Tasha Kama – From the Heart -2019– present Maui County Councilmember

Schwartz has an hour of dialogue with TASHA KAMA — presently Maui County Councilmember – Tasha shares her views on important issues in Maui County today and discusses where she is working to accomplish towards the future. 12-23-2019

Summary & Transcript

• [00:00 → 05:23]

Introduction and Setting the Tone

The show “The Neutral Zone” on Maui’s 88.5 FM KAKU radio and social media platforms begins with host Jason Schwartz welcoming Councilwoman Tasha Kama as a guest. The Neutral Zone is described as a space for open, honest, and heartfelt conversation, where diverse opinions can be discussed without conflict, emphasizing love, respect, and inclusivity in resolving community issues.

Councilwoman Kama shares her appreciation for the show’s neutral stance, stating that resolving community challenges requires open conversations even with people who disagree. She confirms that discussions on the Council floor are public and sometimes contentious but are necessary for transparent governance.

• [05:23 → 15:21]

Council Dynamics and Public Engagement

Councilwoman Kama explains the Sunshine Law which mandates transparency and limits private meetings among council members to avoid closed-door discussions. She highlights the unique social fabric of Maui, where many people are related or connected, which influences how council members maintain respect despite disagreements.

Meetings are often time-constrained, limiting deep discussions on the floor. Much research and debate happen prior to meetings, which viewers may not see, explaining some seemingly puzzling questions or votes during sessions. She praises council staff as essential for supporting members and facilitating effective governance.

The council actively engages the public through meetings, agendas, and online postings, but Kama notes that the public may not fully digest or access all meeting contents easily, suggesting room for improvement in transparency and accessibility of information.

• [15:21 → 22:53]

Passion, Conflict, and Representation on the Council

Kama acknowledges the passionate nature of council debates, where tone and body language express strong emotions but ultimately decisions are made by majority vote. She stresses that council members represent a broad spectrum of community opinions and that their imperfections reflect the community’s complexities.

The discussion touches on the example of Tulsi Gabbard’s nuanced vote during the Trump impeachment, likened to Kama’s own thoughtful decision-making style—highlighting the importance of conviction and transparency behind votes even if they do not satisfy all constituents.

Kama reiterates the importance of moving beyond blame and divisiveness toward collaboration on shared community goals, reinforcing the Neutral Zone’s mission as a platform for dialogue and unity.

• [22:53 → 29:59]

Council Leadership and Cohesiveness

A regime change in the council leadership is imminent, with Alice Lee replacing Kelly King as chairperson. Kama hopes this change will result in greater cohesiveness and more off-floor conversations, helping members build better relationships and understanding beyond public debates.

She emphasizes the value of council members knowing each other’s backgrounds and values to foster mutual respect and less adversarial interactions. This, she believes, helps address community problems from a more compassionate and collaborative standpoint.

• [29:59 → 38:50]

Homelessness and Housing Challenges

A major focus is the ongoing homelessness crisis in Maui County. Kama explains the complex jurisdictional issues between county and state agencies, particularly concerning cleanup and management of homeless encampments on coastal roadways like Kahului Beach Road, which is state land and responsibility.

She describes the “move along” strategy where homeless individuals are offered services and housing but often decline due to rules or personal choices, such as not wanting to give up pets. The county conducts outreach and ride-alongs with police programs to monitor and assist homeless populations, but challenges persist especially with chronically homeless individuals who reject available help.

Kama highlights the difficult balance between respecting individual rights and ensuring public health and safety, and the slow pace of systemic solutions such as medical treatment for mentally ill homeless persons. She stresses that homelessness is a shifting population issue, with some people moving in and out of stable housing over time.

• [38:50 → 45:33]

Policies, Enforcement, and Service Limitations

The councilwoman discusses enforcement issues related to trespassing on private property and the importance of property owners reporting violations to police. She acknowledges the lack of “bridge” housing or less restrictive options for those unwilling to follow shelter rules but notes ongoing efforts to develop better services.

An anecdote is shared about a homeless individual released from jail during the day with no resources, illustrating gaps in service availability and the intake process requiring identification and compliance with rules, which some individuals resist.

Kama stresses that while many homeless people reject help, there are those who do accept it and improve their situations, underscoring the need for varied approaches to different segments of the homeless population.

• [45:33 → 51:24]

Charter Amendments and Civic Education

Kama introduces the topic of charter amendments, which occur approximately every ten years and affect the county’s governing document—referred to as the “Bible” for council operations. She has proposed amendments and notes that 16 potential charter amendments are under consideration by the council.

She stresses the importance of public education on these amendments, as many voters find the language confusing and may default to rejecting unfamiliar propositions. The council plans community outreach to explain the amendments and their impacts before the upcoming elections.

• [51:24 → 54:35]

Tax Reform and Community Outreach

While tax reform is not a charter amendment, it is another major issue requiring public education. Kama and other council members have held local meetings across Maui and Molokai to inform residents about how tax changes may affect them.

The conversation highlights the challenge of broad community engagement and the need for recording and distributing educational content more widely. Kama commits to supporting efforts to increase informed voter participation.

• [54:35 → 56:20]

Closing Remarks and Future Engagement

The interview closes with appreciation for Councilwoman Kama’s dedication and openness. She expresses willingness to return to the show to continue public education and dialogue. The host thanks listeners and sponsors, emphasizing the importance of community voices in Maui’s governance.

Key Insights and Themes

Theme	Details
Neutral Zone Purpose	A forum for open, honest, and inclusive conversations beyond political and social divisions.
Council Transparency	Public meetings governed by Sunshine Law; challenges with time constraints and depth of discussion.
Council Relationships	Importance of personal relationships to maintain respect despite political disagreements.
Homelessness Complexity	Jurisdictional challenges, “move along” policy, varying homeless populations, and service gaps.
Community Education	Need for clear, accessible information on charter amendments and tax reforms to increase voter literacy.
Leadership Transition	Hope for increased council cohesiveness and off-floor dialogue under new chairperson.

