Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 22:30:05 -1000
From: Jim Albertini <ja@interpac.net>
Subject: Questions for Paula Helfrich

Aloha kakou,

This is for everyone's info in the peace, justice, and environmental movement,  but addressed to Paula Helfrich, President of Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB) in response to her statement below.

Paula-- you are very good at trying to devide and co-op people in the peace, justice, and environmental movement. You have a real talent at spin, what George Orwell called newspeak. That's why I called your HIEDB piece printed in the 2/12/04 Hawaii Tribune Herald on your so called Saddle Road "Eco Highway"--- mushy eco crap! It was classic Orwell newspeak. You take decent words like eco and sustainable and turn them on their heads. I suspect you are trying to find a way to spin the 23,000-acre Pohakuloa expansion and bombing as eco and sustainable too because I haven't heard you call for stopping the bombing, shutting down PTA, telling the military to clean up its opala, and end its illegal occupation of the nation of Hawaii. Is continued bombing and expansion of Pohakuloa a sustainable model Paula?

Everyone should know that HIEDB's Saddle Road ground breaking dedication held on 2/17/04 was on military property and protesters were told that if they set foot beyond the highway birm they were trespassing. So much for Paula painting a picture of being "completely free to demonstrate their mana'o." And instead of focusing on the obscenity of decades of military bombing at Pohakuloa, and it's desecration of culture and destruction of the environment,  Paula cites an obscenity shouted by a young passionate protestor for which he was quickly criticized by some of us old timers. 

Paula, could you see the military obscenity on which you were standing at Pohakuloa? You talk about the obscenity in that frustrated young person and ignore the obscenity of the destruction all around you at Pohakuloa and the killing and destruction carried out in your name, my name, and that young protestor's name by the U.S. military around the world.

Paula, you say HIEDB has no position on the Stryker, but you and HIEDB helped organize and attended close door meetings with the military on the Stryker. Over the years, you and I have been on opposite sides of the issue on nearly everything: anti-nuclear, building more prisons, geothermal energy poisoning neighborhoods and destroying rainforests, genetically engineered foods, more development on Mauna Kea, to name a few. It's not just about changing the name of "Eco-Highway."  It's about the substance of where we stand on the issues and our vision for the future. Paula, what is your personal position on the Stryker, Pohakuloa bombing and expansion, and continued U.S. occupation of Hawaii?

Jim Albertini

----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:clipper@interpac.net>Paula Helfrich
To: <long llist>

Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 1:51 PM
Subject: RE: Jim Albertini's email on protest activities, Saddle Road.

Aloha all - I am writing to you all with a copy to Jim Albertini;  in future I hope he will copy me up front or talk to me whenever he needs to send a message! Yesterday at the Saddle Road groundbreaking, I greeted him, and Soli, and Uncle Robert and others of the Malu 'Aina group with aloha, and offered them to come join us for lunch which many accepted. They were completely free to demonstrate their mana'o, and most were spirited and polite. Some (not Soli, Kaliko or Jim) felt the need to scream four-letter words over a bullhorn - unfortunately this was done during the pule. Nevertheless, I think most people make a distinction between the Saddle Road realignment, which has been a work in progress for at least 15 years (9 years in a collaborative EIS process)  and the Stryker Brigade which is at an incomplete EIS process for the last 16 months.

For everyone's information - HIEDB has NO position on the Stryker Brigade. At several stages of the informational and public hearings, we have asked for cost analyses and very specific project detail on proposed buildout which we have not received. We expect that information will be provided at future meetings and will then consider it further. We share concerns on the environmental impacts, and also the ordnance cleanup program in Waikoloa and other areas.

I would also like to respond to Jim's comment that ..."HIEDB is a group of local business folks always pushing for growth and construction, doesn't seen to matter what. If I am not mistaken HIEDB gets federal funds to push it's agenda ". I am speaking for myself in this response. As Jim knows, I do not indiscriminately push for "growth and construction", because those are not sustainable models.   The current project roster is recycling, workforce development, support for the University of Hawaii at Hilo as called for in the Mauna Kea Master Plan (yes, that means local control), mentoring projects to combat ice addiction, and recently-completed projects in diversified ag and tourism. Folks around the island have seen the "Heritage Corridors" DEVELOPED WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES for Hamakua, Volcano and lower Puna, and that is the model which the communities will use for the Saddle Road education/interpretation effort. I believe that it is essential we all put personal differences aside and work towards the common good. We have worked on the "eco-crap", as Jim calls it, at the suggestion of Curt Sanborn (formerly of the Honolulu Weekly), John Giffen of DLNR and highly respected natural scientists, environmentalists and cultural practitioners. 

