind of meetings, out of the sunlight. 

A Short Dance With The Mayor At The North Kohala Senior Center

Aloha, and Happy Valentine to all of you!

Today I had the pleasure to dance and speak with the Mayor about our issue.  Dance with the Mayor?  I will explain later.

The Mayor was the surprise guest at the Senior Center, which was hosting a Valentine party today; there was dancing and singing, and many door prices were handed out.  In the midst of this activity a special Valentine was announced, and in came Billy Kenoi the Mayor of Hawaii.  Apparently, none of the seniors were told beforehand that the Mayor will be speaking at this gathering.

The Mayor talked to us about his family background, and the fact that we are all one family here on this Island of Hawaii.  His mother came from the mainland, and his wife, whom he met on the mainland came from Japan.  He told us that his father, a big Hawaiian Teddy Bear according to his mother, told him, "son think and feel before you speak, this way you will speak not only with your brain, but also with your heart".  The mayor, unlike your average politician, did not speak from notes, but spoke from the heart.  He learned his father's lesson well.

Billy Kenoi explained to us some of the hard choices he has to make in light of the current economic conditions.  He shared with us some of the conversations he had with people who have been through rough times on the Island, before he was born, and they all told him that those hard times were not nearly as bad as the current economic situation.  While the Mayor was giving us some insight into his world, as the Mayor of this Island, the MC of the senior center had other ideas,  he interrupted the major by announcing, that anyone wishing to dance with the Mayor could do so by paying a dollar.  And, since I was anxious to speak with the Mayor I forked over my dollar and stood in line, with a host of ladies, to dance with the Mayor.  While the Mayor and I were kind of dancing, I discussed with him very briefly our situation regarding the planned waste facility near Ainakea homes.  The Mayor is still under the impression that this site was selected by the community; I told him the opposite is the case, the community actually rejected this very site.  And, while nothing was settled during my one minute dance with him, he promised to discuss this issue with me further later on, at some other time.

I, for one, was impressed with his style of speaking, his candor, and had he not been ushered away from his talk so soon, I am sure we would have learned a lot more.  I can hardly wait to continue my conversation with Billy Kenoi, the Mayor, who, apparently, thinks and feels before speaking.

WasteStream attempts to avoid the Sunshine Law of Hawaii

Following my telephone request to have WasteStream’s meeting notices and agendas mailed to me, I received Sunday evening a call from a WasteStream member, who informed me that I mistakenly assume that WasteStream is subject to the Hawaiian Sunshine law, as they are just a citizen group, having nothing to do with the county, per se.

In an article published in the Kohala Mountain News, published October 23, 2010, WasteStream said the following:

“WasteStream is a grassroots group … and working with the County Waste Management Division to increase the number of recycling options at the current transfer station.”

“Our organization is not a county decision-making body.  We are an advisory group to the county and are involved because we care deeply about these issues.”

“In 2007, the county asked WasteStream Kohala to undertake an extensive search for a new transfer station site in the community.”

Now let us look at the law.  Ref. Part I of Chapter 92,
Hawaii Revised Statuteshttp://www.state.hi.us/oip/6aug08%20Sunshine%20GUIDE%20complete.pdf

“Unfortunately, there is no list that specifically identifies the
boards that are subject to the Sunshine Law. As a general
statement, all state and county boards, commissions, authorities,
task forces and committees that have supervision, control,
jurisdiction or advisory power over a specific matter and
are created by the State Constitution, statute, county charter,
rule, executive order or some similar official act are subject to
the Sunshine Law. A committee or other subgroup of a board
that is subject to the Sunshine Law is also considered to be a
“board” for purposes of the Sunshine Law and must comply
with the statute’s requirements.”  Emphasis added.

By their own admission, shown above, WasteStream is “an advisory group to the county”, and as such has an “advisory power over a specific matter”, selecting the site for a new transfer station.  They further admitted, that "the county asked WasteStream Kohala to undertake an extensive search for a new transfer station site in the community".  Moreover, since this affects a great number of residents, their meeting notices and agendas must be made available to the public, and they are most definitely subject the requirements of this statute.

"The notice of the meeting must include an agenda, which lists all of the items to be considered at the forthcoming meeting, the date, time and place of the meeting, and if an executive meeting is anticipated, the notice must state the purpose of the executive meeting."

Further,
"The agenda must list all of the business to be considered by the board at the meeting. It must be sufficiently detailed so as to provide the public with adequate notice of the matters that the board will consider so that the public can choose whether to participate. For anticipated executive meetings, as noted above, the agenda must be as descriptive as possible without compromising the purpose of closing the meeting to the public and must identify the statutory basis that allows the board to convene an executive meeting regarding the particular matter."

“The statute requires the board to maintain a list of names and
addresses of those persons who have requested notification of
meetings and to mail a copy of the notice to those persons at
the time that the notice is filed.”

“If a board files its notice less than six calendar days before the
meeting, the meeting is cancelled as a matter of law and no
meeting can be held. The Lieutenant Governor or the appropriate
county clerk is to notify the board chair or the director
of the department within which the board is established of the
late filing, and the board must post a notice canceling the meeting
at the meeting site.”

Considering the foregoing, please continue to call WasteStream, at 889-5025, and request meeting notices with agenda by mail.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH JUST BEING REACTIVE?

Aloha,

Just being reactive allows trouble to brew and eventually bubble to the top, thus confronting us by surprise, and many times our efforts then must be Herculean to stop an unwanted event.  It makes much more sense to educate ourselves, by being in tune with our community at all times.  Let us listen, and observe what is happening around us; let us be informed about rules of law, about rights or obligations we have with respect to our community.  Let us not lose focus once we are confronted with an issue, and let us stay the course.  Usually, confronting forces just have to wait until public interest is waning, in order to strike again; let us not succumb to such a scenario.  Our web-site and Blog have only one purpose, namely, to inform our community, so that we all know what is expected of us, and what interest groups can do to us, and what they cannot, according to the rules of law.

Had we as a community been more diligent in our observations our current dilemma would have never risen to the level it is now.  We could have spoken out much sooner.  While it is true, much of WasteStream’s deliberations did not see the “sunlight”; somebody in our community probably had an inkling, and did not think much of it.  In reality, no community can keep a secrete for that long.  But, we as people tend to wait and see if a potential problem really raises its ugly head.  We can always react then, so we tell ourselves.  In so doing, we not only do a disservice to our community, but also to the designers of nutty projects, because we lead them to think, that we, the community, don’t care or way or another.  We would be more helpful to them, by letting them know right from the start that their plans are not appreciated by us.  It would save them energy on the spot, and us later on.

Had we, as a community, been aware, for example, of the requirements of the ‘sunshine law’, we could have requested from WasteStream agendas for all of their meetings, further, we could have requested that meeting notices are mailed to us, at least 6 days prior to their meeting.  But, we did none of it.  In our defense, we could say, we are too busy to bother, but that just does not cut, does it?

We still have a few people on our email list, who can’t be bothered to keep themselves up-to-date on the issues, it appears; this should not be so.  Keeping up with the issues involved will, to some degree, make up for the fact, that we were initially asleep at the switch.

To request the mailing of meeting notices, including mandatory agendas, please call WasteStream at 889-5025.  I did, and left my name and address on their voice-mail.  Let us make an effort to attend their meetings, whenever we can.  I look forward to your comments; please add them to this blog topic, under "Post A Comment".