Update & Reminder: FTR up to bat in Honolulu

[Rob Tucker]

A Reminder.....
Aloha Puna Community,

Update:
I have received word that Council Members Fred Blas and Angel Pilago will be traveling to Honolulu to testify in support. Friends of Puna's Future (www.fopf.org) is sending in our former Vice President, Frank Commendador, to testify in person. Mahalo to them for making the extra effort. We need for them to be supported with email testimony.

HB 1626 has a committee hearing this coming Thursday, Feb. 24th 3 pm and testimony is needed NOW. The hearing is about 24 hours out. Its about money to maintain YOUR roads.

This is about the proposal for Fuel Tax Revenue (FTR) to be shared with our private subdivisions via a grant-in-aid program. The purpose is to bring a share of the taxes generated on private subdivision roads to aid in maintenance of those roads. These are our roads, our tax money and everybody gets to drive on them. We have succeed in getting the committee chairman to schedule the hearing. Thanks to everyone who testified. There's still a long road to go.

Please testify in support!

Testimony in support of HB 1626 should be submitted here:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtesti...ure=HB1626

Also please send testimony directly to Rep. Danny Coffman at:

Rep. Danny Coffman <repcoffman@capitol.hawaii.gov>

The bill’s status sheet can be viewed at:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session201...illtype=HB&billnumber=1626

As HB 1626 progresses there will be more calls for testimony. BUT for this program to succeed Puna needs to not be
apathetic, take a minute please and send in testimony now. Honolulu needs to hear from us...

Please forward this message!

Mahalo,

Rob Tucker, President
Friends of Puna's Future

[Bob Orts]

Rob, I understand that the main push outside of the Puna District was to postpone a decision until such time as the Ad-Hoc Committee produced something. The word is that the Legislators would be granting permission to use FTR for private road maintenance for Hawaii County but nobody has seen anything that set any requirements, guidelines, or restriction. This was more than most Legislators were willing to gamble on especially with Hawaii County Council’s record of not following rules and regulations.

So what happened?

[Rob Tucker]

I am just getting reports of the committee hearing from yesterday. Our testifiers sat there from 3:30 till about 8 waiting to testify. I did hear that some state tax law legal experts feel that we do not need to amend the code to do a program. This is the position we originally used to launch the FTR effort. It was the county Corporation Council which took a position that amendment of the code was required. So there is a possibility we are chasing our tail in Honolulu.

This is all occurring at a moment when the council is heavily loaded with critical issues such as the nominees for the Redistricting Commission and preparing to deal with the budget.

So the bottom line from what I am hearing is that it is not dead at the state house. Meetings are occurring as I write with senators and representatives. It will take a few days to debrief.

Bob, When you say "the word is...", what is your source? You can email me privately if you like.

[Bob Orts]

Just what some of our lobbyist got during normal talks. In my new job, I sometimes get to ask them to let me know what they hear on issues outside of our needs and they usually will "overhear" something. This enables them to talk other issues so as to blend our issues into conversations. It was Tuesday that one told me that the general feeling was that State Legislators wasn't sure if it came to a full vote if they could vote for it because they don’t have anything of substance to base their vote on.

I got the feeling that it was a "cart before the horse" type of thinking. Yes, the sharing of County FTR to private non profit groups is probably something best decided by the County since they know best, but, if the state is providing their blessing in law that it can absolutely be done, they want to see something besides just a yeah or nay. Had Hawaii County had something that was a working guideline, it would have eased concerns. As it stands now, could Hawaii County give the money only to new private developments? The answer is yes because nothing exist that says they couldn’t or wouldn’t. Too many questions are unanswered. Hawaii County is known for trying to skirt the rules and that wasn’t sitting well at the capital. What Hawaii County is saying may not be what they end up doing.

I believe that once the Ad-Hoc committee prepares some working document that outlines how the program would work, who's eligible, how funding would be balanced between County roads and private roads, and what restriction would apply, it probably would be smooth sailing. I don’t think anyone is really against it, more like they are voting on something without knowing how and what it most likely be.

[Obie]

According to this it has been deferred

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session201...illtype=HB&billnumber=1626