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Exciting to see sooo maaaany folks out and about to rally for the plan. My wife and I were both impressed. Keep up the good work. Probaly see some of you at the Marzi Meeting this evening.
See our home progress at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaptkimo/BUI...SEINHAWAII
and our Family Frog Blog:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-pNvaHC46e...0AOJ3?cq=1
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After all the work that so many people did, it was just right that it should pass. As Rob (and so many others have said), "Pass it Now, Amend it Later". And it did pass. I read the PCDP, sent in a few comments over the last couple of years, but truly dedicated people like Rob, Frankie and so many others were the ones that truly shaped it into a framework that we can use to grow responsibly. And deal with the growth we've already seen.
To all of you that did this, THANK YOU!
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com
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I was amused by the report in the Trib today about an undercover policeman being at the rally. Good thing my kid didn't throw her milk cup down and get us all arrested for littering [
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This is interesting news for sure. Thanks again to those whose efforts have come before and have now been rewarded.
Now the real work begins. If public interest in the plan wanes at this moment, real dangers present themselves. Time and time again have development plans been twisted and interpreted to promote interests wholly not their intent--and without constant vigilance there is a real risk of that here, especially in the political climate that currently exists. For those who think I'm unduly negative, you may wish to study the development plans of cities I've lived in that have undergone similar changes and development. Bend, Or. Boise, ID. Bellingham, WA. Santa Monica and Malibu, CA. Other examples do abound. The California Coastal Commission is perhaps the finest example of such plans, lauded initially, that have in fact encouraged the most destructive development I've ever seen. Once you create so many obstacles for the the small time land owner that the fees and processes are simply too much to bear, the ONLY development that occurs is large, expensive, and destructive, and these interests are in essence protected and allowed to develop more or less without competition.
It is very important that the principles of the plan be implemented on a fair and equitable basis. If enforcement is required, it is very important that the MOST egregious offenders to our ecology and lifestyle in Puna be targeted first. Seldom, if ever, has this been observed to be the case, and in any rate those most egregious offenders often have the means to financially defend themselves, and amend their way out of requirements for compliance. If suddenly we see enforcement on the small level--suddenly one needs a permit to scrape a pad to park a pick-up--resentment will be extreme and voluntary compliance non-existent.
It is clear to me from many of the posts on this forum that there is a remarkable lack of knowledge of the reality on the ground here in Puna. Once you get outside of the "desirable" developments, and HPP and Pahoa in general, there is an environment of extreme rural poverty, ignorance, illiteracy. A fair number of Puna's citizens live in conditions that I wouldn't subject my chickens to. The economy for working class people here is terrible, to the point of true third world conditions--malnutrition and hunger-- with less opportunity all the time, and this against a background of large new homes and comfortably overfed baby boomers in nicely pressed Hawaiian shirts. There is a very misleading picture painted by this forum, certainly not intentionally but a reflection of the amalgam of its participants, and paint an utterly unrealistic picture of Puna to those of you who have not spent that much time here, or much time outside the the Haole enclaves. This lack of knowledge is the best way for me to reconcile myself with what I see as a marked lack of empathy for these people--on this forum, and the PCDP in general, and I would recommend for all of us a little exploration of the issue and research would be warranted at this point.
Fitz - Check your myspace page for a non punaweb related comment to your post above.
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It is the way the way it is.
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Rob, James, Jon and all the others who worked so hard on the PCDP. Thank you!
On a different note, it was nice to see many new friends and old friends in town yesterday!
(and Rob - I got a bunch of your rally signs in my car! will drop them off when i go by there!)
Catherine Dumond
Blue Water Project Management
808 965-9261
"We help make building your dream home a reality"
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Rob,you might be the one who will make me believe that a simple person can actually influence local politics.
What you've done is unbelievable!
Thank you for working hard to make Puna better!
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