Bill Passing thru Senate and House...
Hawaii State Legislators have been pushing the bill that potentially could destroy Akaku: Maui Community Television through the Senate and the House with little/no opposition. Senate Bill SB959 and House Bill HB784 have been barrelling through the legislative process this last week in the committee hearings and it doesn't look like the process is going to slow at all, if anything it is speeding up.
Several things have come to my attention since my last post that I would like to share:
1. The only three persons to testify on the bill's behalf before the legislature during the bill's introduction were Everett Dowling, Steve Goodfellow and Charlie Jencks. Hmmmm...could this have anything to do with the Makena Resort Project??? It has been confirmed that the bill was introduced because several large Hawaii land developers are upset with Akaku for airing certain videos, public meetings, etc. that "slowed" the development of a very important parcel of land on Maui...Makena. Are they trying to paint Akaku as "anti-development?"
2. Clyde Sakamoto, Chancellor of Maui Community College, has initiated a petition campaign at MCC and through the DOE to help support the bill by misinforming people about the true scope and intent of the bill. Sakamoto and others are trying to paint Akaku as "anti-education" and are USING the students and children of Maui County to further their own political agendas. THIS IS WRONG! An article highlighting some of this "misinformation" can be read in the Maui News Article"Akaku Fears Redistribution of Funds" written by Ilima Loomis.
3. Roz Baker, a Senator representing the West Side of Maui, has demonstrated that she will be fully supporting the bill's passing and will not be supporting public access on Maui. Unfortunately, Baker has played friends with several local Akaku producers who worked hard to get her elected during her last campaign and is now repaying that favor by showing support for this bill and working to destroy the very mechanism that got her elected into office. Somehow, Senator Baker received news within the last couple of weeks that pending redistribution of Akaku's funding to MCC, a media center would be built in her district at Lahainaluna High School. Hmmmm...sounds like a great opportunity for Akaku to help, it's too bad they were never included in that conversation or even approached regarding the proposed project. Please visit 
Roz Baker's Hawaii State Senate web page and e-mail your comments to her.
Do these people not see that they are shooting themselves in both feet!?
How can they possibly beleive that by dismantling an already successful organization like Akaku they will be serving their communities better? Isn't that why Akaku was mandated to govern themselves in the first place? Are these people retarded? No. They are not...and that's the scary part. This can only mean they are doing this purely on a political basis to further their own agendas and that their communities do not really matter to them. There are many other resources out there that support education and government entities, why are they not being considered? Where do all of the other educational institutions fit into this "plan"? What will these parties do with the money if they get it and how will that be regulated and accounted for? I still want to know why this bill only pertains to Maui County and why isn't Akaku even mentioned as an organization party to the bill? Is it supposed that Akaku is NOT, in fact, the PEG Access provider for Maui and Kalawao Counties? If not, then who is?
There are many questions that have gone unanswered and it is up to us...the citizens of this great county to get them answered before our rights are dismantled and our mouths are taped shut with the ignorance of the very entity we have empowered. So please email, fax and testify in person to KILL THIS BILL before it's too late!
To check the status of and stay updated on bill SB959 please visit this page.
For bill HB784's status please visit this page.
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