Tiffany Edwards Hunt running for Council

[kalakoa]

quote:

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We can perhaps be grateful that Tiffany protected the village from the prospects that someone might just make a profit on a business.

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Well, that should make her a shoo-in for the Council seat.

[Guest]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

We can perhaps be grateful that Tiffany protected the village from the prospects that someone might just make a profit on a business. Of course one family's hopes got destroyed but that may be a small price to pay. Now we have the local Unwelcome Wagon, headed by Tiffany Hunt, whose blessing is apparently needed to make any investments in Pahoa.

This is the Emily Naeole school of business.

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No - its the twisted Rob Tucker way of looking at the issue school of doing business!

Growth, expansion, re-zoning, businesses making a profit are all great things.

Doing it legally and correctly are yet another.

With respect to the skate shop in particular, it was never a set up as a legal business from day 1.

So, from all this, I take it you support illegal business ventures being set up in PUNA - because its a business that needs to make a "profit."

I am quite sure you would be fine with a loud mouthed arrogant Yagong back in office!

[Rob Tucker]

Ken, You may disagree with me but I am not running for council, Tiffany is.

It is her record that becomes germane to the election.

Her attacks on the Galen commercial zoning application were personal, extremely inflammatory and based, by what she told me, on her fear of competition.

[kalakoa]

Puna is riddled with "illegal" businesses, many of which cannot afford the unusually high costs of compliance.

County's response to the problem is to enforce the codes in a way that often causes the business to shut down, effectively using "our" money to decrease the size of the tax base.

Meanwhile, Kenoi's staff all get raises, and the County takes on a few tens of millions in new debt each year.

If an individual behaved in this manner, they would be called "fiscally irresponsible", with a good chance of bankruptcy.

When the County does it, no problem, they can just increase the property tax rates.

[kalakoa]

Borderline off-topic.

BILL 120 draft 2: rezone 1-5-7-(006,069,070) from A-1 to CV-10.

Introduced by Zendo Kern, final passage unanimous.

These TMKs aggregate to approximately 10 acres directly across Kahakai from the new Pahoa shopping center. CV-10 zoning would allow this property to be subdivided and put to dozens of "allowed" uses. Did they get Tiffany's approval?

[missydog1]

I say this with regret, because I respect Tiffany's passion and energy, but I really think her temperament is not suited to this for several reasons.

She responds well to praise, but not to criticism, constructive or otherwise. A councilperson needs to be responsive, period, and must be inured to criticism, not take it personally, and ideally only ask the question of how listening to this criticism can help her do a better job. Tiffany reacts emotionally, over-reacts.

She allows a small group of fans to convince her that criticism that could serve her well is only coming from jealous haters. An effective Councilperson should ideally assume all criticism comes from a sincere place, and only if a good motive cannot be found, then perhaps look for unworthy motives.

She has a habit of posting (to Facebook or blog) any criticism she runs across, as if she is open to listening, but there is a group of "you can do no wrong" fans who then shred the criticism and go off on whoever dared to voice it. Many of these things were letters or notes sent privately, which I think should remain private.

In the recent case where she published an email from Frankie Stapleton that gave a rec not to advertise in BIC to a third party (political ad), it was one thing for her to run across it and maybe discuss it with close friends, but to publish it and state that any email a person writes is liable to publication -- to me that shows a real deficiency in a sense of boundaries. People do have the right to express themselves candidly in writing in emails and memos, without this turning into an expose or "news" or fodder for commentary. If the communication advocated illegal behavior, that is different, but to attack someone for making a recommendation to an employer? No, that is childish behavior.

She has a habit of shutting down when she is on overload, which is often because she takes on too much. Then she refuses to respond or engage, or is rude and curt. We need Representatives who remain on an even keel and reliably respond in a polite way, leaving emotions out of it.

She's really not good at collaborating. She's good at giving orders and assignments, but that's not collaborating on an equal level.

She's constantly reminding people when she is on overload that family comes first and she needs "me time" and so forth. I think a politician should ideally be at the time of life when there aren't so many competing needs as the job is one that demands full focus. But whatever time it is, it's not appropriate to complain that people are demanding too much. Politics is a job with insatiable demands. Don't go there if you have a temperament prone to feeling put upon.

