District 4 Council

[kalakoa]

Eileen O'Hara had secured the funds to revamp Post Office Road.

Did that include land acquisition to bring the roadway width up to "dedicable standard"?

Anything less is just a band-aid.

[Rob Tucker]

The right of way is wide enough. I checked. Properties are encroaching on the right of way. It is just as wide as portions of Ali'i Drive in Kona. Sufficient for two lanes and a sidewalk.

[lquade]

i am not district 4 but have worked on many a volunteer committee with Ohara. she is there working for puna, she is not just intelligent, but savvy in the ways of the world and the ways of the county council. unlike some others, she gets involved herself, not just sending one of her aids in to listen but herself. i have great respect for her and don't think her vote is for sale. Again, we get this stream of young, pretty, polished candidates all endorsed by the big boys and then they get voted in and fade away. Ohara would be my choice and hope she is retained.

[kalakoa]

The right of way is wide enough. I checked.

Where did you find this information? It's not on the plats, and shows 24-feet as measured with the mapping tool.

In any case ... the roadway as built doesn't meet the minimum standards for an arterial or collector; it barely qualifies as an "alley".

[Chunkster]

A whole string of council members have managed to get more amenities built in Pahoa, a place that already has more than almost anywhere in Puna. When a councilor gets something substantial done for one or more of the substandard subdivisions, I'll change my mind about them being useless. Promises don't count.

@Frankie Stapleton: I have to agree with you about Ohara not being politically savvy. A more astute politician would have extracted some sort of tangible benefit for her district before voting for not one, but two, regressive tax increases.

[Rob Tucker]

Those sub standard sub divisions might have a chance if they would stop bickering and fighting among themselves. As Linda Lingle's aide on the Big Island told me....."the way we deal with Puna is get everybody arguing and then walk away". Seems to work.

[BillyB]

"endorsed by the police union, the firefighters union ___ the carpenters union,

Thank you for telling me that!

I for one am a big fan of labor unions. Perfect? Hardly, but still essential.

The decline of the quality of life for American families directly corresponds to the decline of the Labor Movement. So much of what we take for granted came from the influence of Labor Unions, and their concern for the common man. It was the Unions that pushed back on the feudal industrial, and in Hawaii plantation, system with it's serfdom of workers. The modern war on Unions started in Red States long before Trump rose to power. It has been working only too well, convincing working people they are the enemy of themselves. From work place safety to public colleges, these things you take for granted were fought for by Unions.

"Look for the Union Label" when was the last time you heard that? My mother use to do that, now no one does, because there aren't any.

The refrain "16 ton what do you get? another day older and deeper in debt" Has come full circle. Go ahead bash the Unions, you are poking yourself in the eye.

[kalakoa]

The decline of the quality of life for American families directly corresponds to the decline of the Labor Movement.

Unions don't do much when work is offshored to the cheapest country.

[Frankie Stapleton]

I am a big supporter of the union movement and have belonged to 2 unions, the first one having saved my okole against a union-busting publisher many times. People here generally separate the building industry unions from the social service unions. It's the development interests that support Ashley, especially in Keaau, which isn't even in Dist. 4.

I've been living in Nanawale for 39 years and in that time Nanawale Blvd. has gone from an ordinary rural neighborhood road to a blazing highway (pre our recent eruptive activity...). My home is right by the blind curve approaching the left turn to the VFW hall. I've been trying to get it modified for safety by the Nanawale Community Assoc., then the County after it took over ownership of Nanawale Blvd. All these years I've tried to get someone to take out the hump of earth mauka of the VFW turn that blocked the view of oncoming traffic and has led to several accidents over the years, lots of near-misses and even a death. Ilagan promised me he would get it taken out (County roadway) and had the area staked. But nothing more. When I brought the situation to Eileen's attention, she actually got the job done, timely and efficiently!

That's my own personal account of what the incumbent has done. She's done other very unpopular things such as responding to her constituents who circulated a petition regarding eliminating cockfighting in our neighborhoods. She took it to the Council as a proposal after working with County Planning Dept. in drafting potential legislation that would align w/County rules. She had no personal stake in this other than responding to the people who elected her to represent their interests at the Council level. The rest of the Council opposed it and that's how our democracy works so she moved on.

Most recently Ohara's been helping the Hawaii Papaya Industry with problems they're having to re-start on new land. Problem is a lack of GMO seed and they needed funding to protect their seed crop location from pigs. She passed money to them which required jumping thru some hoops and HPIA president Eric Weiner is now singing her praises to his farmers.

As far as the donations to her campaign, have you noticed that probably a third or more of her constituency lost their homes and revenue sources in the past 3 months? The last thing she wants to do at this point is hit them up for political donations! Even for $5...she knows they've got more important things on their minds.

And it would be nice if the Mark Hinshaws of our world would quit spreading false rumors about her in the various Puna sites that he posts under various aliases.

[DaVinci]

So kalakoa... you’re going to vote for Ashley because Post Office Road isn’t wide enough?

And BillyB. You’re going to vote for Ashley because ... unions? (Never mind Bill Walter and Shipman standing behind her, unions endorsed her and they can’t possibly be corrupt, right? I bet Bill Walter is turning over a new leaf and lives each day working for the betterment of the downtrodden in Puna.)

Or.

Maybe, just maybe O’Hara is the better choice.