So much for good intentions. Once again, our do-nothing State Legislature decides to err on the side of rich beachfront property owners' boundary lines (which are NOT clear due to shifting sands and vegetation), and guts the bill that may have given the DLNR some legal grounds to have obstructive plantings removed at the property owners' expense.
Here's the email I got from Lucinda Pyles asking people to make a last ditch effort to save the bill:
As you may already know the joint Senate Committees, WTL and TIA, heard HB1808 on March 18th. They passed the bill with amendments. Unfortunately, the amendments virtually gutted the bill and all that is currently left is a minor revision to the definition of Shoreline. There are no requirements that property owners maintain there induced vegetation landward of the shoreline, i.e. wash of the waves, no power given DLNR to do anything about induced vegetation obstructing lateral access and recreational use, endangering public safety or interfering with the natural beach processes.
The Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, the last Senate committee the bill was referred to, will hold a decision making hearing this coming Tuesday, March 23rd. I would ask you to both call and send testimony to Senator Brian Taniguchi, Chair asking the JGO Committee to restore the House version of the bill, HD3. Please send a copy of your testimony to Rep. Mina Morita (introducer of HB1808 at morita2@captiol.hawaii.gov), Sen. Clayton Hee (WTL chair) and Sen. Kalani English (TIA chair). Calls to Hee's and English's offices may also be helpful. I appreciate anything you can do to encourage, Sen. Taniguchi (chair JGO), Sen. Hee (chair WTL), Sen. English (chair TIA) to reconsider the importance of this bill as passed by the House.
Submitting by email to JGO is best. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/
In the first step, enter HB1808 in the box. You can attach testimony or enter in the comment box. Be sure in all communications you identify the bill and that your testimony is in support. I am still on the mainland and will be until April.
Thanks
Lucinda
In today's Honolulu Advertiser was this article with the misleading headline that implied the bill was gaining support. However, as Lucinda points out in her email, that simply isn't true. We're getting the run-around again. And what's up with Sen. Hee? I thought he was for public beach access, but lately he's been playing politics with bills that he should be supporting!
Showing posts with label Hawaii State Legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawaii State Legislature. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Vegetation Legislation Advances
This just in from Lucinda Pyles on the vegetation bill...
HB1808 has been referred to three Senate Committees. As before time is critical and it is very helpful when the Committee Chairs get calls and faxes requesting HB1808 be heard. Then of course once scheduled for hearing, testimony in support, however simple it may be, is also very important. You can follow the progress of the bill, see text and amendments, check for a hearing date/time and submit testimony all on this link. Just enter HB1808. Bill Status & Documents or http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/
The three committees are:
Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs Committee (WTL)
Senator Clayton Hee, Chair
Phone 808-586-7330; Fax 808-586-7334
e-mail senhee@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee (TIA)
Senator J. Kalani English , Chair
phone 808-587-7225; fax 808-587-7230
From Maui, toll free 984-2400 + 77225
E-mail senenglish@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Judiciary and Government Operations Committee (JGO)
Senator Brian T. Taniguchi , Chair
phone 808-586-6460; fax 808-586-6461
e-mail sentaniguchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
And for good measure... (after all she is running for election)
Colleen Hanabusa, Senate President
Phone 808-586-7793; Fax 808-586-7797
Email senhanabusa@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Gary L. Hooser, Majority Leader
Phone 808-586-6030; Fax 808-586-6031
From Kauai, toll free 274-3141 + 66030
E-mail senhooser@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Thanks a bunch.
Lucinda
372-9323
HB1808 has been referred to three Senate Committees. As before time is critical and it is very helpful when the Committee Chairs get calls and faxes requesting HB1808 be heard. Then of course once scheduled for hearing, testimony in support, however simple it may be, is also very important. You can follow the progress of the bill, see text and amendments, check for a hearing date/time and submit testimony all on this link. Just enter HB1808. Bill Status & Documents or http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/
The three committees are:
Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs Committee (WTL)
Senator Clayton Hee, Chair
Phone 808-586-7330; Fax 808-586-7334
e-mail senhee@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee (TIA)
Senator J. Kalani English , Chair
phone 808-587-7225; fax 808-587-7230
From Maui, toll free 984-2400 + 77225
E-mail senenglish@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Judiciary and Government Operations Committee (JGO)
Senator Brian T. Taniguchi , Chair
phone 808-586-6460; fax 808-586-6461
e-mail sentaniguchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
And for good measure... (after all she is running for election)
Colleen Hanabusa, Senate President
Phone 808-586-7793; Fax 808-586-7797
Email senhanabusa@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Gary L. Hooser, Majority Leader
Phone 808-586-6030; Fax 808-586-6031
From Kauai, toll free 274-3141 + 66030
E-mail senhooser@Capitol.hawaii.gov
Thanks a bunch.