Quantitative Data and Processes

Item	Frequency/Detail
Charter Review Cycle	Approximately every 10 years
Potential Charter Amendments	16 proposed by council members
Council Meeting Schedule	Committees meet Monday-Thursday; Council every other Friday
Council Members	9 representing approximately 30-50K voters

Definitions and Concepts

Term	Definition/Explanation
Sunshine Law	Legal requirement for government transparency and open meetings.
Charter	Constitutional document governing Maui County operations.
Move Along Policy	Strategy to relocate homeless individuals while offering services.
Intake Process	Procedure for shelters requiring identification and compliance.

Summary

Councilwoman Tasha Kama’s interview on The Neutral Zone provides a comprehensive, candid view of Maui County’s governance, especially regarding council operations, public engagement, and pressing social issues like homelessness. The conversation reveals the challenges of transparent democracy, where passion and differing opinions must be balanced with respect and unity.

Kama underscores the importance of community education on policy issues such as charter amendments and tax reform to empower informed voting. The discussion of homelessness highlights the complexity of jurisdictional responsibilities and the human realities behind policy, emphasizing the need for nuanced, compassionate responses.

The upcoming council leadership change brings hope for improved collaboration. Throughout, the core message is the value of dialogue, understanding, and commitment to serve the community’s diverse needs with integrity and care.

 

Highlights

• [04:54] Councilwoman Kama emphasizes that love and respectful conversation are key to resolving community challenges.
• [07:21] ️ Council meetings are time-constrained, limiting deep discussions, which makes prior research by council members essential.
• [15:21] ⚖️ The council reflects the diversity and divisions of the community it represents, showing passion and sometimes conflict in decision-making.
• [35:54] Homelessness is a complex issue; people often move from one area to another, and solutions require patience and multifaceted strategies.
• [44:05] Homeless populations are dynamic, with some people moving into housing while others remain chronically homeless by choice or circumstance.
• [47:49] Charter amendments are significant governance tools that require public education for informed voter decisions.
• [53:53] Public engagement and education are critical for understanding tax reforms and charter amendments to improve voter participation.

Key Insights

• [04:54] The Power of Dialogue and Inclusion: Councilwoman Kama stresses that meaningful resolution of community issues hinges on inclusive conversations where all voices are heard, even those with opposing views. This approach fosters empathy and collaboration, essential in a diverse community like Maui. The Neutral Zone’s mission to create a space for respectful dialogue exemplifies this philosophy.
• [07:21] ⏳ Limitations of Council Meeting Formats: Due to strict time constraints and procedural rules, council meetings often cannot accommodate in-depth discussions on complex topics. This necessitates extensive pre-meeting research by council members and underscores the value of informal conversations off the floor. The public, however, may not see this preparatory work, which can lead to misunderstandings about council decisions.
• [15:21] ⚖️ Council Members as Community Microcosms: The council, composed of nine individuals, embodies the political and social divisions present within the larger electorate. The passionate debates and occasional conflicts reflect the community’s varied perspectives, reinforcing the importance of representative democracy and the reality that not all decisions will please everyone.
• [35:54] Homelessness as a Multifaceted and Fluid Challenge: Homelessness on Maui is not static; people frequently move between encampments or housing. This fluidity complicates efforts to provide stable solutions. The council’s approach involves offering services and housing options while respecting individual choices, even when some refuse assistance due to personal reasons such as a desire to keep pets or avoid rules.
• [44:05] Distinguishing Chronic vs. Transitional Homelessness: Councilwoman Kama differentiates between chronic homeless individuals who often reject services and transitional homeless populations who seek and accept help to regain stability. This distinction is crucial for tailoring interventions and allocating resources effectively. It also reveals the complexity in addressing homelessness beyond a one-size-fits-all solution.
• [47:49] Charter Amendments as a Democratic Tool Needing Clarity: The county charter serves as the foundation for local governance, and amendments are necessary to address ambiguities or outdated provisions. However, the complexity of legal language can deter voter understanding. Councilwoman Kama highlights the need for proactive public education so voters can make informed decisions, preventing automatic rejection due to confusion.
• [53:53] The Importance of Public Education and Engagement: The discussion on tax reform and charter amendments reveals a gap in widespread public knowledge. Community meetings, while useful, often lack recording and broader dissemination, limiting outreach. Councilwoman Kama advocates for improved communication strategies to engage more voters and ensure transparency in government processes, ultimately strengthening democracy in Maui.

Additional Contextual Insights

• The interview showcases the human side of public service, with Tasha Kama sharing personal anecdotes about balancing family, work, and community responsibilities, highlighting the dedication required of local officials.
• The conversation touches on the challenges of working within legal frameworks like the Sunshine Law, which restricts informal communications among council members to ensure transparency but can also limit candid dialogue.
• There is an underlying theme of “ohana” (family) and community interconnectedness, which influences how council members interact and address conflicts, often prioritizing relationships over political battles.
• The council’s collaborative efforts with state agencies reveal jurisdictional complexities that affect service delivery, especially concerning homelessness cleanup and infrastructure maintenance.
• The interview also points to political realities, such as upcoming leadership changes in the council and election cycles, which shape priorities and the pace of policymaking.

Overall, this conversation provides a nuanced view of local governance in Maui, illustrating the balance between passion, pragmatism, and process that defines public service in a small but diverse island community.

Transcript

00:00

good morning everyone I hope all is well with you if you’re listening you may well hear that the neutral zone is on here it is I’m listening for the music myself I have a great guest today Councilwoman Kama. good morning everyone Aloha it’s Monday it’s Monday it must be the neutral zone Maui neutral zone calm you can find their shows there we’re at 88.5 FM kaku 

and you can find this up on YouTube as well and

01:40

we have a series timeslot coming up so I don’t even know what it is but if you go to Maui neutral zone dot-com you’ll see this show and all our other shows before that because we’re a happy family all together trying to accomplish something but you’re gonna hear I have a terrific guest today you know what every time I come to the show I have had a terrific guest and you keep wondering how come you keep having so many special guests because I know a lot of very special people and some of them you know and

02:12

this is one you some of you know and some of you will be really thrilled to know I have a friend their name is councilmember Tasha Kama welcome to our show good morning Jason and thank you for inviting me here handshake hangover on TV see that’s your can if you look at Facebook live you will see us right now and if you want to call us and ask you a question you can try to get through an eight oh eight eight seven three three four three five where you’re live Colin if we want but we interview people and

02:47

there I have a design plan you know I listen to my opening music tasha kama is here because she is a beautiful and wonderful woman when my show was early and it was election time before there were even elections and i was starting this show i wanted to have you on and it wasn’t the right time and then it became election time and i had to be fair to all candidates and there was issue of equal time and so you weren’t on and then we had you scheduled and then something urgent came up and then we had

03:20

it scheduled again other emergency so I am so thankful that you’re here and I even know today that you’re involved in something even personal with family so thank you for being and taking time in your very busy schedule well thank you for being patient and being tolerant because things do come up beyond our own control and I really wanted to be able to ensure that the commitment might made to you way back then that I want to at least fulfill it before the end of the year before I end up making another

03:50

commitment even at two years have gone by so I just wanted to make sure that I kept to this no matter what was going on so that’s very nice but you know your commitment I feel it from your heart every time I speak to you that’s sometimes what we find ourselves coming to and we speak yeah you’re a genuine person who speaks from your heart yes you know you don’t mince your words you try to be fair and open and honest and inviting and inclusive so I’m looking in a mirror because that’s how I

04:22

hope to be Wow thank you that’s a compliment well thank you well notice I complimented my seat yes but wonderful the people that are on this show and know that I have guests people wonder why I have a head of Maui tomorrow and you have people that are for and against issues we’re a neutral zone because when we throw away all the shackles of different things that are in our society I think we all really want the same thing we want love love for the people around us and as we learn to love

04:54

everyone I think all our challenges will go away what I think you’re absolutely correct and the only way you get to be able to get to resolution is to conversations and sometimes conversations are hard to hear sometimes they’re hard to take but nonetheless it’s important to have those conversations even with people you don’t agree with even more so with those that you do not agree with it’s easy to have a conversation with people who agree with you about issues and things that’s

05:23

it’s one required now that you’re in counselor you have that don’t you yes is that kind of stuff go on openly is there a lot of that discussion or does it happen behind closed meeting do a lot of those discussions really do happen out on the floor they have to happen out on the floor I mean we have a Sunshine Law and sometimes we have to remind each other we’re in central I know there’s more than three of us in a given space that we shouldn’t be in a space and we always have to tell each

05:51

other hey there’s three of us somebody has to move bow out get to the side but there’s some times that you can’t help it you know like you go to social events right or you go to campaign fundraisers and everybody’s there right and this is Christmas and everybody is inviting everybody to to come to Christmas party so we go because people expect us to go right if you invited me to a party at your house I would go because you’re my friend right and so we do that and and on Maui everybody is either related to

06:19

each other through marriage or through relationships and in Maui we treasure those things right so our relationship is our relationship I’ve known you since what the 80s is that yeah since I got here it’s a to Maui and that’s a long time and we don’t always agree on issues but I think that if you have a relationship you have to take care of that relationship the issues that come across that we don’t agree on we don’t agree on and we let it go because the issue will be here today it’ll be gone

06:49

tomorrow but our relationship has to always be here that’s why the neutral zone exists we put down Mike Molina remembered I told them I put down my sword I come in we’re not here to fight we’re here to talk do you find that kind of environment in the council chambers there I do we do we do we have lots of conversations in the council chambers with testifiers as well as with one another and sometimes they get a little contentious because we don’t have the luxury of time right so our meetings

07:21

start at 9:00 in the morning you usually get over by 12:00 12:30 1:00 o’clock depending but then we have another meeting it comes up at 1:30 so so when you have nine people who want to participate in a conversation you don’t really get to get it all out like me and you we’re gonna spend a whole hour talking about a whole bunch of different things and so we get to really get a deep dive and understand about things sometimes on the council floor you don’t have that deep dive discussion what you get is as much

07:47

information as we are able to get at that given moment in time and then a lot of you don’t get a chance to have discussion and things that you might normally be able to have where you can really think about what someone said yeah like you said yeah I’m gonna do Heelys and that’s why I think even before you get to the council floor a lot of the research is already having to be done by different council members about issues so when they do get to the floor whatever understanding they might

08:16

need it can be clarified on the floor like that which means that our people who are watching don’t get the advantage of all the different research that we’re able to come up with and things that we’re talking about on the floor questions that we’re asking people might be at thinking now why are they asking that it’s because they know certain things but there are certain things they don’t know so the question might come out like I don’t know why they’re asking that but just because this for our own

08:38

sake for our own information so we can make decisions donned a tie who works for shainsa Nancy told me there’s this thing online where all the meeting notes and upcoming yes so what is that call on the county website there is the agenda and details of the meeting that will be coming out for every committee so their committees meet Monday to Thursday council every other Friday every other week and so if you go on to like say for example Don Don’s council person in shainsa Nancy who chairs the environment

09:17

and and the cultural preservation I think ei CP environment agriculture culture preservation so that is Shane’s committee so if you went onto the website you clicked on that committee you’d see when they meet you’d even be able to get copies of the agenda and any other things that you might need is all online is awesome the thing that I think is missing I’d like to mention to you also is once there is a meeting ikkaku has it up there fantastic yes there’s a technology that YouTube is employed that can take the

