Money talks, Puna walks, Kim says
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 01:23PM Mayor Harry Kim was on the Honolulu Advertiser's "Hot Seat" blog chat this afternoon and Wankine, a regular contributor here, posed this question:
Aloha, Mayor Kim. I am a resident of Hawaiian Paradise Park in Puna District. We sometimes feel that we are the "poor stepchildren" of the County. When we complain about the lack of county services, we are either told to be patient or reminded that most of us live in "substandard" subdivisions. The County has been happy to let us build here and to take our tax money all these years, but slow to provide services. Now that the population growth of the county is concentrated here, what do you propose to do to help improve services in Puna?"
And Kim's response:
Wankine, there is no denying that the needs of the Puna district far exceed what is there. Telling you to be patient would not be a very good answer under any circumstances, and we have never used that. I will say this, to understand why in part only we are so far behind in meeting the needs of Puna. Almost all of the major subdivisions in Puna were zoned shortly after statehood. This would be in the early 1960s. Almost all of the subdivisions did not have any of the infrastructure of roads, power, water and facilities of parks and schools. Sadly, this situation remains the same for a lot of those subdivisions today. Please note that these are private subdivisions. We are trying to find ways that County government can go into the private sector and provide some assistance.
In fairness, unfortunately, if you look at the amount of moneys collected from almost a totally agriculturally zoned subdivision, revenues from the Puna district have never in the past many years equated to the expenditures in that district. This is not an excuse, but strictly an information of finances.
Puna has been identified as the one district on the whole island that is of the following:
- It is the fastest growing area on the island of Hawaii in regard to building permits for residential class.
- It is the fastest growing population on the island of Hawaii for the past few years.
- Since it is the highest priority as you can see now, new fire stations and police stations are being planned or are under construction at this time.
- The most important issue here is to know that Puna is perhaps the most short of all the districts per population as far as infrastructure and government services."
A largely disappointing response from the mayor. A condescending history lesson doesn't begin to address the dire needs of the community. Within 15 years Puna will be the largest district on the island and the county can't sit around bemoaning the past and spending money only where the privileged demand it be spent. Maybe the mayor has morphed into Aaron Stene. Kim acknowledges that it was government that created these problems, but doesn't offer any government solutions because we only have ag land revenues.
We're the fastest growing district with the least infrastructure and fewest government services yet listening to Kim makes it sound like we'll need a few megaresorts along the Kalapana coast before we'll ever see any significant amounts of county money flowing here. And I'd like to see the numbers to back the statement that Puna is the "highest priority." He mentions we're getting a fire station that's under construction and a police station that as yet has no location, and ... what?
While the Mayor started out saying he won't tell Puna to be patient, that was more or less the gist of his statement.
Thanks to Wankine and Dave Smith for alerting me to this. Click here for the entire discussion with the Mayor.
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Reader Comments (15)
Everybody talks about Harry Kim like he is some kind of saint, but now we know how he values money and Puna . . . exactly in that order.
denying that at all. But there is other parts of the
island that have severe infrastructure issues also, namely
Ka'u (HOVE),Kona and Kohala. I don't think its fair
that Puna's needs supersede these other areas.
leave Ka'u and HOVE. As far as I can discern,what makes
Puna's issues more important than lets say Ka'u (Specifically HOVE).HOVE has the same infrastructure issues as Puna.
You make your choices about where you want to live and knowing full well what's available from a public safety and infrastructe standpoint. If you chose Puna, Ka'u, HOVE, Kona, etc. Sucks to be you! Nothing like Hilo..."My Home Town"
In my opinion, the only way to get the dollars for infrastructure and other needed facilities is to vote for the candidate whose platform seriously puts Puna's needs as a priority. Talk is cheap, actions speak. I, too, would like to know more about Kenoi. If he is from Kalapana, at least basic human nature will kick in and he will care about his "home town", perhaps.
Mayor Kim's response did not answer Wankine's direct question, showing us once again, we are indeed the "stepchild" in this County. Admitting Puna is the most "short of all the districts.." tells us nothing we didn't already know.
All of us need to keep in mind that next election, Puna residents really need to vote, vote, and vote. The Council is already funding projects left and right for West Hawaii, and we have a serious problem in representation for Puna on the present Council. The only hope we have is the newly elected Mayor will have the influence needed to put Puna's immediate needs in the budget. Too bad we have to wait until Kim's term is over.