As Rob says, she has a hard time separating out what she wants from what the community really wants. Fans echoing back that what you want is awesome do not represent the community. They are your fans, and the fact they are always on your side is nice, but you should probably throw out their opinion as it is always the same as your own opinion. Listening to the constituents' views is the job.

I find Tiffany's tendency to image herself in larger than life or even mythical roles to be off-putting. The Super Woman, the Goddess, the Heroine, the Queen, the Warrior Girl, the Savior, and if things don't go her way, the Martyr and the Judge. A public servant should be comfortable with a Service role, and should not be wrapped up in playing out archetypal roles. I don't deny anyone their heroic or spiritual quest journey, but it should be kept low key, not publicly dramatized.

I feel that the last year has shown us a Tiffany with a myriad of conflicts with journalistic ethics, professionalism, entrepreneurism, and personal passions, who is too wrapped up in her image and ego, and needs to work on all this confusion before she embarks on a paid gig in public service where she is the rep, not the aide.
I wouldn't write any of this here if I had not already tried to communicate on a private level, without response. I think I owe it to anyone to try that first. The lack of any response tells me TIffany is not sufficiently emotionally mature to do this gig.

Yes, I do get the irony of stating all these criteria when the Puna District reps have embodied such an array of faults, including being prone to public tantrums and missing important meetings. Nevertheless, I wouldn't vote for someone who has a track record of ego displays and immature reactions.

I am really happy with Val Poindexter, my own Council rep. As a first timer, she has been tirelessly responsive and never wrapped up in her image. She is genuinely kind and into service. I wish both Puna districts reps that can offer as much.

I wish Tiffany all success. I think she has great talent, if she can grapple with these tendencies to inflate her self importance. I don't think that electing her will do anything positive for that step of her journey. I think she has the potential to fail spectacularly and be forced by a fall to reevaluate, but that's a painful route and I don't wish it on her.

[pohaku_uli]

I concur with KathyH

Having known her on a business level, if things don't go her way, its a train wreck. You get the feeling she sees herself as the center of the universe.

On her facebook page, she lists Ayn Rand as one of her influences. That alone should tell you what she is about.

She would be district 5's answer to aunty Emily. A genuine turd blossom.

[opihikao]

Good God, KathyH.

Who are any of us to judge Tiffany (or anyone else for that matter) in her quest for what may be good for the community as a whole? As to the Frankie Stapleton email crap, who the heck sent it to Tiffany!?!? WTH? With friends like that who needs enemies?!?(Ruderman just had it happen to him, too.)

A "gig" KathyH? This is not a "gig". Lowering the elected office which represents us and our ohana to a "gig" is insulting, at best.[!]

I agree with Mr. Tucker on his position with the particular issue being discussed with Ken. However, there are two sides to a sword. What one believes is best is not necessarily good for the entire community. Ken, with all due respect, Mr. Tucker is far from your description, only having known him for a couple decades.

We could do a lot worse than Tiffany Edwards Hunt, and we have. This woman has passion, verve, and dares to be very public about her beliefs. With a little grooming, she will perhaps make a better Puna for her district. Very few are capable of that task. When you are fed up to your eyeballs with the way things are, perhaps the na'au dictates what you do about it. Tiffany marches to her own drum. We shall see how that will unfold.

Let us not forget that she has a family. Children to protect, and a husband who supports her while making a living for his family. No matter the personal issue(s) you may have with her, please remember it does take a brave soul to run for any office in this town.

For that alone, I give her credit. Now, who is running against her is another story.

We all put our pants on the same way. Again, I wish her the very best. As we do to all candidates. JMO.

[2liveque]

KathyH! I believe the pidgin term of the era is "Boom Kanani."

Well done. Couldn't have said it any better. Nothing personal to Tiff. She has just shown her insides too many times, and I don't think she would be the best candidate based on exactly the items you covered.

[2liveque]

It's surprising that Tiffany has not used this thread as a basis for another rant/editorial on her Big Island Chronicle. Not yet, at least.