09:52

the sound word and put it right up there so you can see it I don’t have enough time to digest these meeting but I’d like to see the guts of what happened at the meeting more clearly I think the minutes are also online – yeah because it takes so because just like today if we’re having this meeting you and I somebody’s recording it right and somebody has to decide it’s all track you can read it as opposed to having to watch to ourself of taping and that’s available to to the public and

10:25

there’s a transparency and we want to know in that you have to see it to me that’s really where it’s interesting because a lot of people put into those meetings ideas that I wonder what happened there were pieces there that might then be integrated yes but like you say you’re running like ground or his meetings one meeting to the next to the next to the next yeah I imagine your staff is priceless right definitely I I think all of us on the council have great staff because the staff is job is to help us do our job

11:01

more effectively and more efficiently and I gotta commend the council members because their staff does exactly that and you know our staff goes over above and beyond you know the things that go on in our office I mean it’s even after work hours when we’ve got community meetings we’re engaging with them with our with our constituents while it’s our staff that has to get out there and haul out all the equipment and put up all the sound equipment take it all back take it down to the county you know those kinds

11:27

of things and I hold a lot of public meetings only because I think it’s important for the community to to come and to look and to see and for me to listen to what it is that they have to say they’ve been listening and doing a long time yeah give me a little bit of history I don’t wanna maybe I will turn you into a younger younger woman I have a friend his name is Brad Cosman yeah Brad lives in Kihei now and when I say the word Tasha , he lights up because he remembers days years ago where your

12:02

father Clarence Reverend class come I who was big champion for the people here yes for many many years and Brad had the opportunity to work with homeless people back then and your passion has always been to try to help yes I always see you as helping even before you were in council I don’t know how I’ve has crossed but then they he did they did he did and once they did they just kept crossing cuz but you’re out there doing the same thing to Jason everyplace I am I see you all over the

12:33

place I mean even want to wait to college you were there and I was trying to recruit you to get onto the student government you know I remember so I thought oh my gosh but I think those relationships some what we talk about all the time about seeing people in different venues in different places and so as I have moved on so have you and look now we’re here again the thing that I think is the most interesting is when you get into a position like you are now you know people some people know your

13:03

level of experience in working with people and working out things is very deep and long you’ve been at these like you say we may not all agree but we are all family we’re all working together for a common cause that’s counsel you don’t get to see that and it when people comment to me about what’s going on with the council I hear a lot of combative talk from people that have you know they taken sides and making team yeah yeah I don’t really know what to do about that except to express if we can come to this

13:42

neutral zone I think I think well some of that good what you might refer to us may be combative is really people’s passion I want to describe it like that now we do have people who are so passionate about things and they you know and so the the passion that they have comes out in their tone and it comes out sometimes in their behavior and even in their body language but that’s how passionate they are to try to get their message across to the other council members and other council members will take that

14:15

sometimes there’s an affront and respond in like kind and some council members will just take your for it it is it is someone who wants to be able to get their point across and is really hoping that through the words and through the tone in which they are using it will be able to convince others to vote their way but in the end when you take the vote the vote is taken it is done and we may not like the vote that was taken but it is so and it is so and you can’t do anything about that and that’s why for

14:47

me when I think about how our council operates our council is nine people representing the 30 40 50 thousand people who went to the polls and voted so you don’t want those fifty thousand people in the Chamber’s what you did get was nine and so what you see in them in the chamber the nine is really representative of all of our people that are out there so if our people are split about certain issues and they’re passionate about certain issues it’s just a reflection of power a council is

15:21

to where people where human beings we’re not perfect we have more flaws than we have anything else but it’s working through those flaws that help us to become better at who we are and what we can be I wish there was more aware again you may be it’s it’s happening I don’t know about it like the minutes of the meetings that happened but I wish there was more way when a vote happens to hear more clearly why people voted the way likely on a couple of issues where you mentioned you voted that way because you

15:55

didn’t have enough information and although you might not be against it if you don’t have enough information then you can’t like Tulsi Gabbard took a real aggressive stand where she said present at the Trump impeachment thing she was the only one that said I’m here but I don’t enough that I can convict I know he’s done bad things and a B and C but I don’t have all the elements to in good conscience for me to move forward it made me think of you oh I think because I see that you really are putting your

16:27

heart into every decision you need to make and that was her vote to make it belonged to her and the best that she could do is are we happy with that I don’t know and why aren’t you happy about it and if you are why are you you know I mean it’s like but in the end once the votes are all cast then it’s the majority that will always rule so I don’t think of what was a majority I think was probably a very minority but well what is it about the way she voted that bothers people you know I mean this

16:59

is your representative if you don’t like what she does you don’t always have to reelect her right okay so she gave up her spot right to run for Congress to run for president so again so people again if they don’t like what she’s done or said then they don’t have to elect her to be President to the United States and that’s how the process of politics works oh you said was also point why are those people so alarmed at the way she voted that if they can’t discuss it and

17:28

come to a point of neutral isn’t that what that’s again where I’m back to this this show and the way we play let’s get over those difference I think I think at some point right you you I think being neutral is cool but I also think that at some point in time you have to make a decision and I think well people people are okay with her making a decision it wasn’t critical I don’t think was such a critical critical decision where it would be the vote that would be the ones either in peachy would not impeach him

18:02

you know what I mean well I think of neutral different I’m just saying I was thinking about what you said about yes but yeah absolutely it makes no difference what she did as an individual she cast her vote now that she cast their vote maybe you said oh man she didn’t go far enough I I’ve done that okay but she told you why she expressed it you know she did it with absolute conviction that’s it and go on and move on and now let’s get to more good things we can do together now

18:33

create and that’s what I exactly so I think when issues like that have brought up what is the purpose of bringing up those kinds of issues is it really to point finger to lay blame or what are we trying to do what are we trying to take away who we trying to take down when you do things like that as opposed to trying to work together to resolve the bigger issues that our country or a community or our county is facing right now well that’s why that’s how I think of neutral neutral just means in this question to

