+- Punaweb Forum (http://punaweb.org/forum)
+-- Forum: Punaweb Forums (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: Puna Politics (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=16)
+--- Thread: Blas charged for ethics violations (/showthread.php?tid=10862)
Blas charged for ethics violations - kjlpahoa - 10-16-2012
FYI - If anybody knows if a polling place in District 4 was late in opening, please comment.
Councilman Fred Blas Hit with Ethics Complaint
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hilo, Hawaii
Puna residents RJ Hampton and Robert Petricci filed a complaint on Monday with the Hawaii County Board Of Ethics against Puna councilman Fred Blas claiming Blas violated Section 2-83 (3) of the county code of ethics: fair treatment which states, "All persons shall be treated in a courteous, fair, impartial manner."
Hampton and Petricci are asking the Hawaii County Board of Ethics for a determination of the facts. The complaint alleges during questioning of the county clerk on August 20th of this year Councilman Blas appears to manufacture claims relating to the election and the ability of voters in district 4 to cast their ballots. Hampton and Petricci want Blas to clarify and explain:
On August 20, 2012 councilman Blas stated on the record that he was 200 feet from the polling "poll". Mr. Blas appears to claim the poll did not open on time at 7:00am. Councilman Blas clearly says that he saw cars turned away "like a drive through" Mr. Blas also says when he asked, "whats going on down there?" He was told by voters that the poll was closed, they could not vote, and they did know what time they could vote. Mr. Blas goes on to say, "There was really a lot of voters that did not vote "down there".
Hampton and Petricci are questioning those statements. they contend the poll in district 4, opened on time, all voters were able to vote, and there was no drive through of cars that were turned away. So where was Mr. Blas that morning and what exactly is he talking about.
We believe Mr. Blas needs to explain these public accusations made from his seat on the council to the public and the council.
Based on the election report that says the district 4 poll opened on time, we believe all voters were able to vote and none were turned away that morning because of a late opening at Mr. Blas's polling station. It is our belief having been at the hearing and seeing Mr. Blas say these things and further reviewing the video of the statements he made to make sure, that councilman Fred Blas publicly lied, and or perjured himself, from his council seat, in an attempt to deceive the public and the other council members.
See video on you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB11z32DpJU.
We are asking for a determination of the facts and a ruling on Mr Blas's conduct. We are also asking for an opinion on the ethics of publicly lying or committing perjury to council members and the public.
The complaint ask the board of ethics to compel Mr Blas to explain his public accusations and comments, and to produce proof voters at his polling station were unable to vote or that the polling station in district 4 did not open on time.
If for some reason this kind of intentional deception is exempt from the ethics code and or rules governing the council, it will in our opinion will call into question the very credibility of the process, the purpose of the ethic board, and or the council rules.
RJ Hampton
Robert Petricci
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - Obie - 10-17-2012
How can you tell when a politician is lying ?
When their lips are moving !!
Get over it !!!
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - Rene Siracusa - 10-19-2012
Fred Blas was referring to the polling place in Keonepoko El on Kahakai Blvd. and confusing it with the report about the Kahakai El polling place on the Kona side. I confused the two also, as did others, until I was gently instructed otherwise.
There is a difference between telling a deliberate falsehood and misunderstanding a situation. The first is actionable at the Ethics Commission and the second is not.
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - KeaauRich - 10-19-2012
Rene,
The difference between your misunderstanding and Fred's issue is that Fred reported he was near the polling place watching cars turned away and he said that people were telling him that the polling place wasn't open. I believe the quote was "There was really a lot of voters that did not vote "down there". Also, when the name confusion was pointed out to you, you realized your mistake and acknowledged it. As far as I know, Fred has not yet acknowledged that he was actually at the late-opening Kahakai El polling place Kona side on election day or that he was making up his Puna District "eyewitness" report.
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - Rob Tucker - 10-19-2012
Mountains out of mole hills. This complaint may just generate more sympathy for Fred than not.
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - Obie - 10-19-2012
The sad thing about this whole deal is it is costing us taxpayers money!!
Like Rob said "Mountains out of mole hills."
If everyone filed an ethics violation every time a politician had a slip of the tongue,our government would grind to a halt.Oh wait,it already has !
I would be interested in finding a way to stop all of these frivolous claims.
An ethics violation is a major deal,like awarding private contracts to public employees,not misstating whether a polling place is open or not !.
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - csgray - 10-20-2012
A slip of the tongue is one thing, claiming on the record in council chambers to have witnessed and spoken to voters who had been turned away from a polling place where in fact no voters were turned away, is an entirely different affair. One can happen to anyone, the other requires being either delusional or lying. So Fred either heard a news report about the poll opening being delayed at the Kona polling place with a similar name to the one in Puna, confused it with a polling place in his district, and then imagined he had been at Keonopoko Elementary and had had that conversation he quoted with imaginary voters, or he heard the news reports, confused the two polling places, and then was lying to be able to have something to say in the council about this matter.
Neither one is appropriate for a council person to do.
Carol
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - Zilgore - 11-05-2012
Its really sad that Emily cannot get past her defeat in 2010 and sends her friends to make such bull**** accusations. The timing of the complaint is simply to throw crap into the wind a few days before the election. shame on you Emily!
RE: Blas charged for ethics violations - oink - 11-05-2012
@Zilgore
I was thinking the same thing when I watched the video RJ did.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.