Fred Blas Report Card

[Rob Tucker]

Now that issue of is $1,000,000 enough is where my thinking starts with the Geo fund. The fund is required to maintain a minimum of $1 mill. Emily looked at it as a maximum and anything over a million was hers to spend. In my world the primary thing is to examine the base need of geothermal issues and build the fund up accordingly. It has also been suggested by others that there should be a shelter available for anyone with respiratory problems to avoid geo emmissions or serious vog conditions. That suggestion lay hand in hand with conditioning the air at the community center for that purpose. I thought that was all very reasonable and good use of the fund.

Those base issues should be addressed before anyone thinks about sprinkling money around the district. Just my opinion of course.

[james weatherford]

Thanks for articulating that, Rob.

[Kapohocat]

So back to what Fred Blas has done? Maybe some details on his actual voting record?

*I think it is probably time for an candidates intro (again) thread.

and if it was just all about trash pick up, Damon Tucker could be our next council person (Opala in Paradise).

[Rene Siracusa]

Thanks for quoting chapter and verse James. That shows how Emily had the impacted community boundaries changed. After all, she know that HPP has the votes, so including it within the area for funding was politically expedient.

I do agree that public health and safety projects related to geothermal should have top priority, and think that the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility should use some of those funds to retrofit for use as an evacuation center. This would mean that both large rooms should be able to have air conditioning with scrubbers to remove H2S and the other airborne pollutants in the event of another blowout. The PNF is within that 4.1 mile radius, so evacuating people there without protecting them would not be responsible.

By the way, the nomination of reps to the PCDP Action Committee does not start with the mayor, as James states. The Planning Dept. puts out a public notice that it is accepting applications. A review committee, composed of Planning Dept. staff who work with the Action Committee + committee members review the applications and whittle it down - the applicants who are left then come in for interviews. The committee then makes its recommendations to the mayor, who transmits the names to the county council for confirmation. That's the process.

[Enough is Enough]

I LIVE IN HAWAIIAN BEACHES AND IM TOTALLY AGAINST USING THE GEO FUNDS TO REPAVE OUR MAIN ROAD! THAT MONEY COULD HAVE BEEN *SHOULD* HAVE BEEN USED TO BENEFIT ALL OF PUNA OR AT LEAST THE IMPACT AREA.IM REALLY ON THE FENCE WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY OF THE WORK DONE TO KAHAKAI BLVD.YES KAHAKAI NEEDED SOME REPAIRS,BUT IT WAS FAR FROM NEEDING REPAVING.IM GOING TO GO AS FAR AS SAYING THE OLD ROAD WAS BETTER.THE REASON; THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON REPAVING KAHAKAI FOR AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS(I LEAVE MY HOUSE EVERY MORNING AT ABOUT 9:00am AND PASS BY THE COUNTY WORKERS EVERY DAY STANDING AROUND TALKING STORIES AND MOST DAYS WITH NONE OTHER THEN "FRED BLAS")I WORKED FOR THE COUNTY "PARKS AND REC" AND STARTED WORK AT 6:30am I MEAN COME ON 9:00 AND STANDING AROUND TALKING STORIES, YOU WOULD THINK HAVING A COUNCIL MEMBER LIVING IN THE SUBDIVISION WOULD HAVE THOSE WORKERS IN HIGH GEAR.FOUR MONTHS, 500,000 AND ONLY A 1/4 WAY DONE, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE PORTION THAT WAS COMPLETED WOULD BE SMOOTHER THEN BUTTER ON A HOT SUNNY DAY, BUT THATS JUST NOT THE CASE.I URGE YOU FOLKS TO TAKE A DRIVE AND SEE WHAT I MEAN.THEY HAVEN'T EVEN RE-STRIPED THE PORTION THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED.THERE ARE TWO HUGE BUMPS(THAT YOU HAVE TO COME ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP) TO GET ON AND OFF THE NEW PORTION
THATS JUST BEEN SITTING THERE FOR OVER TWO MONTH.ITS LIKE THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY. FRED BLAS GETS A "F" FROM ME

[Rob Tucker]

Please avoid using all caps in posting. It is not good netiquette and is considered shouting.


Assume the best and ask questions.

Punaweb moderator

[Enough is Enough]

Im sorry Rob Tucker(KAMA'AINA)REALLY???

Please excuse my "netiquette"

[opihikao]

Good discussion, thank you. Looking forward to Puna's future with lots of hope. Happy New Year!

Mr. Weatherford...Best to you, Sir. Thank you for your genuine concern for Puna.

Enough is Enough...good post about the road. Oh, and yes, Mr. Tucker is a kama'aina. Just my opinion...as a Hawaiian. []

[Enough is Enough]

THANK YOU,OPIHIKAO,THIS IS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION.AND JUST TO MAKE MY OPINION CLEAR. KAMA,MEANS CHILD AINA,MEANS,LAND OR

HAWAII IN THIS SENSE(KAMA'AINA)AINA COULD ALSO MEAN HAWAIIAN.JUST BECAUSE HOTELS/RESORTS ACCEPT KAMA'AINA AS LIVING HERE FOR

MORE THEN TWO YEARS THAT DOESN'T MAKE SOMEONE KAMA'AINA ANYMORE THEN LIVING DOWN OPIHIKAO MAKES SOMEONE HAWAIIAN

[opihikao]

As this thread is RE:Fred Blas report card, in my opinion, he has very good intentions, however, the council seat does not seem to be his calling. Lack of response to emails, and general concerns voiced in face to face meetings also proved fruitless. In fact, he was "not familiar" (his words) with the Pohoiki, Opihikao area. His dedication to our community is admirable, and always wish him well. It takes a certain knowledge of how to move forward resolutions, etc., not to mention voting as an individual on Puna specific issues. Two year terms make this difficult for newly elected council people as once the "system" is learned, it's election time again. Most important is having a good team, and thankfully, there are good people in his office.

I wish Mr. Weatherford well, and firmly believe he will represent Puna, in it's entirety, knowing the area of responsibility and the protocol at the County level to get things accomplished. We've waited too long for Puna to reap community benefits.

Enough is Enough, my piko is Opihikao/Kalapana/Kaimu area, don't live there now (wish I did). Being raised in the old Hawaiian style, we can agree to disagree. In my opinion, some people who do not have our blood running through their veins, have the Hawaiian way in their heart after being here for many years. Thus, they are kama'aina, to me. In fact, today there are those who are not of Hawaiian blood that are more "Hawaiian" in their ways than some of our own, sad to say. Sorry for the off topic, not to be addressed again. Malama pono.