19:05

me may not be important to you right under my logo it says it’s the neutral zone it’s anything but neutral is not neutral it’s anything but Odra but it’s a place where we can bring the elements together to all bake this one cake and we are so blessed how long you been in the islands your whole life right mostly yeah mostly when I came here at 37 and 25 years ago ran for mayor you know I was the Green Party guy 25 years ago against Linda Lingle and Goro a comma and then I switched to council race

19:44

midstream because I didn’t want to be like a Ross Perot candidate who might swing the election from Laurel or Linda for votes and where did I live Kihei and I had the same views as Wayne dashiki I wasn’t kind of his dynamic he was very dramatic but um I’ve been outside the government and I’ve been here talking a long time four times like now when we can be talking now people that sit at the table are people that have been long standing in the community and have a real heart this is a real in my mind

20:28

and again the people can say it’s always been that way but I feel there’s been a breakthrough the the level of critical mass of challenges are here with the people that are there on Council recognize this is their time to be great whether they were great this is their time to be great well I think I think the issues in front of us forces us to be great I mean the challenges that we’re facing in terms of housing and homelessness low unemployment lack of doctors nurses professionals and so we have to do

21:08

something about that what an interesting thing you just said you put homelessness and low unemployment as our problem list if people want to low unemployment why is that a problem I think it’s a problem because employers I don’t know what this they don’t have to pay as much and the standard of living is not here to be able to be supporting this community that’s an interesting thing that you’re aware of that see what a smart girl is says and many of our council members are very much aware to all of the issues

21:44

that are that we’re gonna be facing it way you don’t take a chance to publicly election is going to be able to to be able to develop some more issues aside from the ones that we’re working on today as we move forward because all of those things they all are interconnected they’re interrelated it’s it’s it’s it’s what and who we are as a community and as a people so I think as we move forward into this upcoming election that you’re gonna hear more issues that are

22:17

gonna come to the come to the top and certainly climate change is a huge issue – that is just come across the county’s desk and we’re just saying we have to do something about this well that’s good to hear and I guess I guess this Friday you know there’s gonna be a regime I guess called a regime change Kelly King is is stepping down or however that be as chairperson and Alice Lee is gonna be that kind of thing I guess the wise aren’t as important as that it’s happening correct correct again I like the vote

22:53

yes this something’s going on that we’re now gonna see a change what do you hope is going to happen through this change I think what I hope to see happen through this change is that there’s more cohesiveness with the council and that there’s more conversations that are taking place amongst the council members not just on the council floor but offer for the council floor to I mean we cannot technically we are not supposed to be talking to each other about issues that might come to the council floor but

23:26

there are certainly issues that we can talk about that will never come to the council floor and those are those those conversations about getting to know you conversations you know I mean we don’t know a whole lot about each other when we came except that we had a lot of young moms something on the council we knew they had a couple of children we knew that there’s a lot of grandparents on the council but we don’t know that’s that’s just about it what you all nobody tells us oh we know and

23:53

sometimes getting to really know people you get to really see into their hearts and then and you can’t fault them for how they think because what or whatever their values are however they were raised impacts their thought process that impacts their decision-making and so when you can really get to know people then you get to know why they make the decisions that they make and you’re okay with it well I would like the public to get more of that and also you guys have an opportunity to have

24:22

more of that and more no more than three I understand that together but I think the why behind it will take down those walls and come from a more loving place if we can get it that we’re not adversarial and that we have to care about each other I really think that all the problems can be solved all of them sometimes in our quest to be passionate the to be the opposite of passion is aggression and so sometimes if that comes out too many times it’s seen as not a good trait for leadership gotcha well in a minute we’re

25:06

gonna be taking a break for our sponsors and donors and I’ve been a little bone arty I’ve been a little bit of Wax here and going specifically at issues maybe we come back I’ll give you a chance to you know reference things that’s been going on that you’d like to be talking about and I’ll ask some questions but the one that always keeps coming up to me is the people that are in need up coming to come because yeah one minute break yeah okay maybe two minute break okay thank you guys for

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sticking with us I have Councilwoman Tasha comma representing all of Maui living here in Kailua though I guess it is the district we will be back we have some wonderful sponsors people that recognize that the voice of Maui is an important thing and I’m so happy to be part of this team at ikkaku and kak you radio when we come back we will continue with taja hang on a minute let me see where I’m over here press the right buttons tools on with me Jason Schwartz would like to sincerely thank David

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Bryan for his support David was founder and head of school at neuro in Santa Monica California and as the board chaired the Ojai Foundation and on the board for brave new films the neutral zone has heard live Mondays at 11:00 a.m. here on Kak you 88.5 FM the voice of maui and again on saturdays at 7:00 a.m. as well as on TV and on Maui neutral zone dot coverage from everyone here in a cocoon to you we wish you joy cheer and aloha this holiday season please be safe don’t drive under the influence be kind to one another enjoy

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the company of your family and friends take time and enjoy your meals think of how you can help others reflect on your past and plan for a healthy and positive future wishing you all a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year Aloha it’s Brad Friedman your friendly investigative blogger journalist troublemaker and muckraker from Brad blog.com and yes the host of the Brad cast join me every night at 5 p.m. for investigative interviews with newsmakers and smart coverage of the day’s news

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that you won’t hear anywhere else Monday through Friday at 5 o’clock the Brad cast right here on Kak you the voice of Maui ok it’s me they’re so fun we need to talk about something something serious and then you love me I know you like using me wherever you are but I feel like this isn’t working out when you’re driving and any may think that it’s possible to focus both on me and the road but I just don’t feel the same way I think we should spend time away from each other when you’re driving

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it’s for the best visit stopped X star X dot org a message brought to you by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration project yellow light and the Ad Council hi I’m Jason Schwartz hosts of the neutral zone hey aku is a listener-supported station this means that all the great programs you hear like mine are sponsored by you as well as our underwriters if you would like to help keep the voice of Maui looking loud and clear go to kak UF m dot org slash donate today and give and don’t miss them trolls on Mondays at 11

