GPU process mustnot be fast tracked

To the Forum:

I was horrified to read of the move to fast track the

General Plan Update process.

It would be interesting to find out who

really is behind this idea. The people have been promised two more public

meetings to help get the draft plan into its final form.

But now it has

been proposed that the final public meetings be eliminated in order to fast

track the process, which would prevent the public from being heard.

A great

deal of our tax money has gone into carefully creating the new General Plan.

Also a great many people have given of their time and brain power without any

pay and are now being told their input is no longer needed, that the rest of

the work will be done by the consultants and the Planning Commission.

The

plan started out being from the bottom up, from the people to decision makers.

Now the decision makers are trying to tell the people on the Citizens Advisory

Committe, “Thank you, but you can go now” before they’ve had a chance to

complete a document that will greatly affect our lives for the coming 20

years.

They’re telling the public as well that their input is no longer

needed.

I strongly question anyone intervening in a document as important

as the Kaua’i General Plan. Could this have anything to do with the fact that

the majority of the people of this island are behind keeping Kaua’i rural and

beautiful?

The few people and groups with a vested interest in not

listening to the people are trying to keep the publics’ wishes from being

incorporated into the plan.

They are just interested in making money in the

short run and after Kaua’i is ruined they will move on to another beautiful

place and make money out of ruining it.

The only way to stop this fast

track plan is to protest long and loud and refuse to go along with this

short-sighted idea which takes future determination out of our hands.

Marge

Freeman

Wailua