Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, October 11, 2012
Hauula: Caldwell Should Stop Using “Keep the Country, Country”
By News Release @ 8:04 PM :: 6945 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12

Caldwell Should Stop Using “Keep the Country, Country”

News Release from Friends of Hauula

Oahu, Hawaii - October 10, 2012 - Community leaders, environmental organizations, and Oahu residents who support smart growth that embodies appropriate development, agricultural viability, food security, open space, Hawaii’s culture, sense of place, rural lifestyles, and protection of the environment, disapprove of mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell’s exploitation of the “Keep the Country Country” signature for political gain.

“Mr. Caldwell has consistently supported, or been closely associated with, major developers along Ko’olauloa and the North Shore. His use of the ‘Keep the Country Country’ signature is a poor attempt to green-wash his dismal environmental record. This confuses the public,” said Creighton Ualani Mattoon, President of Keep the Country Country Inc.

Caldwell's statement that the Honolulu Rapid Rail Transit will keep the country, country through containing urban sprawl is equally disingenuous. As Managing Director under Mayor Hannemann and Acting Mayor, a proposed subdivision (Envision Laie) with a regional commercial center, office buildings, industrial parks, church, and 1200 new homes on 900 acres of agricultural land in Malaekahana, Kahuku, was unilaterally inserted into the Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP). This “end-around” play to unilaterally insert controversial projects into Sustainable Communities Plans happened island-wide, to the angst of many citizen participants.

The Hannemann/Caldwell Administration, along with Oaktree Capital LLC, contested the public cry to update the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Turtle Bay Resort expansion. "The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled the City administration was wrong in not requiring an update to a 25 year old EIS and that, indeed, a supplemental environmental impact statement was required for the proposed Turtle Bay development," wrote Robert Harris, Executive Director, Sierra Club, Oahu Chapter, of the Supreme Court’s decision on April 8, 2010.

Additionally, the ongoing controversial proposal to sell the 3.5 acre Haleiwa Public Park to private investor Andy Anderson was conceived by the Hannemann/Caldwell administration.

Other contradictions exist with Caldwell. His campaign website touts “preserving rural lifestyle” while Lex Smith, his campaign chair, is assisting Continental Pacific, LLC, in evicting long-time residents from the rural Kahuku Plantation Camp.

"These local folks are selling kalua pork to fight these evictions. Evicting plantation folks and developing pristine coastlines is definitely not “preserving rural lifestyle,” retorted Jessica dos Santos, a member of the Defend Oahu Coalition, about the plantation camp’s plight.

Kirk Caldwell touts his string of endorsements by major development and construction groups. He proudly supports decimation of highly productive agricultural acreages to develop Ho’opili and Koa Ridge into dense, urban subdivisions despite fierce grassroots opposition. Caldwell’s use of the “Keep the Country Country” signature is deceiving, as he is consistently pro-development, regardless of location or ensuing overall environmental impacts. Past performance is a good indication of future behavior.

“How many subdivisions can we duplicate on Oahu? We’re an island; protecting Oahu’s environment and preserving vanishing farmlands is good business!” said Choon James, a member of the Save Oahu Farmlands Alliance.

If Candidate Kirk Caldwell chooses not to disavow these proposed massive developments outside of the urban core, in the name of accuracy, transparency, and fairness to Oahu’s voters, he should immediately remove "Keeping the Country, Country"from his campaign website and political speeches.

##End##

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT