Public input doesn’t sway decisions of elected officials
Public input doesn’t sway decisions of elected officials
I received an email blast that said “numbers matter in essence to the General Plan that the County Council will soon vote on. So please if you care be there. Tragically, the Planning Commission moved the zoning from Agriculture (Ag) upward to allow Hokua Place to build 780 dwellings behind the Kapaa Middle School, and the County Council may keep it there. It’s necessary to speak up now, before it’s too late.”
I once asked a former chair of the County Council if his mind was ever swayed by somebody’s testimony or did he think any other council members vote was swayed by public testimony? Do you know what he told me? His mind was always made up before any public testimony, and as far as he knew, nobody had ever changed any council member’s mind.
It’s nice for the public to testify and get things off their chest, it’s a beautiful exercise in democracy and it’s the politically correct thing to do. However, does it make a difference in any council member’s vote? No way! So voice your opinions if it gives you “the warm fuzzies,” just know you are not changing any minds. The only way to get your vote noticed is get more issues on the general ballot for “We the people” to vote on ourselves and not leave our future in the hands of seven individuals and at the hand of special interests.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapaa
