LIHU’E — A group calling itself True Democracy for Kaua’i is proposing a county charter amendment in this year’s election that would take the power of the vote away from the Kaua’i County Council and give it to Kauaians. Should
LIHU’E — A group calling itself True Democracy for Kaua’i is proposing a
county charter amendment in this year’s election that would take the power of
the vote away from the Kaua’i County Council and give it to Kauaians.
Should the group accomplish its goal, the decision to determine how
government is governed could be shared between residents and the Kaua’i County
government.
The proposed change would create a form of government “that is
a true reflection of what the citizens want, rather than having major decisions
made by elected and appointed officials which often have gone against the
wishes of the majority of citizens,” said group spokesman Sergai Bliss.
The
group said it is dissatisfied with what it claims has been the support of
development by the Council and the Kusaka Administration.
“There are many
people who feel the county gives resort developers cart blanche and doesn’t pay
attention to what the public wants,” Bliss said.
The group opposes a
proposal by the Kusaka Administration to build a seawall to protect beach areas
by the Wailua Golf Course from erosion.
The group also contends Kauaians,
not government, should decide whether development occurs in their
communities.
“Each town would be able to vote on how much development they
want and type of resorts they want,” Bliss said.
His group also has
reservations over the way in which the General Plan Update has been crafted.
The group was started by Bliss, Sondra Field Grace, a Hawaiian activist
and a mayoral candidate in 1998, and Kaua’i resident Mary Orser.
True
Democracy has begun circulating a petition and seeks 16,054 signatures of
people who were registered to vote in the 1998 election on Kaua’i.
The
group has until June 30 to submit all the signatures to the County Clerk’s
Office for verification.
Should the names be verified, the proposal would
be put on the November election ballot.
Should the proposal become part of
the charter, the county can set up specially designed voting machines, similar
to ATM machines, at shopping centers and other conveniently located locations,
Bliss said.
These special voting machines can be activated for the casting
of votes only by voters cards issued by the county to presently registered
voters, Bliss said.
Each voter, Bliss said, can operate the machine with a
card carrying a personal identification number.
And each voting machine
will have the capability of displaying each issue that would be voted on, Bliss
said.
To give voters enough time to cast their votes, most issues would
have a 30-day voting period, Bliss also said.
To help guard against voter
fraud, the machines will be programmed to prevent a voter from casting more
than one vote.
Registered voters can propose issues to be voted on. If
they receive sufficient endorsment from other registered voters, the issue
could be voted on via the voting machine, Bliss said.
Budgets, spending,
taxation, borrowing money and approving plans related to development will be
decided by a majority of the voters, either by direct vote or by designation of
power to a county department to carry out the wishes of voters, Bliss
said.
Day-to-day operations of the county will continue to be carried out
by the county government, Bliss said. Each registered voter, he said, would
retain their right to vote in all national, state and county elections, Bliss
said.
Kaua’i County Councilman Ron Kouchi said he couldn’t comment on
the proposal with any knowledge because he has not seen it yet.
The
Council, however, receives it power from the Kaua’i County Charter, state law
and the state’s constitution, Kouchi said.
Any changes, he said, that could
occur through the amendment of the county charter could be limited.
“They
would be defined to powers prescribed by the charter, there are certain powers
prescribed statutorily by the state or the county and certain authority given
to the county by the state Constitution,” Kouchi said. “An amendment would be
limited to a charter-conveyed authority.”
For people seeking more
information about True Democracy, they can contact Bliss at 828-1614.
