Playing Politics: Kapolei Neighborhood Board Rejects $500K Community Benefit Package

Dear Editor,

A concerned citizen is not something you do - it is something you are. And in light of what happened at the May 25 Kapolei Neighborhood Board meeting, everyone in the Kapolei, Makakilo, Honokai Hale and Kalaeloa area should take to task six board members (Chair Maeda Timson, Michael Golojuch Sr., George Yamamoto, Linda Young, Jeanette Grace and Charles Zahn) who foolishly voted to turn away support for a $500,000 gift from the City earmarked for this community.

After some very persuasive dialog and bartering at Honolulu Hale, Councilman Tom Berg was able to resurrect the Leeward Coast Landfill Communities Benefits Package of which funds have been cut in this year’s City budget, to a new proposal (Bill 13, CD2 FD1) to be voted on June 3rd by the City Council that includes an appropriation for $1.5 million to be shared between the three neighborhood board communities impacted by the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill. The communities of Kapolei, Nanakuli and Waianae are in the proposed draft, earmarked to receive $500,000 each for their discretionary use to be expended in their community per the respective Neighborhood Boards representing them.

Nanakuli and Waianae Boards had already requested Councilman Berg at their May meetings to fight for the funds but it wasn’t until May 25 that Councilman Berg was able to inform the Kapolei Neighborhood Board of its windfall benefit. And because the support of this measure was needed to validate the solidarity of the impacted communities, it was asked by Councilman Berg for the Kapolei Neighborhood Board to take a vote to have the issue added to the agenda for consideration. Six members as aforementioned above voted against taking action to endorse sharing the $1.5 million. In essence, the six members played politics (three are registered Democrats who have run for elected office) thwarting Berg’s efforts (a registered Republican) letting Kapolei’s $500,000 portion go to the other two communities.

After repeated pleas for reconsideration, neighborhood board chair Maeda Timson along with her like-minded peers chose to turn away and ignore the importance of supporting a $500,000 benefit for our community. The action by certain board members to cloak itself in parliamentary procedures was viciously destructive to the interests of the citizens that it purports to serve. Councilman Berg is now left with no other choice but to divert the monies destined for Kapolei away to the other two communities since he cannot take a stand to the City Council that Kapolei supported the effort.

Since the landfill breach in January that spewed waste into our ocean, the two other leeward coast neighborhood boards have refused to let the landfill matter go to the backburner and have diligently discussed the restoration of the benefit package meant to compensate the communities effected by having the dump in our backyard. Month after month, they directed Councilman Berg to fight for the funds. Regretfully, the ultimate losers in this instance are the communities of Kapolei, Makakilo, Honokai Hale and Kalaeloa that refused to even put the issue on their agenda when it was needed the most.

Evelyn Souza

Kapolei, Makakilo, Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board member and Legislative Aide to City Council District One

Celeste Lacuesta

Ewa Neighborhood Board member and Legislative Aide to City Council District One

* * * * *

Berg: Allow Mobile Home Parks to provide Affordable Housing?

Dear Editor,

Aloha mai: Please read the attached flyer and see the beautiful potential to help those that are the working homeless.

Imagine, a beautiful home, safe, secure and a protection from the elements. The "concept" is what we are working on at the moment and Councilman Berg is having it heard at full Council tomorrow.

He will "pull" it back into committee for fine tuning. This is when we have all the stakeholders get together and share their mana'o. The reso is far from complete, but we need the support of the "concept".

Hope you can help by emailing your support of this "One Step Up Housing Project" this evening. Know it's short notice, but this is important to future discussions of this opportunity.

LINK: RES11-054

PDF: Shipping Containers as Homes

Send support to: tberg@honolulu.gov cc: esouza@honolulu.gov.

Have a great day!

Evelyn Souza

Ewa Beach, Oahu

* * * * *

Judiciary to Host new Divorce Law Seminar

Dear Editor,

The next session of the newly revamped Divorce Law in Hawaii program will be held on Thursday, May 12, from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Supreme Court courtroom on the second floor of Aliiolani Hale at 417 South King Street.

The program is free and open to the public. It is presented monthly by the Oahu Family Court to provide general information to parties going through or considering a divorce. RSVPs are not necessary.

A list of the dates and times that the program will be held during the rest of the year is posted on the Hawaii State Judiciary’s website.

Marsha Kitagawa

Hawaii Judiciary