In the 13 years of my association with HIEDB, I have learned A LOT. I have learned from Jim, and Soli, and many of you, and also from the dozens of community leaders in business and professional organizations, paniolo, University professors and folks from every walk of life. I am still learning and hope I have enough of a sense of humor to "hear da message" - NOBODY LIKES THE NAME ECO-HIGHWAY SO WE WILL CHANGE IT IMMEDIATELY! But you gotta come to the meeting and we all gotta keep talking. Sorry for the long winded answer and thank you for your patience // And yes, it was a good demonstration and a good groundbreaking //aloha no 
paula helfrich  

____________________________________________________________
Following copy circulated by Jim, not copied to paula helfrich mention in text.
_____________________________________________________________________

We had a spirited protest today at the Military Saddle Road ground breaking dedication at Pohakuloa near the Mauna kea State Park. The turn out was good: 40-50 standing in protest, maybe a few more at peak time. Strong Kanaka Maoli leadership. A big delegation from the Lawful Hawaiian Government led by Uncle Robert Keliihoomalu of Puna.  Soli Niheu from Waimea and and Kaliko Kanaele of Hilo spoke eloquently from "the peoples" microphone while Senator Daniel Inouye, Congressman Neil Abercrombie and other politicians spoke to a group of about 200, many of whom are feeding at the money trough.
The demonstration went from 9-12 and all those attending the formal proceedings had to pass the protest sign holders coming and going. They knew we were there and they were not comfortable. Some of the messages on the signs read: Stop Pohakuloa Expansion. No Stryker. Clean up not build up. End U.S.Occupation of Hawaii. Return our nation's assets. E'nuff Da Kine... Don't pave way for Stryker. Restore the nation. Corruption starts at the top.

Lots of press was there. Newspapers and TVs so there should be coverage.
The official dedication event was coordinated by the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB) whose executive director is Paula Helfrich. HIEDB is a group of local business folks always pushing for growth and construction, doesn't seen to matter what. If I am not mistaken HIEDB gets federal funds to push it's agenda. Below is HIEDB's mushy eco-crap column from the Hawaii Tribune Herald followed by a leaflet prepared by Malu Aina for distribution at the protest.
Aloha and solidarity to all,
Jim Albertini

Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Paula Helfrich President
>
>SADDLE ROAD - MORE THAN JUST A HIGHWAY
>
>What seemed like an impossible dream when discussions first began thirty
>years ago is about to become reality. On February 17, a blessing for
>Saddle Road improvements will be held. Phase one of a multi-phase
>project to realign and improve Saddle Road will be dedicated with
>Senator Daniel K. Inouye as the keynote speaker. Monies for this first
>phase, in the Pohakuloa Training Area, are being made available through
>Department of Defense access road funds (DAR).
>
>How do you improve a road that traverses one of Hawaii Island©&Mac246;s most
>environmentally sensitive areas and make a win-win situation for
>motorists, environmentalists and cultural interpretation? You encourage
>all stakeholders to be part of an ongoing process. Saddle Road
>realignment already represents almost ten years of intensive planning on
>this estimated $150 million project. It is the largest roadway
>construction project undertaken in modern times on the island. It will
>create hundreds of construction jobs for the duration of the project.
>Continued community support is required for the project to reach
>successful completion. "I©&Mac246;m elated to see improvements to this vital
>East-West Hawaii link," says Saddle Road Task Force Chair Walter
>Kunitake.
>
>During the six-year period of the Environmental Impact Study for Saddle
>Road a related grass-roots effort for interpretation and education was
>begun. Hawaii Island Economic Development Board and other respondents
>proposed the concept of an "Eco-highway" in testimony for federal and
>state EIS hearings. The concept has now grown to represent opportunity
>for inclusivity, collaboration, resource management, access and
>education for a broad audience at minimal cost, with participation from
>a comprehensive spectrum of community wisdom and resources on the area's
>natural history, cultural traditions, amazing geography and natural
>resources.
>
>Recommended participants will include the State's Department of Land and
>Natural Resources, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of
>Education and Transportation and county representatives from Highways
>and Public Works. Others will be the association of conservation
>biologists, experts from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in Hawaiian
>Studies, Cultural Interpretation and Natural Resource Management, Sierra
>Club, Nature Conservancy, hunters groups, Center for the Study of Active
>Volcanoes, and National Park Service. The idea of this collaborative
>project is to emphasize the potential for harmony among a road, the
>people who travel on it, and the environment through which it passes.
>
>Proposed are community-designed programs for access and information,
>both virtual and real, in selected areas of the realigned route of
>Saddle Road. These areas could feature the region©&Mac246;s flora, fauna,
>cultural history and natural resources. Initially recommended projects
>are the lava-oasis identified as "Kipuka 21," which DLNR is already
>working on, Pu'uhuluhulu, the Humu'ula sheep station and Mauna Kea State
>Park. Initial meetings are tentatively planned for March or April 2004,
>and interested parties are encouraged to contact HIEDB for further
>information.
>
>Similar to the already existing Heritage Corridors along the Hamakua
>Coast, Hilo to Volcano and in Kona, this "Eco-highway" component of
>Saddle Road project would be planned by community stakeholders and would
>include signage and printed collateral to communicate interesting areas
>along the road, identify the various kipuka and indicate access points.
>
>School and community support would be key to its success. School
>excursions, nature-walk programs, even campers and hunters at the Mauna
>Kea State Recreation Area and the Kilohana Girl Scout Camp could all
>benefit from this program as a national example of community building
>and infrastructure management.
>
>Once Saddle Road improvements are complete, travelers long restricted
>from this scenic, but dangerous road, will be able to enjoy views
>previously unseen. As construction evolves from the first phase and
>beyond, the Eco-highway proposal would add to the communities'
>understanding and enjoyment of the drive while providing safe turn-off
>areas so as not to impede faster moving traffic.
>
>The Saddle Road Community Task Force, formed in 1993, will continue to
>play a key role over the next several years through the road©&Mac246;s
>improvement phases.
>Mel Hewett, former chair of the Task Force says, "The ŒEco-Highway©&Mac246;
>concept helps ensure that what has been learned through the EIS process
>in terms of public interest can be shared with a larger traveling
>audience for years to come. This entire project, which began nearly
>thirty years ago, is about to begin construction thanks to the tireless
>efforts and leadership of Senator Inouye."


