• Freedom of information • Superferry EIS • Property tax assessments Freedom of information Citizens freedom of information rights don’t mean much if the law can’t be enforced. Or if the fees for public records block access. But it’s happened
• Freedom of information
• Superferry EIS
• Property tax assessments
Freedom of information
Citizens freedom of information rights don’t mean much if the law can’t be enforced. Or if the fees for public records block access. But it’s happened here in Hawai‘i.
The state’s Office of Information Practices issued an opinion that Mayor Harris’ vision teams must folllow the sunshine law. But when the Mayor disagreed, OIP was blocked from enforcing the law though they administer it.
When Environment Hawaii was researching a media story on state plans for an irradiation facility, the Dept. of Agriculture required a $4,200 up-front payment before releasing the documents. That’s too much to pay even for the news media, much less a citizen.
It was only after OIP got involved that the department lowered the access fee to $190. To their credit, this was done voluntarily. But we shouldn’t have to rely on such voluntary actions to lower exorbitant records fees.
Fortunately, there’s a bill still alive at the legislature to fix these problems and uphold the public’s right to know. But the House Judiciary Committee must approve the bill by this Thursday’s legislative deadline.
Please call committee chair Rep. Sylvia Luke to request a public hearing for S.B. 1551 Relating to Freedom of Information. We just finished Sunshine Week and it would be a shame for our only FOI bill to die this session.
- Peter Bower Citizen Voice President
- Robin Loomis Hawaii Pro-Democracy Initiative President
- Beverly Keever Right To Know Committee Chair
- Jean Aoki League of Women Voters Legislative Chair
Superferry EIS
I read with amusement the letter to the Forum “Superferry” in which the individual who wrote the letter stated it was too bad the Native Hawaiians did not have environmental impact statements. Unfortunately, in the past people were allowed to ravage, waste, and destroy land and natural resources with little or no penalty or punishment. Fortunately today there are laws that protect our land and environment against selfish and abusive people and corporations.
The second statement was that “this ain’t paradise anymore”. I would disagree, and I believe the majority of the people who live on this island, and the millions who come to visit, would agree that this is paradise. Anyone who does not, please move to Detroit.
Property tax assessments
March 16, 2005 will go down in Kaua‘i history as Black Wednesday, or Day of Infamy. I began receiving first-time calls from people in panic that very day; and the calls haven’t stopped. In fact, I am having trouble writing this message.
Let me skip to the end of this message first by announcing that, with a small number of friends, I have decided the only relief the taxpayers can hope for is a Class action lawsuit against the County of Kaua‘i. I have no doubt the ranks of victims who have been injured by the willful violations of their own tax laws by the elected officials of the County of Kaua‘i will swell exponentially once the word gets out.
But I have to warn you of the ultimate irony and insult that will accompany this lawsuit. Our money extracted from us by these crooked officials will pay for high-priced lawyers from Honolulu to defend the County!
