Sustainable Initiatives by Andrea Dean

On Monday April 13th, I was one of 25 people testifying, or maybe we should call it pleading, with the Hawaii County not to overturn a previous resolution supporting Fair Elections (clean elections, comprehensive public funding- same thing- the point is no private money for candidates, public funding instead!).


I testified in opposition to Council Resolution 98, which attempts to kill the Fair Elections Act 224. Act 224, which passed in last year’s legislature- set up a pilot program for comprehensive public funding of Hawaii County Council races, beginning in 2010.


Sadly, the Council Voted in support of the resolution- trying to eviscerate Act 224.
The vote was 6-3:
AYES: Enriques, Naeole, Yoshimoto, Onishi, Greenwell, Ikeda (These people don’t want public financing)
NOES: Hoffmann, Ford, Yagong (These people support public financing)


The next step is to try to defeat this regressive attack at the State Legislature.


This from Noeli Rodrigues: The GOOD NEWS is that Act 244 is NOT dead just because of their resolution. In fact, WE NEED TO KEEP THE EMAILING PRESSURE because the real decision will be made by the Senate and the leadership if the House and Senate [Calvin Say and Colleen Hanabusa] in the next 2 weeks. Email Representative Calvin Say and Senator Colleen Hanabusa Click here for talking points and an email form.


The Hawaii Tribune-Herald printed my letter to the editor today- after the council council vote, unfortunately, but we still have a chance at the legislature.

Andrea