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a.m. on 88.5 FM a voice of valley okay we are back I’m Jason Schwartz on the neutral zone with Councilwoman Tasha comma we are this is a couple of days before the end of 201 9 what here something goes fast time is going so fast I didn’t realize we were talking about 25 minutes we always you know that’s the thing you know when we meet sometime is gone but we can talk about things a little outside the box here because you know we don’t have constraints like we just talked about I thought was important as a great example

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of what it’s about there were some challenges so there were some challenges you found a way to handle it and you’re moving forward there’s a change of council leadership and we’re gonna move forward toward being positive and that’s really the way so this Friday is the the the meeting to ensure that that goes through smoothly so in and it’s a public meeting you know and so people will be able to come and testify you know on the subject matters and and it will continue to go on as

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good yeah do you have a lot of plans for Christmas this year not really only because I have you know personal things I gotta take care of so well there’s your answer Christmas yeah yeah I understand that I mean I’ve had a week of a bearing goes out in my car oh you remember when you used to watch Superman or the Hulk and there they would suddenly go like this and the buttons would come on yes just yeah I had an experience like that this week someone said to me Jason you got a potbelly going on there and I thought

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man I’m not eating wrong what’s going on so I started to exercise and I looked down and I saw this lump and it’s called the vernel hernia oh so I’m visualizing that how did it happen I don’t have any pain or anything so it’s when I turn from Jason meek and mild in all of the big fart Jason which you know is when it’s so I have a split here which is a new thing so my Christmas is is finding solutions to that my physical being a chef big Grigor shirts finish it see this

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yeah why we do that I remember when I first got here people would come up to me and yank my shirt out of my pants what is the why you don’t wear shirts they were very good now when I go to the mainland village why are you wearing all your shirts out what are you doing nice it’s very much better yes with much book as it tells it tells the public on the main man that you’re from Hawaii when you wear aloha shirts up there yeah and you wear them out yeah yeah but I’ve seen people talk in aloha shirts um yes

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yeah the business community does that yeah yeah do you have much interface with the state government I know that the certain issues that I think about when I’m thinking about Council would like to solve things just like the roadways summer counties summers say yes do you have issues with them that you work with them and and while the the I think the biggest issue we have with the state is always about their roads the the coasts the coastal roadways and also the ocean itself because um some of the

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rules are County some are state and for example if you take the the Beach Road Kahului Beach Road right so we are wanting to and have been wanting to and we have to clean up all of the the homeless encampments that have been around there but that is not County that that is state because it’s villainous in DLNR so we have to get the Department of Transportation State Department to come in and take and get harvest division to clean up all of that so if you drive on the pit road you’re gonna see very nice

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clean up from about from where I think the Maui Beach is and just a little bit past the stoplight at the college and just before I think Hana law then you just another encounter from there that goes all the way to Oaxaca so that particular roadway or coastal area was and diplom that still just going to the state so they’re responsible to clean it up weird that’s not so alright see that you know I think so when the there was a homeless encampment out in the pure area there before your regime yes that was state

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land if well you know the mirror Oh wouldn’t did a clean up over there so I’m not sure if they had at that time any kind of a relationship with the state of partnership what I’d say to be able to get that area cleaned out but I know that when we’re trying to do it it was the Department of Transportation and harbors division that actually came out to clean that out there’s another portion of that encampment that’s further on bound towards Oaxaca and that that little piece is owned by a private

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individual so now it becomes his responsibility to be able to take care of all of that so we the county has received numerous complaints about that whole stretch of highway and have told us you know we should do something clean it up and we had me trying to do it and see so we try to get on the state to take care of their business their Coriana so now our job now is to get on to the that that owner of that property to clean that up and to take care of it and if he does that’s great but if he

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doesn’t then we have to send you a notice telling him that he’s in violation then if he still doesn’t do anything that we have to be able to to to probably take care of it ourselves and probably build him to reimburse the county for all that cleanup that we’re gonna have to do let me ask a question about that I mean obviously that’s the portion of cleanup but we also know the other pieces there’s this incredible growing thing called homeless and you know all the other places in the world

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it’s gotten so epidemic it’s crazy even you know in Oahu New York on stories yes and every time we clean out an area it’s like you’re moving it from one area to where when you were down at the old Safeway and you had your meeting about homelessness when you closed one area people go here and then if you don’t want them to be there they got to be here yes isn’t that an emergency why is there no one declaring a state of emergency choosing some land building some temporary housing i watch you talk about

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housing and planning things things take time through approvals but isn’t it an emergency shouldn’t we find some way to yes I agree happening because it’s so it moves slow so this is this is the strategy right that the Department of Housing human concern says and pretty much everybody says yes that makes sense so you uh sure people away right you just kind of like move them along move them along and you’re right so they’re gonna move along but they’ll move along someplace else in the meantime as you

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move them along you offer them a place if they would like it you offer them services if they need it and you just hopefully they they take it some have accepted it and some have not some have and then they’ve gone right back out so I have gone on a ride-along with the Maui Police Department who the lead program whose job is to always keep track of where everybody is see how they’re doing but also to try to get them into more stable housing so a lot of our people who are homeless especially those are families who do

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want we have places to put them if as long as as long as they obey the rules and as long as they leave their dogs behind but there are rules that people are not willing to adhere to and there are issues like dogs that people are not going to let their dogs go there so so those people continue to stay out on the outside but for families who do on housing we can house him then the other thing is we have are those who are mentally challenged who really probably don’t have the capacity to understand fully what it is

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that we’re trying to do with them and unless we give their consent to treat them medically like how would you hear about an Oahu where some of the patients were mentally ill or challenged are actually given injections where they can help them to think cohesively clearly and coherently and they can actually to function you know in their daily lives we are not at that place yet here in Maui County to be able to do that so unless somebody gives us second sin we can’t do those kinds of things although

