Another Trip for Emily Naeole-Beason

[mdd7000]

Emily sure picked a great time to be spending money on travel. She is the only council member who is attending this conference in Washington, DC. Note that the conference provides the information on-line for those that do not attend.


[url][/url]http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2010/03/10/local_news/local02.txt

(text copied for those on dial-up)

Naeole-Beason at D.C. confab
by Nancy Cook Lauer
Stephens Media
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:18 AM HST
Other council members remain home amid tough financial times
In stark contrast to last year, only one Hawaii County Council member is attending the National Association of Counties convention in Washington this week.

Other council members cited the grim economic situation as a reason to stay home this year, but Puna Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason is attending the conference, which started Saturday and ends today.

Last year, six Council members attended at a cost of more than $21,500 for airfare, NACo conference registration fees, hotel costs, food and gifts. Only South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford, Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann and Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong did not attend last year.

Naeole-Beason's trip so far has cost taxpayers $2,533.79, but that doesn't include all of the expenses, according to the County Clerk's office. Naeole-Beason couldn't be reached for comment.

Councilors will soon be up to their ears in budget numbers, with a public hearing scheduled March 22 to take public comment on the spending plan and a series of Finance Committee sessions the last week of March for county agencies to explain their costs and revenues.

Mayor Billy Kenoi has proposed a $375.3 million budget that's 3.1 percent less than this year. The budget relies on hikes in property taxes, cuts in positions, furloughs of employees and the elimination of the county bands to make ends meet.

Council Chairman J Yoshimoto said next year's budget won't include money for trips. He said this year, it was up to individual councilors about whether to attend. The budget allowed each council member to take one NACo trip a year, he said.

Yoshimoto said he personally can't justify attending when the budget is so tight that county employees face furloughs.

"I was concerned about the budget," Yoshimoto said. "Even though we had money appropriated to travel, I just thought it is more prudent for me not to travel."

Yagong agreed. He's been to only one NACo conference in his 10 years on the council. He said information that's presented at the NACo sessions is also available online.

"For me personally when we are in a situation where we're furloughing people, it just makes common sense to get this information in another manner," Yagong said.

[PaulW]

Maybe she figures time is running out on getting free trips.

[JerryCarr]

quote:

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Originally posted by PaulW

Maybe she figures time is running out on getting free trips.

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We should be so lucky. We have a financial crisis, a chronically neglected district, and a variety of important issues that need to be addressed, and what do we get? Another trip to Washington and an unenforceable proposal to ban smoking in cars with kids. Previous trips to D.C. have not produced any tangible results, but I guess we are supposed to keep the faith and hope this time will be different.

[critterlover]

I would like to interject a different perspective, if I may. While we are all facing economically paralyzing times, myself included, and while it is honorable for the various council folks to have opted to not all travel to this annual event, I would like to point out there is no way to quantify the beneficial factor having someone whose innate 'Aloha' like Emily's represent us back east. I spent over a decade in the visitor industry for this island in the marketing field. I served on and with numerous committees comprised of every visitor related stakeholder for this island; some committees with state representation. Tourism has always been a top grossing industry for this state and it has been one of the hardest hit industries. It has not begun to turn around locally even now. But if you are following the news, other favorite destinations are starting to see a little bump in their activity which means we may see it here soon enough.

Who but Emily Naeole could best represent the spirit of Hawaii when traveling and visiting in a place like DC? That may not be her agenda but it is surely a consequence of her very persona. That kind of goodwill costs much more than the dollars I see quoted above. It cannot ever be accurately quantified. Our end of Puna is home to the lower end of the number one visitor attraction of Hawaii Island. If her presence on this trip to DC inspires even a single visit from someone who has not as yet been here, and you know she will be 'talking up' the sights and sounds of her district, then she has more than repaid her trip's costs in potential revenue generated from just such a visit. It may not all be spent in this district, maybe none of it will be spent in this district, but if they make it to this island a lion's share will be spent here on this island which is a major benefit.

Again, I applaud the fiscal decisions made by all of the council reps in declining this year's conference but I would think there would be no myopic vision that would restrict any of them from seeing how beneficial Emily's representation there of our island could be a natural plus for us all! I hope she has basked in the glow of 'talking story' with all kinds of people back east and when she leaves their company I hope each of them will feel moved in their hearts to come to our beautiful state and be touched by its wonderful Spirit!

“A penny saved is a government oversight.”

[KeaauRich]

With all due respect, Emily Naeole is not the first person that comes to mind when I consider effective spokespersons for increasing Island tourism. She is a wonderful soul full of aloha, but to the average mainlander, she will be viewed as a colorful caricature or "nutcase." I'm not defending that perception or saying it's valid, but as someone who has worked in DC for almost three decades, I know that's how they will see her. I doubt that anyone will decide to visit our Island as a direct result of their interactions with her. And even if her visit does result in a few extra visitors, I believe taking this trip while the county is in severe financial difficulties shows poor judgment on her part. The average constituent is not going to appreciate the supposed benefits of her trip - they're going to think the Councilwoman is taking a free trip on their dime. Perception is reality, and I predict she will take lots of heat for this decision.

[Bob Orts]

This is just the NaOC Legislative meeting. It's limited to mostly legislative and lobbying efforts. Tourist promoting is the lowest activity at the meeting, if it ever comes up. Every attendee is vying to promote their County and could care less about you promoting yours. Anyway, there are much better and experience tourist lobbyist employed by Hawaii to go after real dollars. They interact at convention conferences, tourist conferences, trade shows for the travel industry and where each dollar spent, returns tens of thousands. If you want to defend the trip because it may help her learn from real government officials how to behave and respect constituents, I’ll buy that. But to create this "aloha" thing is laughable.

And, I agree with the above perception of how she will come across to seasoned governement officials.

[Sherrill Watson]

Sorry, guys, I think Emile DOES represent the essence of Aloha, the world can use more of that. She is not as dependent on "our" money for her jaunts as you would think. She absolutely has the best intentions to represent and care for her constituants and is doing a fine job. Plus, she's accessible!

[armchairpilot]

I think she has the best intentions to represent some of her constituents but not all and I'm not too sure what she has done for them in total. Emily has made it very clear to a lot of people on a lot of occassions that she is there for "her people" and that doesn't include everyone. She is a bit infamous for syaing who are you? what plane did you breeze in on? She has her supporters and caters to them. Most everyone else can go fly a kite as far as shes concerned. I tried to talk to her once and she wouldnt look me in the eye. She gave me a ramble about haoles coming here and pushing her around. Emily is no Helene Hale. She loves the paycheck and the adoration. I think shes a small town bully. So do I vote for James or Loren or Barbara?

[james weatherford]

quote:

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Originally posted by armchairpilot

So do I vote for James or Loren or Barbara?

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Clearly, I think you should vote for me.
Why?
So that your Council representative will be more representative and less entertaining.

jamesweatherford.com



James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[SandyS]

The few times I talked to her this winter, most often at the pool in Pahoa, I (a haole building in Puna) found Emily to be polite, interesting and kind. She is a colorful character indeed.I thought she seemed to fit right in with the district in that reguard. She sure didn't seem to have the polished manner a lot of politicians present. I'm not sure that is such a bad thing. Being new to the area I know nothihing about her politics except what I read on the forum. I am guessing that if she isn't who the people of the district want representing them she will be replaced at election time.