December 04, 2007
The Haleakala Times
by Sam Epstein
This last week, a Maui Media Lab Foundation staff and student delegation to the Island of Molokai had the opportunity, as observers, to witness first-hand, the Land Use Commission Hearings of November 15 and 16 regarding the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), for the Plan to Develop La‘au Pt. that was submitted by Molokai Properties Limited, in the name of Molokai Ranch.
The Maui Media Lab Foundation would like to thank all of the residents of Molokai for the kokua, and hospitality that was extended to ourselves during our stay. We would also like to thank all of the residents of Molokai for demonstrating what real community governance is all about, to our students as well as the students of Molokai High School and Kualapuu Elementary that attended the hearings throughout the day.
What was striking, was the manner in which how all the interested parties came together in a large town hall, with hundreds of individuals present, some to testify, some to be there in support, some for and some against, from 9 am till 8 pm, with a single common theme: respect.
Every person that testified, received minimally a smattering of applause, a few people received a standing ovation, and not a single person was booed or disrespected for their opinion. It seemed that applause was related to the quality of the testimony, and not the opinion of the testifier, and was received from parties representing both sides of what has become such a contentious issue within the Molokai community.
The only murmuring of disapproval from the crowd came near the end of the hearings on the second day, right before the Land Use Commission was about to vote on a Motion to Reject the FEIS submitted by Molokai Properties Limited. Immediately before the vote began, Counsel for MPL, Isaac Hall requested a short recess to discuss the possibility of withdrawing the FEIS with his client. Indeed, when the hearing resumed, and MPL did withdraw their FEIS, the murmur of the stunned crowd transformed into applause as the large group realized that the hearing was about to conclude.
I would like to thank both Walter Ritte, of the Hawaiian Learning Center and John Sabas, Representing Molokai Ranch, for providing this opportunity for our students to learn the importance and significance of community involvement, especially in matters of local governance.
So what have we learned this last week? That a community of individuals, in fact, one of the smallest and most isolated in the country, with many residents classified at or below poverty level by the government, CAN work together, and research together, and represent together in a dignified, respectful and civil manner, and stand up to a group of individuals representing themselves as a local subsidiary of a multinational corporation, in this case GUOCO Group, with potentially billions of dollars of resources at their disposal, and WIN!!!
The similarities between the Environmental Impact of the Superferry Project and the La‘au Pt. development project and the fact that the La‘au project has been withdrawn, and that the Superferry is about to sail deserve an objective analysis.
The different strategies taken by the much larger communities of Maui and Kauai, including cat calls and disturbances at public meetings, public demonstrations intended to tie up traffic, and potentially life threatening civil disobedience such as jumping into a harbor in front of a large vessel, and prolonged video-litigation are now proving far more effective at stoking the egos of the protesters, and far less effective at securing their cause.
Mahalo to everyone on Molokai for presenting a shining example of the power of community and civil governance (not to mention cost savings), and the resulting benefits for all, and for all to see. Mahalo Nui Loa! A Hui Hou!
Sam Epstein is executive director of the Maui Media Lab.
Read More...