Lucinda
372-9323
Monday, January 25, 2010
Op-Ed Piece on State Gov Reform
NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST POST ON WWW.BEACHACCESSHAWAII.ORG... NEW POSTS ARE NOW ON:
http://beachaccesshawaii.blogspot.com/
Hawaii's system of government is broken. One only has to look at the way our State legislature dickers over every issue and gets little done each session to see the proof. The bicameral Senate/House of Representatives structure for such a small state makes no sense. It's inefficient and redundant to have so many reps, who all have staffs and cost taxpayers extra money to perform the same tasks!
It allows our elected officials an easy out: oh, don't blame us for inaction -- the other committee killed it... not my fault -- the chairperson didn't schedule your bill for a hearing... blame the House/Senate -- they didn't act when the bill crossed over.
Those are some of the excuses we've heard for the past two years from legislators on why public beach access bills died in committee, despite strong support we had. Here's the link to my op-ed column in Sunday's Star-Bulletin on this topic... please feel free to add your comments on the Star-Bulletin site below my piece!
Excerpt:
To read the rest, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yckyokj
http://beachaccesshawaii.blogspot.com/
Hawaii's system of government is broken. One only has to look at the way our State legislature dickers over every issue and gets little done each session to see the proof. The bicameral Senate/House of Representatives structure for such a small state makes no sense. It's inefficient and redundant to have so many reps, who all have staffs and cost taxpayers extra money to perform the same tasks!
It allows our elected officials an easy out: oh, don't blame us for inaction -- the other committee killed it... not my fault -- the chairperson didn't schedule your bill for a hearing... blame the House/Senate -- they didn't act when the bill crossed over.
Those are some of the excuses we've heard for the past two years from legislators on why public beach access bills died in committee, despite strong support we had. Here's the link to my op-ed column in Sunday's Star-Bulletin on this topic... please feel free to add your comments on the Star-Bulletin site below my piece!
Excerpt:
Hawaii should adopt unicameral legislature
As the 2010 state Legislature gets under way, it's hard not to have a sense of deja vu. Thousands of bills will be introduced — many of them resurrected from last year, or the session before that. Most will die in committee. About 10 percent of those bills will cross the finish line, amid great cheering or hand-wringing. But the vast majority of citizens who get involved because they care about a particular issue will walk away disappointed or disillusioned...
To read the rest, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yckyokj
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My New Venture...
Although I will continue to do what I can to promote the beach access cause, the reality is I need to make a living too! But times are tough... which is why I came up with the concept for a local TV show called Career Changers TV. Our first program began airing on OC16 last month. It's geared to people who are looking for jobs or thinking about pursuing new careers. If that's you, check out the CCTV web site for details!
www.CareerChangers.tv
I'm also writing a blog for the site, called Squashed Gecko. It's all about me! Well, not entirely... it's more about all the things I've learned from failing at various endeavors. If you're interested in the entertainment biz, especially screenwriting or writing in general, please drop by and post comments here.
As for the current State Legislature session and our prospects of seeing any significant action in regards to shoreline setbacks or beach access, all I can say is don't hold your breath. It's all about money this go-round -- meaning "non-essential" matters will get short shrift.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
State Legislature Fails Again
Thought we had a chance to get bills passed that would protect beach access and shoreline setbacks. I was wrong... bills we supported died in committee the final week, or were amended in such a way that they could actually weaken existing setback standards!
Why? Frankly, it's because we didn't have enough public support. Our politicians kowtow to business interests and individuals who pony up the biggest campaign contributions, or pander to factions that are organized enough to make the loudest noise.
For instance, State Legislators caved in on equal rights for gays because the religious right mobilized their forces and turned civil unions into a referendum on traditional marriage. It made me ashamed of my upbringing as a Christian to see these red-shirted church-goers say gay people were somehow "defective" and didn't deserve the same legal rights as straights.
I once thought Hawaii took pride in our culture of "aloha" and tolerance. The beaches symbolized the open nature of people here... but now it's a place where people put up walls, fences and gates to keep anyone out that is "different" or not as wealthy as they are.
