Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, June 10, 2011
442nd Vet on Redistricting: Military is part of our Community, should be counted
By Selected News Articles @ 3:25 PM :: 8377 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment

Testimony before Redistricting Commission June 9, 2011

Aloha,

My name is Richard Lee Fale, I am a resident of O'ahu's windward north shore and I am a combat veteran of the United States Army serving with the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. I am here to offer my testimony to strongly encourage the State redistricting commission to not only include all military Service Members in their considerations for drawing the new boundaries of our districts, but all people who live in our community.

Sorting through different groups and deciding who to include, or who not to include in consideration for representation, I believe should be a non-issue. All should be included. Even though we have decided who can and who cannot vote, that issue should not interfere with who should get represented. My father is not a U.S. citizen, and though he does not have the right to vote, I believe he has the right to representation. Some of my younger siblings cannot vote but I believe that they should have the right to be represented and to be considered as a person when deciding who gets representation.

We know that the census only counts the actual bodies in an area. This means that all the Service members here in Hawaii, from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, regardless of where they are from, were not counted in their home State. This means, that the only place the census takes account for them is here, because this is where they are, so this is where they will be counted.

Today, as we move forward, I am very concerned about those who may or may not be included in consideration of who gets representation. Under the parameters we used for the last redistricting of the State, the following are true:

Danny Friddle who sexually assaulted an infant under the age of one, his own daughter, and received a life sentence, is counted towards those who get representation.

But SGT Malietoa Steffany, a purple heart and bronze star recipient, who tended to the wounds of his fellow Soldiers before receiving aid for the seven pieces of shrapnel lodged within his body, after being attacked with an improvised explosive device, would not be considered for representation.

Another individual living just down the road from me, convicted of 1st degree burglary and 1st degree sexual assault was counted towards those who will receive representation, but SPC Rhett who died in combat, who was part of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield was not.

I could list for you hundreds of villains who have done many cruel and evil things throughout our communities who still deserve the right to be counted for representation, I would just hope that our heroes, our brothers and sisters who wear the uniform full time, can and should be at the very least be remembered, considered and counted towards receiving representation here in our great State of Hawaii.

Thank you.

 

* * * * *

June 9, 2011

Regarding apportionment counts for Hawaii

I am swayed by arguments to keep the state apportionment count in sync with the federal census and resulting congressional apportionment count taken as of April 1st, 2010.

In this “snapshot” of our population, one was counted as living here if one was sleeping here, working here, stationed here, going to school here, retired here, imprisoned here, etc.; if one displayed some permanence of residence and was not just “visiting.”

Most people instinctively respond that everyone should be counted. It’s a natural reaction emanating from a basic sense of fairness and without political calculation.

The census, being a snapshot of Hawaii’s population at a particular point in time recognizes that populations are always in flux, so a new count is taken every 10 years. It serves us well enough in determining legislative representation, despite whatever anomalies occur.

Those who desire a specific result are unpersuasive and transparently in favor of helping a particular constituency. People who live here should be represented, regardless of political consequences.

Consider:

• If one lives here, whether stationed, schooled or jailed, one is affected by laws enacted here. If a proposed law affects a “disenfranchised” community, that group can safely be ignored if it lacks representation. Individuals counted as living here for the census are not counted as living elsewhere. They are entitled to representation in the legislature.

• They pay taxes here. They attend schools here. They travel the roads, enjoy the parks, beaches and other recreational facilities. They dine out. They go to libraries and movie theaters. They participate in civic life and community events.

• It is said that many do not vote here. Well, many born, raised, schooled, and employed here have never registered to vote, have never voted and never will vote. Some never vote for philosophical reasons; some to escape tax authorities; some to escape jury service. These individuals are counted.

• Furthermore, the “extraction” of certain persons from the census block counts is an “uncertain” proposition and leads to arbitrary and inexact results.

• Regarding some absolute standard of permanence of residence, iwi and ashes notwithstanding, we’re all here temporarily.

Mike Palcic, Honolulu

---30---

RELATED: Reapportionment Commission rejects Multi-Member Districts, hears testimony in favor of counting Military Personnel

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