Oahu takes on public land development corporation

The Public Land Development Corporation (PLDC) held a public meeting Wednesday night at the Kalanimoku Building, the fifth in a series of island-hopping hearings on proposed administrative rules.

William Aila, the chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, was present in the small hearing room, along with Lloyd Haraguchi, the corporation’s executive director. Long-time ‘Ewa resident Glenn Oamilda asked why all the board members were not in attendance, to which Haraguchi responded that a public hearing doesn’t require all the board members to be there, that he (Haraguchi) is the hearings officer, and the absent members will hear a recording of the proceedings.

One of the public’s concerns was that the meeting room was much too small to accommodate the number of people attending the meeting. There were approximately 50 people in the room, with another 100 outside. Originally, the PDLC was not going to allow a live broadcast, but Olelo TV was allowed to air the meeting in response to grassroots pressure.

Approximately ten state police officers were present, dotting the perimeter of the testifiers.

What people said

The following description of testimony given is a composite of multiple reports, including live-tweets, and will be updated as additional reports are submitted. For original tweets, search Twitter for the hashtag #pldc, or see this Storify piece.

Zuri Aki, organizer of UH student organization Makawalu, asked, “Our future generations of Hawai’i…are they going to look back at this block of concrete and be angry at us for not stopping [this]? I would like to affirm that the PLDC be abolished for the betterment of Hawai’i.”

Bob Loy, of the Outdoor Circle, said that the PLDC is an agency which is fundamentally flawed.

Brandi Hyden: “What the PLDC can do is quite frankly scary. The vagueness of this act is frightening. There is no accountability. They are going to take away our ability to say what we want in Hawai’i. It’s just disgusting. Appeal Act 55.”

Andre Perez said: “I am here tonight to put you on notice again that we are still under an illegal occupation. You have no authority over us, our lands. This public land destruction corporation exempts lands from zoning requirements…what is that going to mean day-to-day? This PLDC is ambiguous and vague. Even when the laws are clear, the state refuses to follow them. Don’t forget, this attempt is endorsed and administered by Governor Abercrombie.”

Mahealani Traub said, “This is really saddening to me to think that some corporation can come in and take our ‘aina away from us. This ‘corporation’ is governed by five members. Why can’t the public say what we want to do with our ‘aina? We simply cannot allow this to happen. We do not need the PLDC. The PLDC is a corporation to take away our ‘aina and do what they want with it. Act 55 is not going to do any good, whatsoever. We want to repeal Act 55.”

Nameaaea Hoshino of Maui said, “You guys just don’t get it. How dare Abercrombie try to bring this to the table. I am tired of this, having to come and speak to you guys to try to get you to understand. The things we are fighting for are more important than making the money.”

Robert Harris: “I am testifying on behalf of 12,000 members [Sierra Club] statewide. We suggest that you include or incorporate that projects that will have adverse environmental impacts will NOT go forward.”

Lancelot Haili: The PLDC was not created for the people, by the people. We all have to follow the law, even the governor.  I am here to request that you repeal Act 55.”

Shannon Wood:  “Please establish formal procedures for the public to submit public testimony [as others have been doing for decades].”

Eric Gill, president of UNITE HERE Local 5, said, “I represent 10,000 hotel workers. There are inadequate protections for working people and working people’s rights. The main concern here is not the administrative rules themselves, but the PLDC itself. It was passed with little or no public discussion. This is the first opportunity the public has had to discuss whether this is a good idea or not. The Hawaiian people’s control over development is being bypassed here. The people of Hawai’i are frustrated that they are not being listened to. This PLDC has crystalized this for us. This PLDC has brought unions and environmentalist together because we all fear that the governor is giving too much power to developers.  The notion to balance the budget is to take lands [our forefathers’] and develop them. I am personally offended by that. I am opposed to the bill in its current form. If it’s a good development the people will support it. If it’s a bad development, it shouldn’t happen.”

Ester Carey: “People are frustrated about our broken political system. The PLDC is broken, and the rules don’t protect our interests. It is important that public lands belong to the public.”

Alison Lum, of Local 5, spoke of the reaction from 12,000 voters canvassed by the union. “People are distrustful of the government,” she said.

“People are quite frankly disgusted. We would like to think that we can trust our government, you folks as well, but …we can’t. Unite together and fight to repeal Act 55, not just for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children future,” she said.

David Arakawa of the Land Use Research Foundation, a think tank serving land development companies and major landowners, said that he is in support of the PLDC’s rules.

Kat Brady, representing the Community Alliance on Prisons, raised the issue of PLDC opening up land for privatized prisons. “selling pieces of Hawaii off to balance the budget is not the way to go.”

Bill Sager, member of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, said that he will work for the repeal of act 55.

David Kimo Frankel, attorney in the iwi rail case, said, “The rules give the PLDC unfettered discretion to make decisions.” He said that Mr. Aila has the power and opportunity to do some real good here. “The choice is yours,” Frankel said.

Cynthia Rezentes, Waianae community leader, said, “You have no guidelines for yourself, no criteria on how you would take these lands and use them in concert with the communities.”

“These rules say you are going to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. That’s wrong. Just wrong. There’s got to be a better way. There is no cooperation in these rules. That is unacceptable. The public sure doesn’t deserve it,” Rezentes said.

Sadie Green was in the audience. Afterward, she said, “I saw many groups represented there, including labor unions, and Hawaiian, environmental, and political activists. I would say the general atmosphere…was quite serious. None of the attendees were taking these issues lightly. The community is pissed at the DLNR and their policy decisions, which they see as corrupt and misguided. The people of Hawai’i expect the government to stand up for what is best for the community, not corporate interests.”

Correction 11:51 pm: Fixed spelling on Brandi Hyden’s name.