These are sad times, and I'm not willing to fight for any cause, unless it's for the benefit of ALL people in Hawaii -- regardless of race, religious views, income level, place of origin, and yes, sexual orientation. As long as we let differences divide us, nothing positive can be achieved on bigger issues that affect everyone.
End of rant. Don't know when I'll be back. It's up to YOU to do something if you want to see real change.
Why? Frankly, it's because we didn't have enough public support. Our politicians kowtow to business interests and individuals who pony up the biggest campaign contributions, or pander to factions that are organized enough to make the loudest noise.
For instance, State Legislators caved in on equal rights for gays because the religious right mobilized their forces and turned civil unions into a referendum on traditional marriage. It made me ashamed of my upbringing as a Christian to see these red-shirted church-goers say gay people were somehow "defective" and didn't deserve the same legal rights as straights.
I once thought Hawaii took pride in our culture of "aloha" and tolerance. The beaches symbolized the open nature of people here... but now it's a place where people put up walls, fences and gates to keep anyone out that is "different" or not as wealthy as they are.
These are sad times, and I'm not willing to fight for any cause, unless it's for the benefit of ALL people in Hawaii -- regardless of race, religious views, income level, place of origin, and yes, sexual orientation. As long as we let differences divide us, nothing positive can be achieved on bigger issues that affect everyone.
End of rant. Don't know when I'll be back. It's up to YOU to do something if you want to see real change.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Update on State Legislation
HB593, which would give the State DLNR the authority to implement a 2-year moratorium on Kailua Beach shoreline building setbacks, will be heard by the Senate Water, Land, Ag committee on Friday, March 20 at 3 pm. You can submit testimony online by going to this link: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/
We've also received word that SB1088 should be getting a hearing date by next week. That's the bill our alliance helped draft to re-define obstructions to public access, and make it more feasible for citizens to file lawsuit to stop gates from going up in areas with limited beach access for residents.
I'll be sending out a group email as soon as we get confirmation on the hearing dates. Mahalo to all who submitted testimony these past couple of weeks! Your emails and letters made a difference, and will continue to do so. Keep up the good work, folks.
We've also received word that SB1088 should be getting a hearing date by next week. That's the bill our alliance helped draft to re-define obstructions to public access, and make it more feasible for citizens to file lawsuit to stop gates from going up in areas with limited beach access for residents.
I'll be sending out a group email as soon as we get confirmation on the hearing dates. Mahalo to all who submitted testimony these past couple of weeks! Your emails and letters made a difference, and will continue to do so. Keep up the good work, folks.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Rep. Thielen Setback Bill Moves Forward
Quick update: HB593, which would establish a two-year moratorium on Kailua Beach shoreline building setbacks, cleared the House Finance Committee hearing on Thurs., March 5. There were 15 "ayes," and no votes against.
It will now cross over to the Senate side, where the bill will be assigned to the appropriate committees for more hearings. But so far, looking good!
However, we must continue to lobby the Honolulu City Council to do something quickly to protect Oahu's vanishing beaches. Building setbacks are really in their jurisdiction. A special election will be held to fill the seat of Barbara Marshall, who recently passed away. Our condolences go out to her family and many friends.
Although we may have disagreed with her stand on certain issues, she did work hard for what she felt was best for the citizens she represented. She also had to deal with a divided City Council. Hopefully, her replacement will be able to do more to protect shoreline access, and persuade the City Council to be proactive on beach conservation.
After all, if we continue to lose more of our beaches, and make it harder for people to reach the beach, what will happen to Hawaii's appeal as a world class travel destination?
It will now cross over to the Senate side, where the bill will be assigned to the appropriate committees for more hearings. But so far, looking good!
However, we must continue to lobby the Honolulu City Council to do something quickly to protect Oahu's vanishing beaches. Building setbacks are really in their jurisdiction. A special election will be held to fill the seat of Barbara Marshall, who recently passed away. Our condolences go out to her family and many friends.
Although we may have disagreed with her stand on certain issues, she did work hard for what she felt was best for the citizens she represented. She also had to deal with a divided City Council. Hopefully, her replacement will be able to do more to protect shoreline access, and persuade the City Council to be proactive on beach conservation.
After all, if we continue to lose more of our beaches, and make it harder for people to reach the beach, what will happen to Hawaii's appeal as a world class travel destination?
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