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people would like us to do that but those individuals still have their rights attached to them and they have them so it is a slow process what about is there a less restricted I mean like I say kotts and availability of potential services for some of those that don’t want the hard rules of living in a shelter but other there are other solutions so that we don’t have these I mean when I look at what’s the word Allah Allah ma hot Street yes and I’ve seen a change even on all Omaha Street

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where it used to be a solid homeless encampment then it moved somewhere else and then at that meeting yes you had that people still there on there it’s illegal for someone to be on their property right correct so if they are on private property the owner or the producer its businesses right they need to call and tell the police department so becomes a police issue but no anyway so what do you do with those people they’re not ready if they’re trespassing they drink they smoke they do things

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that are not okay and so is there any kind of bridge place or a bridge it’s not a bridges no but we have to tree we have to build a bridge that’s that’s part of county’s job you’re so busy with all these meetings so no I think I think services that is there kuleana and they want yes people services yes give them house I I’m gonna bring up something I don’t know if you know the answer it was midday and I got a call from someone that was at court they were let go they were from Molokai they were arrested on

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Molokai came over here served three days in jail waiting for the thing in the court the court said up as a mistake they let her go in the middle of the day with no money middle of the month on the streets of Maui I she called me I took her to the little Family Life Center and they said oh we can’t help you can’t even register you have to be homeless for a night what so we went away and she was homeless for a night maid went the next day and they said they have no room so is that true I toured for me to see through the veil

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might be what you said which is someone won’t comply with rules or something but I’ve been really upset those things I know that that’s one of those things where you don’t have enough information I mean you know we’re talking about it but do those situations actually happen probably could something have been done maybe but I don’t know but I will tell you this in in my going about and talking with the homeless people in Kahului and in Wailuku what I have learned is that although I talk to

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people and I tell them where they can go to get help and I’ve helped them to go get that help they have decided not to take the help they have decided to do that and then thanks kids so this so I tried to help a lady in late October and then I saw her again on Thanksgiving Day because we’re delivering meals to two people that day and I saw her and I went up to her to you know an aster hey Lorne well a personal I asked her she’d like to have lunch you know turkey and she said yes so I gave her the plane as it

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was Happy Thanksgiving I said by the way what happened to that apartment that you should you’re supposed to have gotten says oh she decided not to take it because she did not like the way the girl was talking to and she didn’t like to have to give her all the information the girl was asking him so you know that when you come into a shelter place you need to at least have identification you need to have something and they will and you just have to have at least something and and I know it’s intrusive sometimes then you

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do what we call intake and I know people don’t like it but that’s our way of at least keeping others safe trying to keep you safe and try to keep the agency safe all at the same time by asking you know these were identification so if someone was homeless now and would do the intake process it’s very likely there’s room there or somewhere for there is room somewhere but they have to go through the entire process and not refuse pieces or not have yeah and a lot of people having what I did am I right or long so

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I did it with the lead program with MPD I did it with cup of cold water and I would be doing it with and then I did it with the with the compassionate program through the Department of Housing where they do the sweep so the cleanups and I’ve done that and but in you talk to people and and they’d like living out in the elements some people really do enjoy that it’s a freedom for them they don’t have to obey the rules they can do whatever they want and I think that’s great but with but every society has rules and

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I think in the society we live it’s at the Democratic Society I think that we don’t want to constrain or constrict people as much as possible but ultimately it’s always about health and safety of everybody right now you’ve been dealing with this and around this I want to say your whole life if your dad yeah like I said for years and years so you’ve been dealing has this been an issue that’s gotten worse do you have you seen a change and even our homeless community or I think I

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think what you’re gonna see is you’re gonna see their homeless that you that are chronic it’s the same people all the time but it’s not a large population it’s very small population what you’re gonna see is people who are homeless and they get into housing right away they get housing right away and they do things to to help themselves along so you’re gonna see and the numbers are numbers but they’re not the same numbers all the time I think the people are different the numbers are always

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probably higher sometimes lower but the individuals are not the same so it’s not like we’re saying well we have 5,000 homeless and it’s the same 5,000 it’s a shift right it’s people come people go people move people elevate their status right and then new people come in and somehow fall on hard times or whatever but our whole goal is to be able to get people into housing should they choose to want to do that and and I think the Department of Housing and human concerns does a good job on that end the

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difficulty is the the chronic homeless who decide that they don’t like the rules and they want to be able to live outside and they won’t give up their dogs they don’t give up their habits and that’s those that have those habits and and and that is a totally different population so we’re dealing with different populations of homelessness and we just have to be clear about who we identified that we can help and those that don’t want our help we have to figure out what to do and I don’t think

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I don’t think giving those who don’t want to follow the rules anymore then what we’re willing to give other people who do follow rules I mean you just kind of understand them as I’m hearing you I’m I’m seeing that whether government do or not that’s why I’m relating to your experience with people in this situation because of the many years you’ve been you’re driving an elite program now but you’ve been an elite program out there helping people all these years and have

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really seen this pattern and people and people that I knew then are not homeless today they’re new homeless but I will tell you I do know a few people that when I was in college became homeless and they’re still homeless but they choose to because he just won’t give up certain things well we’ll talk about college in a second we’re on kak u 88.5 FM the time is run and run and run and so we’re gonna isn’t that amazing I’m here with a council will be a Chicago I’m Jason Schwartz Maui neutral

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zone calm you could go back and listen to this show and all of the other 70 something so we got so far and we’ll show you how they all fit together in a nice giant puzzle called one thing here when we’re talking I see your paper I know you had it sent over of a list of I want to say talking points yeah yeah but I haven’t given you a look at it actually the talking points is all what we’re talking about oh is that right yeah yeah yeah yeah anything take a quick look and see if there’s any area