But Puna desperately needs a bypass roadway now. How the situation of one-way out or in has persisted is beyond me. One lolo driver passing on the right can cause an accident shutting down the lone route for hours, ruining school and sjopping schedules not to mention residents needing urgent medical services in an area deficient of most such services.
Harry identified this need well during the threatening subdivision fires between Hawaiian Beaches and Paradise Park years ago.
But as long as Puna folks allow deferral of such an obvious need, they face the penalty of consequences far beyond inconvience.
That the new council is hell bent on blocking the sale of land the county owns in Paauilo in lieu of taxes, shows the current sense of disinerest in Puna's well being. That sale could provide funds that could be parlayed into bonds to pay for a modern ocean access to Puna along the old railroad right of way.
That land belogs more to Puna and Hilo or Kona than Hamakua when one realizes Hamakua's tax shortfall was picked up by others during Francis Morgan's economic collapse there.
Good job by both of you guys.
Here is some fuel for thought, as a friend suggested to me one day. One way to end this do nothing for Puna district is to form Townships. By doing that we keep all of the tax monies and develop our own public services. In the mean time we pay to the county for services rendered at a fixed rate.
By incorporating our own township we [the residents] can elect our own town council, mayor, sheriff, and any other public servant needed. The state will still have to look after the highways and state owned land. The county will have to turn over parks and public lands to the township that are within its borders. It could look something like this
Mayor-----------------------Hunter Bishop
Sheriff----------------------Aaron Stene
[deputies]------------------Malama Pono, Rex, Puna Girl, and Chunkster
Town Council------------Brian Jordan, Wankine, James Weatherford, and Emily
Parks and Rec------------Fred Blass
Hey this could be a lot of fun!!
The Lack
Hunter
Hugh, the sale of the Hamakua land could also be used to build a trash incinerator (scary thought, more global warming, poor polar bears)
Concerned and all, will voting for a new candidate really solve the problem? I am afraid to say this but Puna needs more than a new mayor, it needs several big development projects in order to help bring in the needed infrastructure and more. What kind of big development should there be?
What would Puna be able to tolerate? Seems like everyone is afraid to deal with this because it would change the face of Puna forever. But needed infrastructure will also change the face of Puna forever. Seems like you can't have one without the other. JMO.
Good questions. Anyone care to answer? What would Puna tolerate, as far as "big development"? We cannot expect infrastructure without development. The County has shown they will not solely pay for Puna's desperate need for the basics.
The past five or six administrations (since Akana's tenure) have not ever paid attention to Puna's needs. The reason I stated we need a Mayor with Puna as a priority is I believe we need a balance between the Council (where Puna is NOT a priority, Kona is...) and the Mayor to make sure Puna gets some attention. We certainly aren't getting anything from the current council, and our representative on the council is not effective. In my opinion...
I think Malama Pono has made a few very valid points! Frightening, but very valid.
A new Mayor will still have concerns all over the Big Island, not only in Puna. Billy lives in Puna, so that would be a benefit for us (as well as other rural areas of the Island).
Big developement would need to bring in infrastructure. It seems we try to block ALL new developement. Small developement can't win. Big developement, well, we may not be able to stop them. $$$$ backing would make for a real tough fight.
Having a vision for Puna in the future is great. Combining that vision with reality is difficult. But if WE don't, THEY will.
Kim
Why not start with something reasonable like much needed retail and service business centers in some of the more highly populated subdivisions? HPP has even set aside several large parcels for just such purposes. Brian Jordan got it right when he said that this whole district was designed to be an ecomomic feeder for Hilo. (I am paraphrasing, here, so forgive me if I have taken liberties, Brian.)
Some people even think there have been back-room deals among the good old boy politicians and their backers to keep people in Puna going to Hilo for their important needs. Shortly after moving here, I asked an old-timer why there was no shopping around here. His reply was that the big money people in Hilo didn't want it and just enough of the Puna people were against it to let them get their way.
Massive resort development might be a way to get some infrastructure improvements, but it could create as many proplems as it solves. Hopefully our CDP will be coherent and forceful enough to accomplish what the politicians have not, a reasonable and phased "village centers" commercial development plan. That would be a first step.