Statement for distribution at Stryker Protest, 9AM-noon Feb. 17, 2004
Mauna Kea State Park, Military Saddle Road dedication

Stop the Stryker!

We protest this Military Saddle Road ground breaking dedication because it paves the way for the Stryker Brigade and expanded military destruction at Pohakuloa and the sacred mountain areas of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The Saddle Road Environmental Impact Statement never addressed the planned 23,000-acre military expansion at the existing 108,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA).

Today’s keynote speaker, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, said he was assured of a Hawaii Stryker Brigade in June of 2003 and pushed funding through the U.S. Congress for the Hawaii Stryker before the public even had an opportunity to comment on the Stryker draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Police, private security, and the Army harassed people attending EIS public hearings and arrested some for peacefully carrying signs into the hearings held at elite private settings. The Army decided to add helicopters and howitzers to the Stryker brigade after the draft EIS public comment period. The Army held several closed-door meetings with public officials and select business interests about military expansion. The entire decision making process of the Hawaii Stryker Brigade has been fraudulent and anti-democratic, ignoring free speech rights, EIS and Hawaiian Kingdom law. Cultural, environmental and other concerns have been sacrificed on the altar of U.S. militarism. We call on the U.S. Congress to censure Senator Inouye for his leadership in this fraudulent and anti-democratic process.

A Stryker Brigade means the biggest military land grab in Hawaii since WWII. It means the further desecration of Kanaka Maoli lands by the U.S. military: more troops, equipment, aircraft, and live-fire training, including hundreds of Stryker vehicles --eight-wheeled, 19 ton armored infantry carriers training at PTA. Currently, 7.1 million live-rounds of various explosives are fired annually at PTA. The military wants to increase that number to 14.8 million annually and expand the overall level of training at PTA seven times. Already on Hawaii Island there are more than 50 known current and former military sites used for bombing, artillery, and live-fire ranges., etc. The area encompasses more than 400 square miles (250,000-acres or 9 Kaho`olawes in size) and may contain live explosives, military toxins and hazards, including lead and beryllium in the soil at PTA. The U.S. Army secretly tested chemical, biological and deadly nerve gas agents in Hawaii’s watershed/forest-reserve areas. Some documents nearly 40 years old associated with these tests are still classified. Why? Live military ordnance has been found off Hapuna Beach, in Hilo Bay, on residential and school grounds, and several people have been injured and killed by exploding ordnance. Some unexploded ordnance can be set off by cell phones. PTA has the highest concentration of endangered species of any U.S. Army installation in the world. Hawaii is the most heavily militarized group of islands in the world.

Isn’t it time to stop the phony talk about a so called “Eco highway” around or through military destruction and talk straight about the need to restore an “Eco Hawaii?” Isn’t it time to stop the Stryker expansion and shut-down Pohakuloa like Kaho`olawe, but this time do a thorough clean up. Isn’t it time to stop the military desecration, destruction and occupation of Kanaka Maoli sovereign lands being used to desecrate, destroy and occupy other sovereign lands? Isn’t it time to restore the sovereign nation of Hawaii and respect the sovereignty of other nations around the world?

Contact: Malu `Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760. Phone (808) 966-7622. Email <mailto:ja@interpac.net>ja@interpac.net     <http://www.malu-aina.org/>http://www.malu-aina.org    <http://www.maluaina.pitas.cpm/>http://www.maluaina.pitas

(February 17, 2004 )