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that specifically you might want cuz we’ve got ten minutes left which is time but I want to be sure there’s something important to you that you want to address I want to talk about charter amendments so charter amendments how that happens that’s an election process right and if you see happens every ten years the Charter for our County is reviewed the last time our charter was reviewed was I think they to miss 2012 but since being on the council whenever we’re not sure about what it is that we

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need to do I always look at that charter their charters like the Bible of the council or the county it is that constitutional document yeah so I always will do that and then from the Charter then we have our laws or what is known as Maui County code or their ordinances so the these two documents are very important you know to how we function and there are some things in that charter that as we have been working this past year some things that to me or either in conflict it wasn’t clarified it wasn’t clear

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enough and so on and so forth and thus we’re making decisions about things that we’re not clear about and the purpose of going to getting hiring a lawyer regarding the injection well issue because things weren’t clear about things like that so mmm in the Charter we have an opportunity to to amend it and before that happens it has to be brought to the council and then that the counselor has to be approved to put on to the of the voting ballot so we need so this coming election aside from the

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election will have some charter amendments so I have introduced some charter amendments that I think are important for us and other members who are also putting charter amendments and I think when I talked to the the office of counsel services which is this the council that actually helps the council members to do legislation they told me that amongst all nine of us that they had 16 potential charter amendments now I remember when I was reading when I was when I would vote I would look at the charter amendments or anything what the

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heck is this saying I don’t know what it means and and I and so if I didn’t know what it meant I just didn’t know I would automatically say no because I don’t know what I’m saying yes to and if we didn’t have it before then I guess it must be okay somebody no and but I think that there are some amendments that I would like to be able to see changed or some and therefore I want to be able to do some public education about that as we go forward so facing us will be a the budget that is coming up charter

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amendments that is going to need a whole lot of community outreach our job I think as a council to help our people to understand what it is that we’re doing with this charter why do we want to change it in other words you know there’s an old adage a that says if it ain’t broke don’t fix it well sometimes things need to be fixed because they are broken and so whatever get the Charter I see that we need to amend some of those things so the tax reform issue that’s coming up – I mean

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that’s going to need a lot of public education and means sometimes what you see on the footworks reform with real estate and property that is is talking about that there’s a more detailed view of how people are taxed based on very valuations of their last two versions that needs education yeah and and I want to make sure that that happens it’s not a charter amendment no no no it’s tax right so what are the Charter in man although I know the tax is important okay I’m wondering whether maybe this

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isn’t even the form but what I’m trying to think of where do we get where do people get a chance to see that like the tax thing you guys are going around or how is it how is it being shared with people for the tax thing i Yuki lei has done a meeting eonni has someone on Molokai I’ve done a couple in Kahului Wailuku remember Lee has done one in couple in Wailuku – we want to continue to keep doing this anyone recording these so that something can be shared more broadly I sometimes wonder no because they’re

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just kind of community things like we had on a pool Kukui nobody is recording it because it’s just for gathering for information can’t even spent the time to say so here’s how it goes this this this that’s what we do so this is what I mean would it be nice we could get together and I could visit a but then everyone goes okay you know what the next the next time we go we should we should do it yeah and analysis created some really nice flip charts reports that you could see you could

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probably take at that they can be helpful her on the show any one of you guys want to talk does anyone specifically want to talk about it probably Alice would be probably the best person to talk about though but in charters I mean okay I know that I really have a few minutes where I’m always wondering is there a place that people can kind of realize what these issues are before election time comes is that gonna that’s what I hope to roll out is that when but once the council approves the charter amendments then it

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gets to go on the ballot coming but not before that well it’s up to mr. Molina this mr. Molina chairs the governance ethics and transparency committee so those all the charters go to his committee and then it’s up to him to be able to put them out onto the floor for discussion for it whether or not if they pass the council then they can get put on the ballot if they don’t pass the council then it doesn’t go on without Airlines that we need to reach coming soon yeah well for me for me my deadline is

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ASAP because I don’t want to assume that our people understand things just because I do or you do doesn’t mean they do it takes a lot more education so we’re at December if it’s not done B and put on to the floor yeah something like that I’m not sure about the deadlines but definitely because they’re gonna go on the ballot in November well I’m getting my commitment to you and that I’m happy to get together okay help give you the forum to be able to put oh thank you that I appreciate that

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for all they think so yeah I really need that yes I’d like I have an informed voter group that decides they’re gonna come and vote yes topple these low numbers and have many more people come as they understand yes absolutely you know and I’ve always wanted our people to become engaged but you can’t become engaged if you’re not sure what the information is and how does that impact you how does it affect you because if it does impact you in a way chances are you will become engaged that’s why people

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are getting engaged out with the tax reform because they’re saying how is this going to impact me am I gonna be paying more taxes why am i paying more taxes and how come you know I’m gonna surprise it right now and say we are almost over we have about him I’m in it and what can you imagine that something didn’t you invite me back I sure can anything this is an open door and open to you I’d like you to come back okay and I’d like to make this to be the form that I say – we can get

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these out to the public in – out some of the things that think that we might want to smooth out the bumps and here with the public you might perfect thank you I appreciate that you guys are blessed with Tasha comma a wonderful guest a wonderful council person the other Ruiz I didn’t run you know I know you know yeah I was gonna run for the seat I’m very happy you’re sitting there well we had lunch at Zippy’s about that remember yeah I haven’t done and what did I show you what did I tell you I don’t remember but

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I remember that you were committed that’s what I remember and after the election we’d still be talking and doing things together and we will and we are well we’re gonna leave here in Seoul short of time thank you guys for joining us today I hope that you enjoyed the show if you want to listen to it again and look at Maui neutral zone calm or YouTube or again kak u FM 88.5 we are so happy to be the voice of Maui we hope that if there’s anyone that you’d like to see or talk to that you can encourage

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me to have mana shell doctor thank you for being here with you Jason I appreciate it I feel I’m like running a little too quickly but it’s already gone thank you guys we’re out of here Aloha Aloha everyone [Music]